Poster Art for Jess Franco's EXORCISM (1974)

An ongoing series.

 

Beyond Naschy #39 - ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (1966)

Our journey through Naschy adjacent Jess Franco films continues with ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (1966)! Part of the brief spurt of Euro-Spy films that sprang up in response to Bond-mania the film features Eddie Constantine playing a slightly comedic version of his many tough guy roles. The film centers on a mysterious group of bronze-skinned automatons who are assassinating important European dignitaries. When their eyeglasses are removed, they turn into vegetative zombies and when killed their odd skin tone changes to pale white. Interpol calls in Constantine’s character Al Pereira to investigate. Throw in a seductive villainess, some mad science and Q-style gadgets and you have a breezy, fun adventure – at least for some. Not all Franco fans seem to like this one.

Bob Sargent joins Troy and I as we romp our way around Alicante with Pereira and try to unravel this bizarre mystery. We discuss the year the world turned to color and how this final black & white Franco film fits into his 60’s output. Bob recommends other Eddie Constantine films and I vow to track down more of his earlier crime movies. Where is the much hoped for Lemmy Caution boxed set, already? We relate our various reactions to the film’s amusing tone and note how easily it could fit into the Pink Panther universe. This is definitely not your average Jess Franco crime thriller and that might be why we enjoyed it.

 

If you have any comments about this or any other of Uncle Jess’ movies naschycast@gmail.com is the place to send them. We may not let Bob chose the next Beyond Naschy topic but you never know! Thanks for listening. 

Video - ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (1966) Trailer

Here is the French language trailer for this Jess Franco Euro-Spy film. It is not one of his most beloved films from the 1960's but I love it and I have a few friends that enjoy it as well. Beyond Naschy podcast episode on the way soon! 

Poster Art for ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (1966)

 

Beyond Naschy #38 - SUCCUBUS (1968)

The Naschycast returns to the world of Jess Franco for an erotic ramble through late 1960’s Lisbon and Berlin. Bob Sargent joins Troy and I to examine SUCCUBUS (1968) because Bob wanted to rewatch the film. Two of us had not watched it in years and the third had never even seen it before! We turned this into a trip to the unwatched DVD pile again to take a look at the starting point for a certain type of Franco cinema. Your tolerance for the director’s sense of humor and the absurd will determine your level of enjoyment.

We use Stephen Thrower’s excellent book on the work of Franco to guide us and to provide a brief synopsis of the film. We waffle through a discussion touching on the cast connections to Paul Naschy but mostly talk about our reactions to the often surrealistic events involving S & M stage performer Lorna (Janine Reynaud). She seems to be navigating a strange period in her life with reoccurring visions of a different life impinging on her supposed reality. We see her interact with various romantic partners who end up dead at her hands - or is that really what is happening? Along the way we get striking images, amusing commentary on arthouse pretentions and philosophical silliness draped in an encroaching ennui that seems to define Lorna’s confused life. Can cinema be therapy? 

Along the way we are reminded to always fear mannequins but we also take heart from the Algernon Charles Swinburne poem Faustine that seems to have been a major influence on the film.  Of course, we all wish a for a Blu-Ray release complete with multiple versions of this important effort. It clearly signposted many future Jess Franco films that fans laud to this day.

 If you have and comments naschycast@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

Beyond Naschy #37 - THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS (1963)

 

In this episode the Naschycast crew takes a deep dive into Jess Franco’s THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS (1963) while hoping we can avoid the deadly quicksand. Bob Sargent returns and joins Troy and I to discuss this krimi-like murder mystery. It even has a little comedy relief. Luckily, very little of that!

 

This film seems to be less well thought of among fans of Uncle Jess’ black & white output and I’ve never understood why. It has a great cast with Howard Vernon leading the way as the most obvious suspect when young women in an Austrian town start turning up dead. Is there anything to the legend of a Von Klaus ancestor who reincarnates every few decades to terrorize the locals? Or is there a much more human reason that lovely ladies are wise to not venture out after dark? And just how sadistic will the film be allowed to go to depict the amoral depths of the killer’s lustful urges? Pretty far, it turns out!

 

If you have any comments or suggestions naschycast@gmail.com is the place to write the show. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

Jess Franco's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (1973) Comes to Blu-Ray!

On June 30th Mondo Macabro will offer pre-orders of this amazing psychological drama from writer/director Jess Franco. I consider it one of his best films and I was very happy to be asked to contribute to the release. Here's the full announcement and at the bottom I'll provide a link to the page that will carry the sale on the 30th. Exciting to see this lesser know film finally get the kind of attention it deserves!

