CHOICE GRINDS » Umberto Lenzi

OBITS: RIP GENERAL MURCHISON

Mike Jada — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:57:43 +0000

Mel Ferrer passed away on tuesday at the age of 90. Over the course of a career spanning half a century he racked up numerous credits in film and television as an actor, director and producer. Aside from his work he is perhaps best known for being married to Audrey Hepburn from 1955-1968. However, I’ll remember him best for his role in Umberto Lenzi’s NIGHTMARE CITY as General Murchison. Ferrer was a familiar face to fans of Italian horror. He worked with Lenzi more than once, as well as Sergio Martino. There’s a tradition in Italian horror of casting older American actors who’ve usually seen better days. It put food on their table while also lending a bit of class & respectability to the films. It’s also painfully obvious in its intent. Take for instance Henry Fonda’s role in TENTACLES: He gets a “special appearance” credit for the most phoned in performance I’ve ever seen. His screen time adds up to about seven minutes total. His character is never seen outside of his house, or interacting with any principal characters. I mean he literally phones it in; if it wasn’t from the 70’s I’d expect to see him wearing a bluetooth. I can understand why Fonda would take the role, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why John Huston agreed to star in the film. Did he have a crack habit? That subject deserves more research. This was supposed to be an obituary for the late great Mel Ferrer: he will be missed.

Jess Franco – A Beginner’s Guide

milesbogus — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:01:37 +0000

Today I am going to provide some tips for attempting to tackle the immense universe of the films of Jess (Jesus) Franco. While I am a beginner myself I thought it would be helpful for someone who is interested in Franco to have some guidance so that they do not miss out on some of the finer points of his crafty work.

I first heard about Jess Franco through the columns in Fangoria that Tim Lucas (Video Watchdog) wrote back in the late 80’s. At the time I was not interested enough or capable of seeking out these films. Being a gore aficionado at the young age of 12, I was more interested in the handiwork of George Romero, Lucio Fulci, Sam Raimi and various other American and European horror filmmakers. I would occasionally stumble off track and get more than (or less than in some cases) I bargained for. Some of these gems include Make them Die Slowly (Cannibal Ferox), Microwave Massacre and Last House on the Left, but never Jess Franco films, even though the covers were intriguing for such gems as The Invisible Dead (aka DR. ORLOFF AND THE INVISIBLE MAN) and Virgin Among the Living Dead.

Also these films would likely not have made a splash being that they contained little gore and were not exactly what I was looking for. It was only within the last few years that I have begun my journey into the world of Jesus Franco.

There are many authorities out there for in-depth Franco analysis I suggest you look into these for some further information (See links below). For now though here is my attempt at guidance for a beginner from a beginner:

1. Never expect anything. You may be surprised but you probably will not be floored by any of his films. Don’t be attached to standard real world logic. Many of his films contain their own set of rules, realities and norms. If your not able to suspend disbelief or do not have the intestinal fortitude for inane dialog, outer reaching situations and utter nonsense, you may want to go back to you normal life. You are probably wasting your time here, and we don’t want that.

2. Pay attention to color, moods and other subtexts. Watch for a sudden switch from a particularly uncomfortable or grating scene to one of calmness and serenity. Making films is what Jess Franco likes to do. That is evident in the breadth of his catalog. He has over 180 director credits listed on IMDB. Keep an eye on what he is doing. Do things appear jumbled, improvised, contrived, intentionally obtuse? Is he operating the camera? Is this shot out of focus? What can you imagine was the process behind making the movie? Keep your ears open too. The soundtracks to his films can range from one of the greatest thing you have ever heard to the most repetetive flimsy garbage you have ever heard.

3. Many of his films contain sexual themes. This includes sadomasochism, exhibitionism, incest and fetishism among other things. While some of his films do walk the border of pornographic, I think it is safe to say that generally that is not the case. I think they can be summed up for the most part as sexually provocative (by today’s socially accepted standards). In other words if you don’t like sex or nudity in film you are probably going to like these films. The key here is don’t get hung up on this aspect of his films.

“He has a catalog of over 180 films..so…where to start?” you might be asking. Well I have only seen about 20 of his movies so far. All of them have their own ‘charm’, but most of them I would not suggest to the uninitiated or uninterested. Here is a short list of where you should start (please keep in mind that these are out of the 20 I have seen so far).

Eugenie …the Story of Her Journey Into Perversion

Here are five that you should steer clear of right out of the gate (seriously).

The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle

Here are some links to help you out:

Video Watchblog – This is the guy that produces Video Watchdog and contributes liner notes to many DVD’s including many Franco releases. Search around on his blog for Franco related posts.

I’m in a Jess Franco State of Mind – A blog related to Jess Franco and various other types of European trash cinema. A good read and it’s frequently updated.

DVD Maniacs – This is an indispensable resource for online movie reviews with a proper perspective on the genres that matter most. There are many Franco films reviewed here.

Blue Underground – Release many Franco DVD’s

Severin – Release many Franco DVD’s

coming soon from Blue Underground…

Mike Jada — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:36:27 +0000

I was just checking out Blue Underground’s slate of upcoming releases, and thought I’d post a reminder here for myself and whoever’s looking. Probably just me and Travis…

HITCH-HIKE
I’ve never seen this, but in an interview David Hess mentioned this film as being part of a trilogy with Last House On The Left and House On The Edge Of The Park. I can’t think of a more glowing recommendation. Plus it’s got Franco Nero (DJANGO)! Release Date: April 29, 2008.

VIOLENT CITY
I have the Anchor Bay edition of this film, so I probably won’t pick this up. Nonetheless, this is one of Bronson’s better films. Directed by Sergio Sollima (The Big Gundown, Run Man Run), one of the three great Sergio’s of Italian westerns. Release Date: March 25, 2008

NIGHTMARE CITY (AKA CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD)
I also have the previous Anchor Bay edition of this… classic? I don’t know, I like Nightmare City, perhaps despite my better judgement. Directed by the notorious Umberto Lenzi (Make Them Die Slowly AKA Cannibal Ferox). Release Date: April 29, 2008.

THE NEW YORK RIPPER
Ah, yes. Now we’re talking. To say I’m looking forward to this would be an understatement. April 29th can’t come quick enough!

To check out Blue Underground’s full slate, go to http://blue-underground.com. I can’t say enough good things about the work they’ve been doing. One of these days I’ll get around to giving credit for all of these dvd screen captures.