We're not long into this film's 87 minute run-time before the audience is treated to what I suspect are retrospectively added film inserts of fairly graphic sex. By this time, prolific Spanish Director (and sleaze entrepreneur) Jess Franco is perfectly comfortable spicing up his low-budget films - or dulling them down, depending on your point of view - with such borderline hard-core diversions.
Howard Vernon plays Cagliostro, who may be the same character he played in 'The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein' a few years earlier. Here, the eccentric old scoundrel is from another dimension, which gives some explanation of his powers in the 'Frankenstein' film - that is, if he is meant to be the same character. As usual with Franco, we have to work hard to fill in the gaps.
The existence of the Altantians, the most powerful race who ever lived, as they will gladly tell you, is being threatened. And yet, their scenes don't really want us to take things too seriously, what with talk of 'magic balls' and the nymphs (including the wonderfully whacky Pamela Stanford) actually wink at the camera as they strip off for yet more bawdy sex. And of course, there's lots of it, often featuring the magnificently buttocked Alice Arno (as Reine des Atlantes, who appears to rule over the Atlantians). Lina Romay is here also, her role almost as brief as her costume.
There's a choppy nature to this. I wonder if this is one of those projects made up of scenes from other Franco projects. Characters turn up, do their thing, and rarely interact with those from other scenes. The story shifts in tone greatly, from the Jean Rollin-like beach scenes, with the cast buffeted by the blustery conditions in skimpy garments, to the moments of pantomime comedy, and of course, lovely Mr Arno's wandering hands. The most interesting scenes (for me) are those set on the beach. The howling wind and beauty of the landscape have a truly mystical quality about them. Not for the first time, I wish Franco hadn't allowed the film to deviate so much from such interesting moments - something completely unrelated always comes along and destroys the ambience. Who knows what it all means? Franco, who also wrote this, seems to frequently get bored with his own ideas and cheers himself up with more frolicking, or another close up of Alice's nethers. Even the soundtrack gives up any consistency, with light jazzy porn music quickly replacing Robert Viger's more authentically period strains. I give this 5 out of 10, mainly for the very good beach scenes.
Howard Vernon plays Cagliostro, who may be the same character he played in 'The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein' a few years earlier. Here, the eccentric old scoundrel is from another dimension, which gives some explanation of his powers in the 'Frankenstein' film - that is, if he is meant to be the same character. As usual with Franco, we have to work hard to fill in the gaps.
The existence of the Altantians, the most powerful race who ever lived, as they will gladly tell you, is being threatened. And yet, their scenes don't really want us to take things too seriously, what with talk of 'magic balls' and the nymphs (including the wonderfully whacky Pamela Stanford) actually wink at the camera as they strip off for yet more bawdy sex. And of course, there's lots of it, often featuring the magnificently buttocked Alice Arno (as Reine des Atlantes, who appears to rule over the Atlantians). Lina Romay is here also, her role almost as brief as her costume.
There's a choppy nature to this. I wonder if this is one of those projects made up of scenes from other Franco projects. Characters turn up, do their thing, and rarely interact with those from other scenes. The story shifts in tone greatly, from the Jean Rollin-like beach scenes, with the cast buffeted by the blustery conditions in skimpy garments, to the moments of pantomime comedy, and of course, lovely Mr Arno's wandering hands. The most interesting scenes (for me) are those set on the beach. The howling wind and beauty of the landscape have a truly mystical quality about them. Not for the first time, I wish Franco hadn't allowed the film to deviate so much from such interesting moments - something completely unrelated always comes along and destroys the ambience. Who knows what it all means? Franco, who also wrote this, seems to frequently get bored with his own ideas and cheers himself up with more frolicking, or another close up of Alice's nethers. Even the soundtrack gives up any consistency, with light jazzy porn music quickly replacing Robert Viger's more authentically period strains. I give this 5 out of 10, mainly for the very good beach scenes.
