Les possédées du diable

Lorna the Exorcist (1974)

*** (out of 4)

One of cult director Jess Franco's best films, Patrick Mariel (Guy Delorme) makes a deal with his ex-lover (Pamela Stanford) that if she grants him riches that she can have his daughter when she turns 18. Now 18-years-old, the witch Lorna comes to visit Linda (Lina Romay) in a very sexual way. LORNA THE EXORCIST is around in many different versions but the recent release from Mondo Macabro presents the film with a running time of 100-minutes. This here is about twelve-minutes longer than the previous version I watched and I must admit that I preferred the shorter one. Several of the scenes in the longer version just drag on a bit too much and there's really nothing added except for the one legendary and talked about scenes that finally appeared in the film. This of course is the much discussed dildo sequence, which is perfectly executed by Franco who manages to milk every painful moment from it. The same is true for the crab sequences, which are among the most memorable and creepy from any film the director has made. These two scenes alone certainly stand out but the film offers up much more. I think the atmosphere is what the director really nails and this is especially true during the sexual scenes where we're given a dream-like quality to them. The film really does seem like a nightmare that has come to life and all the credit must go to Franco. It certainly doesn't hurt that we're given some fine performances with both Stanford and Delorme really standing out in their parts. Romay clearly steals the film as her sexuality and beauty are perfectly captures on screen and it's easy to see why her and Franco would become partners. There are some problems with the film including the already mentioned longer version but I also think that the film does drag in both versions. There's just not too much going on in the story to really warrant the extended running time. Still, LORNA THE EXORCIST is one of the director's best and most hypnotic films.

An affluent businessman Patrick Mariel must protect his wife Marianne and nineteen year old daughter Linda against Lorna,a predatory witch who once helped the family attain wealth and status and now demands Lorna's soul as her payment."Lorna the Exorcist" is a pretty unnerving and extremely sleazy horror movie made by Jesus Franco.There is plenty of sex(both lesbian and heterosexual) and lots of full-frontal nudity provided by Lina Romay,Jacqueline Laurent and Pamela Stanford.The action mostly takes place in modernist hotels and casinos.There is a strong fairly tale ambiance and plenty of perversity.The scene in which Lorna deflowers Linda by first having teenage girl suck from her breast and then by shattering her virginity with a dildo is truly unsettling as is the final descent of Linda into madness.8 exorcisms out of 10.

This is Franco so u know your In for something powerful, different, Memorizing, and Sexy! This has beautiful Cinematography I love what Franco did with this take on a Exercise type film not what you Expect very original I highly recommend it to Franco fans or to the ones that love different. 10/10.

No, this is not another European cash-in on "The Exorcist", unlike what it's title may suggest. It is, however, the most disturbing and shocking Jess Franco film I've seen. Hell, it is one of the most disturbing horrors I've seen, which is surprising considering this is a virtually bloodless film. It's horror relies, instead, in it's totally demented instances of psychosexual hysteria that can also be found in works such as "Possession" or "Dr. Jekyll and his Women". Franco haters tend to dismiss his work as amateurish and crude, and this criticism can be applied, in a way, to this film in particular. However, in this case, it works in favor of the film, coming across as making it's raw, gritty atmosphere all the more authentic. André Bénichou's haunting, experimental score also adds a lot to it. And for those who think Lina Romay has little to do in the director's works other than having to masturbate in close-ups, her performance here is a truly stunning tour-de-force that has to be seen to be believed, up there with other portrayals of sexually frustrated women in horror films, such as Catherine Denueve in "Repulsion" or Mimsy Farmer in "The Perfume of the Lady in Black". Her sex scenes with the equally bewildering Pamela Stanford (the titular villain), though graphic, are anything but sexy, and her final, extended "intimate" sequence is bound to make your jaw drop to the floor, not only because of what is shown, but also because of it's context. And that's not even the film's most shocking bit to begin with (anyone who's seen the film know about THE particular scene I'm referring to, and I dare not spoil it for those who haven't seen it). "Lorna the Exorcist" seems to have some kind of popularity with Franco haters, so I beg you to give it a shot. Even if you don't like it at all, one can't deny it will haunt you for days to follow.

The vast filmography of Jess Franco is littered with cheap timewasters that are not of interest to anyone; but among those films are some real gems. Lorna the Exorcist, however, falls somewhere between the two sets of films; it's not vintage Franco, but it's better than a lot of his stuff and does at least make for a decent viewing. I had a feeling that this film may be a rip off of another film released in the early seventies with the word 'Exorcist' in the title; but actually the film is more of a nightmarish fairy tale with some sex involved (although clearly the film is cashing in on the title!). The plot focuses on a businessman named Patrick. He takes his wife and daughter on holiday; but things turn awry for Patrick when a woman named Lorna turns up. Lorna and Patrick had relations some years earlier and it emerges that Lorna is some kind of witch that has power over various women; including his daughter, who is almost ready to turn eighteen. Lorna begins to infiltrate Patrick's life, and he tries to protect his daughter.

The main draw of this film for most Franco fans will undoubtedly be the beautiful Lina Romay who stars as the eighteen year old daughter. The rest of the cast is nothing to write home about; but there is a role for Franco stalwart Howard Vernon, as well as sometimes collaborator Pamela Stanford in the central role. The version of the film that I saw ran for just over eighty minutes, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that its cut as the film is not particularly graphic or disturbing. There is a fair bit of sex; including lesbian sex and we are treated to the entire usual trademark Franco zoom shots. The most memorable scene takes place in the bedroom and involves a really bad case of crabs! The plot itself takes a backseat to the atmosphere and sleaze elements, but it's actually not too badly worked and it does at least succeed in keeping the film interesting for most of the duration. Overall, Lorna the Exorcist is not hugely memorable and is in no way a classic horror film; but it's decent enough stuff and most Franco fans wont regret tracking it down.