Ana, a young songwriter and piano player, lives alone with her father in a large house on the island of Madeira. She meets a boy and they plan to marry. However when she tells her father of their intentions he tries to persuade her to call off the wedding.

With the help of her aunt, Ana continues with her plans and one day her expensive wedding dress is delivered. Ana puts on the dress and runs happily through the house to find her father. Entering his study she sees, reflected in a mirror, her father hanging by a rope. He has killed himself.

Ana leaves the island for the mainland and gets a job playing with a jazz band. However, she is haunted by visions of her dead father calling to her from beyond the mirror, summoning her to murder any man who gets close to her. Gradually the mirror world takes over Ana’s life until she can no longer separate fantasy from reality.

With a stunning performance by Emma Cohen as Ana, this was one of Jess Franco’s most unusual and personal films. This is its first ever US release and a world premiere on Blu-ray.

DISC FEATURES

Region Free

Brand new digitally restored 4K scan of the film negative

Spanish audio with optional English subtitles

Brand new hour-long interview with author Stephen Thrower

Brand new audio commentary by Robert Monell and Rodney Barnett

LIMITED EDITION FEATURES

Reversible sleeve with brand new art by Justin Coffee on side A and original ad art on side B; 20 page full color booklet with brand new writing on the film by Francisco Cesari and Roberto Curti; 1200 numbered copies in the usual red case.

Mondo Macabro LINK

SUMURU Poster Art

I won't pretend that the two Sumuru films from the late 1960's are great but I do have a soft spot for them. I'm due for a rewatch of both just to see if my memories are accurate and to see how Jess Franco played with the Sax Rohmer character in relation to the first film. I still need to read the novels to see if they were pulpy fun or below average adventure stuff. I've generally enjoyed all of the Rohmer I've read but I've rarely strayed from the Fu Manchu books. It might be time. 

Beyond Naschy #35 - SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1971)

Troy and I (finally) return with a new episode!

 

This time we dive back into the Franco pool of cool and look longingly at the luminous Soledad Miranda. SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1971) was the final collaboration between the young actress and Jess Franco before her untimely passing. While it is generally not considered their best film together it contains many scenes that display the brilliance that they could achieve. Soledad’s skills are on full display in her role as a vengeful wife extracting blood from the people who hounded her husband into suicide. As the story plays out, she runs the gamut of human emotions from deep concern and grief-stricken to seductively aloof and finally filled with violent rage. Her performance is mesmerizing and is carried out so well that she could have embodied her character without dialog and still communicated every nuance necessary to engage the viewer. She was a powerhouse screen presence and her loss is only more deeply felt when watching her in this film.

We dig into why we enjoy this film as much as we do with much attention paid to the strength of the central performance. We point to reoccurring plot elements within Franco’s work and his love of a certain visual metaphor involving boats at sea. We discuss the movie’s odd choice to rush past the possible mad scientist idea at the beginning to get to the righteous vengeance at the heart of things. We try to define what makes Soledad such a memorable screen actress even as this film refuses to even give her character a first name. Each of the murders is dissected as we try to understand what Franco might have had in mind as his story gains force, climaxing in a fascinating sequence in which the director is himself the victim. It certainly raises some questions about Jess’ sexual desires and points toward what might have been included in future unrealized projects.

 

We hope you enjoy the episode and if you have any comments naschycast@gmail.com is the show’s address. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. I promise! 

Apple Podcast LINK 

MP3 Download LINK 

Severin to Release Jess Franco's BLACK BOOTS, LEATHER WHIP (1983)!

I'm pleased to relay the information about this release not just because it's an excellent 80's Franco film but because Robert Monell and I contributed a commentary track for it!

This Blu-Ray is to be part of Severin's big sale this week along with a second Franco film HOUSE OF LAST WOMEN (1983) and both of them are well worth grabbing for the Franco fan. And I think even folks less enthusiastic about Ol' Uncle Jess will find much sleazy joy in these two movies. 

