31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LA MANSION DE LOS MUERTOS VIVIENTES (1982)

Insane monks, who have been haunting a centuries old monastery, go on a rape and murder spree when a group of tourists become too curious.

Don't Open The Door!

What is it?

Outrageous cocktail of softcore lesbian antics, sexual violence and zombie imagery which evokes Amando De Ossorio's BLIND DEAD films. But Franco has a very different agenda, more disturbing and satirical, and his direction is highly atmospheric. 

Makes a good double bill with Joe D'Amato's EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD.

31 Jess Franco Horrors for Halloween: LA FILLE DE DRACULA (1972)

Murders occur in and around the Karlstein estate. Is the killer Count Dracula (Howard Vernon), who lies in interred in the basement?

The local police suspect is Baron Von Karlstein (Daniel White). Vampire hunter Jefferson (Jess Franco) finally resolves the mystery. Atmospheric (giallo style) follow up to DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN, with Howard Vernon returning as Dracula in the same bizarre get-up. Britt Nichols shines in the title role. 

Britt's overbite....

Family, friends or lovers?

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS (1962)

La Mano de un hombre muerto

The Austrian village of Holfen lives under the curse of the legendary Baron Von Klaus, a sadistic killer of young women who disappeared into the swamp 500 years ago. Has he returned to experience "the tragic eroticism of all the senses finally ending in death"? A black clad killer is taking out local women. The police and a reporter have their suspect. But the truth is more complex...

The stalk and kill sequences anticipate the Italian giallo genre (cf BLOOD AND BLACK LACE).. The erotic torture/murder sequence of the barmaid was very daring for its time and censored in Spain. Based on a novel by "David Khune"

Tortured to death

A person of interest (Howard Vernon)

The swamp

Spanish version. 

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: VENUS IN FURS (1969)

Vintage poster

The witness

The victim

The killers

The sadist

Jazz musician Jimmy Logan (James Darren) is drawn into a realm beyond time and space after witnessing the murder of playgirl Wanda Reed (Maria Rohm).

Jess Franco's psychedelic fusion of jazz (scored by Manfred Mann), horror, erotica and destiny. 

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: DEVIL HUNTER (1980)

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: DEVIL HUNTER (1980) A starlet (Ursula Buchfellner) is kidnapped for ransom on a tropical island. Al Cliver goes to the rescue. But the real menace is a giant, nude, cannibal zombie (Burt Altman?). Ugly, delicious entertainment.

She got what she deserved.

European Trash Cinema aesthetics

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LAS VAMPIRAS

Alternate Spanish version of VAMPYROS LESBOS (1970). This is the covered/censored cut which also has a different musical score (co-composed by the director) and some striking images not seen in VAMPYROS LESBOS.  

Princess Nadine Korody

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: BLOODY MOON

Alicante, Spain. The International School of Languages. Coeds are stalked by a bloodthirsty psycho-slasher. Who is the killer? 

German version. Jess Franco directs a slick, early 80s era slasher flick in the style of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and Brian De Palma.

Dr. Domingo Aunous (Jess Franco)

 releases the suspect from his institution.

Opening gore

A little persuasion....

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LA COMTESSE NOIRE

Island of Madeira, 22nd of February, 1974. The Countess Irina of Karlstein seduces and drains a woodsman of his vital fluids. A visiting writer (Jack Taylor), the local medical examiner (Jess Franco) and the occult expert Dr. Orloff investigate.

A deliriously romantic love story which takes us into the realm of the undead who live in the world beyond the mist.

One of the director's key works is known under numerous titles (EROTIKILL; FEMALE VAMPIRE; LES AVALEUSES: THE BARE BREASTED COUNTESS: LADY DRACULA: THE LOVES OF IRINA) and has countless alternate versions.

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LA TUMBA DE LOS MUERTOS VIVIENTES (1981

First viewing: WIZARD VIDEO- OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES

See the Spanish version which has better music, more interesting photography and superior performances by Lina Romay and Eduardo Fajardo.

DVD

Is that Jess Franco in the upper left corner shot?

Nazi zombies attack coeds!

Don't forget to watch our homage/sequel to this, the 3 part web series RETURN OF THE BLOODSUCKING NAZI ZOMBIES http://www.cinemadrome.yuku.com 

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD (1971)

DVD

Scene from alternate version

French poster

A young woman travels to the remote family castle for the reading of her dead father's will only to find that all her relatives are zombies!

A heartfelt attempt at poetic horror blending the living dead, morbid eroticism and experimental B genre cinema.

The family unit is a matrix of horror and dysfunction leading into a hallucinatory vortex of arcane symbolism, sex and death. 

Memorable images: Ann Libert as Death, Britt Nichols with the scissors and the pink shirt of "Jesus Manera." 

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LA NOCHE DE LOS ASESINOS

Jess Franco proves he can make an old fashioned, Gothic murder mystery set in an old, dark mansion.

Spanish Version

The next victim?

DVD

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: MACUMBA SEXUAL

A ray of light will lead you

To the realm of Princess Tara Obongo.

She will seduce your body, mind and soul;

She will make you her total slave.

She wants to control the world

There is one more thing you should know about the Princess:

She has been dead for a long time....

31 Jess Franco Halloween Horrors: LA MALDICION DE FRANKENSTEIN (1972)

"My head hurts me!"

Dennis Price operates on the head of the Spanish Frankenstein monster, played by the hulking

Fernando Bilbao, also a notable Eurowestern villain (FASTHAND IS STILL MY NAME) of the era. Bilbao also played the creature in DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN (1971). Note the spray painted silver body 

make up.

This live action adult comic is a hoot and a must-see. Franco himself told me his preferred cut is the nude version, of course. The Image RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN DVD is the longer, "covered" version, which was made to please Spanish censors. It considerably dilutes the transgressive impact.   

aka THE EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN (UK VIDEO)