DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER (Blu-ray Review) - Kino/Redemption

1964/Spain, France
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco, Nicole Guettard
Starring: Agnes Spaak, Marcelo Arroita-Jauregui, Hugo Blanco
Color/84 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: February 7, 2017

The Film
DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER aka The Secret Of Dr. Orloff or the more racy and perhaps confusing The Mistresses Of Dr. Jekyll, showcases the things I love about Jess Franco films and the shortcomings he has been known to have all in one 84 minute film. Though it is a sequel to 1961's The Awful Dr. Orlof it is only loosely connected. The plot concerns Melissa, a young college student visiting her aunt and uncle to settle the inheritance of her recently deceased father. Unbeknownst to her, her uncle has been working on an experiment to create a zombie like killer. Local police investigate the deaths while Melissa searches for answers into her father's death.

Jess Franco had a shoestring budget to work with during the production of DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER, small enough that various cast and crew received no pay for their work and Hugo Blanco was tasked with creating his own monster makeup. The look, that of a scaly, and possibly burned and blistered man, is simple yet effective and surprisingly well done by Blanco. Blanco's character sort of wraps up the production into one single character - effective despite it's faults. Franco makes the most out of some really nice looking locations, including the castle which he makes sure to show off as much as possible with his framing choices. I don't blame him one bit for getting every ounce of value out of it. A lot of time is also spent inside a jazz club, something these early Franco films are known for and frankly I feel many of these scenes are there to pad the film's runtime.

I think some of Jess Franco's best work are the early black and white horror films he crafted during the early to mid 1960s and though DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER isn't the cream of that crop it does have a good gothic atmosphere, an interesting if familiar mad scientists plot and a creepy monster and ends up being an enjoyable creepy little mystery.

The Audio & Video
Kino has released the latest entry into the Redemption Films with a new HD presentation giving the film previously unseen levels of detail and clarity on home video. While this is not a full restoration and there are still some rough spots in the source material with plenty of dirt and debris speckling the picture the high definition quality is never in question. Detail levels are strong especially in close ups. The monster's burned and blistered face makeup shows this more than anything else perhaps. The black and white photography has a great stark look with beautiful greys and deep blacks.

There are two audio choices, with French and English options both in DTS-HD 2.0 formats. Having listened to both tracks I found the English to be the track to listen to. Not only is it a crisper and clearer listening experience, as the French track has more issues with imperfections and background noise, the English dialogue simply presents the story and dialogue better and clearer. There are optional English subtitles available.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with Film Historian Tim Lucas of Video Watchdog Magazine
-Eleven minutes of additional more sexually explicit footage
-French Theatrical Trailer
-Italian Theatrical Trailer

The Bottom Line
DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER is an imperfect beast but it has many of the touches and flourishes that make these early Jess Franco horror films desirable and among his best work. Gothic horror fans should take note of this release. Recommended.

DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER is available HERE

THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU/THE GIRL FROM RIO - Blue Underground (Blu-ray Review)

UK, Germany, Spain/1967, 1969
Directed By: Lindsay Shonteff, Jess Franco
Written By: Kevin Kavanagh, Harry Alan Towers
Starring: Shirley Eaton, Frankie Avalon, Richard Wyler
Color/173 Mintues/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Blu-ray

The Films
This double feature of films starring Shirley Eaton as the titular Sumuru who has plans to take over the world with her all femme army are a part of the kitschy, campy and colorful 1960s spy genre that was so heavily influenced by the James Bond films. A bit more for the cult or midnight film crowd than Bond may be, including a show stealing scene in THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU from Klaus Kinski, these are the textbook definition of the films that Mike Myers would go on to parody thirty years later in the Austin Powers trilogy.

I will admit that I'm not a big fan of spy films and that I don't particularly care for James Bond. To put it simply those films and I have never clicked. I've never felt any sort of longing to watch them or dig deeper into the genre and there's never been a kinship between us. When I sat down to watch these two films I did so with an open mind giving them the best shot I could. I thought at least THE GIRL FROM RIO was directed by Jess Franco so that had a fighting chance at being something I'd find enjoyable. I couldn't necessarily say the same about the first film as Frankie Avalon doesn't exactly get my blood pumping but upon sitting down and finishing both films I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying both.

The films are campy, with overacting, scripts full of action and sexy bikini clad villains who can't hit the broad side of a barn with a machine gun. They're imperfect and flawed throughout but they remain charming and simply enjoyable. They're colorful and fun - in a way the Frankie Avalon tie is almost poetic. For movies about taking over the world, with weapons that will turn you into a statue or cause your organs to rot slowly, to maximize the suffering of course, these movies are silly and lighthearted and they work because of it. I won't say I fell in love but I think this is a fun double feature despite the flaws of the films.

The Audio & Video
Blue Underground does a bang up job with the technical side of this release. Both features look very nice with a newly remastered transfer from the original negatives maintaining the original aspect ratios of 2.35:1 and 1.66:1 respectively. Detail levels are high from facial closeups to textures and surfaces such as clothing to walls and doors. Black levels are deep and inky while colors are bright and vivid without being artificially enhanced to "pop" more than they should. Skin tones are mostly very natural and healthy with only an instance or two of a waxy look. On the audio side of things, both films are presented with DTS-HD mono tracks and optional English subtitles. The tracks are crisp and clear with a steady and well done mix. The soundtrack enhances the film but doesn't become overbearing on the dialogue. There's no damage, distortions or background noise.

