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RARE OOP OBSESSION: THE FILMS OF JESS FRANCO signed by co-author Tim Lucas in Books , Antiquarian Collectible |eBay
29 January, 2012
28 January, 2012
EL SADICO DE NOTRE DAME Poster
EL SADICO DE NOTRE DAME: Recently watched the Spanish Manga DVD of this rather important 1979 Jess Franco project (with scenes from the 1974 EXORCISM) and would recommend it since Jess Franco's real voice is used for the character he plays. It adds a lot to the film. It is also letterboxed and looks better than most other versions I've seen. No English language options, unfortunately. With a fascinating essay by Francesco Cesari as an extra. Wizard Video released a censored VHS of this called DEMONIAC back in the 1980s. It was one of the first Franco videos I ever rented. This poster was on sale for $200+ at vgmerchandise.com Thanks to Nzoog for helping me see this.
19 January, 2012
The Incredible Howard Vernon!
Howard Vernon dressed to kill in his signature role as THE AWFUL DR. ORLOFF
From Hollywood mainstream projects like THE TRAIN to the mad Doctor Orloff (his signature role) in GRITOS EN LA NOCHE to the Nazi-like scientist in Godard's sci-fi arthouse classic ALPHAVILLE to the sinister Uncle in A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD to the henchman of Dr Mabuse in Fritz Lang's THE THOUSAND EYES OF DR. MABUSE (note that Wolfgang Preiss, who played Mabuse in the Lang film and its 1960s Euro sequels is also cast as a Nazi in THE TRAIN) to the creator of an invisible ape in ORLOFF AND THE INVISIBLE MAN to the Mayor in ZOMBIE LAKE, the valet in SEVEN WOMEN FOR SATAN or the arrogant medical official in SHE KILLS IN ECSTASY, Vernon played just about every role imaginable and did it with elan and consistent professionalism.
He certainly had a LOOK and a style which were indelible once sampled. Like Klaus Kinski or Christopher Lee he was one of those actors who had a unique presence which always added a tremendous boost to any film he was in, even if he was playing a minor role.
Howard could also play a good person like the kindly Lord de Winter in LES DEMONS (1972).
Howard playing the word association game with Janine Reynaud in Jess Franco's 1967 NECRONOMICON.
Thanks for the memories, Howard Vernon.
(c) Robert Monell, 2012
09 January, 2012
Atypical Franco: VIRGIN REPORT (1972)
While the typical Jess Franco film can be easily integrated in a “cycle” of some sort or at least related to some other feature of his, Virgin Report(1972) is rare in that it stands alone. Made during the director’s association with the German producer Artur Brauner, Jungfrauen-Report (as its original title reads) clearly sought to capitalise on the success of the Schulmädchen-Report series produced by Wolf C. Hartwig, for whom Franco himself was later to make Bloody Moon (1981). This Schoolgirl Report cycle followed in the footsteps of the likewise German Helga films of the sixties by serving standard softcore thrills in the guise of sex education documentaries, and Virgin Report adopts the same stance.
The results are predictable. A number of what are supposedly candid interviews are conducted with assorted passersby seen either in the street or at a disco, all questions asked bearing on the issue of virginity that is the film’s central theme. One is inclined to think that the interview segments, while almost certainly staged, were not directed by Franco, whose work may have been exclusively linked to the (openly) fictitious material. This includes the odd contemporary bit, including an almost self-contained sketch about a female teenager and her two successive lovers, one of them an ineffectual youth, the other a rather more satisfying mature man. Otherwise, most of the running time is taken up by brief set pieces set in various periods and areas and allegedly illustrating attitudes towards virginity throughout the ages.
