Hoo, boy, I don't even know where to begin with this one! Jess Franco's "Succubus"--his first of four films in 1967 alone, in a career oeuvre that as of this date contains around 190 (!) pictures--takes a sharp turn from the director's previous pictures, many of which ("The Awful Dr. Orloff," "The Sadistic Baron von Klaus," "Dr. Orloff's Monster" and, especially, "The Diabolical Dr. Z") had been perfectly lucid, imaginatively shot, beautifully photographed B&W minimasterpieces. "Succubus" is a film that is almost impossible to synopsize, much less figure out...even more so than Franco's "Venus in Furs" (1968). The only other films I can compare it to, in my limited experience, as far as surrealism, "trippiness" and the ability to both dazzle and frustrate the viewer are concerned, are Jaromil Jires' "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders" (1970) and perhaps Alejandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo" (1971). But "Succubus" is a much lesser film than those other two, and infinitely more boring and pretentious (capital "P"). The film seems to concern an S&M nightclub performer named Lorna (played, it must be granted, with some authority by model Janine Reynaud) who may or may not be a hell-sent succubus or perhaps merely a psychotic serial killer. Or perhaps Lorna is only dreaming. Or fantasizing. Really, it is hard to say for sure, and anyone who speaks with great authority regarding this film is full of hooey, as even Franco himself, during a 22-minute interview on this fine-looking Blue Underground DVD, admits to not understanding his own movie! He excuses this, though, by remarking that Jean-Luc Godard once told him that a picture does not have to be understood to be successful. Oy gevalt. Making matters worse is the fact that Reynaud herself is a completely unsympathetic/unattractive performer, although still kinda sexy (perhaps future Franco muse Soledad Miranda would have worked better here). Among the assorted bits of strangeness that the film dishes out are some weird word-association games, a pianist playing his instrument while looking at a math book, an LSD party, some very mild lesbianism in a room full of mannequins, and the fact that the picture seems to have been edited with an eggbeater. On the plus side: some dreamlike soft-focus photography, pretty scenery of Portugal and Berlin, and some strikingly beautiful images, such as lovers viewed through a fish tank (but signifying what?). Equal parts tedious and fascinating, the film was slapped with an "X" rating in the U.S. back in '69 ("X" for "Excruciating"? "Exhausting"? "Extremely hard to follow"?), its trailer proclaiming "The most unusual picture of the year...perhaps, of years to come." In a picture filled with so much ambiguity, that statement, at least, is decidedly true. Get some ergot-based derivative inside you and see for yourself!
27 Reviews
Alice in Wonderland meets the nightclub queen
drownsoda9027 September 2014
"Succubus" has Janine Reynaud as Lorna, a nightclub performer whose sadomasochistic live shows attract a plethora of wealthy onlookers. Though her shows are a success, Lorna begins to lose her grip on reality, fading in and out of a dreamlike marathon of bizarre encounters, images, and even murders.
As with virtually all Jess Franco films, "Succubus" suffers a serious incoherence issue— the editing is at times sloppy, the pacing is languorous and sometimes un-involving, and the central premise and exposition are all but essentially forgotten within the first ten minutes. The opening scene is clear and captivating, but the audience loses any and all potential grip immediately after— such is Jess Franco. With a plot that is either intrinsically unintelligible, or perhaps ingeniously molded to mirror the schizophrenic mind, the film instead offers visuals a plenty.
Sexually-charged, gaudy, and thoroughly dazzling are the aesthetics here, from the seediness of the nightclubs to the various sets and scenarios which Lorna is immersed in; there is a consistent visual flair that Franco employs which guarantees audience attention just on a surface level. The hallucinogenic nature of the film is reminiscent of adventures down the rabbit hole, albeit a bit more macabre and ten times as sexual. The stringing together of waking reality or waking fantasy is powerful on a subconscious level, as each of the images provoke without relent.
It's not difficult to see why some people can't stand the film, or Jess Franco, but there's something unusually captivating about "Succubus". Not being the biggest Franco fan, I did stumble through the film at times and I did find it dull in more than one instance, but it is a thoroughly bizarre amalgam of images and mindsets inhabited by a murderous nightclub S&M stripper/performance artist, and there's something inherently fascinating about that whether you like it or not. Even if you wanted to be bored, it's kind of hard to be. Confused? That's understandable. 6/10.
As with virtually all Jess Franco films, "Succubus" suffers a serious incoherence issue— the editing is at times sloppy, the pacing is languorous and sometimes un-involving, and the central premise and exposition are all but essentially forgotten within the first ten minutes. The opening scene is clear and captivating, but the audience loses any and all potential grip immediately after— such is Jess Franco. With a plot that is either intrinsically unintelligible, or perhaps ingeniously molded to mirror the schizophrenic mind, the film instead offers visuals a plenty.
Sexually-charged, gaudy, and thoroughly dazzling are the aesthetics here, from the seediness of the nightclubs to the various sets and scenarios which Lorna is immersed in; there is a consistent visual flair that Franco employs which guarantees audience attention just on a surface level. The hallucinogenic nature of the film is reminiscent of adventures down the rabbit hole, albeit a bit more macabre and ten times as sexual. The stringing together of waking reality or waking fantasy is powerful on a subconscious level, as each of the images provoke without relent.
It's not difficult to see why some people can't stand the film, or Jess Franco, but there's something unusually captivating about "Succubus". Not being the biggest Franco fan, I did stumble through the film at times and I did find it dull in more than one instance, but it is a thoroughly bizarre amalgam of images and mindsets inhabited by a murderous nightclub S&M stripper/performance artist, and there's something inherently fascinating about that whether you like it or not. Even if you wanted to be bored, it's kind of hard to be. Confused? That's understandable. 6/10.
Strange and moody Germany/Spain/Portugal co-production by prolific Jesus Franco
ma-cortes20 February 2023
A nightclub performer whose act incorporates bizarre sadomasochistic elements begins to lose her grip on reality, and is plunged into a nightmarish mental landscape. As she free-floats . Throughout off-the-wall happenings , sensual experiences and grisly killings . Succubus is the sensual experience of nineteen sixty nine !. Her Love Ritual Cast a Spell of Death ! . Incredibly Fantastic...Terrifying...A Strange Cult...Love...Murder !. In the Tradition of "Mondo Cane" This is a Picture You Will Never Forget As Long As You Live...