The Extras
Carried over from the previous DVD of THE GIRL FROM RIO is "Rolling In Rio" a featurette of interviews with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers and star of both films Shirley Eaton. There's also trailers and still galleries.

The Bottom Line
These films have given me some hope that the spy genre may in fact hold some gems for me and if they're released in a high quality release such as this SUMURU double feature I'll be much less hesitant to give them a chance. Another job well done by Blue Underground.

The SUMURU Double Feature is available HERE

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 14, 15, 16

BLUE ICE... what a movie. I'm reviewing the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray tomorrow so be on the look out for that for my full thoughts but boy what a movie.

Oh hey, it's another movie I did a full review of for its Blu-ray release. Why don't you check out SHADOWS IN AN EMPTY ROOM right HERE!

Oh no... THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU and THE GIRL FROM RIO are next and they're also getting full reviews because Blue Underground is releasing them on Blu-ray later this month. Watch out for that review later this week.

Sorry guys, a lot of stuff I'm doing in depth reviews of so I don't want to waste all the good thoughts before they get their just due.

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 11, 12 and 13

Three days to cover so lets just get down to it - A revisit of the original MAD MAX left me feeling underwhelmed and confused. I apparently remember almost nothing of the original film. Granted, it has been a number of years since I made an effort to actually sit down and watch any of the original trilogy but apparently all of my memories have been formed by The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome. MAD MAX isn't a bad movie but I was expecting to revisit something different, something more in line with its sequels and knockoffs that I have no shame in saying I enjoy quite a bit more on the whole.

BUNNI was next - a 2013 production recently released on DVD by Wild Eye Productions. This is a slasher film geared for the gore hounds as there are a number of bloody and messy kill sequences. MINOR SPOILER: Castration and feeding the severed cock to it's victim has officially become a theme this month SPOILER OVER. The film is short, and lightning paced once things get rolling. The abandoned building that the majority of the film takes place in is inherently creepy and the effects are pretty well done. The acting isn't offensively bad but the direction and photography is shall we say, uncomfortable. I don't mean that the direction is scary or unsettling, it's not that type of uncomfortable. I mean that there's something in how it was filmed that makes everyone look the slightest bit jittery at all times. Movement just looks off, almost if it was shot at an awkward frame rate that doesn't quite look natural. I can't say exactly what it is and it's difficult to describe without seeing it in motion but it's a major distraction throughout. BUNNI ends up being a passable indie horror flick.

Next up was the first of three Jess Franco directed women in prison films - 99 WOMEN. This is almost a paint by numbers WIP film and it would have been perfectly enjoyable had it been but Jess Franco throws his "Francoisms" as I like to call them, all over the place. "Francoisms" refers to his awkward, and downright shitty directorial techniques like panning the camera side to side until whatever action is off screen or random zooms that often go so far as to turn the picture into a total blur. Hey, I'm okay with zooms on bush and butts as much as the next guy but I don't need to feel like a fucking parasite crawling up in there.

Then we get WOMEN BEHIND BARS - this is pretty much the slightly more enjoyable version of 99 WOMEN in that we get less of Franco's nonsense and more Lina Romay. There's a better plot, though it's messy, about stolen diamonds and undercover agents in the prison. And there's Lina Romay. There's also some shoot outs and it's fun enough.

I took a break from Franco for the next film and watched OVER THE EDGE, a 1979 teen rebellion movie dripping with a punk rock attitude. My main thoughts about this movie are how in the blue hell did this movie never get brought to my attention? How have I never heard of it? This is the story of a dream like community that ended up being a hell hole to grow up in with nothing to do but be left to your own devices. Partying, drugs and fights were normal. So was shooting out cops windows on the highway. Parents barely cared and the kids would have their say. I love this movie after a single viewing and know I will frequently revisit it. It's well made top to bottom and gets some great and natural performances out of a group of kids in junior high and high school. It also has a wild finale that isn't to be missed.

We close things out with Franco's best, or at least most interesting women in prison film that I've seen to date and without a doubt his sleaziest. SADOMANIA lives up to its name in a film where a pair of newlyweds drive into an off limits area of a women's prison and they take the wife prisoner while letting the husband go. The husband now fights for his wife's freedom and tries to break her out of this strict facility ran. That paper thin plot provides an excuse to show everything from topless women performing hard labor, lesbian sex, bestiality, homosexuality with Franco himself, murder, fights to the death, human hunting, and human trafficking of these women with the mention of selling girls as young as twelve. Yeah, this one goes the distance. It's not perfect but I had a blast seeing just how far SADOMANIA would go.

Today's Rundown
Mad Max - 6/10
Bunni - 4/10
99 Women - 5/10
Women Behind Bars - 6/10
Over The Edge - 8/10
Sadomania - 7/10

MARQUIS DE SADE'S JUSTINE (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

Italy, France/1969
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Harry Alan Towers
Starring: Romina Powers, Maria Rohm, Klaus Kinski
Color/124 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:
Limited Edition 3 Disc BD/DVD/CD Combo Pack

The Film
Justine and her older sister Juliette are left orphaned after their father is forced to leave the country and their mother dies and are removed from their convent where they're training to be nuns. The sisters quickly take different roads in life as Juliette shacks up at a brothel and takes to a life of crime while Justine clutches on to her innocence and virginity while she's put through trial of physical and sexual abuse and torture, framed for murder, forced into a gang of fugitives just to name a few as told by the Marquis De Sade himself.

