MovieChat Forums > Jesús Franco Discussion > One of the unsung great directors

One of the unsung great directors

posted 7 years ago by quintonr (18)
6 replies | jump to latest

He doesn't get a percentage of the respect he deserves, but he has a legion of diehard fans. He may be the best cult director of all time. Many of his films are brilliant, combining art and commerce amazingly. Many other films were just insincere jobs where he always tried to make them fun or different. What should be cherished is how fast he worked and how little resources were made available to him. He could have made films on par with Ridley Scott or Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese if Hollywood embraced him. He had the technical skill and unique artistic vision, which is why Orson Welles hired him as his assistant director. But he never got the chance. He has influenced many filmmakers across the world and industry, so no one should ignore his talent.

[–] greenbudgie (2355) 5 years ago

He had a great flair for Gothic atmosphere. I've just watched his 'La noche de los asesinos / 'Night of the Skull' (1974). It's on my re-watch sometime list. It's his reworking of a Poe mystery. It is set in a Louisiana castle. I didn't now they had castles in the Deep South. Just those big colonial houses.

Some of his soft porn is really boring. He would have been a great director if he had cut out some of the tit and concentrated more on pure Gothic mystery.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20440) 4 years ago

I’ve never heard of this one but I will check it out. The Louisiana angle also sparks an interest as that is my home, and you are correct. There are no castles here or none in the past I am aware of.

My Franco viewings only amount to a handful. Do you have any recommendations?

[–] greenbudgie (2355) 4 years ago

I remember enjoying 'Blood Moon' (1981) and 'Kiss Me Monster' (1969). They're two of his I definitely want to see again.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20440) 2 years ago

Ah, I’m sorry I didn’t reply sooner but thank you for the recommendations. I listened to a podcast today where Bloodymoon was mentioned, so I’ll be searching it out tonight.

[–] mmmnoodlesoup (54) 5 years ago

Does he actually have good films? I've watched a few of his films, and they have great T&A and not a lot else. Open to suggestions if you have any.

I have seen:
Les amazones du temple d'or (5/10)
Die Sklavinnen (5/10)
Des diamants pour l'enfer (1/10)
El tesoro de la diosa blanca (5/10)

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20440) 2 years ago

I think it’s amazing that he made over 170 films during his career. Are there any other directors who have surpassed this number?