This is a sensual experience , but a disconcerting mess as well, resulting in a slow-moving drama movie without much action or suspense .An erotic and eerie horror tale about a beautiful woman who murders innocent victims to appease her insatiable thirst for new experiences and to delight in the pleasures of the violence . This vintage terror/erotic/mystery motion picture , a classic in some circles , was uneven but professionally directed by Jesús Franco who never considered the film to be a horror story , but instead felt it was tale of "anguish" . This film goes on the usual style of the director Jesus Franco , concerning a twisted story with no much sense , in which characters become involved into a dark world of sexual perversion , including kinky sex , deep passion , nudity , lesbianism and murders . This is a passable yarn by the prolific writer/producer/director Jesús Franco , considered to be one of the best films in his Sixties' period . This motion picture is the story of a kind of woman you may not have known ever existed . Janine Reynaud stars as a nhghtclub stripper who suffers nightmares and records from a past life when she was a countess , while walking through a spectral 60's scenerios littered with dream-figures, dancing midgets and bizarre sexy games. Janine was the first Franco's muse with whom played Kiss me monster , Two Undercover Angels , Succubus , subsequently replaced by Soledad Miranda , the latter was the biggest break came from legendary director Jess Franco, who cast Soledad in such cult classics as ¨Count Dracula¨, ¨Eugenie De Sade¨ , ¨Sex Charade¨, ¨The Devil Came from Akasava¨ and ¨Vampyros Lesbos¨. Here Janine is well accompanied by a good cast with plenty of familar faces in the Franco cinema such as : Jack Taylor, Adrian Hoven , Howard Vernon and Michel Lemoine . The picture was really cut , and it has several versions both , soft and hard . Initial releases of the film were met with negative reactions from film critics , while the general critical reaction had been poor , however ,today is considered to be an acceptable fim. Special mention for musical score by Friedrich Gulda and Jerry van Rooyen , full of strange sounds , jazzy and psychedelic soundtrack.
The film has a lot of titles , as Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden, Necronomicon - Dreamt Sin , Necronomicón or Succubus. The motion picture was strange and middlingly directed by Jess Frank ,by using ordinar trademarks , continous zooms , surprising close-ups , including blood drops and other kites . Jesus Franco was a Stajanovist filmmaker who realized around 200 movies . As the picture belongs to Franco's second period in which he made so-so flicks . Jesus uses to sign under pseudonym , among the aliases he used, apart from the names Jess Franco or Franco Manera, were Jess Frank, Robert Zimmerman, Frank Hollman, Clifford Brown, David Khune , Toni Falt, James P. Johnson, Charlie Christian, David Tough , among others . Franco is really influenced by American thrillers , B-Horror movies and German expressionism . Franco used to utilize usual marks such as extreme zooms , nudism , lousy pace , foreground on objects , and pulling off complex , confuse narratives with no much sense , as well as filmmaking in ¨do-it-yourself effort¨ style or DIY . As Jess Frank manages to work extraordinarily quick , realizing some fun diversions, and a lot of absolute crap as well .
This is a sensual experience , but a disconcerting mess as well, resulting in a slow-moving drama movie without much action or suspense .An erotic and eerie horror tale about a beautiful woman who murders innocent victims to appease her insatiable thirst for new experiences and to delight in the pleasures of the violence . This vintage terror/erotic/mystery motion picture , a classic in some circles , was uneven but professionally directed by Jesús Franco who never considered the film to be a horror story , but instead felt it was tale of "anguish" . This film goes on the usual style of the director Jesus Franco , concerning a twisted story with no much sense , in which characters become involved into a dark world of sexual perversion , including kinky sex , deep passion , nudity , lesbianism and murders . This is a passable yarn by the prolific writer/producer/director Jesús Franco , considered to be one of the best films in his Sixties' period . This motion picture is the story of a kind of woman you may not have known ever existed . Janine Reynaud stars as a nhghtclub stripper who suffers nightmares and records from a past life when she was a countess , while walking through a spectral 60's scenerios littered with dream-figures, dancing midgets and bizarre sexy games. Janine was the first Franco's muse with whom played Kiss me monster , Two Undercover Angels , Succubus , subsequently replaced by Soledad Miranda , the latter was the biggest break came from legendary director Jess Franco, who cast Soledad in such cult classics as ¨Count Dracula¨, ¨Eugenie De Sade¨ , ¨Sex Charade¨, ¨The Devil Came from Akasava¨ and ¨Vampyros Lesbos¨. Here Janine is well accompanied by a good cast with plenty of familar faces in the Franco cinema such as : Jack Taylor, Adrian Hoven , Howard Vernon and Michel Lemoine . The picture was really cut , and it has several versions both , soft and hard . Initial releases of the film were met with negative reactions from film critics , while the general critical reaction had been poor , however ,today is considered to be an acceptable fim. Special mention for musical score by Friedrich Gulda and Jerry van Rooyen , full of strange sounds , jazzy and psychedelic soundtrack.
The film has a lot of titles , as Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden, Necronomicon - Dreamt Sin , Necronomicón or Succubus. The motion picture was strange and middlingly directed by Jess Frank ,by using ordinar trademarks , continous zooms , surprising close-ups , including blood drops and other kites . Jesus Franco was a Stajanovist filmmaker who realized around 200 movies . As the picture belongs to Franco's second period in which he made so-so flicks . Jesus uses to sign under pseudonym , among the aliases he used, apart from the names Jess Franco or Franco Manera, were Jess Frank, Robert Zimmerman, Frank Hollman, Clifford Brown, David Khune , Toni Falt, James P. Johnson, Charlie Christian, David Tough , among others . Franco is really influenced by American thrillers , B-Horror movies and German expressionism . Franco used to utilize usual marks such as extreme zooms , nudism , lousy pace , foreground on objects , and pulling off complex , confuse narratives with no much sense , as well as filmmaking in ¨do-it-yourself effort¨ style or DIY . As Jess Frank manages to work extraordinarily quick , realizing some fun diversions, and a lot of absolute crap as well .
Another hallucinogenic Franco classic!
Infofreak20 January 2002
I must immediately make clear that the version of 'Succubus' I watched was the American one with the shorter running time. I have absolutely no idea what has been cut and how different this is from what Jess Franco originally intended. Even so, this is a remarkable movie, and one of the most interesting Franco movies I have seen.
The beautiful Janine Reynaud plays Lorna Green, an enigmatic erotic dancer cum performance artist who stages odd, sadomasochistic events at a nightclub. She is plagued by hallucinations (?) and begins to confuse fantasy and reality, a common Franco scenario. I have to admit by the half way point I didn't have a clue what was going on, or who was who, but I didn't mind. Plot in 'Succubus' is secondary. Atmosphere, aesthetics, babes and surreal dialogue which name-dropped everyone from Stockhausen to Spillane to Mingus to De Sade, make this movie essential viewing. Reynaud is stunning to look at, there's some tasty jazz on the soundtrack, and there's the added kick of seeing the legendary Howard Vernon, a Franco regular who also appeared in everything from Godard's 'Alphaville' to Polanski's 'The Ninth Gate'.
Beginners should check out 'Vampyros Lesbos' first, still the most satisfying Franco I've seen, but make 'Succubus' a close second. You'll see nothing like it anywhere!
The beautiful Janine Reynaud plays Lorna Green, an enigmatic erotic dancer cum performance artist who stages odd, sadomasochistic events at a nightclub. She is plagued by hallucinations (?) and begins to confuse fantasy and reality, a common Franco scenario. I have to admit by the half way point I didn't have a clue what was going on, or who was who, but I didn't mind. Plot in 'Succubus' is secondary. Atmosphere, aesthetics, babes and surreal dialogue which name-dropped everyone from Stockhausen to Spillane to Mingus to De Sade, make this movie essential viewing. Reynaud is stunning to look at, there's some tasty jazz on the soundtrack, and there's the added kick of seeing the legendary Howard Vernon, a Franco regular who also appeared in everything from Godard's 'Alphaville' to Polanski's 'The Ninth Gate'.