JUSTINE is Jess Franco's biggest production and it certainly feels and looks like it with lavish costuming, big sets dripping with gorgeous dressing and a substantial amount of locations and cast members. The film looks beautiful and despite a few "Franco being Franco" moments (including a needless quick zoom to a totally out of focus eyeball) this is a stylish and skillfully made production. Unfortunately the star Romina Powers is either totally disconnected from the material or blissfully (for her own sake) unaware that she's making a movie. She has a perfect look for the character of Justine as she has a naturally innocent look but she's as wooden as wooden can get and doesn't emote any of the tasteless brutality that she endures again and again.

The script can be blamed for that however as much of the straight forward mean spirited nature the original story has toward Justine is lightened and there is a moment of reprieve for Justine in the film where she meets a man who has a genuine love for her and wants to protect her. It leaves the film being a bit uneven and awkward at times. Jack Palance and Mercedes McCambridge play supporting roles who both kill it with their respective performances. As the story goes Palance was drunk on red wine by 7am each morning and that very well may have lead to his totally bizarre and off the fucking wall performance while McCambridge owns the screen during her scenes as a powerful leader of a band of thieves and swindlers. If Romina Powers had half the charisma or talent as McCambridge she could have won an Oscar for this film. The film still succeeds in adapting the De Sade story, with a performance from Klaus Kinski himself as the author locked up in a prison having hallucinatory visions of naked chained women bleeding from their necks and covered in sweat.

JUSTINE is worthy of praise as the good certainly outweighs the bad and will live on as one of Jess Franco's most attractive and lavish productions. It makes me think about how incredibly some of his horror films could have looked and how big their scope could have been had he had the budget he had on JUSTINE.


The Audio & Video
Blue Underground takes what is arguably Jess Franco's most visually stimulating and lush production and give it the Blu-ray release it deserves with a stunning anamorphic widescreen transfer keeping the film's original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Colors are vibrant and vivid while there is excellent detail level in textures and surfaces. You can almost feel the scratchiness of the wool garb! Skin tones are fleshy and natural with no signs of waxiness or excessive digital scrubbing. The film's natural grain structure is kept gracefully in tact and there's really nothing that could have been done better on this disc from a visual standpoint. And the English DST-HD mono audio is largely the same with a crisp and clear track that is free of any background noise or distortions. The dialogue and beautiful score from Bruno Nicolai are beautifully complimentary and have a great mix.

Please Note: Screen shots are taken from the DVD copy of the film and do NOT represent the quality of the Blu-ray transfer.

The Extras
-"The Perils And Pleasures Of Justine" - Interviews with Co-writer/Director Jess Franco and Producer Harry Alan Towers (20 minutes)
-Stephen Thrower On JUSTINE - Interview with Stephen Thrower author of "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco" (18 minutes)
-French Trailer
-Poster and Still Gallery
-Booklet by Stephen Thrower
-CD Soundtrack
-DVD Copy of the Film

The Bottom Line
This period piece adapted from the story of the same name is sometimes sleazy, sometimes excellent and sometimes a misfire. Those misfires are quickly followed up by more sleaze and excellence most of the time which lands JUSTINE as a perhaps under appreciated piece of Franco's filmography and one that will hopefully gain some attention from this gorgeous Blu-ray release.

MARQUIS DE SADE'S JUSTINE is available HERE

Love Camp (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich
Starring: Nanda Van Bergen, Monika Kalin, Monica Swinn
Color/79 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
A group of beautiful girls is kidnapped by revolutionaries and taken to a jungle camp to serve as sex slaves for the revolution. The girls are forced to comply or they are tortured or killed by the sadistic warden. When one of the leaders of the revolution falls in love with one of the girls they try to escape for a life together.

LOVE CAMP is a classic example of Jess Franco tackling just about any genre that is hot at the moment and the Women In Prison genre was hot in the late 70s. Franco makes a pretty satisfying piece of exploitation either way, with plenty of flesh on screen. There's shower scenes, love scenes and a bit of violence. Had Franco went further with the violence and shown it explicitly I think LOVE CAMP could have rose above the pack and became a classic example of the genre. As it is, LOVE CAMP is pretty middle of the road WIP.

The Audio & Video
Yet another outstanding Blu-ray from Ascot Elite. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is gorgeous, with great sharpness and vivid colors. There's no edge enhancement and DNR is not excessive while skin tones are natural and healthy. The English DTS-HD 5.1 track sounds very good. The mix is strong and levels are complimentary to each other. There's no background noise. German and French tracks are also available with optional English and Japanese subs.

The Extras
-Jess Franco audio interview
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
A missed opportunity to be a classic ends up as something that will entertain the viewer but doesn't reach its full potential. LOVE CAMP is absolutely worth checking out for what it is instead of skipping for what it isn't.

Swedish Nympho Slaves (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich
Starring: Lina Romay, Martine Stedil, Vitor Mendes
Color/77 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
A father and his right hand man pay the five million dollar ransom for the return of his kidnapped daughter. When his daughter isn't returned he has the owner of a whore house kidnapped as they believe she knows the whereabouts of his daughter who may have been brainwashed.

