SINNER aka DIARY OF A NYMPHOMANIAC
aka LE JOURNAL INTIME D'UNE NYMPHOMANE
and
LORNA... THE EXORCIST aka LES POSSEDEES DU DIABLE
aka SEXY DIABOLIC STORY
Never mind that yours truly can be found waffling away amid the extras for both releases, here are two of the very best Jess Franco films, and you simply have to see them. And, need I add, buy them!
Without wishing to be apocalyptic, I think it's fair to say that releases like these are the last gasp for independent DVD. The siren call of free downloading means that companies like Mondo Macabro are undoubtedly among the last official purveyors of low budget/high-quality cult artifacts like LORNA and SINNER. Five years from now, no-one will release these films: the profit margin will have shrunk to zero.
I was paid a modest fee for taking part in the extras, so don't imagine I'm feathering my own nest. I simply want to communicate my admiration for the sheer bloody-minded persistence of Pete Tombs, who went through hell to bring these titles to our collections. I'm sure we all agree that such extraordinary effort deserves a few quid!
I did and i advise anyone for any Mondo Macabro release anyway.
ReplyDeleteBut talking about the subject. How is the Franco book going? I read a book called Obsession and if it did anything, it is to make me want more ;-)
Also, any news about the second volume of Nightmare USA would be apreciated?
All the best anyway and i ll keep checking this blog for any updates.
I got my Lorna DVD in the mail last week, and boy, was it worth the wait! One of my top 5 Franco favorites gets a very impressive release! I can't thank the MM guys for taking the time, money and effort to do this complicated DVD release right, and not just get a so-so release out on the market.
ReplyDeleteI really hope these releases sell and it would be wonderful if MM had more 1970s Franco stuff up their sleaves... SHINING SEX would be great!
About the decline of the independent DVD companies: surely downloading is part of the problem but I don't believe it's the whole explanation. After 10+ years of DVD I believe the market has simply reached its saturation point. Shockingly people are just not as obsessive about obscure films, or owning DVD:s, as you and I are. In the early days of DVD, with a limited number of releases and the enthusiasm of a new format, niche films like those of Lucio Fulci could sell 10,000's of copies. Even more marginal releases could make money. Today, with just so much stuff out there you could ruin yourself ten times over if you wanted, and when the crush on the DVD format has long faded, the situation is sadly much tougher for the indies (of course the financial crisis and downloading hasn't helped either). I really like the blu-ray format personally but it has not struck the same chord with the public as DVD did when it was new (the DVD quality seems sufficent for most people). And unfortunely BR-transfering is also a costly process, perhaps not the best option for small companies releasing obscure films for a limited audience. And another fact is that many people, especially the younger generation simply don't feel the need to own physical media anymore - I don't think cheapness is the only explanation for this, but after 15 years with downloading it's simply a product they don't feel any need to own. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing in in the long run - things simply change and the distributors of film and video will have to come up with new ways to make a profit - but of course DVD companies, small and big, are hurting from this right now. My Criswell prediction is that in the next 5-10 years legal downloading and streaming will have taken over most of the market. It's almost inevitable: a generation is growing up who have never learned to "fetishize" physical media the way we have and the media market has to adapt to this or dig their own graves. DVD:s and BR:s will still be pressed i'm sure, but more for a specialist market, like vinyl LP:s today. How the indies will fit into this new business model we can only speculate, but I desperatly hope they will find ways to adapt and survive! A future with only the majors supporting the product would be a nightmare for us true film lovers with tastes outside of the safe.
It might seem a little hypocritical but I download a lot of stuff too. To be honest I don't really give a shit if MGM or Sony loses money on downloading but my own personal moral code says "support the indies" (well, the good guys, not MYA, Jef Films and their likes). When someone takes the effort (not mention financial risk) to rescue a forgotten piece of art from obscurity and restore it to pristine quality, it doesn't feel like just a piece of plastic in my hands, but a labor of love. That's why i'll continue to support companies like Mondo Macabro, Code Red and Severin aswell as arthouse companies like Masters of Cinema, Criterion and Second Run, who are also in it for the love of film and ready to take a chance on great films that will never sell a lot of copies. Kudos!
Sorry about the long post, got a little carried away on the subject and couldn't stop writing halfways...
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion of films! I tried to find somewhere to post a question about 'Beyond Terror' but couldn't find anywhere. My question is, do you think Lucio Fulci had the totality of control over his production to be counted as an auteur?
Let me know what you think, as you are the only man on the planet it seems to have written about him.
I also love jess francos golden era films, and i also buy mondo macabro films and have at least a dozen of their french and spanish releases. I had lost interest in M.M because of their 2010 releases of pinky japanese films which i find a little perverted.
ReplyDeleteAnd like Lars i also download alot of stuff and i also feel it is ok to rip of large multi nationals who add nothing and just profit.That said i also buy lots of dvds all from small independant labels like mondo.Im just glad to see them back on a euro track.
My Lorna, The Exorcist DVD just arrived yesterday. Looking forward to watching it for the first time, and to checking out your contributions, Stephen!
ReplyDeleteHi Lars, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject. "Support the indies" is all I really wanted to say with regard to downloading. It's not the only factor in the continued diminishment of the indie release market, as you rightly say, but it's a significant negative effect, and worth being clear about.
ReplyDeleteHi Richard, I love a lot of the Golden Films titles too. Gemidos de placer is one of Franco's best ever. I hope someone gives a few more of those films a chance.
Hi Dave, I'm sure you'll be swooning over Lorna by now! A fantastic presentation of the film.
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ReplyDeleteHi Stephen, my name is Sam Weisberg and I am a fellow rare film enthusiast with a blog (http://hidden-films.com) about films not available on Netflix. Norman Vane sent me your "Nightmare USA" chapter on him and I loved it; I'm about to interview him for the blog and had a few follow up questions for you (also wanted to get your permission to quote some of the interview on the blog). Can't find any other contact info for you so I'm hoping to get a hold of you through here (and of course I will link to this blog on my site). You can email me at samweisberg@gmail.com.Thanks,
ReplyDeleteSam