While no historian or anthropologist, I honestly doubt the bona fides of what we’re shown, no matter how insistently a German voice-over may attempt to confer documentary status onto it all. Among the things we “learn” is that Native American women (never specified by tribe) would undergo defloration rites involving a coincidentially phallic outgrowth from a tree; and, in one of the film’s few entertaining scenes, that the Droit du seigneur actually extended to senior members of the clergy (although the existence of such a right even for feudal lords is controversial among historians). In the midst of these cod-documentary trappings, several familiar Franco players can be spotted here and there, sometimes doubling up: Britt Nichols, wearing a stole, forfeits her hymen to a huge metal dildo; within the same period, Vitor Mendes’s large body is covered by an Ancient Roman toga; the rather slenderer bodies of Hans Hass Jr. and Christina von Blanc, doing Adam and Eve, appear on full display as they frolic about in the Garden of Eden; Howard Vernon is recognizable as an inquisitor and a Victorian father.
And so on. Were it not for these actors, one would never guess this is a Franco film. In his travels through time and space, Franco profits from the associations of the Victorian segment to suddenly switch from colour to monochrome – probably for the sake of some variety, if nothing else. Otherwise, he proves either unwilling or unable to extract much variety, for exploitation purposes, from the framework given him. To be sure, the virginity premise is far more limiting than the more generic “schoolgirl report” denomination but, inasmuch as the notion of virginity is seemingly reduced here to its anatomic dimension (admittedly, the least controversial one), it is remarkable that the possibilities of fellatio are not even touched upon, as they had been in Bill Osco’s Mona: the Virgin Nymph (1970). Perhaps the subject is best suited to hardcore features such as Osco’s, but what about the lesbian activity that is almost inseparable from softcore? And in a Jess Franco film, no less! Since the filmmakers could hardly have been genuinely constrained by questions of historicity and research, they might have let their imagination run freer and make a more successful film by its own standards.
The “educational” sexploitation film (basically a German concept, later taken up by Italians and even by Spaniards who, unlike Franco, were operating within their own country) certainly wowed ‘em back in the sixties and seventies but nowadays it is far less interesting in itself than for what it is: a documentary, in fact, though not of what it purports to show but of what it really does show about popular attitudes at the time of its existence as a genre. And Franco’s film is certainly no exception. Even if it is highly unlikely that, as stated at the opening, the crew travelled to all five continents, Virgin Report is pleasant enough to look at thanks to José Climent’s photography and one assumes that making the film, with its varied settings, must have been more fun than watching it. Technically speaking, Franco has done much worse but rarely has he made anything more boring than this.
Text by Nzoog Wahrlfhehen
02 January, 2012
MONDO MACABRO DOES JESS FRANCO IN 2012!
Countess Ivana Zaroff (Alice Arno) greets her guests, who will later become her prey and her dinner....
Count Rador Zaroff (Howard Vernon) signals that it's time to dine on hard hunted and freshly killed human flesh in the upcoming MONDO MACABRO DVD presentation of Jess Franco's first, and best, entry into the European Trash Cinema Cannibal genre...
In Jess Franco's LA COMTESSE PERVERSE (1973) The Woman Hunt has an unintended outcome for Countess Zaroff. The long MIA original version of this transgressive erotic adventure is being released on DVD for the first time in its original version as intended by Jess Franco. The original version was in-effect the first French Cannibal [S]exploitation feature with disturbing satire on 1970s class and sexual gamesmanship, executed in the inimitable avant garde/Horror y Sexo/ Cine Bis Jess Franco style. That is, before it was recut on orders from producer Robert De Nesle, who found the film too disturbing and edgy for his intended XXX rated venues. First inane "comedy" scenes were added and a later re-release included some crude hardcore inserts. An Italian version added ugly hardcore scenes not shot by Jess Franco. All these additions disfigured the film, based on the oft-filmed story THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, beyond recognition. It will now be brought back to its original incarnation from the original negative elements. Even in the compromised forms in which I have seen it over the years it always makes my top 10 Franco lists.