A simple plot leads to a movie filled with tons of beautiful women, sex and violence. Also known as Die Sklavinnen (The Slaves), SWEDISH NYMPHO SLAVES is a fine example of Franco's ability to create entertaining Euro-trash. Lina Romay is great in the lead as the whorehouse owner and she looks as fine as ever. The sets and cinematography are among the best of the time for Franco and I'd go far enough to call this one of his best films of the mid to late 1970s.

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite lives up to their name with another elite Blu-ray presentation of Jess Franco's films. SWEDISH NYMPHO SLAVES has great detail, natrual skin tones and excellent color representation. The picture is sharp and clean. The DTS-HD 5.1 German audio track is crisp and clear with no background noise. The mix is spot on and the English subs are perfect.

The Extras
-Audio interview with Jess Franco
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
Sexploitation fans will enjoy this one as Franco brings a solid story, and plenty of the juicy stuff to the table and makes a fun piece of sleaze!

SWEDISH NYMPHO SLAVES is available HERE

Girls In The Night Traffic (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1976
Directed By: Erwin C. Dietrich, Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich
Starring: Kali Hansa, Pilar Coll, Diotta Fatou
Color/72 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 15, 2014

The Film
This is the Jess Franco I try to stay away from. GIRLS IN THE NIGHT TRAFFIC is the story of three high class hookers who sleep together and through a series of flashbacks recount their evening with their clients the night before including putting on a sex show and role playing as a corpse. One of them is kidnapped by a pimp posing as a photographer and she ends up in a weird prison. Her friends end up in the same prison to help her get revenge.

Blah. I'll put it plainly so you can skip to the next section if you wish... this film fucking sucks. It's nothing more than a reason to show naked women on screen and while that is fun and everything it becomes like work when that is all a movie has going for it. There is another cut of the film but that is merely the X-rated hardcore cut which adds on 20 minutes of hardcore sex cut from other movies. I don't know how responsible Franco is for this as he is uncredited as a director but it has all the markings of his other shitty films so he'll shoulder half the blame and Dietrich will to. Thanks for nothing.

The Audio & Videos
We can't blame Ascot Elite for the lame film but we can tell them "job well done" on a very nice Blu-ray presentation. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is very pretty with good sharpness and clarity and vivid and natural colors. The 2.0 German audio track is mixed fine and sounds good. The English subtitles are a little goofy but they seem to be timed well enough and translated fine. 

The Extras
-Jess Franco audio interview
-Trailers
-Still gallery
-+ More

The Bottom
I have a hard time recommending this title for anybody at all but I suppose there are Jess Franco completeists that will want this and they'll be thankful that a dreadful film got such a competent Blu-ray release. 

GIRLS IN THE NIGHT TRAFFIC is available HERE

Downtown (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1975
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Lina Romay, Paul Muller, Martine Stedil
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: November 19, 2013

The Film
A private detective gets a much needed break with a job when he's hired by a woman to take comprising photos of her husband who is a nightclub owner. Shortly after getting the photos and finishing his job he is arrested as the prime suspect for murder in the nightclub owner's death.

Franco pulls his jack-of-all-trades routine here where he writes, directs and stars as the detective in the film. He had this routine in plenty of his films but few turned out as well as DOWNTOWN. His performance is among the best he ever gave and the story is handled well. Franco does give us a few of his notorious Franco directorial moments though with more than a couple long zooms into nude genitals and awkwardly long holds on the shot even while characters are talking. More than once the zoom goes so far as to lose focus on the shot. I guess that is just Jess being Jess!

DOWNTOWN is fun though despite any drawbacks it may have. Franco's love Lina Romay stars and is good and gives a few cabaret/nightclub performances that are sexy and memorable. She was quite the woman. The rest of the cast rises above the average mid-late 70s Franco flick to help the overall quality of the picture.

The Audio & Video
DOWNTOWN was shot a big softer at times than some of Franco's other films at the time and that is evident with Ascot Elite's transfer. While there are some scenes that overly grainy or soft, the transfer is as good as it gets. The PQ has a natural film look, and it does have a good sharpness to it for the most part. Colors are nice and flesh tones are natural. There's a nice level of detail in textures as well. The German audio track is a 5.1 DTS-HDMA track with optional English subtitles. The audio quality is clear and crisp with no background noise. Levels are even and steady with a strong mix. Subtitles are nicely translated and timed well.

The Extras
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
DOWNTOWN is a pretty decent flick from Franco and if you're looking into some of the lesser known or talked about Franco films this isn't a bad place to start.

DOWNTOWN is available HERE

Wicked Women (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written B: Erwin C. Dietrich, Jess Franco
Starring: Lina Romay, Moncia Swinn, Nanda Van Bergen
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: December 10, 2013

The Film
A young woman (Lina Romay) is found naked and bloody in a mansion and is brought to a mental hospital when she won't speak a word. Her caretakers don't have the woman's recovery at the front of their mind, it certainly isn't what they're interested in. They like to get a little closer to the women in the hospital. All the while a cloaked killer is on the loose dispatching of patients at night.

WICKED WOMEN is one maniac killer away from being pretty standard Women In Prison fare with the prison switched for a mental hospital. That wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily but the addition of the murderer makes things a bit more interesting, if not a little off kilter.

