Exploring Franco's Cult Classics: Vampyros Lesbos and She Killed in
Before exploitation film legend Jesús Franco Manera – usually known as Jess Franco – met arguably his most memorable muse and eventual wife, Lina Romay, he made six films in 1970 with an actress that would surely have appeared in many more if fate hadn’t intervened.
Before exploitation film legend Jesús Franco Manera – usually known as Jess Franco – met arguably his most memorable muse and eventual wife, Lina Romay, he made six films in 1970 with an actress that would surely have appeared in many more if fate hadn’t intervened.
Before we take a look at each of these movies individually, let’s look at how both films reflect Franco’s unique voice, and how they preserve Soledad Miranda’s incredible presence for posterity.
Franco is what you might call an acquired taste. In these movies, there’s more restraint than you might expect, and if you go into a Franco film with the right mindset – expecting more performance art piece than straightforward narrative – you could be in for a good time… certainly an interesting one. Franco’s films are indeed a feast for the eyes, but they’re also somewhat…random.
As for Miranda, she has an alluring intensity that buoys both films. While she’s strictly only a vampire in the first film, she plays distinctly vampiric characters in both and arguably exhibits even more vampire-like behavior in She Killed in Ecstasy. As we’ve come to expect from Severin, these restorations are immaculate.
Vampyros Lesbos (1971) is a gender-swapped soft reboot of Dracula with some Nosferatu-esque shadowplay and Le Fanu’s Carmilla heavily influencing the proceedings. Our Queen of the Night, Countess Nadine Carody (Miranda), is not your traditional vampire and the film incorporates overt metaphors and symbolism about her character.
