SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1971)

SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY is an interesting piece of Euro Trash directed by Jesus Franco (who else?). It is interesting because although while watching the film (mercifully short at 74 mins) and realising it's not very good there are enough interesting points to keep you watching. Two of the points of interest belong to the beautiful Soledad Miranda. Miss Miranda is credited as Susana Korda and several other members of the cast and crew are working under pseudonyms - presumably to protect the guilty. The plot is a variation on THE BRIDE WORE BLACK or even DR.PHIBES with Miranda bumping off the medical board that caused the death of her husband by driving him to suicide. Notable among the victims are dear old Howard Vernon, an expert at this kind of stuff, who actually gets his kit off for a full frontal nude masochistic sex scene that will make it difficult to watch THE AWFUL DR. ORLOFF again - this sort of thing never happened when he worked for Fritz Lang. Even more bizarre is another victim played by none other than Jesus Franco himself. Like poor old Howard, Franco gets his dick cut off. If you look quickly there is also an appearance by EL VAMPIRO himself - German Robles! If you are into Euro Trash you're probably salivating by now but there is also a totally inappropriate pop score which has nothing to do with the action, female nudity and girl on girl action. Rating ***

" I am Jesus Franco, I directed this movie, you can't cut my willy off!"

DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN/Dracula Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972)

Jesus Franco is a machine that produces shit and here he is working as efficiently as ever. This is a really sad affair. It is virtually a silent film inasmuch as there is hardly any dialogue - a few screams, some grunts and a voice over or two - oh yes, and a cabaret song! Script and direction are non-existent which renders most of the goings on totally incoherent. Rainer Von Frankenstein revives his monster and then sets about reviving Count Dracula himself. This is all so bad it isn't even funny. Howard Vernon plays Dracula as if, having seen the scribble that passed for a script, he went into catatonic shock. But Vernon has nobody to blame but himself. This is a man who worked with Michael Powell, Fritz Lang and John Frankenheimer and who somewhere along the line sold his soul to the devil in the form of Jesus Franco and now, for his sins, he languishes in Movie Hell. Even sadder is the case of Dennis Price who began his career in the lofty heights of such British classics as KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. Here Price is Dr.Frankenstein...poor Dennis, his addictions and predelictions had obviously caught up with him by the time he made this - a period when he was accepting anything to pay the bills - and he looks barely conscious of his surroundings and in serious danger of falling over. There is no pleasure to be had here even for the most jaded of fans. Rating *