Severin Review: She Killed in Ecstasy (1971, dir: Jess Franco)

SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY
(1971, dir: Jess Franco)

 Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams, COUNT DRACULA) is a hard working scientist who has it all; his beautiful wife (Soledad Miranda, VAMPYROS LESBOS) a luxurious lifestyle and a potential scientific breakthrough that will revolutionise medicine, That's until his Dr. Huston (Paul Muller, LADY FRANKENSTEIN), Dr. Crawford (Ewa Strömberg, THE DEVIL CAME FROM AKASAVA), Dr. Donen (Jess Franco himself) and Prof. Walker (Howard Vernon, ZOMBIE LAKE) deem his work and his methods to be a crime against nature and a detriment to their own reputations. As a result they shut him down, strip his license and destroy his laboratory, hurting his wife in the process. All of this causes him to go insane. Fearing for her husbands safety, Mrs. Johnson takes him out of the city and the pair take up residency in a beautiful house on a remote island. Unfortunately, there really is trouble in paradise as the shamed doctor's mental health deteriorates leading him to take his own life. Consumed by grief, his beautiful widow has a desire to seek revenge on those responsible for her husband's downfall. She decides to do this in what she considers the cruelest of methods; seduction and cold blooded murder. She doesn't have long to pull it off as she has an inquisitive inspector (Horst Tappert, DERRICK) on the case.

What we have in She Killed in Ecstasy is a genuinely well made erotic thriller inspired by a Gabriel Marcel play Naturally, there is an element of sleaze to be found, but it's much more restrained than some would expect. The film is ultimately somber in tone. It may not be the most complex of stories, but Franco has created something that has real weight to it. Soledad's vengeful widow is genuinely sympathetic and although she carries out horrific acts, you get the sense that she's suffering internally as she is dishing out her gruesome revenge. She may be getting said revenge for her husband, but it's not something that she truly relishes. Not only does she seduce and murder, but in a style not too dissimilar to posthumous execution, she mutilates the genitalia of her male victims. From her genuinely seductive gaze to her portrayal of a woman losing her mind; Soledad's performance is nothing short of extraordinary. Had she not suffered such a terrible fate, her career would have been full of stand out performances like this, I'm sure. Those wanting to appreciate Soledad in an aesthetic sense will adore this film too. Wether she's completely naked or elegantly dressed, you won't be able to take your eyes off her. Of course, Franco regulars like Muller and Vernon put in a good performance too. Although not the bloodiest or goriest of films, the suicide and murders are staged in a somewhat shocking and impactful way. They could have either been too comically over the top or painfully tame, but thankfully that's not the case. To compliment the film, the jazz score provided by Manfred Hübler and Sigi Schwab (VAMPRYOS LESBOS) ranges from fitting the mood perfectly, to being a strange juxtaposition. Not only that, but orchestrated pieces provided / lifted from Bruno Nicolai (99 WOMEN) are used to devastating effect in the scenes involving the grieving widow and wrongly disgraced husband. This could quite possibly be one of Franco's most emotional and piercing films and being at just over 70 minutes long, it's a very easy watch for even the most critical of Franco's work.

  Speaking of which, it's such a shame that Franco was so dismissive of this film and his work, because considering this was just one in a string of swiftly produced films, the level of artistry to be found here is nothing short of mesmerising. From the use of beautiful architecture to the set and costume design, this is a film that proves just how much of an artist Franco really was. Thankfully, the picture and sound quality compliments the film perfectly. Aside from some noticeable dips in quality, there's nothing to complain about in terms of presentation. In terms of extra features, there are interviews with Jess Franco, Paul Muller and Soledead Miranda expert and Stephen Thrower. To top it off there is also the german trailer for the film. A handsome list I think you will agree! This is a must own for both seasoned Franco fans and newcomers alike. In fact, it's probably one of the few accessible Franco films. There's really no excuse for anyone falling under those categories to not add this to their collection.

She Killed in Ecstasy is available on DVD & Blu-Ray from Severin Films.

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Vinegar Syndrome Review: Demonoid (1980, dir: Alfredo Zacarias)

DEMONOID
(1980, dir: Alfredo Zacarias)
“Up from the depths of hell comes the ultimate horror!”

  Samantha Eggar (The Brood) stars as Jennifer Baines a woman who is visiting her wealthy industrialist husband Mark (Roy Jenson, Soylent Green) in the small city of Guanajuato, Mexico. Mark is currently planning to reopen a mine which is is rich in silver. Unfortunately for him, his workforce is comprised of superstitious locals who refuse to go deep in to the mine. To prove everything is fine, Jennifer suggests that the pair go deep down in to the mine, but they get more than what they bargained for; a severed hand. “The Devil's Hand” to be precise, with their workforce even more terrified, things surely can't get any worse can they? Yes. Yes indeed! It becomes infinitely (and fatally) worse! You see, the severed hand has the power to not only posses the left hand of its victim, but the person themselves. Eventually turning them in to a bloodthirsty, super strong killing machine. After Mark is taken over by the demonic force, he kills himself in the hopes of stopping the curse. With her husband dead, Jennifer travels back home to L.A where he is buried only to find he has risen from the grave and the demonic force is on the loose. With the help of Father Cunningham (Stuart Whitman, Night of the Lepus), the priest whose cemetery Mark was buried in, Jennifer begins her quest to conquer over evil and put an end to demonic forces once and for all. Let the obscene battle between good and evil begin!

