SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1970)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 80 Minutes 27 Seconds
Rating: Unrated
Audio: German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.66:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Jess Franco, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Ewa Stromberg, Horst Tappert, Howard Vernon
Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams, Count Dracula) is a scientist bent performing illicit experiments on human embryos for the benefit of mankind, or some such crock o' shit. However, when his research comes up for review by his peers he is discredited by a shocked and unsympathetic medical board who frown upon such things. Despite the fact that the doc has a gorgeous home on a private island and a stunningly gorgeous and devoted wife (Soledad Miranda, Vampyros Lesbos), the mad doc is so distraught by his fall from grace that he opts to slash his wrists and end it all. In the aftermath his supernaturally hot wife sets about to seducing and murdering each of the four members of the medical board, whom she blames for the death of her beloved husband.
A very simple premise and to be honest there's just not much more to it. The murderous seductress sets out to seduce each of the board members, three men and one woman among them. It's a fun cycle of seduction and murder from start to finish. The four doctors are Dr. Crawford (Ewa Strömberg, Vampyros Lesbos), Dr. Houston (Paul Muller, Barbed Wire Dolls), Dr. Walker (Howard Vernon, The Awful Dr. Orloff) and Dr. Donen (played by director Jesus Franco). Howard Vernon's character has the most gruesome death scene with Miranda shredding Dr. Orloff's wedding tackle.
As said there's not a lot to the story, it is very simplistic but what sold the movie for me is the stunning beauty of star Soledad Miranda. Her turn as the murderous widow is so mesmerizing, there's very little dialogue but her eyes have a hypnotic seductive sadness about them. Of course, this was the swinging 70's but even I thought that the ease of which she seduces each of the doctors is sort of funny, but you just go with it. You'd expect that after the first corpse turned up with a note indicating that the other were are next they would be a heightened sense of self preservation among these highly educated professionals, but that just goes to show you that you should never underestimate the draw of a gorgeous, naked woman. Just thinking about it myself if I were in the situation I might set aside my own fear of death for a chance to score with Soledad Miranda if I am being honest, she was something special and was gone way too soon, dying shortly after shooting wrapped on this picture.
On top of that purely carnal reasons for loving this movie we have some great visuals throughout the movie and an abundance of fantastic architecture with surrealistic cinematography by longtime Franco cinematographer Manuel Merino (Vampyros Lesbos). I couldn't write about the movie and not mention the sweet psychedelic lounge-pop score from Manfred Hubler and Siegfried Schwab (The Devil Came from Akasava) which is one of my favorite scores of any Franco film, of any film ever in fact, I listen to it all the time. There's also some weird scenes of implied necrophilia between Mrs. Johnson the corpse of her departed lover whom she keeps around for cuddles, a nice twist of macabre Franco strangeness.
Audio/Video: This new 4K UHD edition from Severin offers a new restoration, scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR enhancement.
The source looks immaculate, colors are more vivid, especially purples and red, skin tone appear warmer, and blacks are deeper . Fans of the magnetic Soledad Miranda will no doubt appreciate the eye-popping UHD transfer and the more natural looking skin tones, right down to the last nipple and freckle. Noticeable print damage is minimal but there are instances of speckling visible from time to time. The accompanying Blu-ray sourced from same restoration looks terrific as well, even without the Dolby Vision enhancements.
The lossless German DTS-HDMA 2.0 Dual-Mono audio sounds quite nice, a few audio imperfections from the source material are evident but the sexy lounge-pop score from Manfred Hubler and Siegfried Schwab comes through nicely. Optional English subtitles are provided.
Onto the plentiful extras we begin with a pair of new extras, first the 21-min In Land of Franco Part 13, a new locations featurette, Thrower accompanied by Severin's David Gregory start off by the home of Daniel Lesoeur and locations, including a burned down mill, that were used in various Franco production like The Midnight Party, Kiss Me Killer, Hot Nights of Linda, Female Vampire and Night Of The Eagles, Faceless, Its a terrific piece, including unearthing a gorgeous Exorcismo poster and other ephemera. Then the 42-min Ecstacy In Rage- Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema Of Jess Franco, copious production notes, cast info, locations and modernist architecture featured in the film, , examination of the story, plot and some story elements previously explored in The Diabolical Dr. Z, the score, the more peculiar aspects of Francos film, flagrantly rediculous death scenes including suffocation by inflatable pillow, Soledad Miranda's mesmerizing performance, her intensity, details of her death and its blow to Franco, highlighting her nonfranco films and the possibility she might have broke out into bigger films.
The rest are archical extras, beginning with the intimate 17-min Jess Killed in Ecstacy: Interview with Writer/Director Jess Franco that was filmed shortly before his death in 2013, Franco is typically sprawled out on his couch, chain-smoking of course, while he discusses the making of the film and his fruitful and short-lived collaboration with star Soledad Miranda. He also talks about the locations, the cast, noting how the film did not connect with audiences, was banned in Spain, and remembering her death and bits affect on him. It ends with his thoughts on recoeving awards later in life, and how cinema and Lina Romay were the best things to happen to him. He speaks very thick-accented English, optional English subtitles are provided. Sublime Soledad - Interview with Soledad Miranda Historian Amy Brown offers up a 20-minute interview about the early life and career of Miranda Soledad who passed away at the tender age of 27 less than a year after shooting on the film wrapped. She talks about her family and early life, an accomplished dancer who supported her family with her earnings, moving to Madrid to act,
The last of the disc extras is a German Trailer for the film plus a 7-minute Paul Muller On Jess Franco - Interview with Frequent Franco Star who speaks about his time working with Franco, the interview is in Spanish with English subtitling.
Bonus-junk junkies are advised to hang on to the previous Severin Special Lmited 2-disc Collectors Edition Blu-ray/CD set because this new set does not include a couple of notable extras, first is the bonus CD wiyh the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for 3 Films By Jess Franco: Vampyros Lesbos / She Killed In Ecstasy / The Devil Came From Akasava. The second is the 13-min Ecstacy In Rage - Interview with Stephen Thrower, the Author of ‘Murderous Passions – The Delirious Cinema Of Jess Franco’. So you may wish to hang on to it!
The 2-disc release arrives in a dual-hubbed black keepcase with a single-sided wrap featuring Wes Benscooter artwork, plus a slipcover with an image from the film that as the wrap artwork is based on, with spotgloss highlights. You may spot a familiar looking pull quote on the back cover of the wrap!
Special Features:
- Jess Killed In Ecstasy: Interview with Director Jess Franco (16:56)
- Sublime Soledad: Interview with Soledad Miranda Historian Amy Brown (20:23)
- Ecstacy In Rage- Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema Of Jess Franco (41:56)
- In the Land of Franco Part 13 (21:07)
- Paul Muller On Jess Franco: Interview with the frequent Franco Star (6:32)
- German Trailer (2:44)
She Killed in Ecstasy (1970) is an erotically charged revenger laced with intoxicating visuals and scene after scene of the lovely and curvy Soledad Miranda, who fills nearly every frame of the movie. On top of that you have a swinging psychedelic lounge score that will linger long after watching the feature. This 4K UHD of She Killed In Ecstasy is easily the best it's ever looked, and the new and archival extras are terrific, highly recommended for the Franco freakos!
Buy it!
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