Beginners should check out 'Vampyros Lesbos' first, still the most satisfying Franco I've seen, but make 'Succubus' a close second. You'll see nothing like it anywhere!
Boring Mess
claudio_carvalho8 January 2015
The performer Lorna Green (Janine Reynaud) is a dominatrix in a S&M show in a nightclub and lover of the producer, William Francis Mulligan (Jack Taylor). Lorna attracts the attention of a stranger that believes she is the essence of evil and controls her mind. Lorna has sex with Mulligan and has a weird dream where she stabs a man with a needle in the eye. On the next morning, she is walking with Mulligan and sees a hearse on the road. When she glances at the corpse, she sees the man of her dream and cries. Soon Lorna has other daydreams followed by murders and she starts to blend reality with dreams. Soon she is confused with her nightmares and her memories from a past life when she was a countess. Meanwhile the stranger plots a scheme against Lorna with Mulligan.
"Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden", a.k.a., "Succubus", is the first movie of Jess Franco outside Spain because of the censorship in his country. This movie is financed by Germany and produced in West Germany. Considered a cult movie for many viewers, I had a great expectation but I found it boring and with a messy screenplay. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Succubus"
"Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden", a.k.a., "Succubus", is the first movie of Jess Franco outside Spain because of the censorship in his country. This movie is financed by Germany and produced in West Germany. Considered a cult movie for many viewers, I had a great expectation but I found it boring and with a messy screenplay. My vote is three.
Title (Brazil): "Succubus"
Maybe if you're in a trance too...
Coventry5 November 2004
Even though there's a repertoire of over 180 films to choose from, this 'Succubus' is often named as THE best Jess Franco film. Heck, even the legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang counts 'Succubus' among his personal favorites. So, maybe it's me but I thought this was a dreadfully boring and overly confusing movie. The opening is great, though, and shows Janine Reynaud performing an SM act on stage. It's all downhill from here, unfortunately. Reynaud's character is a maneater who eventually kills her lovers in some sort of trance. Franco had a decent budget to work with and spends it well on nice locations, beautiful photography and a mesmerizing musical score. This COULD have been his greatest film indeed, if it wasn't for the lame and uninteresting story. It's supposed to be psychedelic but I'd say sophomoric is a better term to describe what's shown here. Half of the time, you don't have a clue what's going on or what exactly is said so even the short running time of 80 minutes seems to last ages. This most certainly isn't Franco's best film according to me. I wouldn't even recommend it to die-hard exploitation fans. If you're looking for more superior Jess Franco film, try to get your hands on 'Las Vampiras', 'The awful Dr. Orloff' or 'Female Vampire'.
An engaging slice of '60s erotic surrealism
jivers0112 April 2013
After making several "normal" horror/exploitation films, Franco indulged in this baffling but engaging fever-dream of supernatural fantasy. Around this time, Franco, like his French counterpart Jean Rollin, began an arty phase, weaving haunting scenes of surrealism, eroticism, and horror into enigmatic, loosely constructed stories.
Both directors were notorious for writing scripts a few hours before shooting or starting a film without a script based on a dream, trusting improvisation and inspiration to furnish the rest of the story. The difference is that Rollin usually discovered some logical explanation along the way for all the weird goings on, while Franco's work remains ambiguous.
Our story begins with the beautiful redhead Lorna (Janine Reynaud) as a dominatrix in an avant-garde S&M nightclub act for jaded sophisticates. She is the symbol of dangerous seduction and the obsession of men and women alike. Her Mephistophelean manager (Jack Taylor) has somehow transformed her into "the essence of evil - a devil on earth", but how and why is left unexplained. There are long, lyrical dream sequences (nicely shot in soft, hazy tones) where she repeatedly returns to a Gothic castle by the sea. Roaming through the elegant rooms, she has memories of a past life as a countess. (Her thoughts, like the thoughts of most of the characters, are related via narration.) In a highly effective scene, a room full of mannequins dressed in period gowns become animated and threatening.
As fantasy and reality blend together, there are many strange encounters, tastefully restrained nude scenes (unusual for Franco), a few murders that may be hallucinations, and a decadent party straight out of "La Dolce Vita". In fact, Franco seems to be under the spell of Fellini (especially "Juliet of the Spirits") for much of the film.
As the story shifts from Portugal to Berlin, there are some nice scenes of the austere German city and creative shots (reflections in a car window, ducks on a pond) accompanied by poetic and philosophical musings. Clearly, there is some kind of artistic intent here despite a flawed and confusing narrative. A profusion of random ideas and beautiful/bizarre images pop up like wildflowers all over this crazy dreamscape but offer no explanation. Like many David Lynch films, the story is a head-scratcher, but there is enough stylish and visually rewarding material to make it worth seeing.
Both directors were notorious for writing scripts a few hours before shooting or starting a film without a script based on a dream, trusting improvisation and inspiration to furnish the rest of the story. The difference is that Rollin usually discovered some logical explanation along the way for all the weird goings on, while Franco's work remains ambiguous.
Our story begins with the beautiful redhead Lorna (Janine Reynaud) as a dominatrix in an avant-garde S&M nightclub act for jaded sophisticates. She is the symbol of dangerous seduction and the obsession of men and women alike. Her Mephistophelean manager (Jack Taylor) has somehow transformed her into "the essence of evil - a devil on earth", but how and why is left unexplained. There are long, lyrical dream sequences (nicely shot in soft, hazy tones) where she repeatedly returns to a Gothic castle by the sea. Roaming through the elegant rooms, she has memories of a past life as a countess. (Her thoughts, like the thoughts of most of the characters, are related via narration.) In a highly effective scene, a room full of mannequins dressed in period gowns become animated and threatening.
As fantasy and reality blend together, there are many strange encounters, tastefully restrained nude scenes (unusual for Franco), a few murders that may be hallucinations, and a decadent party straight out of "La Dolce Vita". In fact, Franco seems to be under the spell of Fellini (especially "Juliet of the Spirits") for much of the film.
As the story shifts from Portugal to Berlin, there are some nice scenes of the austere German city and creative shots (reflections in a car window, ducks on a pond) accompanied by poetic and philosophical musings. Clearly, there is some kind of artistic intent here despite a flawed and confusing narrative. A profusion of random ideas and beautiful/bizarre images pop up like wildflowers all over this crazy dreamscape but offer no explanation. Like many David Lynch films, the story is a head-scratcher, but there is enough stylish and visually rewarding material to make it worth seeing.
Easily on par with Franco's 'Virgin Among the Living Dead' (ie. dreadful!!)
BA_Harrison4 April 2006
'Succubus', the edited version of 'Necronomicon Geträumte Sünden', is a struggle to sit through, even at a lean 76 minutes; any more of this dreadfully boring and pretentious Euro horror tripe and I may have slipped into a coma.
Jess Franco once again delivers a truly awful piece of 60s trash that appears to have been made by a cast and crew out of of their heads on Class A hallucinogenics, since not one second of this mess made any sense whatsoever. Apparently, this is one of the better of his 180+ films it's hard to believe that there are worse efforts out there.
The unfathomable plot deals with Franco's usual themes of sex, violence and lesbianism and throws in a bit of S&M for good measure, and yet it still manages to remain mind numbingly tedious.
I may leave it quite a while before entering the world of dodgy Euro Horror again life is too short to be spent watching bilge like this.
Jess Franco once again delivers a truly awful piece of 60s trash that appears to have been made by a cast and crew out of of their heads on Class A hallucinogenics, since not one second of this mess made any sense whatsoever. Apparently, this is one of the better of his 180+ films it's hard to believe that there are worse efforts out there.
The unfathomable plot deals with Franco's usual themes of sex, violence and lesbianism and throws in a bit of S&M for good measure, and yet it still manages to remain mind numbingly tedious.
I may leave it quite a while before entering the world of dodgy Euro Horror again life is too short to be spent watching bilge like this.
A box office success and a product of its time
elliotjames212 October 2013
The timing was right. Art house sex films were all the rage and the marketing in the States was simple and brilliant, taking good advantage of punters seeking cinema kicks during the dawn of the sexual revolution. A phone number was published for people to call who wanted to know what the title meant. The bewildering erotic-horror element and the hallucinatory visuals and dialogue were not what many of them expected.
Old-timers in the Manhattan theatrical exhibition business told me it did very well at the box office. The put-downs by Canby and Ebert didn't hurt. Newspaper of the subway crowd, The New York Post, gave it a good review. The gloss of Euro-sophistication gave it a veneer of respectability that the crude sleaze of routinely shot American sexploitation films lacked. Viewers didn't feel the urge to slink out of the theater trying not to be seen.
In today's DVD and streaming world, with thousands of independent theaters now vanished from the landscape, without titillating ads in big city newspapers, Succubus-style films released today would be quickly forgotten.
Old-timers in the Manhattan theatrical exhibition business told me it did very well at the box office. The put-downs by Canby and Ebert didn't hurt. Newspaper of the subway crowd, The New York Post, gave it a good review. The gloss of Euro-sophistication gave it a veneer of respectability that the crude sleaze of routinely shot American sexploitation films lacked. Viewers didn't feel the urge to slink out of the theater trying not to be seen.
In today's DVD and streaming world, with thousands of independent theaters now vanished from the landscape, without titillating ads in big city newspapers, Succubus-style films released today would be quickly forgotten.
Doesn't deserve it's reputation as one of Franco's best
The_Void1 September 2006
I've come to realise from watching Euro horror, especially films made by cult luminary Jess Franco, that you can't expect a plot that makes much sense. However, Franco has gone overboard with this film; and despite a surreal atmosphere, and the film's reputation as one of the director's best - Succubus is unfortunately is a truly awful film. I've got to admit that I saw the American cut version, which runs at about 76 minutes; but unless it was just the logic that was cut, I'm sure the longer European version is just as boring. The plot has something to do with a woman marauding around; practicing S&M and talking rubbish, and it's all really boring. There's no gore and the sex is dull, and most of the runtime is taken up by boring dialogue and despite the fact that this is a short film; I had difficulty making it all the way to the end. I have to say that the locations look good and Franco has done a good job of using his surreal atmosphere; but the positive elements end there. Jess Franco is definitely a talented director that has made some classic trash films - but this looks like it was one he made for the money, and overall I recommend skipping it and seeing some of the director's more interesting works.
Beautiful and mesmerising
christopher-underwood12 January 2007
Delirious, near plot-less mood piece and if it's more LSD inspired than the Devil then we must remember when it was made! After a startling SM opening (which even itself is not what it seems) we move to soft focus and dream or imaginings or remembering
. Lots of literary and cinematic references and indeed this is the Franco film that Lang himself praised. Beautiful and mesmerising the film unfolds at a leisurely pace but has a richness within each fold. A rare movie to languish within. Old Jess could make 'em when he tried. Fine central performances too including the indomitable Jack Taylor and Howard Vernon. I haven't even mentioned the Lisbon locations - ah!
Succubus
Scarecrow-8812 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Lorna Green(Janine Reynaud)is a performance artist for wealthy intellectuals at a local club. She falls prey to her fantasies as the promise of romantic interludes turn into murder as she kills those who believe that sex is on the horizon. It's quite possible that, through a form of hypnotic suggestion, someone(..a possible task master pulling her strings like a puppet)is guiding Lorna into killing those she comes across in secluded places just when it appears that love-making is about to begin. After the murders within her fantasies are committed, Lorna awakens bewildered, often clueless as to if what she was privy to within her dreams ever took place in reality.
If someone asked me how to describe this particular work from Franco, I'd say it's elegant & difficult. By now, you've probably read other user comments befuddled by what this film is about, since a large portion of it takes place within the surreal atmosphere of a dream. Franco mentioned in an interview that he was heavily influenced by Godard early in his career, as far as film-making style, and so deciding to abandon a clear narrative structure in favor of trying to create a whole different type of viewing experience. And, as you read from the reaction of the user comments here..some like this decision, others find the style labouring, dull, and bewildering. I'll be the first to admit that the film is over my head, but even Franco himself, when quizzed by critics who watched "Succubus", admitted that he didn't even understand the film and he directed it! Some might say that "Succubus" was merely a precursor to his more admired work, "Venus in Furs", considered his masterwork by Franco-faithful, because it also adopts the surreal, dreamlike structure where the protagonist doesn't truly know whether he/she is experiencing something real or imagined. In a sense, like the protagonist, we are experiencing the same type of confusion..certainly, "Succubus" is unconventional film-making where we aren't given the keys to what is exactly going on. And, a great deal of the elusive dialogue doesn't help matters. "Succubus" is also populated by beatnik types and "poet-speak", Corman's film, "A Bucket of Blood" poked fun at. My personal favorite scene teases at a possible lesbian interlude between Lorna and a woman she meets at a posh party..quite a bizarre fantasy sequence where mannequins are used rather unusually. Great locations and jazz score..I liked this film myself, although I can understand why it does receive a negative reaction. Loved that one scene at the posh party with Lorna, a wee bit drunk, writhing on the floor in a gorgeous evening gown as others attending the shindig(..equally wasted)rush her in an embrace of kisses.
