Movies

Start off the new year with some sexy Euro-thrillers by Jess Franco

Jess Franco is one of the most notorious directors of all time.

January 2, 2024

The start of a new year is usually when people take account of the changes they like to make in their lives. Most of it involves the betterment of personal self. Things like eating better and going to the gym more fall in the category. Then, there is the stuff that just sounds fun. Skydiving and going on a long hike are included here. Thanks to Full Moon Features, those wanting to watch the works of erotic arthouse maestro Jess Franco have a chance to watch some of his works.

Voodoo Passion is a 1977 release that follows a woman named Susan (Ada Tauler, Love Camp) who has recently married a man named Jack (Jack Taylor, Conan the Barbarian). She flies to Haiti where he works as a consul to be with him. After arriving, Susan meets Jack’s sister Olga (Karine Gambier, Caged Women), and sees that their relationship may be a little closer than most siblings. Add in some great camerawork, voodoo elements, and lots of sex, and you will quickly learn why the film is also known as Porno Shock.

Before founding Full Moon Productions, Charles Band helmed a home video distribution company known as Wizard Video. Known for their detailed and memorable box art, Wizard was known for distributing some of the most influential names in horror cinema. Full Moon has brought Wizard back to release an impressive box set that collects some of Franco’s most interesting works.

Panther Squad stars B movie queen Sybil Danning in a science fiction action movie. The fight scenes may not hold up by today’s standards (they were pretty bad for 1984), but the opening opening credits are amazing. Fans of Danning and sexy female mercenaries should get a kick out of this.

Countdown to Esmerelda Bay, Night of the Eagles, and Downtown Heat show a different side of Franco. Countdown to Esmerelda Bay and Night of the Eagles are both movies about war, while Downtown Heat deals with Caribbean drug dealers. The more action oriented style has its moments, but there is a reason these films are not at the top of Franco’s catalog.

The collection closes with two movies that Franco worked on with Andrea Bianchi. Angel of Death is an odd film that is great for a completionist. Others will probably find it lacking. Mania Killer may be the gem of the entire collection. With a cast that includes Chuck Connors (Soylent Green), the movie is a reminder of the sleaze and mayhem that Franco is known for. Prostitutes and cults highlight one of the wackiest genre movies of the 1980s.