What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

LUST FOR FRANKENSTEIN - One of the reasons I admire Jess Franco so much as a director is that his heart was so clearly in it. By 'it', I mean the macabre, the fantastique and the sleazy. No-one was paying him to make films like 'Lust For Frankenstein', surely? All the later video-era stuff he did seems like a massive labour of love... threadbare sets, cheapo vid-cam, friends and lovers for actors, a load of bad video effects. In terms of actually sitting through them, some of those films are a bit of a labour of love on the part of his audience, too. But a lot of them, despite absolutely miniscule budgets, do actually feel like Franco films. Not only are they full of his usual content, but something about the way they work visually comes through - the way he often seems obsessed with light shining in odd ways, for example. 'Lust For Frankenstein' features Michelle Bauer as a Frankenstein monster and Lina Romay as Frankenstein's daughter. The ghost of Frankenstein himself pops up occasionally to instruct Lina to play some punk records from his collection. Lots of bad shagging happens, as does occasionally inspired 'poetic dialogue' and really awful visual effects. It feels simultaneously mind boggling and boring, and just misses the hypnotic effect Franco induces at his best. It's the kind of film that best lives in the memory rather than as a live viewing, because, although I use the term 'dream-like' too often, that's the way 'Lust For Frankenstein' feels - hazy, fragmented, nonsensical, already a distant recollection even as it moves on the screen. The kind of thing you watch half asleep at some hour of the early morning that doesn't quite exist. I did like it, but I probably need reconditioning.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

LUST FOR FRANKENSTEIN -

That sounds good.

I do wish you'd stop reviewing films Frankie. I always, it seems, want to own them.

I may as well ask you after your last post. Virgin Among the Living Dead - Any good?

The Redemption US dvd has dropped in price a bit so i thought it may be worth a shot.

[Frankie Teardrop]

'Lust For Frankenstein' is really steep on Amazon etc and absolutely not worth the £20+ it seems to command (rabid Francophiles aside). I saw it on ebay and nabbed it for a fiver recently, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

'Virgin...' on the other hand is one of Franco's best and is well worth going for.

[Andra Jai]

Just watched this one and it was a lot better than I expected kind of like a zombie version of Miracle Mile

[Frankie Teardrop]

... and as you know Dem, a lot of my reviews these days follow your own like a shadow (or at least a slightly suspect, unwanted stain)! Looking forward to 'From a whisper to a scream' etc...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

... and as you know Dem, a lot of my reviews these days follow your own like a shadow (or at least a slightly suspect, unwanted stain)! Looking forward to 'From a whisper to a scream' etc...

You picked that up? Great choice. A real surprise to me.

Did you get the two-fer version with Theatre of Blood? The one i picked up was only around £3.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Yeah, the same one, same price. Hopefully not a shitty VHS rip? I only ask because it all seemed too good to be true.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Yeah, the same one, same price. Hopefully not a shitty VHS rip? I only ask because it all seemed too good to be true.

No. It looks great. Both films do. I watched Theatre even though i'd only seen it a couple of months earlier as well.

Theatre of Blood has never been a favourite of mine. Even though i have two copies on dvd now.

It does seem to improve the more i watch it. It always seems really mean spirited to me. It's supposed to be fun but i don't see it that way.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Wicked, definitely looking forward to that one coming through.
Agree re 'Theatre...' and its nasty attitude. I like it a lot, though.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Wicked, definitely looking forward to that one coming through.
Agree re 'Theatre...' and its nasty attitude. I like it a lot, though.

Only slightly related, i've just ordered The Freakmaker aka The Mutations released by a dodgy company called Desert Island Classics. Oddly the cover they use says Subversive Cinema so i'm hoping it's a rip of that release which was supposedly excellent and not some piss poor vhs copy.

I've only seen it once many moons ago so am really looking forward to it... with added worried trepidation that i've just wasted six and a half quid.