If someone asked me how to describe this particular work from Franco, I'd say it's elegant & difficult. By now, you've probably read other user comments befuddled by what this film is about, since a large portion of it takes place within the surreal atmosphere of a dream. Franco mentioned in an interview that he was heavily influenced by Godard early in his career, as far as film-making style, and so deciding to abandon a clear narrative structure in favor of trying to create a whole different type of viewing experience. And, as you read from the reaction of the user comments here..some like this decision, others find the style labouring, dull, and bewildering. I'll be the first to admit that the film is over my head, but even Franco himself, when quizzed by critics who watched "Succubus", admitted that he didn't even understand the film and he directed it! Some might say that "Succubus" was merely a precursor to his more admired work, "Venus in Furs", considered his masterwork by Franco-faithful, because it also adopts the surreal, dreamlike structure where the protagonist doesn't truly know whether he/she is experiencing something real or imagined. In a sense, like the protagonist, we are experiencing the same type of confusion..certainly, "Succubus" is unconventional film-making where we aren't given the keys to what is exactly going on. And, a great deal of the elusive dialogue doesn't help matters. "Succubus" is also populated by beatnik types and "poet-speak", Corman's film, "A Bucket of Blood" poked fun at. My personal favorite scene teases at a possible lesbian interlude between Lorna and a woman she meets at a posh party..quite a bizarre fantasy sequence where mannequins are used rather unusually. Great locations and jazz score..I liked this film myself, although I can understand why it does receive a negative reaction. Loved that one scene at the posh party with Lorna, a wee bit drunk, writhing on the floor in a gorgeous evening gown as others attending the shindig(..equally wasted)rush her in an embrace of kisses.
Pretentious and fake, nothing of quality to see here
Horst_In_Translation23 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Necronomicon - Geträumte Sünden", also known as "Succubus", is a West German production from 1968, so this one will soon have its 50th anniversary already. It is a color movie directed by the notorious Jesús Franco and written by Pier A. Caminnecci. According to IMDb, it is a German-language movie, but I am pretty sure that with the exception of Adrian Hoven probably nobody was speaking German in here and almost all of them got dubbed when production was about to be finished I'm sure. The lead actress here is Janine Reynaud (one of Franco's muses) and she plays a young woman named Lorna, who apparently has pretty dark desires. So yeah, I personally did not enjoy the watch here at all. I have seen some of Franco's stuff and this film here is certainly a contender for being among his 5 or even 3 worst "achievements". It looks so pretentious with the dream sequences, the music, the deep and dark story etc., but it is all a mess and pretty much everybody who worked on this one really needed more talent to make this one worth checking out. This refers to the director, the writer, the actors, but also the people working in less significant positions. It looks like a really bad student film in my opinion. I know that Franco's appeal comes from his lack of perfection for many, but honestly, here I would say it even lacks mediocrity. Plus the story is complete garbage and so stupid that it's even impossible to understand most of the time what is going on. We only witness the many failed attempts of a filmmaker in coming up with a creative overall outcome. But it's far from that. It's a complete mess and I suggest you stay far far away, even if you like some of Franco's other stuff. Possibly the worst1968 film I have seen so far. And I have seen many.
Swann, Proust's Way
chaos-rampant13 April 2013
I am fascinated by simple things: watching a 'feelgood' movie makes you feel good, and the opposite. Yet, this simple process comes from the most astounding mechanism, which props up every aspect of waking life. You pick your friends this way, dream, suffer and love this way—all intuitively, without much conscious thought.
Now turn to this film. Franco is sort of a gamble for me. He works so fast, that when cameras start rolling the thing is basically half-formed and taking shape as you watch. This is nice. I don't mean to make any excuses for what the films clearly lack, but it's an interesting way to make films, more loose than usual; what some of the best filmmakers attempt, trying to sneak up to who is really watching. It's a living experience if you can stay mindful. (by contrast to someone like Kubrick or Nolan who puts the vision first, deftly maps everything ahead of time so it reaches you lifeless)
So for me, the gamble is squeezing past the sloppy overall vision faster than you can reason. This is staying mindful, by which I mean let yourself be neither numbed nor swayed by the sex or violence or the apparent sloppiness. If you don't squeeze past fast enough, you'll be stuck behind a wall of finding faults, not a fun place to be. If you do, Franco can reward because that is the level where he starts to be intuitively interesting; the idea is to be already on the inside when he starts tethering images.
Sometimes when you get there, it's just empty fabric, but sometimes not. The point is that he can work on a semiconscious level, which is not conscious thought and most filmmakers utterly miss. This film gets there better than any of the rest I've seen.
The main premise is a woman unsure of herself and reality. The opening scene is in a dungeon where she has a couple tied up and playfully tortures them with a knife, this would be the typical Franco film you are geared to expect but we soon find it's a staged scene, pointing at fabrication. Back home, she performs a striptease for her man but he's bored and rolls to sleep. The next scene is where, dismayed, she walks out as if in a dream and wanders to a seaside castle, where apparently she has another life and a child. More. She suffers from amnesia, and later she pops with others in a party what looks like acid tabs.
This is all loosening up reality so we can get to the interesting stuff, simple entry points.
So the film is where the woman wanders around in a narrative haze of folded time, not unusual for Franco. But there's more than languid air here. Franco namedrops Godard at one point, I was reminded more of Resnais and later Raoul Ruiz, who was also influenced by Resnais.
Men approach her claiming to know her (we presume sexually), but she can't remember. Won't?
All sorts of hypnotic images intrude in her story, usually of men who pressingly ask questions about art and pop culture—a Godardian 'loan'. Her man assumes the role of Mickey Spillane and slaps and interrogates her as if she's a film noir dame holding out on him. At the party, the host reads up from a book about the woman as temptress and succubus who seduces, leads astray and drains men. All this reinforces a sense of sexual guilt and suffocation.
Superficially, it's about the woman's journey through masculine perceptions of her, boring if you think of it in the Catholic context which the conscious mind of Franco was probably addressing. Superficially, this is presented to us as 'brainwashing' by her man. Bo- ring.
What's powerful about this, is wondering a bit about who or what is tethering images into a story. This is beyond conscious control of images, up to you to ponder.
From the inside of her dream, you can't separate inside from outside, images simply bubble up in some order. These images are all her own dream, gradually they take the form of violent urges, being in that story gradually she feels more impure. What is causing this to happen? What starts out as her own reverie, is it slowly polluted by these other perceptions?
Surely making out with the young girl is her own genuine urge to be apart from men, interrupted by the compulsive desire to kill. Or is it? Is it something her man would fantasize about, who she wants to please? Is she becoming the character imagined of her? Is the self fetching the images or the other way around, the images gradually acquire a self?
This right here is the level where Franco is intuitively interesting. It is that semi-abstract space of story not tainted by logical mind, involuntary memory. If you have to see only a single Franco film, make it this or Eugenie De Sade.
Now turn to this film. Franco is sort of a gamble for me. He works so fast, that when cameras start rolling the thing is basically half-formed and taking shape as you watch. This is nice. I don't mean to make any excuses for what the films clearly lack, but it's an interesting way to make films, more loose than usual; what some of the best filmmakers attempt, trying to sneak up to who is really watching. It's a living experience if you can stay mindful. (by contrast to someone like Kubrick or Nolan who puts the vision first, deftly maps everything ahead of time so it reaches you lifeless)
So for me, the gamble is squeezing past the sloppy overall vision faster than you can reason. This is staying mindful, by which I mean let yourself be neither numbed nor swayed by the sex or violence or the apparent sloppiness. If you don't squeeze past fast enough, you'll be stuck behind a wall of finding faults, not a fun place to be. If you do, Franco can reward because that is the level where he starts to be intuitively interesting; the idea is to be already on the inside when he starts tethering images.
