Les démons

My mate gave me this. He'd ordered it especially from Germany for reasons unknown. There's no plot explanation needed - you just have to look at the cover and see who directed it.

Highlights of this film include:

1) Hitting the display button to find out how soon I've got before it ends 2) Losing interest 3) Wondering what my mate was expecting when he bought it 4) Realising exactly why it had been sitting in my collection unwatched for a decade 5) Being relieved that I didn't watch the 117 minute special version on disc 2.

Lowlights include:

1) Every scene lasting forever. 2) Female nudity rendered boring. 3) Endless scenes of women being tortured. 4)Everything else about the film.

After an old witch is burned at the stake by the inquisition her two nun daughters execute a revenge which amounts to them seducing every man and woman that comes their way. Dealing with lust and anguish (frequent themes in Franco work),'Les démons' is quite a polished work by Franco's standards. Widescreen compositions are impressive and psychedelic music outstanding(a catchy guitar tune starts playing every time there is a bare flesh on the screen). Sadly Jess Franco didn't bother to hire a good cameraman, so some shots are out of focus, especially during zooms. Still, the camera-work in 'Les démons' is much better then in such later Jess Franco movies as 'White cannibal queen', for example. Regular Jess Franco actor Howard Vernon ("The awful Dr. Orloff") has a supporting role. Recommended for Franco admirers and those who find the idea of lesbian nuns hot.

Despite a little over use of the zoom lens now and again and inexplicably repeated lines this is a pretty well made Jess Franco movie. The budget must have been decent because picture quality and cinematography above par with some excellent location shooting, inside and outside. Costumes are also good, he must have borrowed those from some other film, and there is some effort to keep the tale within known historical events. None of this is to say, however, that there aren't lashings of sex. There is some torture but not overly done, no it is the sex scenes that predominate and fairly erotic and varied they are too. Anne Libert does well in the lead and generously shares her body with most of the rest of the leads. Howard Vernon is set against type for once and I reckon acquitted himself better than when he is given reign to go jumping and over acting everywhere

It's not at all surprising that Les Demons, Jess Franco's sequel to The Bloody Judge, was severely truncated for the US market: it's an extremely repetitious film, never quite knowing when to quit. That said, the full length version is still the way to go, because this being a Franco movie, it would be a crime to miss even a second of the depravity, of which there is plenty to wallow in.

The film, clearly modelled on Ken Russell's The Devils (1971), opens with the torture and burning of a witch; as the old crone goes up in flames she places a curse on the people responsible for her death—Lord Justice Jeffries (Cihangir Gaffari), Lady De Winter (Karin Field) and Thomas Renfield (Alberto Dalbés). Years later, beautiful nun Kathleen (Anne Libert) begins to experience sinful dreams and, along with her equally tasty sister Margaret (Britt Nichols), is suspected of being a witch, bringing them to the attention of Lady de Winter and her wicked pals. After much cruelty, torture, and sex, it transpires that sisters Kathleen and Margaret are the dead witch's daughters, and that they are to be her instruments of vengeance.

With a plot that goes in circles, Franco's trademark (ie. clumsy) directorial style (erratic zooms, roving camera etc), and loads of crap acting, Les Demons isn't exactly what you would call a Euro horror classic, but with Libert and Nichols regularly disrobing to indulge in all manner of deviancy (self gratification, lesbianism, sex with the devil—that sort of thing), plus a hefty dose of sadism and violence, this trashy piece of nunsploitation should still hold your attention to the end. A wonderfully incongruent soundtrack—including a funky bass guitar that kicks in whenever the women get saucy—only adds to the charm.

6/10 (which, from me, is a pretty decent rating for a Franco film).

Les Demons (1972)

** (out of 4)

101m. Director's Cut

A witch is burned at the stake and swears her daughters will seek revenge for her death. This is a rather disappointing effort from director Jess Franco. The film is too slow and it seems the director doesn't know if he wants to make a straight witch film or a sexploitation film dealing with lesbian nuns and various other beautiful women. The score doesn't help matters either. However, seeing lesbian nuns in action is a reason to check it out. There are at least nine versions of this film out there.

The DVD set I have contains two other versions but this one here is a 2003 edit by Franco.