Revenge of the Alligator Ladies

Revenge of the Alligator Ladies (2013)

*** (out of 4)

Jess Franco, in his final film as director, plays himself who is trying to get a movie in the can but is running into a variety of issues. The film's subject, Al Pereira (Antonio Mayans) soon finds himself in Germany where he ends up in a mystery while trying to find an actress who has previously worked with the director.

REVENGE OF THE ALLIGATOR LADIES ended up being Franco's final film, although it was finished after his death by Mayans who also directed the scenes in Germany. I really wasn't sure what to expect out of this film and I must admit that I went into it thinking that it might have just been a way to leech another critic into Franco's filmography but that's not the case at all. This here is basically three movies in one and for the most part I thought it worked very well for fans of the director.

What I enjoyed the most about this was the documentary nature of seeing Franco direct the movie. He's basically directing this film's original movie AL PEREIRA VS. THE ALLIGATOR LADIES and it's a lot of fun getting to see him work with his cast and shoot the movie. The real entertainment in these scenes are when we see him just hanging out on set or see him interacting with some fans. There's a great sequence where he's just eating breakfast and doing his thing. Getting to see this side of Franco was a real joy to watch and I liked how this was added into the movie.

The next portion of the film deals with Mayans and this was shot after Franco's death. We see him having issues with a variety of women including a granddaughter who he walks in on as she's taking part of a threesome. The third portion of this film is us watching footage shot by Franco, which is just sexploitation stuff with the alligator ladies making out with one another or simply dancing for the camera. I must admit that these scenes were my least favorite because we've seen them in every other Franco movie from the digital period.

Is this movie going to turn a Franco hater into someone who admires him? Absolutely not but at the same time I think die-hard Franco fans will really enjoy seeing the behind-the-scenes footage of the Spanish director doing his thing. This certainly makes the film worth watching and everything else is just a bonus.

Jess Franco plays himself in this sly comedy in which he is engaged in directing another erotic film while the subject of his previous film, private detective Al Pereira, attempts to relate to the eccentric film making process of Jess Franco. Pereira also has difficult relationships with his son and women in general, illustrated in various amusing vignettes. He travels to Germany where he becomes accidentally involved in a sort of international espionage affair due to his presence at a Communist gathering.

Back in Spain director Franco continues to film his alligator ladies, Carmen Montes, Irene Verdu and Paula Davis, in extended erotic interludes. Much of the Franco-directed footage is shot through mirrors showing both the erotic action and Franco directing it. These self reflexive images are a carry-over from Franco's previous Al Pereira adventure, AL PEREIRA VS THE ALLIGATOR LADIES and his 1980 surrealist science fiction parody, EL SEXO ESTA LOCO. The scenes involving Pereria and his family, friends and associates, along with the scenes filmed in Germany were directed by longtime Franco actor-associate Antonio Mayans after Franco's death in April, 2013. Pereira is gamely played by Mayans as a long-suffering victim of everyone's ridicule, especially the director and the alligator ladies, who have the last word. The irreverent tone and sharp edged dialogue sometimes evoke the droll repartee of the W.S. Van Dyke's 1934 mystery-comedy THE THIN MAN.

This is the last in a long running series of Jess Franco directed films about troubled investigator Al Pereira, the first being ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS/CARTAS BOCA ARRIBA (1966), in which Pereira was played by American singer-actor Eddie Constantine. A shorter, incomplete version of REVENGE OF THE ALLIGATOR LADIES, directed by Franco himself, is more focused on the director shooting erotic scenes with Montes and co.. Other recommended Franco Al Pereira titles include LES EBRANLEES (1972), with Howard Vernon in the role, DOWNTOWN (1975), which features Franco himself as the detective, BOTAS NEGRAS, LATIGO DE CUERO (1982) and CAMINO SOLITARIO (1983), in which Mayans finally took over the role.

REVENGE OF THE ALLIGATOR LADIES will be of interest to Jess Franco enthusiasts, cult film historians and collectors as the ultimate illustration of Jess Franco's obsession with the process of personal creation while continuing to throw himself into his work right up until his passing.

Robert Monell, 2017