The ultra bizarre music for LES POSSEDEES DU DIABLE was composed by Jazz Bach guitarist Andre Benichou. It really gets under your skin. Once you hear you won't forget it...
Rare advert for English language version....
The results of our most recent reader's poll, asking which Jess Franco films were the most wanted on DVD, and LES POSSEDEES DU DIABLE (LORNA, THE EXORCIST) wins by a landslide with 64% of the vote. That doesn't really surprise me since it's one of the director's most sought after films, especially in its elusive complete form. This 1974 Robert de Nesle production has never surfaced complete on any video format as far as I know.
Video Distributors: C.V.D.; VIP; MPM Production [Here are some French distributors whom may figure in the right's chain, according to one site]
The last I heard was that a rights holder had been located in Europe and that a DVD company was in negotiations. That was last year. If quality, complete elements are discovered we could all be in for the most important discovery since EUGENIE...HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION and NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT surfaced several years ago. They had been MIA for decades, so anything is possible. This hypnotic, transgressive (see the still on p. 110 of OBSESSION: THE FILMS OF JESS FRANCO) Faustian tale certainly deserves the deluxe treatment. It always makes my often changing Jess Franco 10 Best list.
Thanks to everyone who voted!
POLL RESULTS:
LORNA, THE EXORCIST: 61 votes
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR;-34 votes: The Spanish version of this Robert de Nesle/Spanish coproduction. The French version is THE OBSCENE MIRROR, which has a different soundtrack by Andre Benichou. It also has more explicit sexual inserts acted out by Lina Romay and Ramon Ardid among others. It's much less interesting than the Spanish version which was released by Q video.
PLAISIR A TROIS-32 votes: Yet another version of PHILOSOPHY IN THE BEDROOM which is envlined by Alain Petit's sharp dialogue, a bizarre music score and a cubist mise en scene. Some hardcore moments may make this a difficult DVD release.
GEMIDOS DE PLACER-26 votes: A 1980s remake of PLAISIR A TROIS filmed in long plan- sequences. One of Franco's most structurally interesting films. Write to Severin Films if you want this on DVD. They have already released several other Golden Films Internacional titles.
THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME-25 votes: A composite of 1974's EXORCISM with 1979 footage. A Spanish-Eurocine coproduction. A key Franco title.
THE SINISTER DR ORLOFF-22 votes: Jess Franco's fourth Dr. Orloff feature and my favorite of the series. Very sadistic and visually interesting Golden Films production.
THE MIDNIGHT PARTY-17 votes: A minor, amusing sexy spy-comedy with Jess Franco as a torture specialist.
We'll have a follow up poll soon in which a number of other Jess Franco titles will be presented as DVD candidates.
(C) Robert Monell, 2008
