Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

[ConcreteMascara]

Vampyros Lesbos - [dir. Jesus Franco, 1967]
This is a movie I've been hearing about since I first started watching b-movies and the like however many years ago. I mean that title and that cover, it definitely piques my curiosity. Yet 20 years later I'm only just now watching it. I think the only other Jes Franco film I've seen is Venus in Furs, so I can't compare other than to say I think I prefer Venus in Furs over this one, although my last viewing was 10+ years ago. Anyway.... extremely hot Soledad Miranda and les hot Ewa Stromberg get naked and kiss in a variety of extremely gorgeous interior and exterior sets in Turkey. A psychiatrist slaps the shit out of his patients. A jilted female ex screams a lot. A boyfriend looks befuddled. The music is wonderful. The sound design gets real weird. A big ass pin gets shoved in an eye.  The script is laconic, the pace is lethargic, but it all works most of the time because the images and sounds are so damn enjoyable. Not an everyday film, but a movie you should watch once, even if it takes you 20 years to get around to it. Final note, the Severin blu-ray I have looked fucking stunning.

Vampyros Lesbos is certainly not the best Franco and I guess its heightened cult status can be accredited to the title alone. I rewatched it a couple months ago after like 5 years expecting to appreciate it more after being 30+ films deep into Franco but that wasn't the case and if anything it solidified my previous comment.

Venus in Furs is more deserving of the attention it gets. His sweet spot sort of begins around here (69-70). But the greatest stuff is all 73-74 imo. Some recs off the top of my head if you have interest: Eugenie de Sade (1973 - Soledad Miranda's finest), The Obscene Mirror (1973), A Virgin Among the Living Dead (aka Christina, Princess of Eroticism) (1973), Lorna, The Exorcist (1974), The Perverse Countess (1974). Things get more complicated later but there are still some excellent ones to check out in the early/mid-80s like Macumba Sexual (1983), Bahia Blanca (1984), Night Has a Thousand Desires (1984), Faceless (1987). And of course any fan of classic horror owes it to themselves to see The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) which is just a straight up good movie.

Thanks for the recommendations, I was hoping you might make some! I picked up She Killed In Ecstasy at the same time as Vampyros Lesbos so I'll probably do that one next, but I'm very interested to check out his career highlights. Have you ever seen the Mansion of the Living Dead by Franco? As a lover of the Blind Dead series I'm very interested in his spin on the idea, even if it's only a cosmetic relation.

[absurdexposition]

Vampyros Lesbos - [dir. Jesus Franco, 1967]
This is a movie I've been hearing about since I first started watching b-movies and the like however many years ago. I mean that title and that cover, it definitely piques my curiosity. Yet 20 years later I'm only just now watching it. I think the only other Jes Franco film I've seen is Venus in Furs, so I can't compare other than to say I think I prefer Venus in Furs over this one, although my last viewing was 10+ years ago. Anyway.... extremely hot Soledad Miranda and les hot Ewa Stromberg get naked and kiss in a variety of extremely gorgeous interior and exterior sets in Turkey. A psychiatrist slaps the shit out of his patients. A jilted female ex screams a lot. A boyfriend looks befuddled. The music is wonderful. The sound design gets real weird. A big ass pin gets shoved in an eye.  The script is laconic, the pace is lethargic, but it all works most of the time because the images and sounds are so damn enjoyable. Not an everyday film, but a movie you should watch once, even if it takes you 20 years to get around to it. Final note, the Severin blu-ray I have looked fucking stunning.

Vampyros Lesbos is certainly not the best Franco and I guess its heightened cult status can be accredited to the title alone. I rewatched it a couple months ago after like 5 years expecting to appreciate it more after being 30+ films deep into Franco but that wasn't the case and if anything it solidified my previous comment.

Venus in Furs is more deserving of the attention it gets. His sweet spot sort of begins around here (69-70). But the greatest stuff is all 73-74 imo. Some recs off the top of my head if you have interest: Eugenie de Sade (1973 - Soledad Miranda's finest), The Obscene Mirror (1973), A Virgin Among the Living Dead (aka Christina, Princess of Eroticism) (1973), Lorna, The Exorcist (1974), The Perverse Countess (1974). Things get more complicated later but there are still some excellent ones to check out in the early/mid-80s like Macumba Sexual (1983), Bahia Blanca (1984), Night Has a Thousand Desires (1984), Faceless (1987). And of course any fan of classic horror owes it to themselves to see The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) which is just a straight up good movie.

Have you ever seen the Mansion of the Living Dead by Franco? As a lover of the Blind Dead series I'm very interested in his spin on the idea, even if it's only a cosmetic relation.

Haven't seen it! Seems like it could go either way. I'm not sure that that type of horror is really his forte, but maybe you're more forgiving than I (although I am pretty forgiving when it comes to Franco).