Jess Franco isn't known as a great artist, but he is one busy boy. In half a century he's directed 187 films under a variety of different names.
Sundance Channel is presenting SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY this month and it's really rather enjoyable. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I do appreciate that it has subtitles instead of being dubbed.
Dr. Johnson and his gorgeous wife (Soledad Miranda) live in a house the size of a multi-story office building on a cliff overlooking the sea. He wants to break the frontiers of conventional medicine to help humanity, but winds up being barred from practicing medicine.
In a major funk, he slashes his wrists. His widow vows revenge on the medical establishment.
OK. There's the basis for solid drama. Not original, since the themes are timeless. But you can still work with it.
The four doctors she targets have, between them, a room temperature IQ. All the better to trap and destroy them.
But here's a major continuity problem. Just what is the time structure here? The action would seem to cover days or even weeks. But although Dr. Johnson's death is common knowledge his body is still in the house. His color stays good, no sign of decay, no flies buzzing around. The four targets aren't from this unnamed city: they're staying at a hotel. Why are they still in town?
This being European and coming from 1971 you know that there will be zoom lenses a popping'. One scene, though, actually has some creative camera work. It's set in a hotel lobby. One of the men she's pursuing is sitting. We see Mrs. Johnson reflected in a huge mirror, and the camera fluidly zooms in and out so we see the faces of both parties without any cutting. There's a humorous scene (did Franco intend it to be funny?) without dialogue as she pursues him up a flight of stairs. He goes into his room, slams the door, and she's already inside on the bed wearing a silly wig. Huh?
All things considered, Ms. Miranda's performance is good. It's a difficult part: in many scenes she's alone on screen silently staring ahead. A good part of the film finds her in varying degrees of nudity. Sadly, this is her last film: she died in a car wreck before the film was released.
Just to help us remember that this is from 1971, there's a throbbing soundtrack of "psychedelic" music with a sitar (or a guitar or keyboard sounding like one) giving a Purple Haze atmosphere.
The print Sundance Channel obtained is in great shape. The colors are sharp and clear, as is the soundtrack.
Don't go expecting high art, but you just might enjoy SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY.
Sundance Channel is presenting SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY this month and it's really rather enjoyable. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I do appreciate that it has subtitles instead of being dubbed.
Dr. Johnson and his gorgeous wife (Soledad Miranda) live in a house the size of a multi-story office building on a cliff overlooking the sea. He wants to break the frontiers of conventional medicine to help humanity, but winds up being barred from practicing medicine.
In a major funk, he slashes his wrists. His widow vows revenge on the medical establishment.
OK. There's the basis for solid drama. Not original, since the themes are timeless. But you can still work with it.
The four doctors she targets have, between them, a room temperature IQ. All the better to trap and destroy them.
But here's a major continuity problem. Just what is the time structure here? The action would seem to cover days or even weeks. But although Dr. Johnson's death is common knowledge his body is still in the house. His color stays good, no sign of decay, no flies buzzing around. The four targets aren't from this unnamed city: they're staying at a hotel. Why are they still in town?
This being European and coming from 1971 you know that there will be zoom lenses a popping'. One scene, though, actually has some creative camera work. It's set in a hotel lobby. One of the men she's pursuing is sitting. We see Mrs. Johnson reflected in a huge mirror, and the camera fluidly zooms in and out so we see the faces of both parties without any cutting. There's a humorous scene (did Franco intend it to be funny?) without dialogue as she pursues him up a flight of stairs. He goes into his room, slams the door, and she's already inside on the bed wearing a silly wig. Huh?
All things considered, Ms. Miranda's performance is good. It's a difficult part: in many scenes she's alone on screen silently staring ahead. A good part of the film finds her in varying degrees of nudity. Sadly, this is her last film: she died in a car wreck before the film was released.
Just to help us remember that this is from 1971, there's a throbbing soundtrack of "psychedelic" music with a sitar (or a guitar or keyboard sounding like one) giving a Purple Haze atmosphere.
The print Sundance Channel obtained is in great shape. The colors are sharp and clear, as is the soundtrack.
Don't go expecting high art, but you just might enjoy SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY.