I wasn't going to write about this until the end of the week, but damnit, it was actually one of the best Franco films I've seen in a while -- so obviously, I couldn't resist. The story is one set in the world a Jess Franco sub-sub genre -- it's a heist-style film told as an erotic thriller, much in the vein of Nightmares Come at Night (a film recently released on Blu-ray that will hopefully be arriving in my mailbox very soon). Okay, that might be a bit of a mislead, as there's no heist, per say, it's more of an intricate-come-convoluted plot devised by Franco, concerning a wealthy couple and their attempts to seduce their virgin neighbor for their own erotic and homicidal means and ends. The satire and subtext in this film (yes, I said subtext) alludes to some criticisms on the mental health profession at the time, and the treatment of patients - or rather, the perfunctory treatment of ill patients. The cinematography, again of the vérité-style, (much like "Sinner" and "Female Vampire"), is some of the best, though I
was surprised to see the film presented as 1.33:1 (4x3), yet it does
look very nice. The locations, once again, add to the cinematography and
overall atmosphere, and with the participation (also once again) of the
lovely Alice Arno and Lina Romay, it makes an amazing companion piece
to Franco's 
Countess Perverse (also available thanks to Mondo Macabro DVD). The lovely and charming Tania Busselier plays the virginistic neighbor, Alice Arno stoically plays the Countess, and Lina Romay plays the part of the deceptively simple-minded woman-child and sort-of-slave to the wealthy couple -- Romay who, by the way, gives one of the best, understated, and still most bizarre performances of her long career with director Franco. This film is extremely long on sex and has style in abundance (sometimes seeming to offer a little nod to Jean Rollin as well as the French La Nouvelle Vague, it also maintains Franco's artistic obsession with mannequins), it's quite simply one of the most engaging and mesmerizing film of the late Jess Franco's that I've seen in recent memory.
Countess Perverse (also available thanks to Mondo Macabro DVD). The lovely and charming Tania Busselier plays the virginistic neighbor, Alice Arno stoically plays the Countess, and Lina Romay plays the part of the deceptively simple-minded woman-child and sort-of-slave to the wealthy couple -- Romay who, by the way, gives one of the best, understated, and still most bizarre performances of her long career with director Franco. This film is extremely long on sex and has style in abundance (sometimes seeming to offer a little nod to Jean Rollin as well as the French La Nouvelle Vague, it also maintains Franco's artistic obsession with mannequins), it's quite simply one of the most engaging and mesmerizing film of the late Jess Franco's that I've seen in recent memory.
(Thanks to AV Maniacs for some of the stills)
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