A werewolf, two mummies, and Lon Chaney, Jr. meet Jerry Warren!
How many films did you edit together to make this one, Lucio?
Jerry Warren's FACE OF THE SCREAMING WEREWOLF (1964), Jess Franco's THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME (1980), Lucio Fulci's 1990 NIGHTMARE CONCERT (A CAT IN THE BRAIN). What do these all have in common? You already know the answer. There are all "composites" made up of footage from several films which the directors stitched together to create a new feature.
I enjoy the chaotic ambiance of FACE... even though Warren is always roundly condemned as a hack, as Franco often is, certainly Fulci has had that term often applied to him. I'm not going to get into the "hack or genius" argument again but I will pose an interesting quiz question: Name all the individual films that were edited together to make each of the three features in question, FACE OF THE SCREAMING WEREWOLF, THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME, NIGHTMARE CONCERT (A CAT IN THE BRAIN).
BTW, the new GRINDHOUSE 2 DVD set of A CAT IN THE BRAIN is a must-have considering the feature presentation's quality and the raft of fascinating extra features. I'll be reviewing the GRINDHOUSE DVD and will be discussing CAT... in relation to Franco's SADIST... in a future blog.
For (not a hack)Fulci's Nightmare Concert:
ReplyDeleteGhosts Of Sodom
Don't Be Afraid Of Aunt Martha
Touch Of Death
Hansel and Gretel
Bloody Psycho
Massacre
Escape From Death
I'm probably missing one or two there and I'm sure there are some musical references too, not that I can place them.
Haven't got the foggiest about the other two though.
Thanks, Cameron, and welcome to the blog. That seems to be a correct list. It's interesting, I have seen several alternating lists, some which lists titles which don't have footage in CAT.... I saw one list which included Lenzi's GATE OF HELL (1989), which I didn't see any footage from when I recently watch both back to back. Part of the reason I'm doing this is to get a handle on just what's in CAT... and what's not.
ReplyDeleteSo what's there from ESCAPE FROM DEATH and HANSEL AND GRETEL? I watched these two (very poor) films few years back but didn't notice any recycled scenes.
ReplyDeleteI thought that SADIST was just some EXORCISM with a sprinkling of new stuff? Seems I may be incoreect. I know I prefer SADIST to EXORCISM
ReplyDeletethought that SADIST was just some EXORCISM with a sprinkling of new stuff
ReplyDeleteThat's actually correct, Doug. It was footage from EXORCISM, like the above screenshot, mixed with footage Franco shot 5 years later in Paris.
Cool! I was right! I still like SADIST so much better
ReplyDeleteI used to like EXORCISM better, but after seeing SADIST again recently I'm coming around to it. It's a more personal and self reflexive film and it's interesting to compare to A CAT IN THE BRAIN.
ReplyDeleteThe way I look at it is that Exorcism is his flashy Hollywood version with the cops chasing him and gunning him down at the end. Sadist is more internal and then he is walked out of the church at the end, much more what real life would probably have happen. I really could talk about this flick all damn day, sir. :0)
ReplyDeleteThe way I look at it is that Exorcism is his flashy Hollywood version
ReplyDeleteIt's like a 70s TV cop show ending. But that may be intended as an ironic comment. I do like the opening scene in EXORCISM with Lina Romay and the blonde.
Like the ending of Mil Sexos Tiene La Noche where the cops turn up out of the blue to supply a "happy ending". On the other hand in Sexy Sisters when Pamela Stanford sees her sister leaving the house she just gives up and the film ends. It's disturbing because it's so unexpected. The final shot is of Jack Taylor's tired eyes as he prepares to drive away. And that's it. It doesn't really matter if Franco gives it a happy ending or not because you can believe it or not, take from it what you want. And anyway it's only a story, a game.
ReplyDeleteonly a story, a game.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Hitchcock would say "it's only a movie" and would concentrate on how it's told. That's what Jess Franco does. It's the style and form that counts. There's no message.