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30 August, 2012

COMMANDO MENGELE: The Raid Part 2

I once asked EUROCINE Producer Daniel Lesoeur who actually directed this film and he promptly answered "Frank Drew White." This wasn't directed by Jess Franco, who planned an earlier version [El Hombre que Mato' a Mengele] in 1985, but the story is credited to "David Khunne" and it's a fun, sick ride under the brisk, if impersonal, direction of "A. Frank Drew White" [Andrea Bianchi, of course]... Makes an interesting double bill with THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL!
For Part 1 go to:
THE EUROCINE FORUM
www.robertmonell.blogspot.com/
CINEMADROME:


23 August, 2012

Blu-ray covers and info...

REDEMPTION
has released the covers of their upcoming Jess Franco Blu-rays. According to the REDEMPTION FACEBOOK page the hardcore versions of EXORCISM and FEMALE VAMPIRE are possibly going to be released on DVD only, because of certain restrictions. But EROTIKILL and DEMONIAC, the alternate versions of FV and EXORCISM, will be on the Blu-rays. DEMONIAC was the title of the English language version of THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME, a different film made 5 years after EXORCISM with some of the same footage and released in a toned down WIZARD VIDEO VHS in the late 80s. It will be interesting to see exactly what version of DEMONIAC will be on the EXORCISM Blu-ray. More information will be posted as it comes in.

18 August, 2012

Rare MANACOA FILES ed on Ebay!

Envío GRATIS MANACOA FILES VOL 6 - JESS FRANCO - RARE UNEDITED EXTENDED INTERVIEWS Ampliar Vender uno como este MANACOA FILES VOL 6 - JESS FRANCO - RARE UNEDITED EXTENDED INTERVIEWS Estado del artículo: En muy buen estado Tiempo restante: 4d 03h (22 ago 201219:34:36 H.Esp) Puja actual: 600,90 EUR [ 1 puja ] PujarPujar Introduce 605,90 EUR o más


09 August, 2012

STILL AT WORK!


Thanks to Dan Van Husen for this recent picture of  Jess and Antonio Mayans on the set of a new collaboration in Spain!



Photo: a photo taken by a friend a few days ago















08 August, 2012

FRANCO KANNIBALEN! Re-evaluating DEVIL HUNTER (1980)

Jess Franco's SEXO CANIBAL/EL CANIBAL/JUNGFRAU UNTER KANNIBALEN/IL CACCIATORE DI UOMINI/THE MAN HUNTER/DEVIL HUNTER/MANDINGO MANHUNTER/CHASSEUR DE L'ENFER-HELL HUNTER poses some difficult questions beyond: Why is this movie so bad?!
The "Devil" or Cannibal or Zombie hunts for the hearts of women. Listed as "Burt Altman" (a zombie) in OBSESSION: THE FILMS OF JESS FRANCO, Jess Franco revealed on the Severin DVD interview that he was actually a Portuguese athlete. An official "Video Nasty" once upon a time in the UK, traditionally dumped into the bottom tier of the director's massive filmography, even the most rabid, least selective Francophiles tend to deem it one of his worst efforts. I initially ranked it even lower than WHITE CANNIBAL QUEEN/CANNIBALS/MONDO CANIBALE (also 1980).
 Above: German Lobby Card.

After several decades of  Jess Franco Watching I've discovered that vertical rankings when dealing with a filmography as complex and multi-tiered as this can be deceptive and counterproductive. DEVIL HUNTER was a Spanish, French (EUROCINE), German (LISA FILMS), Italian co production. The Italian lead actor in MONDO CANIBALE, Al Cliver (Pier Luigi Conti)was retained as another adventurer in search of a missing woman, this time an internationally known actress (Ursula Buchfellner) who has been kidnapped by a ruthless gang of criminals and taken to the tropical island of Puerto Santo

 Lurid poster art for an admittedly lurid film.


Style usually trumps story in Franco's filmography but on first viewing there are few stylish or signature "Jess Franco" set-ups/images apparent here. The first time I saw this, on late 1980s era US VHS as MANDINGO MANHUNTER, the entire opening credits scene was covered over by anonymous credit cards (Directed by Clifford Brown; Music by Jesus Franco Manera [!]). The sound, of a woman crying out as she is tracked by cannibals through a swamp, remained. The restored Severin DVD did more than reveal the images in that sequence it allowed me to consider the film in a different context. I'll continue examining alternative ways to view this film in a series of blogs on Franco's cannibal output.