Sie tötete in Ekstase

Jess Franco regarded the late Soledad Miranda as his muse and was devastated by her tragic death in 1970. The two made a handful of extraordinary movies released in 1970-71 with Miranda billed as "Susann Korda", including the legendary 'Vampyros Lesbos', arguably Franco's finest achievement. I've seen four of the Franco/Miranda collaborations to date, the others being 'Eugenie De Sade', which is almost as great as 'Vampyros Lesbos', and 'The Devil Came From Akasava', a campy (but entertaining) potboiler. 'She Killed In Ecstasy' is definitely better than 'Akasava', but not quite as impressive as the other two. I'm not exactly sure, but I get the impression that some of them were shot simultaneously. They share the same visual style, groovy music, and similar casts. Miranda plays the wife of a scientist (Fred Williams) who suicides after his experimental research is rejected by the medical establishment. She gets her revenge by seducing and murdering the four committee members involved with the decision one by one. They are played by Franco regulars Howard Vernon and Paul Muller, 'Vampyros Lesbos' co-star Ewa Stromberg and Franco himself. The cast also includes Horst Tappert who was in 'Akasava' playing a policeman. I've seen something like twenty Jess Franco movies to date, which is only a fraction of his 180+ output, but it's enough to know that I'm hooked. I find it to be difficult to be objective about his work, as even his lesser movies contain bits of genius. He is a frustratingly uneven director, capable of making astonishing movies when he really tries, but too often content to release seemingly rushed and unfinished films. 'She Killed In Ecstasy' is probably not the best place to start if you are a Franco neophyte, but I'd certainly rate it among his better films, and the utterly beautiful Soledad Miranda is always mesmerizing to look at. Newcomers are still recommended to start with 'Vampyros Lesbos', but if you get the chance to see this film, don't hesitate.

This was only my second Soledad Miranda film, and it took me a while to get to it after being somewhat underwhelmed by EUGENIE DE SADE (1970), perhaps her most acclaimed collaboration with Jess Franco.

Anyway, I found SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (which I watched via quite a satisfactory VHS dub) to be generally enjoyable and, typically of this period in Franco's career, rather good to look at (despite its obvious 'cheapness'). This, in fact, was one of the criticisms I leveled at EUGENIE DE SADE when I posted my first impressions of it on the 'DVD Maniacs' Forum: after the relative aesthetic beauty of THE DIABOLICAL DOCTOR Z [MISS MUERTE] (1965), EUGENIE…THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION (1969), A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD (1971) and, to a lesser extent, LUCKY THE INSCRUTABLE (1967), I had found the leap into extreme realism (in the film's ambiance if not the plot's logical progression, which I had discussed with Francesco at the time) rather too jarring – BUT I'm digressing here, so back to the topic at hand…

SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY is aided immeasurably by its great pop soundtrack, with which I personally had no problem whatsoever. [Another brief parenthesis here: Francesco had told me that some of the same music is also featured in another notable Franco/Miranda collaboration, VAMPYROS LESBOS (1970), which I have yet to watch…so that's surely a point in its favor already!] The film is essentially a remake of the superior if more traditional MISS MUERTE, but with a few interesting plot changes: here, the controversial doctor is the husband and not the father of the leading lady, making for an even more intense revenge scenario; the girl, then, commits the murders herself this time around rather than relegating them to a subordinate a' la Miss Death; finally, even though in this case the deadly weapon is nothing more complicated than a dagger, the visual depiction of the 'murders' themselves (due, no doubt, to the more tolerant censorship prevalent in the late Sixties) is a lot more vicious. Similarly, a lot more eroticism is allowed here too, some of it purely gratuitous, but most effective during the lesbian sequences featuring Miranda and Ewa Stromberg (whose relationship, I felt, echoes the rather moving one between Maria Rohm and Margaret Lee in Franco's masterpiece VENUS IN FURS [1968]).

