Black Moon 1975 / The Strange Case if Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne 1981 / Messiah of Evil 1973 / Bloodsucking Freaks 1976 / The Devils 1971

"Black Moon" is a Dadaist dream about a young girl who is fleeing a war between men & women. She seeks solace in a dreary country farm occupied by an old woman who knows everything about her and an incestuous mute brother & sister. The film is full of abstract episodes that are probably clever statements on female sexual maturity a'la Alice in Wonderland, but I didn't recognize them. Overall, the experience is rather grating. Its studiously composed but the film feels pretentious with its abundance of cruelty to animal actors, boring metaphors and faux-educational exploitation of its extremely young actress' sexuality. Its worth a watch because it is so unique and its frequently entertaining, but its no lost gem. My impression of director Louis Malle is a wannabe Godard/Bunuel without much originality or talent.

Walerian Borowczyk is much more impressive with his loose adaptation of a classic horror novel. He brings so much voyeuristic intensity and expressive technique to what has to be a minuscule period piece production. The film is a rare accomplishment in balancing erotic and horror tension so well. This is truly one of the most sensual and glossy films of its period (or any period) but it has a grisly urgency. It walks that fine line between art and exploitation beautifully. Seek this movie out.

Messiah of Evil is a film by the couple who wrote Temple of Doom & Howard the Duck for George Lucas. Its a post-hippie horror "feature" about a young woman in a spooky seaside town of zombies. Its freakishly similar to Franco's Virgin Among the Living Dead but they were released the same year (but, Virgin was shot in '71). Its a decent snapshot of a time and generation but its not effective on scares or mood beyond some stylish lighting and minimalist staging. It feels like an arty cash-in on drive-in films without any respect for its audience. Its determined to show off its own intelligence, but there isn't much. To its credit, the film features production design by Jack Fisk, husband of Sissy Spacek and lifelong friend of David Lynch. There is actually a HUGE impression of Twin Peaks in the setting of this story, so its memorable and important for that.

Bloodsucking Freaks could be the best film Troma ever released, alongside The Toxic Avenger and maybe The Last Horror Film. Like those movies, it is a lurid portrait of NY independent filmmaking from a bygone era of sleaze, art and political dissidence. This is the most extreme of its kind, a satire about white slavery full of cannibalism, torture, murder and brainwashing. A decade ago, this film made me queasy to watch. Now I appreciate the immense intelligence and bravery in pulling off such a disturbing but complex little exploitation. A film like this is looking to make a statement more than a profit.

I finally watched Ken Russell's The Devils. Besides maybe a snippet of Tommy, this is my first film by popular British cult director. Wow. What a brilliant technical director and stylist he is. His camera is so alive and magnetized by every action on the screen. There isn't one lazy performance or dull scene or false moment in this classic story of religious persecution and moral corruption. The story itself is a great and bold attack on Catholicism, but it avoids tempting melodrama or bland tragedy by setting us up with so many laughs and spectacles. Russell's film has a broad irony that had to be a game-changer then. He really reflects the Mod sensibility of his generation and marries it with the most classic but unsuspecting narrative tropes. And its more than just a bunch of clever tricks. It moves you and haunts you.

The Bloody Judge 1969 / The Demons 1973 / Doriana Grey 1976 / Lorna the Exorcist 1974 / Sexy Sisters 1977 / Sinner - Diary of a Nyphomaniac 1973

I'm really in the last string of major Franco titles to review. These are particularly darker and more trying films from his more depressive and destitute days. I don't enjoy them as much, but they fit my current mood and reveal more of Franco's character and inner battles.

The Bloody Judge is some prime Franco. It could be the best work but maybe not the best film from his soaring commercial career in the late 1960s. Its just as disturbing yet alternately beautiful. Its smart and not at all exploitative. It feels sincere to its historical influences and you can measure it favorably to Hollywood of the period or this current age. Its plot-themes are very pressing: a psychotic conservative authoritarian and probable secret society member who is persecuting the impoverished population he presides over. Scary stuff. This and the other Franco roles are Christopher Lee at his most effective as an actor and a scary "horror movie" presence. Highly recommended!

