Jess Franco 10 Best List:

Here are my 10 favorite Jess Franco films. I would like to know what readers of this blog consider their personal favorites. It's all subjective and in art/exploitation there are no right or wrong answers. You can post your list here (by clicking on COMMENT) or email it to me. I hope to compile a master list of reader's favorites in the future as a kind of informal poll.

In order of preference:

NECRONOMICON (SUCCUBUS)
LA COMTESSE NOIRE (FEMALE VAMPIRE/non hardcore version)
EUGENIE (Soledad Miranda)
LA COMTESSE PERVERSE (non hardcore version)
LORNA, THE EXORCIST
AL OTRO LADO DEL ESPEJO
GEMIDOS DE PLACER
LA NOCHE DE LOS SEXOS ABIERTOS
EL SEXO ESTA LOCO
SNAKEWOMAN


RIFIFI EN LA CIUDAD, BROKEN DOLLS, MISS MUERTE, MACUMBA SEXUAL and L'ESCLAVA BLANCA all are close runners-up. In fact I'll be publishing a 2nd 10 list, since a top 20 makes sense considering that Franco has made over 200 films including alternate versions.

My list is ever-changing [I've already went back and changed it twice since I first posted a few hours ago!] and his 1980s films are taking more prominence over his earlier work. Popular favorites like VAMPYROS LESBOS and VENUS IN FURS I appreciate mainly for the music along with VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD and NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT. Anything scored by Bruno Nicolai is worth watching just to hear his music.

I guess SUCCUBUS will always be my #1 for the purely nostalgic reason that I saw it theatrically in 1969 and it was my first experience with a Jess Franco film. The image at the top of this blog appeared as an advert in the local newspaper (I even tried calling the phone number provided, but it was always busy!) and reeled me into a lifetime obsession with the delirious world of Jess Franco.

(c) ROBERT MONELL, 2006.