For the true Franco fan, the film's cast has been wonderfully assembled, beginning with Soledad Miranda herself, of course: though her performance is slightly overstated by the end, here she is perhaps even more compelling and seductive than in EUGENIE DE SADE (though I still think that one is the better film overall); regulars Howard Vernon, Paul Muller and Ewa Stromberg – not forgetting Franco himself – as the stuffy and arrogant doctors who condemn the girl's scientist husband, all of whom are subsequently helpless to resist her 'attentions' when she confronts them!; Horst Tappert as the rather lethargic (yet amusing) Police Inspector, who never even thinks of interrogating Mrs. Johnson (the name of Miranda's character) when the bodies start piling up and fails even to prevent her own suicide! Actually, the only actor who failed to convince was Fred Williams as Dr. Johnson, whose lengthy brooding and subsequent hysterics after he is expelled, tended to bog down the film's first half!

As such the film's pace is rather uneven: initially slow moving and fairly dull, where I really wanted the Williams character to die so that his wife's revenge plan could be put into action! Sure enough, it picks up speed from then on with the girl actively, almost nonchalantly, stalking her 'prey' (in alternately lush and common surroundings, at first in public and then privately), yet always allowing – or, we might say, compelling – them to make the first move towards their own demises! The ending, unfortunately, is somewhat hurried and quite poorly staged – though, in hindsight, its foreshadowing of a real-life tragedy (Soledad Miranda's own death in similar circumstances occurred before the film was even released) leaves a definite impact which, I would argue, goes far beyond Franco's own wildest expectations for his film!

Needless to say, I look forward now to seeing more films featuring this enchanting actress (her other work with Jess Franco above all), particularly VAMPYROS LESBOS and, in view of its thematic similarities with MISS MUERTE and SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY itself, the hopefully upcoming NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT (1970).

Dr.Johnson conducts revolutionary experiments with human embryos he keeps in jars around the lab.When medical committee rejects his findings and orders him to stop his work,the doctor becomes depressed and commits suicide.His beautiful wife decides to seduce and kill three men and one woman 'responsible' for his suicide.Of course,two of the potential victims include Howard Vernon and Jesus Franco himself."She Killed in Ecstasy" is a pretty good Spanish horror film.The photography is excellent and easily captures the natural beauty of the lead actress,Soledad Miranda.There is plenty of nudity,but the film is quite tame.Still there is a really hot lesbian scene between Soledad Miranda and Ewa Stromberg,who was also in "Vampyros Lesbos".So if you are a fan of Jesus Franco you can't miss this film.7 out of 10.

This has gotten a renewed life, following the "Vampyros Lesbos Sexadelic Dance Party" CD, which includes music from "Vampyros Lesbos", "Devil Came From Akasava", and this remake of "The Diabolical Dr. Z". Basically, a young scientist is barred from continuing his experiments in mixing human and animal DNA by the local medical board. He goes home, mopes, and eventually commits suicide. His wife, the lovely Soledad Miranda, is quite upset, and proceeds to use her femininity to lure the doctors responsible into sexual situations, before disposing of them. There is a lot of Cornell Woolrich's "The Bride Wore Black" here, juiced up to 60's level sex and sleaze. Franco pops in as a scientist, and it's interesting to see Howard Vernon playing the same role he played in "Diabolical Dr. Z". Other than the flaky psychedelic Jazz soundtrack, this is one of Soledad Miranda's best films, and she tackles her role mucho gusto. Franco's notorious Zoom overuse is toned down here, and he keeps it moving along nicely. Not as twisted as his 70's takes on similar material, but more well done than much of his catalog.

Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams) is happily married with his beloved wife Mrs. Johnson (Soledad Miranda) and is researching human embryos using animal cells. When he brings his findings to the Board of the prominent Dr. Franklin Houston (Paul Müller), Prof. Jonathan Walker (Howard Vernon), Dr. Crawford (Ewa Stroemberg) and Dr. Donen (Jesus Franco), the committee rejects his researches and destroys his laboratory. Dr. Johnson has a nervous breakdown and commits suicide, and the disturbed Mrs. Johnson seeks revenge, seducing each member of the Board and killing one by one while having sex with her victims.

"Sie Tötete in Ekstase" a.k.a. "She Killed in Ecstasy" is a movie of revenge that uses a storyline very similar to François Truffaut's "The Bride Wore Black" with a grieving woman seeking revenge on the responsible for the death of her beloved lover. However, this film follows the usual style of the director Jesus Franco, with kinky sex, nudity, lesbianism and murders. The hot Soledad Miranda is very beautiful and sexy. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Ela Matou em Êxtase" ("She Killed in Ecstasy")