The whip crazy sadist Martine Bressac first seduces and then lashes her victims to death in PLAISIR A TROIS, Jess Franco's cubist take on Sade's PHILOSOPHY IN THE BOUDOIR. Besides deadly whippings, Alice Arno slashes, castrates, drugs, binds, hangs and displays victims in her basement chamber of horrors. One of the director's most intense and stylized Sade adapts, this is a must-see and has some brief glimpses of hardcore. This will also transferred be from the original negative elements. Extras to be announced.
Stay tuned for more information. More images will be rotated/added later.
Both DVDs are planned for the 2nd quarter of 2012.
29 December, 2011
NEW X-RATED KULT USHER DVD
I'm sharing the above link, originally posted on THE FRANCO LOUNGE at THE LATARNIA FORUMS, to this French site which gives more details on the previously blogged X-RATED KULT 6 DVD Jess Franco boxset. The text is in French only but this appears to be a re release of NEVROSE, the Eurocine edited/ French version of EL HUNDIMIENTO DE LA CASA USHER (1983) dubbed into German. There are also 18m of bonus scenes from the Spanish version of the film. But there were actucally two Spanish versions of the film, one never released. It will be interesting to find out just what is contained in these alternate scenes. I will update when I find out more.
If there is anyone who could provide a complete interpretation of the French text on Cinephiliquement it would be appreciated.
26 December, 2011
6 DVD JESS FRANCO COLLECTION: X-RATED HARTBOXEN!
Anyone have any detailed information on the alternate versions and bonus materials offered here? This seems to be the DVD debut of ROBINSON UND WILDEN SKLAVINNEN at least. Also a DVD version of the uncut JUNGFRAUEN REPORT. Rather hefty price tag! At least X-RATED always has those nice covers taken from vintage artwork*
*[Image originally posted on THE FRANCO LOUNGE @ THE LATARNIA FORUMS]
*[Image originally posted on THE FRANCO LOUNGE @ THE LATARNIA FORUMS]
22 December, 2011
SEASONS GREETINGS!
Jess Franco celebrates the Holiday Season with his prayer beads!
04 December, 2011
Franco's occasional actors: AGUSTÍN GONZÁLEZ
Although Jess Franco has been likened on occasions to Roger Corman, let’s face it, it cannot be said that many people on to bigger things started out with him as has been the case with Corman or, within Franco’s own country, Iquino. But there are a few exceptions, one of them being Agustín González, a now deceased actor who has had a theatrical award and a square in Madrid posthumously named after him. And indeed, despite his impressive number of film credits, it was on the stage in Madrid, where he was born, that Agustín González Martínez (1930-2005) really made his mark.
Starting out in a university theatre group during his student days, he eventually graduated to the legitimate stage in 1953. As for his film debut, González claims in a book-length interview with him that Jess Franco, “a very good friend of mine” (1) , on seeing him in a play, recommended him to Juan Antonio Bardem for a role in Bardem’s Felices pascuas(1954), on which Franco was working as an assistant director. What followed was an extremely active career in supporting roles, occasionally landing the odd lead, Julio Diamante’s Los que no fuimos a la guerra (1965) and Carlos Serrano’s Batida de raposas (1976). A regular in the cinema of Luis García Berlanga and Fernando Fernán-Gomez, he also worked for Carlos Saura, Mario Camus, Joaquín Romero-Marchent, Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, José María Forqué, Eloy de la Iglesia, José Luis Garci and other distinguished Spanish directors. He may also have served as a good luck charm as the first two Spanish films to win the Oscar to the Best Foreign Language Film featured him prominently in the cast: Garci’s 1982 To Begin Again (a poor film, but with González as a scene-stealing hotel concierge) and Fernando Trueba’s Belle Epoque (made in 1992, and featuring González in his by-then familiar manic priest act).