First things first. What you just read was an abridged version of what happens in this film. I'm not one of those reviewers who gives a play by play record of events because what's the point if you know too much? With a film like this, you will thank for me for being somewhat vague. If you thought the basic plot for this film was absurd, just you wait until you actually watch the film. To say there are some obscene moments would be an understatement. Get ready for wonderful deaths, some absurd moments and twists that will do nothing but please. A film like this naturally has some wonderful acting on display and the script; penned by four separate writers, will have you balling. Yeah, this is a film that's to be taken as seriously as a clowns' funeral! How the heck the likes of Samantha Eggar got involved in a film like this is beyond me, but I am very thankful for it! Aesthetically, the film isn't anything to shout about. It's pretty much by the numbers in terms of cinematography, not one of Alex Phillips Jr's (King Solomon's Mines) most memorable efforts. Editing from Sandy Nervig (Pocahontas) serves it purpose, but what does stand out is the fantastic score composed by Richard Gillis (The Bees) and the effects from Robert A. Burns (The Hills Have Eyes) and Chubby Cordero (their only credit). Both of these aspects add so much charm and could be argued as the most accomplished aspects of the production. The score and effects range from being charmingly simple to outright imaginative and well executed. Overall, this is a hokey sort of film that should be experienced even by the exploitation fan who has seen everything.I think this would be a great film to watch alongside Raw Force! I should also mention that Russ Meyer fans will appreciate seeing the lovely Haji (Supervixens) make an appearance!

 Overall, Vinegar Syndrome have done a great job with the restoration and presentation of the film. Of course, it's not perfect due to either the condition of the negatives used or the actual cinematography itself (I hope I don't sound like I'm shitting on a guy like Alex Phillips Jr!). That being said, it's no issue at all because hey, this is the first official DVD / Blu-ray release of this film! In terms of extras you also get the complete international cut of the film; Macabra. This is a completely different and extended experience. It loses some of the gore as well as the intro and replaces it with more dialogue, story and an extended ending. The score is also different in places. It's a great extra to have and has gone under the same high quality restoration and presentation processes.Not only that, but you get the option of French or English dubs, with subtitles of course. Alongside that there is an insightful interview from the director himself as well as a selection of trailers, a TV spot and reversible artwork. All in all, it's a great package for a film that surprised and entertained this jaded horror fan. It's a great upgrade to that bootleg you used to own as well as being a great release for someone experiencing the film for the first time.

Demonoid is available as a DVD / Blu-Ray dual format release from Vinegar Syndrome and can be streamed on Exploitation.tv.
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Vinegar Syndrome: Runaway Nightmare Limited Edition Bluray / DVD

RUNAWAY NIGHTMARE
(dir: Mike Cartel, 1982)

"...when your dream becomes a reality, it's a runaway nightmare"

 Ralph, played by director Mike Cartel (PETS, THE OUTSIDER) and his buddy Jason, played by Al Valletta (THE INCREDIBLE HULK, ALLEY CAT) are just a couple of guys who live in Nevada and run a worm farm (.... you can just smell the American Dream right there). One day, whilst shooting and catching some rays, they see two shady characters dumping a chest. They soon discover there is a body of a naked young girl who lays unconscious. This is Fate, played by Seeska Vanderberg (BITTER HERITAGE). The guys take her back to the farm to nurse her back to health until they are ambushed and kidnapped by a commune of foxy female cultists (THAT'S the American Dream right there right!?) lead by a woman named Hespiria, played by Cindy Donlan (SCHIZOID). After some bizarre initiations, the men become members and are enlisted in the task of stealing a suitcase of platinum from the mafia. Of course, being the only me, seems like it's not just the platinum that some of chicks want to get a hold of. OK, that's as far as I am willing to go with a synopsis because this film is out there man and there are many twists to the tale (not all make sense) for you to enjoy.

So what did I think of this piece of cult cinema? I have no idea! This is one of those films that falls perfectly in to the weird and wacky world of psychotronic cinema. You are either going to adore this, or find it a bot too hokey and camp. For me personally, there were some genuinely enjoyable and out there moments but overall, I just didn't dig it as much as I thought I would. For a film made in 1982, it sure had that feel of a late 60's or early 70's piece of hokey exploitation.... Which is always hit and miss for me. It's something you would expect to see being released by Something Weird back in the day. It wasn't a bad film by any means, not just my cup of tea. If you like absurd moments in your films, you will get a kick out of this. There is a massive cocktail of genres in here. There's thriller, dark comedy and even surrealist touches throughout. Like I said, this IS a psychotronic film in every shape and form. If you stay with this film right to end, you will see EXACTLY what I mean.

Vinegar Syndrome initially released this as a limited to 1000 bluray and DVD combo pack. Even though it's sold out on the Vinegar Syndrome store, you can still pick this combo up from Diabolik. If you don't want to pay extra for the limited edition combo, you can also pick up the regular DVD release which is still widely available. I can only watch DVDs as I refuse to upgrade to bluray and I can safely say, you won't be disappointed as once again, Vinegar Syndrome have done a stellar job with the presentation, that being said, one can only imagine how much nicer the bluray looks. The film is restored in 4k from original elements and is presented in its OAR. On the disc you get a commentary that is entertaining and informative as well as alternate scenes from a VHS copy of the film (basically inserts of lots of tit shots) which has its own fun story on its own. As you can see down below, the film has a wonderful release.

 Overall, this is a great release for fans of quirky cult cinema. The film is not for everyone but for fans this is a must. Maybe a few more on disc special features would have been nice, but the fact that such an obscure film like this is being presented in 4K is reason to pick it up. There's definitely replay value and it's a perfect film to throw on with some good friends, pizza and of course, beer. Give it a try, this could be a revelation!

You can buy the limited edition from Diabolik here, the DVD version is available directly from Vinegar Syndrome here as well as your favourite online retailers. If you keep checking back with Vinegar Syndrome, more copies of the limited edition may become available.

There is an official website dedicated to all things Runaway Nightmare here if you want to know more.

Vinegar Syndrome Website
Vinegar Syndrome Youtube

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