Just to make sure we all know where we are, this reviews focusses on what I believe is the original version of the film.
When this Jess Franco directed film was first released, the producers at Elite Films felt it needed spicing up somewhat and, entirely against Franco's wishes, elected to insert scenes from an earlier film to pad out the running time and offer some variety to the somewhat minimalist visuals originally on-screen. Although Elite's idea to use inserts of a younger Vernon from 'The Awful Doctor Orloff' from 20 years earlier seemed too intriguing to resist, there's no doubt that this original, unmolested version of the story, is a more intense and haunting study of the insanity of the titular character, and a more undiluted showcase of what is one of Vernon's most triumphant performances. As Usher, he snarls and spits out his lines, heavy with the malice of the incurably disturbed, only to soften his approach alarmingly when his faculties momentarily return to him.
This is a more condensed version of the story Franco wished to tell. In it, Lina Romay is Maria, a questionably faithful retainer, who looks lovely throughout. Interesting then, that very same year, with what appeared to be a minimum amount of make-up, she looked bloated and ravaged as the dying Hermine in 'Diamonds of Kilimanjaro'. Poor Mathias the butler (Jean Tolzac), gets a rough trot at the hands of his master.
The string-led musical score by Pablo Villa, otherwise known as Franco and regular collaborator Daniel White (who also appears briefly as Dr Seward), is unrelenting. It accompanies everything and occasionally becomes overpowering, adding immensely to the persuasive nightmarish quality to it all. It's a tale of delirium, of madness, of betrayal and of paranoia. This is pain-stakingly reconstructed; I would love there to be a cleaned-up DVD/Blu-Ray version of this film because, as with the release of 'The Sadist of Notre Dame' (another film released as Franco ultimately wanted it to be), this new version has elevated the project into my list of Franco favourites.
When this Jess Franco directed film was first released, the producers at Elite Films felt it needed spicing up somewhat and, entirely against Franco's wishes, elected to insert scenes from an earlier film to pad out the running time and offer some variety to the somewhat minimalist visuals originally on-screen. Although Elite's idea to use inserts of a younger Vernon from 'The Awful Doctor Orloff' from 20 years earlier seemed too intriguing to resist, there's no doubt that this original, unmolested version of the story, is a more intense and haunting study of the insanity of the titular character, and a more undiluted showcase of what is one of Vernon's most triumphant performances. As Usher, he snarls and spits out his lines, heavy with the malice of the incurably disturbed, only to soften his approach alarmingly when his faculties momentarily return to him.
This is a more condensed version of the story Franco wished to tell. In it, Lina Romay is Maria, a questionably faithful retainer, who looks lovely throughout. Interesting then, that very same year, with what appeared to be a minimum amount of make-up, she looked bloated and ravaged as the dying Hermine in 'Diamonds of Kilimanjaro'. Poor Mathias the butler (Jean Tolzac), gets a rough trot at the hands of his master.
The string-led musical score by Pablo Villa, otherwise known as Franco and regular collaborator Daniel White (who also appears briefly as Dr Seward), is unrelenting. It accompanies everything and occasionally becomes overpowering, adding immensely to the persuasive nightmarish quality to it all. It's a tale of delirium, of madness, of betrayal and of paranoia. This is pain-stakingly reconstructed; I would love there to be a cleaned-up DVD/Blu-Ray version of this film because, as with the release of 'The Sadist of Notre Dame' (another film released as Franco ultimately wanted it to be), this new version has elevated the project into my list of Franco favourites.