Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden (1968)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Jesus Franco

Writer:

Pier A. Caminnecci (writer)

Release Date:

7 April 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Tagline:

THE sensual experience

Plot:

Janine Reynaud stars as a nightclub stripper who free-floats through a spectral 60's landscape littered with dream-figures...

Plot Keywords:

Stripper | Nightclub | Midget | Madness | Word Association

Cast

Janine Reynaud	...	Lorna Green
Jack Taylor	...	William Francis Mulligan
Adrian Hoven	...	Ralf Drawes
Howard Vernon	...	Admiral Kapp (as Howard Varnon)
Nathalie Nort	...	Bella Olga
Michel Lemoine	...	Pierce
Pier A. Caminnecci	...	Hermann
Américo Coimbra	...	The crucified actor
Lina De Wolf
Eva Brauner

Also Known As:

Necromicron (Spain)
Necronomicon - Dreamt Sin
Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden (West Germany)
Succubus (USA)

Runtime:

Argentina:95 min | USA:91 min | West Germany:84 min

Country:

West Germany | Spain

Language:

German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:(Banned) (1970) | UK:18 | USA:X | West Germany:18 | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Aquila Film Enterprises

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lust for Frankenstein (1998) (V)

Another yesterday's movie for tomorrow

I haven't seen all of Jess Franco's movies, I have seen 5, I think, and there are more than 180 of them. So maybe it's a bit early to say so but "Necronomicon Geträumte Sünden" (better known as 'Succubus', but that is the cut version) is according to me if not the best, certainly on of Franco's best. Franco is best known (although 'known' might be slightly exaggerated) for "Vampiros Lesbos", a weird cultish movie that got more acclaim in the mid 90's when people found out Jess Franco was also an interesting composer. Through the soundtrack a happy few discovered the man and found out what was to be expected after seeing the video clip of 'The lion and the cucumber' ('Vampyros Lesbos OST'): Jess Franco is an overwhelming director. When the phone rang during 'Vampiros', I let it ring. I just wanted to see more of the movie. Since that moment Franco never could grip me that much. But then I stumbled on this movie. It is even better than "Vampiros Lesbos", I think. Franco is looking for what he can do with a story and a camera. We find out he can do a lot. I certainly didn't expect to find "Necronomicon" that great: its beginning didn't impress me at all. Remember, I had seen "Vampiros Lesbos" before (although chronologically that came only three years later) and both movies kinda start the same. But then the story went on, puzzling and gripping, beautiful camera work and the stuff you would like to see Godard do if he weren't so occupied with spreading his political messages. Later on in the movie I heard a dialogue about which art was or wasn't old-fashioned. The man says that all movies have to be old-fashioned because it takes weeks before the audience sees what got filmed. But the girl replies that "Bunuel, Fritz Lang and Godard yesterday made movies for tomorrow". Janine Reynaud is an interesting lead actress and of course Howard Vernon, a Franco regular, is also there. Luckily the acting is good (something that can spoil a lot of Franco movies for you, but not this one). But certainly watch out for the dummy scene. The erotic tension, the wild directing and the fact that it's a yesterday's movie for tomorrow make it a movie a lot of people should see. The fact that it is a bit more accessible than "Vampiros Lesbos" certainly helps.