Female Vampires (1973) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski) |
I looked at this film for Jess Franco's 70th birthday, May 12, 2000. Probably the best thing about Franco is that in four decades of filmmaking, including a stint working with Orson Welles, he hasn't learned one blessed thing. The movies he makes today are every bit as bad as his first efforts, possibly worse. You have to sit back in awe of an accomplishment like that. So happy birthday, Jess. Feliz cumpleanos, amigo. |
This film is also known as "The Loves of Irina", "Les Avaleuses", and about a dozen other names, and it's available in many, many different versions. The fairly rare x-rated version (available on German DVD and VHS tape, but not on Region 1 DVD) shows no penetration, but features an on-camera BJ, and a whole bunch of footage trapped between hardcore and softcore, like spread shots and carpet munching. I wish the whole film were lighted a little better, because Romay is so hairy that you usually can't see anything but hair, even when she opens up. |
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The tame "horror only" version is about the usual type of vampire who sucks blood through the neck. The x-rated version is about a female vampire who sucks ... um, well, not necks, if you catch my drift, and I think you do. An IMDb comment summarizes the various versions now available:
My personal favorite scene is the one where Lina Romay gives a practice BJ to a penis-shaped bedpost. Presumably she does this to sharpen her skills. Or maybe to sharpen her teeth, because I don't think PetSmart sells any custom chew-toys for Vampires. The Dark Ones are too embarrassed to buy the doggie chew toys when they don't actually own a pooch. I've discussed this film and the director, Jess Franco, many times in the past, so I'll give you some links if you'd like to learn more about the king of grade-z EuroCrap. Although he is primarily known for his Horrotica films, Franco did not restrict himself to making bad horror films. He made many other kinds of bad films as well. And I use the word "many" advisedly. Possibly he made more movies than anybody else in history. Unfortunately, unlike his fellow European Horrotica schlockmeister Jean Rollin, who was truly excellent at lighting, Franco couldn't match his sense of cinema with any kind of technical competence, so he has some nicely-composed scenes which are spoiled by poor lighting or fuzzy focus. Alas, his only positive is the ability to imagine some artistically conceived shots, but even they are spoiled by poor execution. A classic moment from the wonderful world of grade-z cinema: it takes money and skill to film real bats. They generally fly at night, they fly low, and they are generally antisocial critters who hang around in unlit places away from humans. So, when Franco needed to show the Countess flying as a bat, he photographed a medium sized bird flying through the skies. They did at least find a bird that flapped its wings quite a bit like a bat. At least they didn't use a hawk or something which does a lot of gliding. But it's obviously a bird, it's obviously daytime, it's obviously hundreds of feet in the air, and Franco just added some lame bat-like noises to the footage. |
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During Romay's on-camera BJ, the guy's phaser never stiffened all the way, which I thought was the best acting in the movie, until I heard the guy's voice and realized that he'd be happier sitting in a bubble bath listening to his Judy Garland albums. Hey, Franco, if you just need some hetero guy to work for free and get blown by starlets, send me an e-mail. My address is in the card attached to your birthday present. Or have your people call my people. I'm pretty sure I can work some BJ's into my schedule. |
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