Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 506975)

Vampyros Lesbos (1970)

One of Jess Franco's most infamous films. It stars the gorgeous Soledad Miranda who entices women to her island home via exotic and erotic striptease acts at a club. Once there she ensnares them in with her vampiric will and drinks their bolod in order to live forever.

I've got to be honest and say plot wise there really isn't an awful lot going on. The lovely Ewa Stroemberg is lured to the isolated island in the Med, is seduced by the countess and no one including Dennis Price and Franco regular Paul Muller can work out what is wrong with her.

However the lure of Vampyros Lesbos isn't the story, it's everything else. For the Spanish maverick Franco has created a surreal melancholic poem about vampiric loneliness. There's plenty of erotica although perhaps not as much as the films title might suggest. Far from pounding the viewer into submission with endless zoom shots of hairy sexuality, Franco is far more subtle, intercutting scorpions, moths and kites in the sky with the lingering moments of sensuality.

The film's soundtrack is a joy. Thick with hedonistic eastern influences and jazz and rock motifs, it's skillfully integrated into the film carefully toying with the ears and mind as Franco's sumptuous visuals work their way into our conscious. Coming across like a fever dream, Vampyros Lesbos is recommended late night viewing.

The UK dvd from Second Sight is beautifully restored and looks stunning.

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs (Post 506981)

A sumptuous Franco fave of mine, Dem.

I have a copy of the trippy score as part of Severin's Blu of She Killed in Ecstasy.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 506982)

The music really did stand out. I might purchase the soundtrack album at some point.

Does it work as well without the visuals? That's always something i wonder about. Vampires in the Med in 1970 is rather different from cold Lancashire in the 00's.

Originally Posted by trebor8273 (Post 506983)

first viewing will be the director's cut of the shining but that will either be tonight or tomorrow depending if im in the mood of getting back from the cinema later tonight

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 506982)

The music really did stand out. I might purchase the soundtrack album at some point.

Does it work as well without the visuals? That's always something i wonder about. Vampires in the Med in 1970 is rather different from cold Lancashire in the 00's.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 506982)

What have you lined up for this month, B_E? Anything special?

That goes out to anyone in fact. Anything special you are looking forward to watching in October?

Originally Posted by nosferatu42 (Post 506986)

I have the cd under the title Vampros Lesbos/ Sexadelic dance party which features music from Vampyros lesbos, She killed in Ecstacy and The devil came from Akasawa.
I really like it, some songs are better than others, but it's one of my favourite soundtracks, most are along similar lines to the lesbos songs, a sleazy,smooth, psychedelic masterpiece in my opinion.:nod:

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs (Post 506991)

I think about the barren Lancashire landscapes and all those sexy pigs and sheep ;)).

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs (Post 506987)

By director's cut, do you mean the extended version?

I know Kubrick cut the US version down for European release because it wasn't received very well and thought people would prefer it if some of the dialogue was excised to improve pace, but I don't know if he ever expressed a preference between the 119 minute and 144 minute cuts.