RATIO MATTERS

Curious that the Blue Underground DVD of KISS ME MONSTER is not promoted as being in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Instead, it is listed as a 1.66:1 presentation, which it clearly is not if we compare screen captures of it and its companion film, TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS, which IS presented at 1.66:1 or thereabouts. (My guess is 1.78:1, as it's an anamorphic presentation.)

KISS ME MONSTER (click on photo to see full version):



TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS (click on photo to see full version):



Note also the Spanish poster for KISS ME MONSTER, pictured on top under the original Spanish title, BESAME MONSTRUO, indicates a "Cinemascope" presentation, though clearly the film was not a true CinemaScope film. The film database of the Spanish Ministry of Culture states that both of these "Red Lips" films were "panoramico," which usually indicates a 1.85:1 ratio. As both films were shot back-to-back, it is almost certain that aspect ratio of both films should be the same.
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ROBERT MONELL: Very interesting! Note that the guest at the fashion show on the far right is partially cut off by the framing, indicating that there is some side image missing, as no professional DP would frame a shot bisecting a figure with the edge of the frame. That entire set-up looks slightly unbalanced to me. I actally think there is a strong possibity that these two features, which share the same casts and sets, were shot simulataneously, a practice Franco learned on the mid 1950's COYOTE films. Those JR Marchent features were also shot with the same casts and sets with Franco directing some scenes and Marchent directing others to save time and money. The footage was later split into two features. Adrian Hoven, the producer and a director was the star, and he could have actually directed some scenes to help out. Later, Hoven or someone added footage not directed by Franco to the English language version of BESAME MONSTRUO, which is the version on the BU disc. I have also read reports that KISS ME MONSTER was improvised on the set of TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS which was already in production, so that would make them overlapping shoots at least. If you look at the scenes in both films in the Red Lips' Pop Art style bedroom you will notice that the exact same camera set ups were used in both films also indicating that they were shot simultaneously. Franco, of course, became notorious during the 1970s for shooting two films for the price of one in order to save the costs of paying actors and technicians for two films when he could pay them once. He kept the secret by just slightly adjusting wardrobe and blocking for the second project takes which he told everyone were retakes or alternate takes for the film they were making. Paul Muller caught on and complained about it to me when I interviewed him and producer Erwin Dietrich also has said Franco secretly filmed a second feature at his expense during the production of BARBED WIRE DOLLS (1975). Franco continued this practice through the 1980s. Ethical concerns aside, it certainly saves much time and money. BTW, those two WIP films he shot simultaneously in 1975 were in two different ratios, I believe. In this case I wouldn't be surprised if these were both lensed in 1.85:1 or even 1.78:1, but TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS may have been RELEASED in 1.66:1 for one reason or another. The Spanish version I have on tape is letterboxed at approx. 1.55:1 to add to the mystery.

Sometimes a film is shot in one ratio and then printed/released in another. It's hard for me to tell from the screengrab if ...MONSTER is indeed a 1.85:1 or a 1.78:1 transfer as I'm not expert at measuring by eye. They may have been released in Spain at the wider ratio and in 1.66:1 elsewhere, but that would seem odd for such low budget productions. These were shot right after SUCCUBUS, which was 1.66:1 so I assumed they were all lensed that way. Thanks again for this fascinating comparison.