One of the Jess Franco films I would most like to see on a HD R1 DVD presentation is his 1960 comedy LABIOS ROJOS, which introduces the Red Lips, his famous team of female detectives.There doesn't seem to have been a video release of this anywhere, ever. Carlos Aguilar, who has seen the film, told me he considers it one of Franco's best works. There may be a good quality 35mm print still around in Spain, but who knows?
LA VENGANZA DEL DR MABUSE (1971) is the delirious final chapter in the long playing Dr. Mabuse series begun by Fritz Lang in the early 1920s! An interesting film with psychotronic visuals and a quirky Jess Franco music score. I've just seen the Spanish language version, but would like to see the longer, alternate German cut DR M SCHLAGT ZU.
FURIA EN EL TROPICO (1983) is one of Franco's more obscure WIP excursions. OUTLAW WOMEN (1986) was a later, reworked version. A rumored hardcore version is even harder to locate. None have appeared in any R1 video format, outside of dubs of Spanish language videos.
(C) Robert Monell: 2007
I agree that LABIOS ROJOS looks great. Why do I have a sinking feeling that the only way some of these twice-as-obscure Franco titles will see the light of day is if some enterprising fans license and subtitle them for limited release themselves at a loss? I'd do it myself for a few of these if I had the bucks.
ReplyDeleteFollowing Tim L.s great Bava book (a wondrous thing) I've seen a few message boards now asking the question (some in jest, some seriously) as to when 'someone' will do a definitive Franco book. Franco's turn will come!
Hope all is well, BTW. (I'm on holiday in Tasmania right now, back into message boards and blogs when I return).
I'm doing well, Anthony. Just reviewed the definitive MB bio above. It IS a staggering accomplishment. I do think a lot of rights issues have to be ironed out and good elements have yet to be discovered to get superior DVD released on many of these more obscure Franco titles. I think LABIOS ROJOS exists in the Madrid Filmotecha as a 35mm print. We may or may not ever see it on DVD.
ReplyDeleteOne has to be hand it to Franco- to release FURIA EN EL TROPICO with that long shadowed extended opening..which on my copy looks very dark. but still interesting. I don't know how he sold a WIP film like that - but bless his sense of adventure. I need to see the 86 version, with it's Christ warden.
ReplyDeleteYeah, OUTLAW WOMEN is the film to see. It's a Reagan Era western of sorts with Revolutionary Theology as the driving force in a Catholic Tragedy. It's incredibly obscure. Very few people seem to have seen it. I got it from ETC over 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, B. When I order with ETC next I will have to get it. I just got BAHIA BLANCA and CAMINO SOLITARIO from there but have not watched them yet.
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