The Demons follows the same vein but its made for a much sleazier producer with cheaper resources and questionable tastes. Robert de Nestle replaces Harry Allan Towers, which is not a totally skewed trade-off. Its so tawdry and lurid, you can't help but admire it. And a stoned Franco does a great job on damage control. I think this is probably the most tightly plotted and classically shot of de Nestle's time with Franco. It could be the most polished overall and its one of the most erotic and aren't Franco's film supposed to be erotic primarily? The film has some surreal, absurd, camp and kitsch treats as usual. Jess was really in a free-form mood with some impressive resources to bounce off of.

Doriana Grey fits the 70s definition of a porno. You can't quite interpret it the same as the traditional commercial narrative film or even the arthouse experiments or even the sleaziest softcore movies. But it can have the same value. Doriana Gray has the loosest of loose stories about twin Linda Romay's who are soul mates and need to make lesbian love... and maybe its all a dream. Its some heavy, artful, technically brilliant stuff to prop up a lot of graphic sex scenes. And it works. I wasn't thrilled by plot or character because thrills weren't the goal. I find the sex scenes alluring in concept and cathartic and beautifully staged. Pornographic cinema has always had its place and been an influential genre steeped in important cultural art. Franco channels something ancient in these erotic period pieces of the 1970s. I favor this to some more narrative but less erotic films.

Lorna the Exorcist came out earlier (another de Nestle film). Again, the plot is small and lifted essentially from merging Eugenie with other shit, Rumpelstiltskin perhaps (Faust is mentioned). This film sets the stage for following explicit sex films by Jesus Franco: hotels, long takes of scenery, extended love scenes and very obtuse but effective dialogue and minor action. Actually, Franco's Other Side of the Mirror led to this mini-genre in its X-rated cut. Lorna has a wonderfull psychedelic rock/electric jazz score and otherworldly photography and the performances are sharp. Its plot is more strange than anything that precedes it, but maybe more easy-to-follow than what follows it. This is not for everyone but Francophiles will rank it highly.

Sexy Sisters is one of many films where blonde actress Karine Gambier is masochistically tied up and abused mentally and physically by a brunette. I very much enjoy the film Franco made for producer Erwin Dietrich but apparently he stunted Franco's experimental camerawork. Their collaborations are always minimalist, polished and focused on erotica over statements or creativity. Thats fine. Sexy Sisters is one of the weaker of their films but it has decent dramatic plot, performances and great design on a dime.

Sinner is probably the biggest slam dunk out of this batch of reviews. It integrates an original story structure, haunting music, nightclub atmosphere, feminist romance and melodramatic tragedy. And it remains classy by rejecting the hardcore sex or sadism you might expect. This is more of a personal statement or responsible professional job. And it has that rare kind of Franco ending that is so open-ended that it drives you mad and forces you to meditate on the story's reality and its metaphors. I like when Franco's films are personal and still can easily convince the mainstream of his genius. I hope this film was a grindhouse smash because its one of the purest examples of drive-in aesthetics you can find. It might have been too sexy and unadulterated for most suburban drive-in's though.

A Virgin Among The Living Dead 1973

Hmmm. I'm on the fence here. This was a favorite of mine, but it doesn't live up to my first impression. Initially I found Virgin to be a heavyweight Gothic experience and overlooked its big flaws. Its not like the flaws spoil the mood, but I can't say its one of Franco's very best. Still I highly recommend this, even as a starter.

The plot follows a young woman who arrives at a castle for her father's inheritance. She meets her strange extended family and the eeriness builds until she is losing her mind. I think this is Franco's first time using this plot structure and while this script is more basic than its reworkings (Daughter of Dracula has the same setup, Other Side Of The Mirror has the same climax), this is the moodiest and more bizarre of the films. Shit, I think its the best shot of the three. It has its camp and its tediousness, but it is very effective, beautiful and sexy.