Sometimes when you get there, it's just empty fabric, but sometimes not. The point is that he can work on a semiconscious level, which is not conscious thought and most filmmakers utterly miss. This film gets there better than any of the rest I've seen.
The main premise is a woman unsure of herself and reality. The opening scene is in a dungeon where she has a couple tied up and playfully tortures them with a knife, this would be the typical Franco film you are geared to expect but we soon find it's a staged scene, pointing at fabrication. Back home, she performs a striptease for her man but he's bored and rolls to sleep. The next scene is where, dismayed, she walks out as if in a dream and wanders to a seaside castle, where apparently she has another life and a child. More. She suffers from amnesia, and later she pops with others in a party what looks like acid tabs.
This is all loosening up reality so we can get to the interesting stuff, simple entry points.
So the film is where the woman wanders around in a narrative haze of folded time, not unusual for Franco. But there's more than languid air here. Franco namedrops Godard at one point, I was reminded more of Resnais and later Raoul Ruiz, who was also influenced by Resnais.
Men approach her claiming to know her (we presume sexually), but she can't remember. Won't?
All sorts of hypnotic images intrude in her story, usually of men who pressingly ask questions about art and pop culture—a Godardian 'loan'. Her man assumes the role of Mickey Spillane and slaps and interrogates her as if she's a film noir dame holding out on him. At the party, the host reads up from a book about the woman as temptress and succubus who seduces, leads astray and drains men. All this reinforces a sense of sexual guilt and suffocation.
Superficially, it's about the woman's journey through masculine perceptions of her, boring if you think of it in the Catholic context which the conscious mind of Franco was probably addressing. Superficially, this is presented to us as 'brainwashing' by her man. Bo- ring.
What's powerful about this, is wondering a bit about who or what is tethering images into a story. This is beyond conscious control of images, up to you to ponder.
From the inside of her dream, you can't separate inside from outside, images simply bubble up in some order. These images are all her own dream, gradually they take the form of violent urges, being in that story gradually she feels more impure. What is causing this to happen? What starts out as her own reverie, is it slowly polluted by these other perceptions?
Surely making out with the young girl is her own genuine urge to be apart from men, interrupted by the compulsive desire to kill. Or is it? Is it something her man would fantasize about, who she wants to please? Is she becoming the character imagined of her? Is the self fetching the images or the other way around, the images gradually acquire a self?
This right here is the level where Franco is intuitively interesting. It is that semi-abstract space of story not tainted by logical mind, involuntary memory. If you have to see only a single Franco film, make it this or Eugenie De Sade.
We are all dummies
Bezenby8 March 2012
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.
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.
Psychedelic Dreamscape
rmtaylor9020 September 2016
One of the best introductions to a movie ever! Classical music accompanies the first couple of minutes with images of erotic renaissance artwork then the music swiftly changes to this early 60's jazz.Then things turn weird with experimental Stockhausen type music with the classic shot of Janine Reynaud looking like a dominatrix. S&M style night club act. Jess was the master at directing these strange sexual night club scenes he continually went back to this throughout his career. This film represents the beauty of any great Euro cult horror movie. Dreamlike, psychedelic, beautifully shot cinematography with plenty of babes and eroticism and not to mention it's cool jazz score. It's a lost art form that is being preserved by many great DVD labels today. Many people don't know that this was (for an erotic-horror b-movie) pretty successful in the UK and the States in the late sixties and it wouldn't have been completed had it not been for a millionaire film producer who had the hots for Reynaud. If you're into Franco this is one of his masterpieces, but the slow pace that always makes Franco films seem like they drag on and on (I guess that is what turns a lot of people off) from Franco. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but the film is really grainy looking. This was probably to make the film look like a dream and give this psychedelic atmosphere. Lots of shots of beautiful European architecture, a weird hedonistic LSD party, a strange demon women and walking mannequins. In the 60's Jess was on the verge of becoming one of the great European directors, but then he started making films like Eugenie de Sade and Vampyros Lesbos and his reputation was ruined by critics who like to say he made crappy boring porn movies that made no sense. Oh well, more for us heathens to enjoy! A forgotten gem of European sex-horror from the 60's. 7/10
Another yesterday's movie for tomorrow
KuRt-332 December 1999
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.
"Who are you, I don't remember"?
lost-in-limbo23 August 2018
Jess Franco's "Succubus" aka "Necronomicon" sees a mysterious woman, Lorna, who performs the same nightclub act every night involving sadism and sex, but there's something much more to it. As she's haunted by a past she cannot remember. Her manager/lover tries to help, but her fantasies are becoming a little too real and the countess she portrays in her acts is starting to shine through. Carefree lounging and puffed up dialogues are drowned out by its bizarre surrealism (where it had mannequins creepily coming to life in one sequence), dream-like banality of dazed reputation and a fathomlessly psychedelic narrative. It's one disorienting spell after another, as the drugged-fuelled mystery causally opens up piece by piece going down a devious path. The sensual Janine Reynard simply radiates confidence as Lorna. Nothing stands out quite like her tranquil walk through the town in a blood red gown with the hazy glare of the sun caught by Franco's lenses and an oozing jazz score. Signature Franco. Watching her lose control of reality, as another personality takes over delving into forbidden desires is alluring, yet at the same time it can be macabre in its lashed out violence. Her persona could simply change on a dime. A strong essence of evil and manipulation, where the plot's breezy actions and vague supernatural inclusions bares minor shades to the story of "Faust".
Surreal genius
manacoa-122 November 2001
Franco proves, once again, that he is the prince of surreal & erotic cinema. True, much of his work can be viewed as entertaining sleaze but with Succubus (Necronomicon) he shows what he is truly capable of when he lets his warped creativity run riot and gives us a film that is both hypnotic and enigmatic whilst still maintaining the delirious eroticism intrinsic in his work. Jerry Van Rooyen's splendid score pulsates as the viewer is thrown from one bizarre scenario to another as we follow the trials of a striptease artist (Reynaud) who may be schizophrenic, or may indeed (as one mysterious character states) be a devil, attempt to come to terms with the world she inhabits. A beautiful and enigmatic piece of cinema highly recommended to anybody with even a passing interest in alternative cinema.
A true Gothic horror treat of devilish love where blood is the wine of life.
mark.waltz17 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I couldn't help but notice the resemblance from the very beginning of the beautiful Janine Reynaud and her resemblance to Tina Louise, with an occasional glimpse of Joan Collins popping out here and there. At the very beginning of the film, she's a part of a sado masochistic performance art, appearing to kill both performers in the sketch with her, all of a sudden react into the audience's applause. It's obvious that makes her vulnerable to the Satanistic influences surrounding her, turning into a succubus at a very bizarre party and after rolling around on a floor and being barked at by other guests, supposedly killing another woman when mannequins representing famous vixens of history seemingly come to life.
This is a visual treat to watch, although obviously cheaply made, and Reynaud, as Lorna Green no relation to Lorne Greene), is a fabulous supernatural vixen to watch transform between her two worlds. This makes you capture the various elements of her character, and based on the riveting opening credits, you know what this is going to be a wild ride. There are a few slow-moving moments, but when the film focuses on its supernatural elements, it's fascinating. Typical Euro trash filmmaking at its most erotic, and being said to be director Jess Franco's finest film, I do have to say that I was gripped and fascinated by it. There are a few scary gory moments and many more erotic ones, but it's easy to get into.
