Succubus (1968) Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden (original title)

Director:

Jesus Franco

Writer:

Pier A. Caminnecci (writer)

Release Date:

7 April 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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 | Midget | Nightclub | Women Killing Women | Redhead

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jesus Franco	...	Writer (uncredited)
Karl Heinz Mannchen	...	Partyguest (uncredited)
Daniel White	...	Piano Player (uncredited)

Directed by
Jesus Franco

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Pier A. Caminnecci		writer

Produced by
Pier A. Caminnecci	....	associate producer
Adrian Hoven	....	producer
Karl Heinz Mannchen	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Gulda
Jerry van Rooyen

Cinematography by
Jorge Herrero
Franz Xaver Lederle		(as Franz Lederle)

Film Editing by
Frizzi Schmidt

Art Direction by
Peter H. Krause
Carlos Viudes

Makeup Department
Irmgard Forster	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert Gaffron	....	production supervisor
Karl Heinz Mannchen	....	unit production manager

Sound Department
Hans-Dieter Schwarz	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Vernon	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karl Lagerfeld	....	costume designer: Janine Reynaud

Production Companies

• Aquila Film Enterprises

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Trans American Films (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed/subtitled)
• Astral Films (1969) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Studio Films (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Blue Underground (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden" - West Germany (original title)

Runtime:

Argentina:95 min | USA:79 min | West Germany:84 min

Country:

West Germany

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

Trivia:

Adrian Hoven originally wanted to play Jack Taylor's role.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Call Him Jess (2000)

We are all dummies

Whereas Felini is content to betray his films to almost coherent plot and the shameful act of playing his hand too early, Jess Franco smothers his visual media idiom with layers upon layers of fantasy and dream sequence. Not only does the main character, whom I refuse to give a name to, tip-toe through the film's haze in a daze of somnambulant wonder, but her steely stare and enigmatic dialogue can almost conjure up feelings of confusion. We are watching a film where the protagonist almost has no identity at all, so should we feel guilty for feeling that the film has no plot at all? I think Franco achieves his aim here, for Succubus is a barrage of buzzwords all done with smoke and mirrors. I was so impressed I almost kicked the television in through sheer jealousy.

His artistic vision is such that his contempt for his audience is to be commended. Why else would he insert a party sequence where a dwarf and a transvestite dance, a girl asks for her doll back, and a man in a suit reads beat poetry? It was only logical that everyone started acting like dogs, for here Franco is showing us that we are all animals at heart. In a show of unison, I was foaming at the mouth at this sequence, like a rabid dog. In this magical scene, Franco relentlessly throws pretension in our faces until we are left with nothing but animalistic feelings of rage and hate.

The scene with the dummies is also of note. Here, Franco is clearly, blatantly showing us that we, that is those who paid money for Succubus, are the real dummies. The performance art, where people are chained to posts, is also an obvious metaphor. Franco is the one holding the knife (representing this film), and we, the audience, are the ones tied to the posts, helpless, enduring the torture. Truly, this man cannot but stand head and shoulders above his contemporaries.

I may be beneath such a visionary, because I don't quite understand the technique Franco employs to actually stretch time within a film. The back of the DVD said this film was about 72 minutes long, but somehow, probably because I was lost in such a fantasy world before me, this film seemed to last twice that length. Franco is so good at his art that even time cannot withstand his power.

Succubus doesn't quite reach the heights of White Cannibal Queen (amazing parable of man's fight against technological progress – why else would the jungle be so obviously set in a park), or The Devil Hunter (words fail me with this one – the struggle of the African man against the white invader – If you don't get that by Al Cliver fighting a naked, circumcised man then you simply aren't watching), but I think here, by riddling the dialogue with pop culture references, Franco truly makes a film that is beyond criticism.

I give this film a one. Franco has no need for ratings. His films are beyond ratings. And what's beyond the beyond? Nothing. Therefore: Jess Franco's films should get ratings of 0.