Here's the details for each - 

Special Features for BLACK BOOTS, LEATHER WHIP:

*In The Land Of Franco Part 5

*Murderous Passions Author Stephen Thrower On BLACK BOOTS, LEATHER WHIP

*Audio Commentary with I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind Writer Robert Monell and NaschyCast's Rodney Barnett

Feature Specs for BLACK BOOTS, LEATHER WHIP:

*Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

*Audio: Spanish Mono

*Subtitles: English

*Region: All

Special Features for HOUSE OF LOST WOMEN:

*In The Land Of Franco Part 6

*Murderous Passions Author Stephen Thrower On HOUSE OF LOST WOMEN

*Audio Essay with I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind Writer Robert Monell

*CD – Daniel J. White In The Land Of Franco Vol. 2

Feature Specs for HOUSE OF LOST WOMEN:

*Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

*Audio: Spanish Mono

*Subtitles: English

*Region: All

Review - LUCKY, THE INSCRUTABLE (1967)

This is without a doubt one of my favorite Jess Franco movies. When I sit down for a Euro-Spy film I’m usually hoping for a serious espionage tale with a strong plot, great action, glamorous locations, beautiful ladies and a real sense of danger to the proceedings. But as I’ve watched more and more of the genre from its brief 1960s heyday, I’ve realized that what generally fuels these tales is a desire to not just play in James Bond’s sandbox but to kick the sand into the Bond franchise’s face. Even the most serious of the Euro-Spy films have at least a few moments in which they wink at the camera either in acknowledgement of the cinematic theft in progress or as a nod to what the audience might expect but that the smaller budget productions could simply not supply. If the film maintains a serious tone except for those few throwaway moments I can still fully enjoy the story and become caught up in the thrills. But if the film descends into silliness for the sake of cheap laughs I start to be distanced from the film and can only appreciate it at a much lower level. My general resistance to the overly humorous Spy thrillers is rarely overcome completely so when it IS overcome it’s a sign that (in my opinion) there is something really great being done by the filmmakers.

 

A good example of this is the brilliant relaunch of the French OSS:117 film series several years ago. Reimagined as a comedy thriller it managed to nail every target it aimed to hit while being both exciting and funny. But of the 1960s versions of spy comedies there are few that stand out as truly funny for me. I often wonder if they might have played better in their time as the Bond phenomenon swept the world than they do now. They almost had to, I guess. I suspect it’s similar to how the terrible/sad SCARY MOVIE franchise plays to big crowds on release but ages very poorly as the current events being mocked are left behind and forgotten.

But, back to LUCKY THE INSCRUTABLE! This film is great! Because I generally don’t like the overly humorous Euro-Spy movies I should not have enjoyed this at all but, against all odds, I did. Through some alchemy of filmmaking genius (yes- I said genius) Franco managed to make a funny, silly, witty, fast paced romp that, while never being credible in the least, is so damned amusing that I found myself being swept along. I swear I had a smile on my face for the whole film. I have no idea how well it would play in another language but the English dub is packed with quotable lines that more than once had me laughing out loud. 

Ray Danton is great as the smirking Secret Agent everyone knows (even when he’s in disguise) busy working his charms on ladies around the world as he attempts to track down counterfeit currency plates. The plot is, of course, just the thinnest of threads used to hang each gunfight, fistfight, romantic encounter, car chase or daring escape as we watch Danton and his co-stars have fun running through their various roles. Dante Posani plays a kind of sidekick accompanying our man Lucky on his adventure, Barbara Bold is present as a nice piece of tanned eye candy and the amazingly sexy Rosalba Neri shows up as a whip wielding Albanian General. Wow! Miss Neri’s character wasn’t needed in any way but I am SO glad she was present.

While the main target being skewered in this spoof/satire is clearly the Bond series Franco throws in a few other things too. Periodically there are still/posed shots with comic book-like word balloons commenting humorously on the action and when the film shifts location there is a full comic description (often in Italian so I’m not always sure what’s being communicated) to one side of the still moving image. It’s almost as if once things start moving, he didn’t want to slow down for anything. I suspect that if he had I would have focused on the silliness of the entire affair and had less fun. I also loved Franco’s two separate cameos – one as a man stabbed in the back who still somehow delivers his important message to Lucky and the second as a train hopping hobo who is found sleeping under a cow. You kind of have to see it to understand.

And did I mention the fantastic score by Bruno Nicolai? It’s a classic of the genre with a theme song I cannot get out of my head. I’ve known the music from this film for years from a Nicolai compilation CD but having the visuals finally linked to the sound is wonderful. Everything about this film says ‘We’re having a good time; we hope you are too’. 