This is a visual treat to watch, although obviously cheaply made, and Reynaud, as Lorna Green no relation to Lorne Greene), is a fabulous supernatural vixen to watch transform between her two worlds. This makes you capture the various elements of her character, and based on the riveting opening credits, you know what this is going to be a wild ride. There are a few slow-moving moments, but when the film focuses on its supernatural elements, it's fascinating. Typical Euro trash filmmaking at its most erotic, and being said to be director Jess Franco's finest film, I do have to say that I was gripped and fascinated by it. There are a few scary gory moments and many more erotic ones, but it's easy to get into.
SUCCUBUS (1967) ***
Bunuel197610 October 2004
This was an early color film for Franco but he seems to have mastered the new process with relatively little problems, here utilizing a decidedly Bava-esque palette (the famous scene with the mannequins, for instance). SUCCUBUS is considered a transitional film for Franco because, from here on in, the emphasis on eroticism will become much more pronounced until it almost turns into pornography sometime during the next decade. I haven't watched any films from the latter category but this film certainly pushes the issue as far as it was permissible at the time! Here, too, because of its dream-like nature (as was also to prove the case later with A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD [1971]) the film's narrative lapses and general 'incoherence' are easier to accept than in, say, EUGENIE DE SADE (1970) where one does not really expect to find such liberties though I am beginning to realize that, with Franco, virtually anything goes!
Even though he does not receive credit for writing the screenplay, it is hard to imagine that Franco had no hand in its actual conception, as the themes the film explores are certainly in keeping with the rest of his oeuvre (right from the very first scene, the sleazy nightclub act, which reappears over and over in his films). While the plot is not easy to follow (it actually pays to read about it beforehand, because otherwise it would be practically impossible to make head or tails of anything!), it copiously references noted figures from the various arts paintings, literature, cinema, music which apparently pre-occupied Franco during this period. Unfortunately, most of it is probably beyond the reach of most audiences (myself included) but I must say that I was very pleased to learn that Franco, through a line spoken in the film by Janine Reynaud, held Bunuel, Lang and Godard as the epitome of cinema three film-makers whose work is unmistakably linked (Bunuel chose film as his creative métier after watching Lang's DESTINY [1921]; Lang appears as himself in Godard's CONTEMPT [1963]) and all of whom clearly influenced Franco in the initial phases of his career. In particular, there is a brief repeated scene where Michel Lemoine, looking straight at the camera, describes Reynaud as 'a devil on earth' which reminded me of a similar 'gimmick' used by Bunuel in THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962).
The film has some very striking imagery (not least of all, the two S&M scenes that were pretty much taboo at this point) with the soft-focus and often sensual dream sequences being particular highlights; another key scene finds Reynaud and Jack Taylor going up to her castle and he recounts the tale of Faustine, a Succubus, to her. But, even in this shortened version of the film, one still has to contend with banal passages like the drugged costume party sequence and other moments where the pace drops. Also, I have a quibble regarding the film's latter stages: why did Jack Taylor all of a sudden want to do away with the Janine Reynaud character (the irony of his unconsciously 'hiring' the Devil himself to do this is interesting but it remains frustratingly unexplained).
The music, as is customary for a Franco film, provides the perfect counterpoint to the onslaught of visual and narrative ideas; special care is also taken with the sound effects which are meant to illustrate Janine Reynaud's disorientation (and, with her, the viewer's). The casting of the main roles is appropriate as well: Reynaud may not rank among Franco's loveliest leading ladies but it is arguable whether anyone could have essayed the part with more conviction and, in any case, her sensual body is certainly utilized to the hilt throughout; Jack Taylor is commanding enough as her shady manager/lover; Michel Lemoine makes for a mysterious and sinister Mephistophelean figure; Howard Vernon's brief appearance is a natural, and typically professional.
Obviously, I would love to see the original full-length German-language version of the film released as a SE DVD, but one wonders whether that will ever come to pass. At least, my VHS copy was a one-up on the now-OOP R1 Anchor Bay DVD, as the film was presented in its correct (I assume) widescreen ratio! The film's silly pan-and-scan theatrical trailer (for the U.S. version) was also included.
Even though he does not receive credit for writing the screenplay, it is hard to imagine that Franco had no hand in its actual conception, as the themes the film explores are certainly in keeping with the rest of his oeuvre (right from the very first scene, the sleazy nightclub act, which reappears over and over in his films). While the plot is not easy to follow (it actually pays to read about it beforehand, because otherwise it would be practically impossible to make head or tails of anything!), it copiously references noted figures from the various arts paintings, literature, cinema, music which apparently pre-occupied Franco during this period. Unfortunately, most of it is probably beyond the reach of most audiences (myself included) but I must say that I was very pleased to learn that Franco, through a line spoken in the film by Janine Reynaud, held Bunuel, Lang and Godard as the epitome of cinema three film-makers whose work is unmistakably linked (Bunuel chose film as his creative métier after watching Lang's DESTINY [1921]; Lang appears as himself in Godard's CONTEMPT [1963]) and all of whom clearly influenced Franco in the initial phases of his career. In particular, there is a brief repeated scene where Michel Lemoine, looking straight at the camera, describes Reynaud as 'a devil on earth' which reminded me of a similar 'gimmick' used by Bunuel in THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962).
The film has some very striking imagery (not least of all, the two S&M scenes that were pretty much taboo at this point) with the soft-focus and often sensual dream sequences being particular highlights; another key scene finds Reynaud and Jack Taylor going up to her castle and he recounts the tale of Faustine, a Succubus, to her. But, even in this shortened version of the film, one still has to contend with banal passages like the drugged costume party sequence and other moments where the pace drops. Also, I have a quibble regarding the film's latter stages: why did Jack Taylor all of a sudden want to do away with the Janine Reynaud character (the irony of his unconsciously 'hiring' the Devil himself to do this is interesting but it remains frustratingly unexplained).
The music, as is customary for a Franco film, provides the perfect counterpoint to the onslaught of visual and narrative ideas; special care is also taken with the sound effects which are meant to illustrate Janine Reynaud's disorientation (and, with her, the viewer's). The casting of the main roles is appropriate as well: Reynaud may not rank among Franco's loveliest leading ladies but it is arguable whether anyone could have essayed the part with more conviction and, in any case, her sensual body is certainly utilized to the hilt throughout; Jack Taylor is commanding enough as her shady manager/lover; Michel Lemoine makes for a mysterious and sinister Mephistophelean figure; Howard Vernon's brief appearance is a natural, and typically professional.
Obviously, I would love to see the original full-length German-language version of the film released as a SE DVD, but one wonders whether that will ever come to pass. At least, my VHS copy was a one-up on the now-OOP R1 Anchor Bay DVD, as the film was presented in its correct (I assume) widescreen ratio! The film's silly pan-and-scan theatrical trailer (for the U.S. version) was also included.
