El sádico de Notre-Dame

The Sadist of Notre Dame (1979)

** (out of 4)

Going through the filmmography of Jess Franco is never an easy thing because not only do you have to go through more than 200 movies but you've also got to go through countless alternate versions. Sometimes films can have four or five alternate versions with newly shot scenes, alternate footage or footage thrown in from another director. In 1974 Franco made a film called EXORCISM, which was a very dark mix of sex, religion and violence. It was also released in a softer version under the title DEMONIAC and another version with XXX footage called SEXORCISMS. Then, in 1979, Franco took footage from EXORCISM and added a new plot around them and the end result is this film, THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME.

This time out, our film starts off as we see what appears to be a homeless man (Jess Franco) and before long he kills a prostitute who comes onto him because she isn't "pure." This here kicks off the story as Franco then travels around killing women who he sees to be sinners.

I love the work of Jess Franco and if you are a fan of his then you know it's rather madness trying to watch his movies. As several experts say, you really haven't seen a Franco film until you've seen them all. Then, after you've seen them off, you've still got countless alternate versions to track down so it seems like being a Franco fan is a never-ending and up-hill battle.

THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME is a film that I really hated the first time I watched it but having revisited the movie I can tell that I was being a bit harsh earlier. I still prefer the original director's cut of EXORCISM and for the most part I think SEXORCISMS is even better but there are a few interesting moments here. I do think that the visual look of this film is better and yes, I understand that only 25-minutes of its 99-minute running time is "new" footage. I do think that the new scenes are good, are rather dark and there's a certain rawness about them.

I do wish that Franco had just created a new film but that wasn't the case. The majority of the footage here is from EXORCISM, although it has been re-dubbed to fit this movie. It's interesting to learn that Franco considered this to be his favorite version but I certainly wouldn't agree with him.

Simulated Black Masses are being held for the entertainment of rich modern day Parisians, meanwhile defrocked priest and lunatic Mathis "I am the sword of the Lord" Vogel (Jess Franck) is murdering beautiful young women in the name of God. Within the first opening seconds we see Lina Romay (director Franco's favourite star and real life lover) stark naked, a mere taster of what is to follow. There is female (and some male) full frontal nudity and soft core sex throughout, this is obviously a skin flick first, a horror film second. Jess Franck is really Jess/Jesus Franco, no prize for figuring that one out! One thing I love about him is that he always appears in his movies, usually in a small cameo, but here he takes centre stage playing Vogel. And a fine performance he does deliver. The death scenes are brutal and very gory. We get his trademark zoom shots (including the infamous genital ones), I felt overall that the camera work was pretty good, as is the acting, sets etc. I think you either love Franco or loathe him as a film maker, I'm of the former camp. Demoniac/Exorcism etc etc is by no means a bad Franco movie, he has made better films, he has made far worse too.

In 1975, prolific Spanish film-maker Jess Franco directed sleazy horror L'éventreur de Notre-Dame (AKA Exorcism), also releasing a XXX version called Sexorcism which featured much more graphic sex scenes (several members of the original cast getting in on the fun, including Franco himself!). Four years later, Franco released a third version of the film, The Sadist of Notre Dame, re-edited with additional footage and a different storyline, but none of the explicit sex.

Franco plays ex-communicated priest Mathis Vogel, recently released from an asylum, who saves sinners by stabbing them to death with his switch-blade. First to go is a prostitute who makes the mistake of offering him her wares, followed soon after by a young girl walking home alone after an evening of bad disco dancing. Vogel writes a fictionalised account of his slayings, offering his story to a trashy sado-masochistic magazine published by Pierre de Franval (Pierre Taylou) and his assistant Anne (Franco muse Lina Romay), who participates in Satanic orgies at the chateau of a wealthy countess (France Nicolas). Following Anne to one of her depraved parties, Vogel sets about punishing the participants for their sins.

Franco can usually be relied upon for either graphic sex or graphic violence, and occasionally both; failing that, he tends to make his films plain weird or spectacularly bad. Barring some full frontal female nudity, The Sadist of Notre Dame is a relatively reserved film, the stabbings fairly free of gore and the sexy stuff strictly soft-core, and the film is neither bizarre enough or rubbish enough to appeal to fans of Z-grade cult cinema. To be fair, it's never boring, but when one invests time in a Franco film, one expects certain boxes to be ticked, and they aren't on this occasion.

I've not seen Exorcism yet, so I can't say how that film compares, but I have checked out an un-dubbed copy of Sexorcism and can confirm that Franco and company don't hold back when it comes to the naughty stuff.

If you manage to find the fully uncut version of "Exorcism", then you have "The Sadist of Notre Dame". This has always been one of my favorite Jess Franco achievements. It's obviously not on par with his true classics like "The Awful Dr. Orloff", "Faceless", or "Diabolical Dr. Z", but it's nevertheless a tense and brutal shock-tale. It also features Jess Franco's biggest (and best) acting performance, as the mentally unstable ex-priest Mathis Laforgue who recently escaped from a psychiatric clinic and now dwells the streets of Paris. He sees himself as a redeemer, sent by God to wipe out all that is impure. Laforgue kills prostitutes, horny teenagers, and random partygoers, all whilst claiming he's saving their souls. Always liked this one because it is a cruel exploitation story with nevertheless an uncannily realistic ambiance. Paris is perhaps considered the most beautiful city in the world, but here you only see eerie dark alleys, freaks & outcasts, vile acts of torture and mutilation, and pure perversion.

El sádico de Notre-Dame, directed by Jesús Franco, is a 1979 film that attempts to blend elements of horror and mystery. Unfortunately, despite its promising premise and notable director, the film falls short in several key areas, earning it a 4/10 rating.

The film's plot revolves around a series of gruesome murders taking place in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop. The mystery lies in identifying the killer, who leaves behind a trail of mutilated bodies. While the premise is intriguing, the execution is lackluster. The narrative is convoluted and often confusing, making it difficult for viewers to follow or become invested in the story.

One of the major issues with El sádico de Notre-Dame is its poor pacing. The film drags on for an unnecessary amount of time, with scenes that add little to the overall plot. This slow pace, combined with the disjointed storyline, makes for a frustrating viewing experience.

The acting in the film is also subpar. The performances are wooden and unconvincing, which detracts from the overall quality of the film. The characters are underdeveloped, making it hard for viewers to empathize with them or care about their fates.

The visual effects and cinematography are another area where the film falters. The special effects are cheap and unconvincing, failing to create the sense of horror and suspense that the film aims for. The cinematography is uninspired, with dull and uninteresting shots that do little to enhance the atmosphere of the film.

In conclusion, El sádico de Notre-Dame is a disappointing horror film that fails to deliver on its promising premise. While it may have its moments, the poor pacing, weak acting, and lackluster visuals make it a largely unsatisfying viewing experience.