Franco, like any filmmaker with over 100 films under their belt, is very hit-and-miss, and this film falls squarely into the latter category for me. If one is going to make a sexually charged thriller, the absolute worst thing one could do is to make it boring, and unfortunately, this film is tragically boring. Nothing much happens, the film is not well-made enough to be "deliberately paced", and not exploitative enough to even make the slowness worth plodding through.
William Berger as Franco's longtime villain, Dr. Orloff, looks and sounds ridiculous, a victim of early seventies fashion and hairstyles. His victim, Melissa Comfort, played by Mona Proust, is a sheltered cripple, who falls victim to Orloff's mad designs and ultimately turns murderous. It may sound interesting, but I found it hard to stay awake, even through the film's astonishingly brief 76 minute runtime. I thought my watch had broken by the time I got through it.
There really isn't anything I can recommend about this film for anyone other than a Franco/Eurosleaze completist. Sorry guys, just boring.
The Disc:
Unfortunately, there isn't anything to recommend about the A/V on this feature, either. The film was supposedly lost, but apparently this DVD transfer came from Franco's own personal 1" video master, which is in terrible shape. There is not even the slightest hint of detail or any sort of expressive color present on this disc. The audio suffers equally. There is a Spanish audio track with English subtitles that inexplicably disappear for about 3 minutes in the middle of the film, but I assure you, you aren't missing anything of any value. The only thing that might recommend this one is that it felt like watching an old beat-up VHS cassette after it had been rented hundreds of times back in the 1980's. Some people like that aesthetic, I just can't do it anymore.
The lone extra is an 18 minute interview with Franco. The interview itself is full of great content. Lots of historical background and memories from Franco about his career and this film in particular. Unfortunately, Jess Franco has a very heavy Spanish accent, and there are no subtitles provided. In fact, I speak some Spanish, and I could barely understand him. Somewhat disappointing.
I still have high hopes for Intervision. I know they have some other great releases coming up, I just hope they have better sources than this. Bring on the Ozploitation!
Well, anyway, the cover looks great on my shelf!