One of Jess Franco's most outré and interesting films
Woodyanders26 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Nightclub striptease artist Lorna Green (ravishing redhead Janine Reynaud in peak sultry and enigmatic form) performs a racy S&M act that threatens to become a deadly reality. Pretty soon Lorna is having trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. Is Lorna some kind of agent for Satan? Or is she just going mad? Director Jess Franco, working from an oblique, yet intriguing script by Pier A. Caminecci, delivers an artful blend of elegance and decadence that along with the languid pace, tasteful, but still highly arousing nudity and kinky sex stuff, a supremely hip and groovy jazz score by Friedrich Gulda and Jerry van Rooyen, a nifty array of eclectic literary and cinematic references, and an extremely abstract narrative that keeps you guessing right up until the end exactly what is going on all combine together to create a heady and hypnotic mind trip that casts its own singularly off-kilter spell and radiates its own heavy and unique psychedelic vibe. This movie is a true work of boldly unconventional and experimental avant-garde cinema that plays by its own decidedly obscure and esoteric rules, with a wealth of gorgeous visuals courtesy of the vibrant color cinematography by Jorge Herrero and Franz Xavier Lederle and such inspired moments of sheer weirdness as a bunch of people at a posh party acting like dogs and mannequins that for some inexplicable reason come to creepy life. The insanely lovely Reynaud looks positively smashing in fancy dresses and even better in the buff. Moreover, there are fine performances by Jack Taylor as Lorna's suavely evil manager William Francis Mulligan, Adrian Hoven as concerned psychiatrist Ralf Drawes, and Michel Lemoine as the sinister Pierce. Howard Vernon briefly pops up in a neat bit part as the flaky Admiral Kapp. An admirably bizarre and uncompromising little curio.
Dreams of a Succubus.
morrison-dylan-fan23 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
With the bank holiday coming up,I decided to search for DVDs to watch that I could try to sell afterwards. Already lining up some of his other titles to view for a Cinema of Spain,I was pleased to find in another DVD pile a film by Uncle Jess,leading me to unleash the Succubus.
View on the film:
Crossing the audience with a startling play within a film opening for his 15th feature, directing auteur "Uncle" Jess Franco reunites with occasional cinematographer Jorge Herrero for a major turning point in his career. Becoming the first of his films not to be shot in Spain, due to as Stephen Thrower notes in the magnificent book Murderous Passions:The Delirious Cinema Of Jess Franco,the film board banning a script presented to them, (which was much simpler than the final creation) from being filmed.
Uncle Jess takes full advantage of the freedoms offered in West Germany with a sensually charged dreamy Horror atmosphere, swooning over Lorna with his trademark button-bashing trombone zoom-ins.
Having made films before this which whilst excellent, did tend to have a narrative focus, here Uncle Jess plays the Horror genre as a bare outline to playing his unique full Jazz styling. From the opening staged set-piece, Jess hits the notes of a major theme across his works, with the blending of dreams and reality in a ultra-stylised tapestry formed from distorted wide-shots weaved with shards of bright colour, seeping into the saturated crisply lit coloured world Lorna acts in, all wrapped in Jerry van Rooyen refine classical diced with Friedrich Gulda- inspired Jazz score.
Disputed later by Jess as Pier A. Caminnecci only getting the script credit so it could meet the legal limit of being a German co-production, whoever was the actual writer, magic's up a superb dream-logic horror nightmare, dropping references to De Sade and Freud, (major recurring themes of Jess) like sweet gumball's , that satirize psycho-analyses and Art-House cinema,with the word association games Lorna plays blurring her murderous dreams into reality.
The first of nine times they teamed up,Jack Taylor gives a terrific turn as Lorna's lover Mulligan, thanks to Taylor threading Mulligan's digs into Lorna's mind with a wry curiosity, whilst Howard Vernon reunites with Jess to add a fitting mysterious air as Kapp. Shining with glamour in her dream state,gorgeous Janine Reynaud gives a hypnotic performance as Lorna,thanks to Reynaud bringing out a depth in Lorna's erotic dreamy lust bending to terror from a murderous loss on reality,as Uncle Jess sets the succubus free.
View on the film:
Crossing the audience with a startling play within a film opening for his 15th feature, directing auteur "Uncle" Jess Franco reunites with occasional cinematographer Jorge Herrero for a major turning point in his career. Becoming the first of his films not to be shot in Spain, due to as Stephen Thrower notes in the magnificent book Murderous Passions:The Delirious Cinema Of Jess Franco,the film board banning a script presented to them, (which was much simpler than the final creation) from being filmed.
Uncle Jess takes full advantage of the freedoms offered in West Germany with a sensually charged dreamy Horror atmosphere, swooning over Lorna with his trademark button-bashing trombone zoom-ins.
Having made films before this which whilst excellent, did tend to have a narrative focus, here Uncle Jess plays the Horror genre as a bare outline to playing his unique full Jazz styling. From the opening staged set-piece, Jess hits the notes of a major theme across his works, with the blending of dreams and reality in a ultra-stylised tapestry formed from distorted wide-shots weaved with shards of bright colour, seeping into the saturated crisply lit coloured world Lorna acts in, all wrapped in Jerry van Rooyen refine classical diced with Friedrich Gulda- inspired Jazz score.
Disputed later by Jess as Pier A. Caminnecci only getting the script credit so it could meet the legal limit of being a German co-production, whoever was the actual writer, magic's up a superb dream-logic horror nightmare, dropping references to De Sade and Freud, (major recurring themes of Jess) like sweet gumball's , that satirize psycho-analyses and Art-House cinema,with the word association games Lorna plays blurring her murderous dreams into reality.
The first of nine times they teamed up,Jack Taylor gives a terrific turn as Lorna's lover Mulligan, thanks to Taylor threading Mulligan's digs into Lorna's mind with a wry curiosity, whilst Howard Vernon reunites with Jess to add a fitting mysterious air as Kapp. Shining with glamour in her dream state,gorgeous Janine Reynaud gives a hypnotic performance as Lorna,thanks to Reynaud bringing out a depth in Lorna's erotic dreamy lust bending to terror from a murderous loss on reality,as Uncle Jess sets the succubus free.
'The day for me only begins at night!'
Weirdling_Wolf24 January 2024
With an unusually fascinating protagonist, Succubus remains an enigmatic, erotically engaging Jess Franco classic. A darkly hypnotic delirium, bold, elegiac, and vividly photographed, Succubus delivers a veritable pandora's box of tantalizing exotica! Starring the ravishingly ribald redhead Janine Reynaud, surrealistic slap n' tickle was never manifested with quite the same panache as Succubus! A personal favourite, and I'd very much like my future wife to share my passion for this dazzling diorama of fleshly far-out sinema. The luminous Euro cult cast, eclectic score, picturesque Lisbon setting, and Franco's playful mise en scène has certainly lost none of its lustre. A heady cinematic feast to rival the very best psychodramas of Roman Polanski and Radley Metzger. 'In a furnace, In a fiery hell she will rot!' 'A devil who must swallow the living in the pursuit of her earthbound desires, but a devil who must devour the dead in pursuit of her hell-born lust!
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