WICKED WOMEN isn't a great film, it features some poor direction from Franco, including a totally out of focus shot in the opening scene of the ambulance pulling up to the house. It's always interesting seeing a Jess Franco for the first time and wondering which version of the director you'll get. The one that can direct a beautiful scene or the one that is all over the place with awkward shots and useless zooms and pans. WICKED WOMEN is an entertaining trashy film despite being a poor directorial effort from Franco.

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite does another great job with the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of this film. There is a nice sharpness and clarity to the picture. Colors and flesh tones are vivid and healthy. The German DTS-HD 5.1 audio track is crisp and mixed well. The optional English subtitles are nicely translated and read well.

The Extras
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
Franco and trashy film fans will enjoy WICKED WOMEN but it isn't one of his finest efforts. That's just the nature of Jess Franco.

WICKED WOMEN is available HERE

Love Letters Of A Portuguese Nun (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich
Starring: Susan Hemingway, William Berger, Herbert Fux
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: March 25, 2014

The Film
When a corrupt priest sees Maria flirting with a boy in the forest near her home he brings the girl to her mother and orders the mother send Maria to his convent to become a nun as penance. Of course there is a fee to be paid to the priest and the church for such a service. Maria is sent, but not before her mother belittles her in front of the priest for leaving her penniless. While at the convent Maria is stripped naked, left in solitude, tortured, seduced by other girls, tortured more when she falls victim to a fever and hallucinates and did I mention she was tortured? All in the name of the lord, of course. And when she sees the priest and Mother Superior worshipping the devil she is accused to being a witch and sentenced to burn at the stake.

LOVE LETTERS OF A PORTUGUESE NUN is a fine and really unsung example of the Nunsploitation genre. Franco fits in a bit of psychological and hallucinatory horror elements to go along with the inherent sleaze that comes along with this genre. Lesbianism and Satanism run rampant in LOVE LETTERS and it makes for a damn entertaining 90 minutes of Jess Franco greatness. 

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite gives LOVE LETTERS its Blu-ray debut with a transfer that is largely very nice. There are a few instances where colors fluctuate or the picture is a bit soft but the majority of the film is sharp and filled with vibrant colors and natural healthy looking skin tones. There's no edge enhancement or excessive DNR noticeable. The English 5.1 DTS-HD audio track sounds great and has no background noise. It is crisp and mixed perfectly so that dialogue and soundtrack compliment each other. German 5.1 DTS-HD and 2.0, Italian 5.1 DTS-HD and Spanish 2.0 tracks are also availabel with optional English or Japanese subtitles. 

The Extras
 -Featurette featuring Jess Franco, Lina Romay and Herbert Fux
-Audio interview with Jess Franco
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
Franco tackles the Nunsploitation genre with great success. LOVE LETTERS features Franco's signature style, a bit of sleaze and weirdness and more than enough entertainment to recommend to genre fans and Franco fans alike.

LOVE LETTERS OF A PORTUGUESE NUN is available HERE

Bloody Moon (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

Spain/1981
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Rayo Casablanca
Starring: Olivia Pascal, Christopher Moosbrugger, Nadja Gerganoff
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: July 8, 2014

The Film
Five years ago Miguel, a man with a disfigured face, went on a rampage at a pool party. Raping a woman and killing her in brutal fashion. Having been institutionalized and deemed reformed, Manuel has been released to the care of his sister Manuela who, along with their wheelchair bound mother, run a boarding school for young women. Shortly after opening day the bodies start piling up and Miguel is at the center of the suspicion.

BLOODY MOON isn't much in the way of art. No, Jess Franco had nothing of the sort on his mind with this slasher film that even tries its hand at adding in some qualities of the giallo film. This is purely a horror film with slicing and dicing on the brain. There are a couple of elaborate gore set pieces, the biggest and best also being the most memorable part of the film involves a giant stone mill saw. There's also plenty of sleaze here with an entire incestuous subplot. BLOODY MOON is a simple film that is trashy, gory and fun and stands up to repeated viewings.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films has done a great job restoring BLOODY MOON for Blu-ray. The video quality is quite good with natural colors and an overall strong picture quality. There's little in the way of dirt or debris. The English mono HD audio track sounds good as well. There's no background noise and the mix is spot on. Levels are steady and don't jump.

The Extras
-Franco Moon - an interview with director Jess Franco
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
Franco's take on the slasher film is entertaining and trashy. Exactly what you'd expect from the Spanish-French director making a body count film. Gory and trashy. This disc is definitely worth a look.

BLOODY MOON is available HERE

Barbed Wire Dolls (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1976
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Lina Romay, Monica Swinn, Eric Falk
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 25, 2014

The Film
Lina Romay stars as Maria, a woman thrown in to the nasty women's prison after murdering her father who tried to rape her. Maria is exposed to the despicable warden and her guards, the lesbian inmates and the various forms of torture lying within the walls. Eventually Maria plans an escape with her cellmates leading to a chase through the jungle exteriors.

BARBED WIRE DOLLS is a mean spirited film. All of the prisoners are badly mistreated physically, sexually and mentally. Monica Swinn does a great job at playing a warden that would give Ilsa a run for her money. BARBED WIRE DOLLS is pretty much an exploitation fan's wet dream.

