Jess Franco

[docvoltage]

Originally Posted by Crimson Blade

I've always prefered Joe D'Amato and Jean Rollin to Jess Franco tbh.
Having said that, Bloody Moon is well worth a watch.

I would have liked to have seen a film directed by Jess Franco, with Joe d'Amato on cinematography.

I like Jean Rollin for the visuals, but sometimes he veers off into symbolic terrain where I think I cannot follow because I am not French.

[ecc]

Originally Posted by docvoltage

I would have liked to have seen a film directed by Jess Franco, with Joe d'Amato on cinematography.

I don't think one exists, but D'Amato did supervise the re-editing of Franco's unfinished 1975 version of JUSTINE. This version spliced the existing footage with bits from SHINING SEX and MIDNIGHT PARTY and was scored with Nico Fideno cues from D'Amato's EMANUELLE IN AMERICA.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Scyther

Nice, mate! Here's my own take on the flick.

'Countess Perverse' fails to scale the heights of Jess Franco's 70s style - Boston Movie | Examiner.com

Good review. Sad to hear it doesn't seem to quite stand up to the madness of 'Lorna...' etc.... but I'll certanly be checking it out when it arrives in a couple of weeks.

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by ecc

agreed on the annoying dubbing. by the time Kali Hansa's dubbed voice was going "The rocks! The rocks" I was thinking "Kill her now!"

To be fair, it's not Franco's fault. He sent silent workprints to Paris and Gerard Kikoine (later a porn director and even later an exploitation director Harry Alan Towers) dubbed in the dialogue, effects, and presumably chose the music.

Yeah, I hear ya. Totally agreed. From what I've seen of the hardcore cut, I'd actually be more interested in seeing that version.

Regarding the commentary on Franco/Rollin, both definitely apply dream and delirium within their film making. The statement "to understand Franco is to BE Franco...and to watch a lot of Franco" is a perfect and applicable one, i think.

I, too, found it difficult at first to understand and gravitate towards his approach, but through hard work, perseverance...and many hours spent watching Franco films, it just 'clicked.' Sure, he may be uneven, but given the man's legendary filmography, this is to be expected. For every Cannibals there is a Venus In Furs, as it were.

Rollin, on the other hand, was far more immediate. My first JR films were Grapes of Death and Requiem For a Vampire and it was love at first sight. I've since purchased almost all the Redemption BDs and haven't yet been let down by a Rollin film, save Living Dead Girl with which I really couldn't connect.

So Gag, perhaps it's just a matter of finding the right film from these directors which may possess the proper spark to change your mind and open your taste up to one or both of these misunderstood (??) geniuses!

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Good review. Sad to hear it doesn't seem to quite stand up to the madness of 'Lorna...' etc.... but I'll certanly be checking it out when it arrives in a couple of weeks.

Cheers, mate! Thanks for reading! Much appreciated.

[ecc]

One correction to your review, the MM disc is the director's cut. The Lina Romay/Caroline Riviere framing stuff was shot later to soften the dark tone of the film, and then the hardcore stuff was shot a little later to make it more marketable (my theory is that the hardcore footage in the French verison was shot by Franco during the production of LES NUITS BRULANTES DE LINDA).

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by ecc

One correction to your review, the MM disc is the director's cut. The Lina Romay/Caroline Riviere framing stuff was shot later to soften the dark tone of the film, and then the hardcore stuff was shot a little later to make it more marketable (my theory is that the hardcore footage in the French verison was shot by Franco during the production of LES NUITS BRULANTES DE LINDA).

Yeah, I knew MM's version was the Director's Cut; must've been a typo mix up! Thanks for noticing! Going to fix.

[Pete]

[Frankie Teardrop]

Anyone know what's happening with the Thrower book?

[Delirium]

Taking its time, isn't it - but I love Thrower's writing, and it'll no doubt be a terrific and comprehensive piece of work. It must be near the editing stages now. I remember talking to Harvey Fenton at an event once, and they had hoped to do another FAB PRESS event in support of it with Romay & Franco in attendance, but he was worried about how Franco's health was holding up. A tad optimistic, and of course we lost the lovely Ms Romay first.