Luckily, I found Lucky’s antics to be completely captivating and I can heartily recommend the film to the curious Euro-Trash enthusiast. I can honestly say that I laughed for almost the entire running time and I can’t say that about most comedies of any vintage. I really wish a good Blu-Ray of this film would get a release. The bootleg I watched is a passable way to see this gem but it deserves much more exposure.

Beyond Naschy #26 - THE DIABOLICAL DR Z (1966)

The Naschycast returns with our ninth anniversary episode! We dive back into the films of beloved Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco with THE DIABOLICAL DR. Z (1966). This is one of the director's final black & white movies and is considered by many to be his most accomplished work. I'm not sure where I would rank it on Franco's long list of credits but it is certainly a fantastic and beautiful horror film that features several amazing performances. It also has one of the best revenge seeking female mad scientist characters in cinema history. The lovely and deadly Doctor Zimmer is not someone you want to antagonize! Especially not when she can bend to her will the incredible nightclub dancer Nadia (a.k.a. Miss Death) whose long fingernails are laced with poison! And did I mention the murderous, mind-controlled escaped convict willing to strangle anyone blocking the destructive path of this mad woman? Strap in or, more likely, be held down by scary robotic arms for this amazing film!

Troy and I ramble our way through a discussion of this Spanish Horror classic marveling at the clarity and sharpness of the print available on the Kino Blu-Ray. The black & white  cinematography of Alejandro Ulloa is remarkable to see in high definition. As fans of his director of photography work for Naschy's lushly colorful EL CAMINATE (1979) and NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF (1981) we're amazed by his ingenuity at presenting shades of light and darkness without losing detail. Even if the film was only half as good as it is Ulloa's skill would make this a must-see for curious cinema aficionados.

We pick apart the plot, question the need for certain evil elements and gush about the intelligence of the script. Some time is spent on co-writer Jean-Claude Carrière's amazing career with me delighting in talking about his late 1950's Frankenstein sequel novels. The adult nature of the story is discussed as we make note of possible censored spots in the narrative. The amusing onscreen roles played by Franco and his longtime musical collaborator Daniel White are pointed out so that we can praise their acting talent. And we can't resist taking note of Franco's kitty co-star in one scene and his rather direct directorial touch with this wandering performer. Meow!

Any comments or questions can be sent to naschycast@gmail.com or dropped on the Naschycast Facebook page. We read out a couple of missives in the final few minutes of this episode and they stir some unexpected conversation, as always. Thank you for downloading and listening to the show. We'll be back next month with more Spanish Horror! 

iTunes LINK

MP3 Download LINK

The Bloody Pit #80 - Cult Movie Memories

I'm proud to welcome a new contributor to the show this month. Robert Monell is a writer I've admired for years for his smart and enthusiastic analysis of European Cult cinema. His byline in a fanzine always meant a level of quality in both the writing and the thought behind those words. His openness to different styles of cinema played a role in making me comfortable as my tastes in movies grew and changed over the decades. Also, Mr. Monell's excellent blog I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind pushed me to be less rigid in my view of Uncle Jess' work and, along with Tim Lucas' work in the field, opened my perceptions wider than I might have thought possible. Or wise!

I asked Mr. Monell to join me for an episode of the podcast and he surprised me by immediately saying yes. It turns out that he wanted to discuss the changing state of cult film collecting over the years and, since I have been of that tribe since I was a teenager, I thought it would be fun. We start with the heady days of VHS collecting and track our habits all the way through the exciting Blu-Ray announcements that seem to issue forth every other day. Along the way we end up admitting to illegally copying rented tapes to add to our home collections, baring to the world my Laser Disc shame and reminiscing about our first DVDs. Damn! We're old! Along the way we digress into talking about a number of films including Mr. Monell's favorites of last year and the mysteries of the bizarre Euro-Cult effort WHITE FIRE (1985). Sometimes easy streaming availability is a curse!

If you have any comments or questions the show can be reached at thebloodypit@gmail.com of on the FaceBook page. I hope to be able to talk to Mr. Monell again later this year so feel free to quiz him on anything related to his writing and I'll pass things along. Thank you for downloading and listening!

iTunes LINK 

MP3 Direct Download LINK 

Poster Art and Lobby Cards - THE DIABOLICAL DOCTOR Z (1966)

Trailer - THE DIABOLICAL DOCTOR Z (1966)

Prepping for the next Beyond Naschy episode! 