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite's transfer of BARBED WIRE DOLLS is top notch. The picture is sharp, colors are vibrant and there's a healthy grain structure while skin tones are natural. The English 5.1 DTS-HD track sounds great. It is nicely mixed, and free of any audible disturbances. There is also English subtitles for the German language track.

The Extras
-Interview with Jess Franco, Lina Romay and Erwin C. Dietrich
-Jess Franco audio interview
-"Falk's Frauen" featurette with Eric Falk and Erwin C. Dietrich
-Trailer
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
Jess Franco fans will find a lot to love here, especially with the performance from Lina Romay. In broader terms, any sleazy film fan will be doing a disfavor to themselves if they don't at least give BARBED WIRE DOLLS a chance and this Blu-ray is the best way to do so.

BARBED WIRE DOLLS is available HERE

Sexy Sisters (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Manfred Gregor
Starring: Karine Gambier, Pamela Stanford, Jack Taylor
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
Edna keeps her sister Milly chained up in her secluded bedroom. Milly suffers from sexual trauma after being raped as child by a large muscular man. Milly may be curable but Edna has no desire to help her sister as she is the sole heir to their father's large fortunes he left for inheritance as long as Milly is mentally incompetent. Edna and her lovers long plot of drugging Milly to keep her in a state of sexual desire, a nymphomaniac will soon unravel and Milly will get what is rightfully hers.

Another piece of sexploitation from Jess Franco. It seems in 1977 that is all the director had on his mind. This one isn't as weird as Blue Rita, and not as boring as Voodoo Passion. SEXY SISTERS lies somewhere in between. At the very least it has a story but then again, it isn't a very interesting one. The entire point of this film is for Franco to show off his beautiful actresses. There's nothing particularly wrong with that but a more interesting movie would certainly have made it more enjoyable. 


The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite's transfer of SEXY SISTERS is good, despite being one of the weakest I've seen from their Jess Franco Golden Goya collection. The film is mostly very sharp and detailed with a nice natural look to it. Colors are vivid and skin tones healthy and fleshy. There are instances throughout that are soft and overly grainy. These scenes aren't terrible but they don't hold up to the high bar that Ascot Elite has set for themselves. The English 5.1 HD audio track (the only English friendly option) sounds very good, as usual. It is a full bodied track that is well mixed with no instances of background noise that I could notice.

The Extras
A trailer and photo gallery are the lone extras

The Bottom Line
Franco completists or sexploitation super fans will want to add this disc to their collection immediately. As for the rest of us you'd be better off seeing the movie before plopping down the big bucks to buy it. 

SEXY SISTERS is available HERE

Voodoo Passion (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich, Jess Franco
Starring: Muriel Montosse, Ada Tauler, Jack Taylor
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: November 19, 2013

The Film
Oh, Jess Franco. I really have no idea what to make of you. For every film you made that is at the very least entertaining, you make crap that is an absolute chore to sit through despite always being filled with some sort of exploitative fare (more often than not it is copious amounts of naked women). While I was hoping VOODOO PASSION would be a fun, sex filled, horror film example of the former, it ends up being a glaring example of the latter.

Upon arriving in Haiti to live with her husband Jack, Susan is introduced to Jack's sister Olga, a nympho who likes to push the boundaries of taboo, and their lesbian housekeeper. Susan expresses an interest in learning about the local Voodoo culture to Jack and soon after begins having nightmares about Voodoo ceremonies, murder and sexual rituals. After 80 minutes or so a really half-assed attempt to throw together a conspiracy against Susan involving Jack and his partners is revealed by Olga who helps Susan along with the local Voodoo community.

The only reason to watch this is for the endless nudity from just about everyone involved. The beautiful women are rarely dressed and even when they have something on it usually exposes boobs or bush or both. Hell, the only reason this film has anything to do with Voodoo, as far as I can gather, is so Jess Franco could incorporate shots of beautiful dark skinned people baring it all. VOODOO PASSION could have easily had a few different plot details and the there would be no need for Voodoo at all.  Really, this film isn't good at all. If you're a Franco completist or really want to see an underwhelming sexploitation film, you can give it a shot.

The Audio & Video
At least the A/V is good. Ascot Elite has proven to be a top notch company with their Jess Franco Golden Goya releases. VOODOO PASSION looks very good overall. There are a couple instances of DNR but for the majority of the film has a very natural look with great detail and color. The only way to watch this in an English friendly manner is with the DTS-HD 5.1 English track. It sounds great. There's no background noise or hiccups in the audio. 

The Extras
Trailers and a stills gallery are included.

The Bottom Line
This is far from Jess Franco's best work and despite its fantastic looking and sounding disc I can only recommend this film to Franco super fans.

VOODOO PASSION is available HERE

Blue Rita (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland, France/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring:
Color/79 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 18, 2014

The Film
Rita runs a popular strip club where men who are believed to be rich and undercover agents are held captive, stripped naked and tortured. These men are pushed to within inches of their limits of sexual sanity, especially when Rita douses them in her secret green potion that makes the men horny to sign over their bank accounts and tell all of their secrets.

BLUE RITA is not a film that will engross you with it's story. This is purely Jess Franco stroking himself visually. And that isn't a bad thing because BLUE RITA is one of the most visually striking and appealing films I've seen in a long time. Of course there is the group of women who are naked for the duartion, it is like they don't know what clothes are. Beyond that however, are colorful rooms, packed with inflatable furniture, tin foil doors and cellophane curtains. Even the cell the men are kept in is striking as it is below the floor and covered in spikes so the angles the viewers are exposed to are cool.

