King of Euro-exploitation and the master of the zoom lens. I wonder if he's truly dead, or if the vampire lesbians finally got him.
Obviously opinions differ as to the merits of his body of work overall, but at his best Franco was a really terrific filmmaker. I'll happily defend titles like The Sadistic Baron von Klaus, Venus in Furs, Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey into Perversion, 99 Women, Eugenie de Sade, A Virgin Among the Living Dead, etc. against easy criticism. Terrific films, all. RIP, Mr. Franco.
Jess Franco films were largely unavailable in watchable versions until DVD. I had to check him out, was initially confused, and now own 60+ (or approx 1/3) of the man's output. If you are looking for production value, good taste or common sense of any kind keep looking. With all of their peaks and valleys, these films are really one long perverse fever-dream. I think his best stuff is sexy and funny. He was often inane and lazy. I think he was an artist but the small group of us who feel that way are obsessives. He was certainly an iconoclast who spent his life committing his demented fantasies to film because he had to, not for the $ or even the respect, which came late. RIP to one of a kind.
He was looking pretty bad in a recent interview I saw, so I wouldn't be surprised if the news is true. Still, living 82 years and directing nearly 200 films is a pretty good run. I have about 43 of his films on DVD at the moment, even though a lot of them are pretty awful. RIP
Bummer. Hopefully someone makes a move to get his catalog out there to the mainstream world now. Well, maybe not, but that would be the kind of world I would like to live in anyway.
His stuff pretty much defines the aesthetic of my groovy lifestyle. Art trash and beautiful women. He's up there with Mario Bava and David Lynch in my world. Rest in peace you perverted genius.
Heck I would even list Count Dracula as among his better films Love his comments in the YouTube video--he stated he hadn't made good films just some more disgusting than others.
I'm not surprised. I figured when Lina Romay died, it wouldn't be long before Jess passed away. I wasn't a fan of most of his stuff from the last couple of decades, but he did some really good horror/sex/exploitation films in the 60s and 70s. While the bulk of Franco's filmography is an acquired taste, I think "The Awful Dr. Orloff" is a fantastic film by any measure. RIP Jess.
Actually, I think Franco is fast becoming one of the best represented directors on Blu-Ray, and certainly was on DVD. Redemption Films announced in February that they will be releasing 14 more Franco titles on Blu-Ray, and there have been significant releases of rare Franco titles by Mondo Macabro in the past year - with more to come. Indeed, with all the attention by Blue Underground (and others) to Franco titles over the past 5-10 years, a solid chunk of his filmography is certainly out there. Along with mute henchmen, crash zooms and Howard Vernon perpetually loitering in the background?
Critics be damned. He was a unique filmmaker and a true renaissance man. He made some terrible films (and some I never want to see), but his best are unlike any other director: ORLOFF, VENUS IN FURS, 99 WOMEN, EUGENIE, AL OTRO LADO DEL ESPEJO and many more. Give his detractors an ulcer by reminding them he did 2nd unit work for Orson Welles.
Just heard about his passing and coincidentally, this week I watched "EUGENIE", "WOMEN BEHIND BARS" and a couple of later ones "TENDER FLESH" & "LUST FOR FRANKENSTEIN" all for the first time. Those later shot on video titles were hard to get through but the earlier two were both pretty good for vintage Franco.
I really enjoyed his adaptation of Dracula. Aside from a couple differences it is actually one of the most faithful adaptations of the book.
just came across this.very depressing.maybe i can find a zoom lens to play with and that will cheer me up.will never forget the first time i saw barbed wire girls and i kept thinking who in the hell made this film its insane.at least he is with lina romay now and they are more than likely filming something.i wish i could see it.
Severin Films recently released a BR/DVD combo pack of The Hot Nights of Linda, and the first 2,500 copies contain a bonus disc featuring the hardcore French version of the film. It's a limited edition, so Franco fans should make sure to grab a copy before they disappear! (I just got one this weekend). A bit of Franco news that I'm *not* so pleased about, however, is Redemption's upcoming release of The Demons (1972), which is apparently Blu-Ray only.... no separate DVD edition or even a combo pack.
Funny how his adaptation of Dracula might be the most faithful to the book overall. Edit just realized I posted almost the exact same thing a year ago!
The only thing that really hindered the film was budget constraints. The cast is excellent, and Franco maintains the right mood, but some of the effects are pretty dire. Towers may have given Franco some of his biggest budgets, but they were still relatively small.
Just a heads-up for Franco fans... Redemption's recent release of The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein is a different version of the film than the previous Image Entertainment disc. The old Image DVD was the "clothed" Spanish version (85 min), while the new Redemption DVD is the "unclothed" French version (74 min)... two completely different cuts of the movie.
Erotic Rites is pure Franco. Anne Libert's Melissa the Bird Woman is an unforgettable character in many ways! Libert and Britt Nichols were two of Franco's most striking leading ladies. Tim Lucas provides his usual expertise on the audio commentary. The French version is Franco's preferred cut.
I'm expecting my copy in the mail early this week. Really looking forward to the improved picture quality and the Tim Lucas commentary.
I guess those plans kinda fell through somewhat, huh? It's been over 3 years, and Redemption has only released 6 titles... and we've only gotten *one* from Mondo Macabro. Maybe there's been some competition from other publishers who have been releasing Franco titles lately... (eg. Blue Underground, Severin, Full Moon)...??