In the midst of all this film activity, González was essentially concentrating on a distinguished career on the stage, including the title role in Othello, Don Latino in Valle-Inclán’s Luces de bohemia (which he repeated in the film version of 1985), the lead of Fernando Fernán-Gómez’s play Las bicicletas son para el verano (which he repeated in Jaime Chávarri’s film version of 1984), Henry II in James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter and the writer in Anthony Shaffer's Sleuth.He was excellent playing the silent main role in a production of Samuel Beckett’s video-play Eh, Joe?.
Film-wise, he did not truly rise to prominence until the late 1970s, when he emerged as a bald-headed, mustached, gruff-voiced character star actor, much in demand for either comic or “straight” performances as authoritarian right-wing types. In the 1980s, he came close to becoming part of the “inner circle” of Spanish film actors inhabited by Fernando Fernán-Gómez, Paco Rabal and José Luis López Vázquez. A tendency to be typecast, along with a penchant for theatrical hamming, may have kept him from quite making it but he nonetheless remained busy in second leads and “guest star” cameos for the rest of his filmography. Other than repetitions of his stage successes, he also played some leads: cast against type as a liberal lawyer in Pedro Costa Musté’s El caso Almería (1984); a more characteristic villainous protagonist in Santiago San Miguel’s Crimen en familia (1985); a hard-nosed cop in the same director’s Solo o en compañía de otros(1991).
It goes without saying that he found himself, on occasion in Euro-genre films. The parts he played parts in this region include his maniacal character in Ricardo Blasco’s Gringo (1963) and, in another rare lead, the troubled man in the fantasy Testigo azul (Alucinema)(1989) , directed by Francisco Rodríguez Gordillo , who was later to helm the Paul Naschy film Licántropo . González was also, in fact, once directed by Naschy himself, in the comedy Madrid al desnudo (1979), playing a sleazy publisher. This is one of the very few times in which he did not dub his own voice. As a point of interest, in Pilar Miró's drama Gary Cooper, que estás en los cielos (1980), González appears as a Spanish actor who's off to Italy "to make that shitty horror film".
Gringo(1963, Ricardo Blasco)
Madrid al desnudo (1979, Paul Naschy)(Voice dubbed by Antolín García)
Testigo azul (Alucinema)(1989, Francisco Rodríguez Gordillo)(Best Actor award at the Imagfic festival for this role)Agustín González appeared in two Jess Franco films. In the first of these, Rififí en la ciudad, he played (or, perhaps, overplayed) the gay gangster. In the second, La muerte silba un blues, he plays the shorter role of a cop, appearing early in the film. What follows are caps from his two Franco roles:
Rififí en la ciudad(1963)
La muerte silba un blues(1964)González received the Gold medal for Contributions to the Fine Arts in 1983; he was also nominated to the Goya (Spanish Oscar) on four occasions. He died suddenly at the age of 74, while engaged in a production along with José Luis López Vázquez (seen with Soledad Miranda in Robert monell's previous blog entry) and Manuel Alexandre (the trumpeter in Franco's La muerte silba un blues). His personal partner for many years (1954-1986) was the noted actress María Luisa Ponte, also seen in several Jess Franco films.
Some of his stage roles:
As Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (Tony Isbert played Romeo)
As Don Latino in Valle-Inclán's Luces de bohemia (one of the actor's "signature" roles)
In the title role of Molière's Tartuffe (TV production)
As Andrew Wyke in Anthony Shaffer's SleuthTrailer for Crimen en familia, with Agustín González as the villainous lead.
Agustín González singing, in José Luis Cuerda’s Así en la tierra como en el cielo (1995)
Agustín González and Fernando Fernán-Gómez (of Rififí en la ciudad) in a scene from José Luis Garci’s The Grandfather (1998).
Agustín González’s imdb entry:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328020/
Agustín González’s Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agust%C3%ADn_Gonz%C3%A1lez
Cover of a book of interviews with Agustín González 
The inauguration of a square in Madrid named after Agustín González in 2006 
(1) Lola Millás. Agustín González: Entre la conversación y la memoria (Madrid: Ocho y Medio. 1995)
Text by Nzoog Wahrlfhehen
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