I have no idea if BLUE RITA was improvised, it certainly could be with the random inclusion of the Eastern Block part of the story. It seems like the movie just skips around getting from one naked lady filled scene or one extravagantly dressed or lit set piece. Franco has done better, but to date I'm not sure he's been so visually striking in any of his films I've seen. 

The Audio & Video
A visually stunning film deserves a visually stunning Blu-ray and Ascot Elite has done that. The 16x9 (1.78:1) transfer looks very good. There is a bit of light DNR applied to clean things up a bit but the film still retains a natural look and a light grain structure. Skin tones are fleshy and healthy while the colors are vibrant. Detail is strong as well. The only English friendly audio option is an English dub track which isn't the way I'd prefer to watch it, but it'll have to do. Some of the voice acting is crappy to say the least. The quality of the audio itself is quite good however. There's virtually no background noise and the DTS-HD 5.1 track is full bodied, and crisp with excellent mixing on the levels.

The Extras
-Interview with actor Eric Falk
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
A bizarre mix of exploitation and art house, BLUE RITA ends up being something very distinct. I haven't decided if I'm a fan of it yet but I certainly won't be forgetting it any time soon. If you're inclined to check out the movie this disc is the way to do it.

BLUE RITA is available HERE

The Demons (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France, Portugal/1973
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Britt Nichols, Anne Libert, Howard Vernon
Color/118 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: April 29, 2014

The Film
In 1971 Ken Russell released his masterpiece The Devils on the masses. Viewed as disturbingly sexual, violent and obscene it was banned or faced tight censorship just about everywhere. Russell's film was heavy with commentary on the Catholic church and organized religion as a whole, filled with images of naked nuns, harsh violence from church officials and general insanity. It didn't take long for other filmmakers to capitalize on the attention being given to The Devils and make similar films. Jess Franco did just that in 1973 with THE DEMONS.

During a witch hunting craze, an accused witch who is being burned at the stake accuses the head with hunter and his followers of being in with the devil. This sets off a crazy chain of events, where nobody is to be trusted. A series of tests is given to the accused which will point out the witches. These tests are of course designed to be passed (rather, failed) by everyone they're administered to. The manhunt for the accused goes wide when the witchfinder falls in love with a nun who ran away to escape persecution but there will be no shortage of people being burned at the stake. Or nudity. Or witchcraft.

It goes without saying that based on the title and a short plot synopsis that Jess Franco knew what he was doing with THE DEMONS. He was making a sleazier and more self indulgent film for the exploitation crowds to love on the back of Ken Russell's noteriety. This isn't a new practice and one that hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Franco's film is wildly entertaining, there's sex, torture, violence and bizarre witchcraft that turns people into skeletons! It has none of the social commentary or expert filmmaking that Russel's The Devils has (that isn't to say it is a poorly made film because that isn't the case). It is simply a exploitative ripoff of a true masterpiece of cinema and is a film worth viewing in its own right.

The Audio & Video
Kino Redemption has done a fantastic job with their release of THE DEMONS. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features a crisp and largely very clean transfer. Detail is strong with the period clothing and set pieces and the plentiful amount of skin on display is warm, and natural. Everything looks great and there is no edge enhancement or DNR on display. The French (with German) 2.0 audio track features optional English subtitles which are flawless. The sound itself is perfectly mixed, and free of any background noise. 

The Extras
-An interview with Jess Franco by David Gregory
-Six minutes of deleted footage
-A pair of theatrical trailers
-Trailers for more Franco films

The Bottom Line
Jess Franco has made a highly entertaining piece of nunsploitation with THE DEMONS and this gorgeous Blu-ray is the only way to see the film from now on. 

THE DEMONS is available HERE

Women In Cellblock 9 (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Karine Gambier, Howard Vernon, Susan Hemingway
Color/78 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: October 22, 2013 

The Film
Set in the jungles of South America during a time of revolution a truck carrying suspected revolutionaries is stopped and searched by members of the prison. The women on board are arrested and thrown into the infamous Cellblock 9. They're stripped and chained by the neck, no better than dogs, where they undergo interrogation tortures and humiliations by the warden and doctor. They are asked repeatedly who they work for and what they know and their silence causes more punishment. As the days pass the women formulate a plan to try an escape and disappear into the jungle.

WOMEN OF CELLBLOCK 9 is pure exploitation gold. Jess Franco's sleazy side was firing on all cylinders here with nudtiy, violence, torture and even some horror moments on display. From the forced nudity, to quasi rape of an inmate just so she could get a drink, to stock footage of crocodiles (who apparently can't go on land), to running naked through the jungles while being gunned down... WOMEN IN CELLBLOCK 9 has it all! This movie is trashy in the best way. It is 78 minutes of pure mind melting sleaze entertainment. I loved every second of it.

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite has done another very nice job on this HD presentation. The anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) transfer is rather stunning from the lush greens of the jungle, to the blood reds that pop just enough and the natural, fleshy skin tones that show amazing detail I can't say enough good things about how nice the transfer is on this release. The audio tracks are nice as well, with German and English DTS-HD 5 channel surround or a 2.0 French track, the English track that I listened to, despite a bit of hokey dubbing, sounded excellent. The mix was full, and robust with no background noise to complain of. It is doubtful that WOMEN IN CELLBLOCK 9 will ever look or sound better than it does here.