It has a low ranking among horror fans because its title evokes a Romero movie with tits and Franco fans don't give it enough praise because it its plot is so minor, but I think its a minor classic. The famous title was added in 1981 as were zombie scenes shot by the great Jean Rollin.

The cast is really special. You have Franco all-stars and some great bit players that I hope return. Christina von Blanc is the lead, exquisite from head to toe and very vulnerable in her acting. Britt Nichols and Anne Libert are phenomenal as the mysterious and evil supporting actresses (the pair appear in my next two reviews btw). And we get Jess Franco as a very creepy and yet hilarious Morpho-esque manservant and Howard Vernon at his best in a more loose and unassuming villainous role.

SPOILER ALERT: The ending will make or break the film for you and while I think it wasn't quite sold perfectly, its still awesomely appropriate when you sit with it. Its a kinda replay of Venus in Furs' ending, but way more logical and built up. Does it turn the entire film into a dream? Or was the film real and she met vampires? The film leaves you with questions, no happy ending but still some poetic closure and a free interpretation. LOVE IT!

Well, jeez. Writing my feelings and thoughts down, I guess this is one of my favorites from Jess Franco. The camp really only adds to the spookiness and the tediousness is fairly low for a Franco film with lesbians in it. Of his films that I've seen, this is the best contribution to the EuroHorror genre and its easily comparable to the genius '72 Spanish vampire film "Blood Spattered Bride" and Jean Rollins' Gothic masterpieces. Its just so full of atmosphere and weirdness and old-school existential terror. I hope the opinion on this film changes just like mine has. But I loved it to begin with. But I gave it a fair critiquing and it still passes the test.

The Other Side Of The Mirror 1973

My Jesus Franco journey continues with a highly respected but seldom seen entry in his oeuvre.

"Ultimately The Other Side of the Mirror stands out as one of Jess Franco’s more complex films with is layered subtext and lyrical imagery." - 10kbullets.com

This film is very atypical of his indulgent works in that its a moody psychological study of a sexually tormented protagonist. Franco originally followed depraved, misogynistic mad scientists and historical sadists before switching to female whores and lusting she-vamps. TOSOM is a happy medium of both perspectives, focused on the perverse relationship between a domineering father (played by "Dr. Orloff" himself Howard Vernon) and his frustrated jazz singer daughter (played by Emma Cohen).

What this film has going for it, beyond the expected visual flair that comes with Franco's direction, is a very strong script. Its structure, pacing, dialogue and themes are among the most mature that Franco ever worked with. And Franco obviously had plenty of time to prepare and work out the mechanics of how to present this story properly. There are some indulgent and frankly boring jazz scenes that detract from the film (and they may only exist in the sex-less international cut), but Franco is very respectful and focused on making this a serious drama with heavily poetic and disturbing moments.

Emma Cohen is really wonderful as the lead despite being the anti-Franco actress: she's not especially shapely, she's not exotic and she is a very capable actress. Her committed performance anchors the film and Franco obviously soaks up everything she gives the camera. For once, he is more interested in slight dramatic mannerisms over jiggling flesh and statuesque poses. I believe this story and character effected Franco deeply and her inner demons reflect his own. The themes of loss, incestuous feelings, outsiderism, romantic impotence and sexual mania are concentrated here but exist in all of Franco's personal work. Could "Mirror" be his most personal from his most productive period?

I would not rank this as Franco's best. Its not the most entertaining or interesting or even artistic. But it has impressed the arthouse audience more than his other films. It resembles a serious psychological thriller enough and its competently made in a familiar mode for the time, evoking Godard and Dennis Hopper. You can recommend this one to the people who think Franco couldn't direct or only cared about lesbians and S&M. TOSOTM is a big jewel in his crown and I bet Franco was proud of this for the rest of his life.