SINFONIA EROTICA (1980)

I just finished watching Jess Franco's film SINFONIA EROTICA (1980) recently released on Blu-ray by Severin. This is another of Franco's films that I've missed in my various hunts through bootlegs over the past 20 to 30 years and I was glad to see that there are still so many little hidden gems out there for me to find. This one was made in 1979 and is another of Franco's explorations of the works of the Marquis De Sade. While now that I've seen the film I don't agree with the ballyhoo on the back of the Blu-ray calling this a lost masterpiece, I do find it to be absolutely fascinating in many ways. This is once again Franco in experimental mode using the camera as a questing eye roaming around the scenes to lock onto images as the actors deliver their lines. At times these movements and changes in focus are seemingly at random but when sometimes they click the film succeeds in bringing a fresh perspective on the story slowly unfolding before you.

While the film certainly has all of the exploitable elements that you would expect from a 1970's lensed Jess Franco effort it is very much a period piece as well. Filmed on a couple of gorgeous locations with some pretty decent costuming and an attempt to bring a sense of. Reality to things. The movie manages to once again do to me what more and more of Franco from this period of his career is capable of - It manages to mesmerize me. For an hour and 24 minutes I was caught up, dazzled, occasionally frustrated and sometimes overly curious about how he is doing what he's doing and why he is attempting to tell this story in this way.

From the opening we are told that there is a plot involved between Lina Romay's character and her doctor. It's not until the third act, of course, that we will learn what this plot is but along the way we see enough depravity around the home she lives in with her husband the Marquis to know that it would have to be pretty daunting to outdo the sexual nastiness and murderous intent of this woman's husband. Without ruining anything I'll just say that the finale is satisfying and journey there is one I'm glad I took. As with all such Franco works your mileage will vary.

Severin's Blu-Ray has a couple of significant extras too. A brief interview piece with Franco in which he talks about the ladies loves of his life. This was touching, warm conversation and brought a tear to my eyes. I miss old Uncle Jess. The other extra is an excellent 22 minute talk from author Stephen Thrower discussing Franco's work and this film in particular. As always, Thrower is entertaining and incredibly informative making this extra worth the price of the disc for fans.

Jess Franco Poster Art Part 37 - DIAMONDS OF KILIMANDJARO (1983)

And here is the NSFW theatrical trailer! 

Jess Franco Poster Art - Part 36!

Another piece of ad art for the incredible (in many ways) DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN (1972). I get an unreasoning desire to watch this film about twice a year. I usually manage to suppress it! 

Beyond Naschy #21 - NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND DESIRES (1984)

Jess Franco's long list of credits is a nearly never ending fountain of delirious delights. Even for a dedicated fan there always seems to be a new experience just around the corner waiting to be discovered. And if those new experiences are sometimes strongly reminiscent of other Franco work, that is just part of the fun. Finding common themes, similar characters and shared motivations are part of the fascination of a Franco film with each element something to be studied and contemplated like a well cut gemstone. What is 'Irina' up to in this story? Is there a Dr. Orloff lurking behind an almost closed door, listening to secrets and making plans? Is the lovely Lorna helpful or harmful in this incarnation? Is that look from the mysterious stranger one of love, lust or disgust? Only time and Uncle Jess will tell. If we're lucky!

After far too long a break Troy and I slip back into our comfortable contemplative clothing and check out a bright, colorful descent into sex, murder and emotional trauma called NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND DESIRES (1984). Part of a very fertile career period but little seen outside of Spain until now, the film sports another in a long line of brave performances from Franco muse Lina Romay. She may spend most of the film nude but it's her character's dark path and sad emotional turmoil that'll keep your eyes glued to the screen. This is an exquisitely beautiful movie shot in languorous, carefully composed shots that draw you into the twisted tale of psychic visions and hidden drives. It's both delicate and vicious which is a difficult trick to pull off. This isn't an easy Franco film at times but for the initiated it's a significant addition to the cinematic portrait he painted all his life.

Comments and suggestions can be sent to naschycast@gmail.com in either typed or MP3 form. We'd love to hear from you! In fact, the mailbag makes a belated return to the show this time out and we even have a couple of gracious donations to thank kind listeners for.  If you would like to help us out there is a donate button on the right side of the blog page - feel free to click it and send a couple of bucks our way. Thank you for checking out the show!

iTunes LINK 

Direct Download LINK 

Jess Franco Poster Art - Part 35!

This is another in the long line of poster images for the mind-bendingly awful film OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES (1982). The film is an epic of boredom and idiocy but the posters used to advertise it are often amazing.