The Extras
Extras include the original trailer, a still gallery and additional trailers. 

The Bottom Line
Women-In-Prison film fans rejoice! This is one of the sleaziest entries I've had the joys of watching and in glorious HD no less! There's a reason I love Euro-trash and this film is a great example of why. 

WOMEN IN CELLBLOCK 9 is available HERE

Jack The Ripper (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Germany, Switzerland/1976
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Lina Romay, Herbert Fux
Color/92 Minutes/Rated 18 (Germany)
Region FREE
Release Date: September 24, 2013

The Film
Klaus Kinski stars as the beloved town doctor who always puts his sick and often poor patients needs ahead of his own. The only problem with the Dr. is that by night he turns into a killer. You see, his mother was a prostitute and that did something to warp his fragile mind. He felt filthy when she touched him and he felt betrayed by her and her profession. So now, the Dr. has become the killer known as Jack The Ripper the man that stalks and slashes prostitutes across London. When the local inspectors and Scotland Yard fail to catch him one of the inspector's girlfriends goes undercover on the streets to catch him.

JACK THE RIPPER is a moody and atmospheric horror film from Jess Franco. Surprisingly and somewhat disappointingly it isn't overflowing with sleaze. I think if Franco went all out and let Kinski turn into the madman we all know he could be then JACK THE RIPPER could easily be an infamous piece of Euro-trash. Instead Franco shows some restraint, as does Kinski which works for the scenes of Kinski as the doctor but it left me wanting so much more in the way of excess. As it stands, JACK THE RIPPER is an entertaining film, that is held back by some of Franco's less favorable characteristics in his direction, such as lingering and wandering shots and poor framing, but also features some of his better sides with his restraint. 

The Audio & Video
Ascot Elite has done an awesome job on this Blu-ray. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has very strong detail. Just take a look at hair, building exteriors and a close-up of Kinski's leather gloves. Colors are vibrant and the overall clarity is very nice. Skin tones are very natural and black levels are deep. The audio side of things features English and German 5.1 DTS-HD options or a 2.0 French track. Various subtitle options are available. I listened to the English track and was quite pleased with the quality. There is very little background noise and the mix was nicely done.

The Extras
There's a plentiful variety of extras on the disc including but not limited to:
-Audio Commentary
-Interviews
-Alternate Scenes
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
Jess Franco takes on JACK THE RIPPER and while it is historically inaccurate look at the infamous killer, it is an entertaining movie that fans of Franco, Kinski or Euro-horror will enjoy and the Blu-ray from Ascot Elite is the only way to go!

JACK THE RIPPER is available HERE

How To Seduce A Virgin (DVD Review) - Mondo Macabro

France/1973
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Jess Franco, Alain Petit
Starring: Lina Romay, Alice Arno, Robert Woods
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
The beautiful and rich Countess Martine has just been released from a stay in an asylum after castrating her former lover. Upon returning home to her coast-side villa, she enters the basement, home to her sexual fantasies and statues of human victims, giving us small but powerful glimpse into this woman's deranged world. Her husband plays into her sick desires as he is well aware that she is the money of the relationship and living his luxurious life style without her. 

He devises a plan for her to seduce Cecile, the teenage virginal daughter of their equally rich neighbors. They offer to let Cecile stay at their home while her parents go away on a business trip, to which Cecile's parents reluctantly agree. Cecile is certainly not innocent, as she regularly pleasures herself with her windows wide open, she is perhaps a bit of an exhibitionist but she is far from experienced and Martine wants her. As their plan begins to unfold Cecile gets in close with Martine's husband and the plan doesn't quite go as planned. 

Jess Franco is a director who may be equally loved and maligned, and the quality of his film definitely run the gamet from garbage to great. HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN is an erotic horror film, that relies heavily on it's eye candy from star Alice Arno and Franco's own lover and frequent collaborator Lina Romay as the silent (and weird) servant, of course along with Tania Busselier as Cecile who would also work with Franco on The Countess Perverse from 1974. HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN features a typical jazzy score that Franco loved to use and plenty of nudity. It is a simple story that makes for an entertaining piece of Euro-sleaze, and I love my Euro-sleaze and few do it as good as Franco did it.

 
 The Audio & Video
 HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN is delivered on DVD by Mondo Macabro in an attractive and clean 1.33:1 full screen transfer. Picture quality is strong with natural skin tones and gorgeous color reproduction, specifically the scenes with heavy doses of colored lighting. There is a single instance of wobble from the picture towards the end of the film. Audio is also strong with a 2.0 mix in French with optional English subtitles which have been newly created. Overall the A/V presentation on this disc is quite good as you can readily expect from Mondo Macabro.

The Extras
Special features include:
-Interview with writer Alain Petit
-Introduction by film critic Stephen Thrower
-Production notes
-Mondo Macabro previews  

 
The Bottom Line

Mondo Macabro commonly does great things with their releases, bringing largely forgotten titles back to the masses in attractive packages and they've done so again here with HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN. More Jess Franco on DVD is not a bad thing and this movie is a good one. If you find yourself a fan of Euro-sleaze you'll find this release as a great addition to your collection.


HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN is available HERE