MALAGA, SPAIN — Jesús “Jess” Franco, Spanish film director, writer, cinematographer and actor, died in a hospital here April 2 after suffering a stroke. He was 82.His career took off in 1961 with his cult classic “The Awful Dr. Orloff.” Other films that were released in the U.S. included “Necronomicon” (1967), “Ninety-Nine Women” (1968). Later in his career he moved to France in order to make adult films and very violent horror films.
MSTies will surely never forget his 1968 opus, featured in episode 323- THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU.
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Having seen other films of Franco’s, I can safely say ‘Castle of Fu Manchu’ is the… okay, not the best, but the most watchable.
He didn’t think he had any talent as a director and hated his films, having worked with Orson Welles early in his career, he once said he wished he’d directed ‘Citizen Kane.’
There’s no denying he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest exploitation filmmakers ever (in sheer volume of credits, anyway). RIP, Tío Jess.
A movie legend. R.I.P. Mr Franco.
Some of the cast from “Pod People” were in a few of his films.
RIP Franco!
His movies are for the most part not so good in my opinion, but I’ve built a small shrine in honor of him for introducing me to (sigh)Soledad Miranda, Ewa Strömberg(getting light-headed)…Lina…Romay………………where was I now? Drooling somehow.
Lesbian Vampires. Attached to his obit. wow. how much better can that be…?
RIP you sly dog!
If you only see one Jess Franco movie make it Vampiros Lesbos, Euro-trash at it’s finest. Blood, naked babes and Jess himself as a perverted hotel clerk that tortures female guests just because he can. It doesn’t get better than that.
Que en paz descanse, don Franco. Todos los que disfrutamos de las películas “incomprendidas” estamos en deuda con usted. Admito que Castle of Fu Manchu fue aburridísima, pero su serie del Doctor Orloff es excelente. Adios, and thanks for all the cheese!
I would also recommend his 1969 Venus in Furs, with Klaus Kinski, a weird, trippy gem.
Like a lot of his trashy movies. Love a few. A couple are favorites. Fu Manchu is not in his usual style which, especially in the films he did with Soledad Miranda, is languorous,”arty” in a near incomprehensible way, and of course totally perverted. My favorite is not the more famous Vampyros Lesbos but Eugenie De Sade. Not for the kiddies, you know.
Bye Jess.
well, just in time for my new copy of COFMC via Volume 23! (still trying to catch up–damn recession!!) RIP, Sr. Franco.
Microsoft Translate version of the obit: link
One awesome and perverted mamajama. If RiffTrax would do a few of his more mature films, starting with “Female Vampire” with Lina Romay, then…wow. Let’s just say that I’d expect a lot jokes about the Bush Administration and shrubberies.
This is actually a trending story on Yahoo! right now. I am not sure how I feel about the ‘mainstream’ Internet intruding on our sacred haven here….
#13: Damn casuals!
I’ve seen a ton of his films. Some were trippy and interesting, some were just boring and bad. There was one (I can’t remember the name now) where someone just stood there and opened and closed window blinds for like 3 whole minutes. No cuts or camera moves. Just opening and closing the blinds with a blank expression on the actor’s face. I started laughing about a minute in.