Our SUCCUBUS journey continues.... Released February 15, 2006, the PAL DVD is listed as non-anamorphic and presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Running time is 76 minutes. Two mono audio options: Spanish and English. Initially banned, the film was never released theatrically in Spain, so the Spanish dubbing is probably newly-done. A trailer and a photo gallery are included, as well as production notes by Francesco Cesari.
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ROBERT MONELL: Many thanks for the cover and the information, Mirek. I wonder if the English audio is the vintage track found on the AB and BU discs? This couldn't have been exhibited in Gen. Franco's Spain in 1967, but may have played there in the late 70s or after. But any Spanish track would have to have been made way after the fact and without JF's involvement. No "covered" footage has ever emerged which would indicate that it was even shot there, as Franco seems to indicate on the BU doc. It was largely shot in Lisbon and Berlin. If any nude footage was shot in Spain, "covered" alternatives would have had to be also shot for local venues and by censorship law. Even after Gen. Franco's death "covered" takes were being shot there. SUCCUBUS was never intended for Spanish exhibition or distribution, but the two Aquila RED LIPS productions, coproduced with Spanish financing and shot on Spanish locations (along with German location shooting) were exhibited there in "covered" versions quite different from the KISS ME MONSTER and TWO UNDERCOVER ANGELS, which contained nudity filmed in Berlin studios. Also, if you watch the BU SUCCUBUS closely you will notice that there are flashes of bottomless nudity of Janine Reynaud, which aren't as apparent on the AB disc due to its lack of high definition. This would have definitely been a big no-no in Spain at that time. Censorship or nudity continued well into the seventies with Paul Naschy shooting "covered" scenes for his INQUISITION as late as 1976, at the tail end of the Gen. Franco era.
It's interesting to note the 76m runtime, that's 3 minutes shorter than the BU DVD and 4m shorter than the US theatrical version which ran 80, 10s, see previous blog. This may either reflect cuts or a PAL source. I would be interested in reading the liner notes by our friend Francesco Cesari.
3 comments:
I have this Spanish DVD. It's the same English audio. The Spanish dubbing is newly (and AWFULLY) made. Before being released it was aired by some Spanish pay channels with this same dub.
It runs 76 min. because of the PAL-NTSC difference, but it's the same old US version.
By the way, congratulations for this very necessary blog!!
Welcome, Campecce and thanks for your information on the Spanish DVD. I figured it was the same familiar English language version. We hope you can stop in regularly here.
Really cool. I bought the Spanish version of this film while in Spain in '07, and played it on my laptop in a 13th floor apartment overlooking Malaga.
It is one of Franco's best imho.
Reynaud is eerily attractive and the dreamy sequences are a trip.
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