Of the six Spanish Franco films I've watched from the late 70s and early 80s, this is easily the most satisfying; ironically, I had this DVD-R for a year and a half before deciding to check it out (and, in fact, hadn't watched any new title by the director since that time)!
The plot may be trite (made even less intelligible by the lack of English subtitles) but it's basically a pot-pourri of Franco's favorite themes set within familiar surroundings and, therefore, wholly fascinating (resembling most closely NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT [1970] but is actually superior to it) – the night-club act, the shady deal, the mystical influence, the duplicitous partner, the murders committed in a trance, the unlikely psychiatrist hero (played by the director himself). The film's trump card, then, resides in the typically dreamy visuals (which come across even in the print of variable quality that I watched – for instance, a most effective subliminal image of star Lina Romay about to carry out her first 'assignment') accentuated by the languid pace, the exotic Canary Island location and the score (a lovely romantic theme offset from time to time by weird ambient sounds).
Maybe I've been away too long but the copious sex scenes didn't feel overlong this time around, and weren't even as explicit as I had come to expect in a Franco film from this liberated era: two in particular were actually quite well done – the 15-minute drug-fuelled orgy which is the centre-piece of the film (culminating in multiple murder), and the scene towards the end between the heroine and one of her victims making love against a hotel window (highlighted by the intruding rays of the sun and the beach scenery being reflected on it). As in most of these cheaply-made but surprisingly accomplished films (save for the occasional jerky camera move or unwarranted zoom on female pubic hair!), the cast list assembled is very sparse – led, of course by Romay (plump but gorgeous in one of her best roles); the remaining actors, however, fare less well (with the villain coming off – no pun intended – as particularly ineffectual).
Until now, I hadn't been as impressed as I know others were with Franco's efforts from this particular phase in his career; however, Severin Films' decision to release a few of them on R1 DVD (which is in itself a brave move, given their high sexual content
but, then, there's always Franco's passionate and consistently enjoyable interviews to look forward to for the more casual fan!) may help to redress the balance and put a different perspective on this hitherto untapped and largely neglected period: two are already available – MACUMBA SEXUAL (1981; I actually watched this one via an unsubtitled DVD-R and liked it quite a bit) and MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD (1982; which, in view of its affinity with Amando De Ossorio's cult "Blind Dead" series of films, I'm interested in regardless) – and with a couple more on the horizon – THE SEXUAL STORY OF O (1981; which, again, sounds intriguing) and THE INCONFESSABLE ORGIES OF EMMANUELLE (1982; decidedly unappetizing, unless anyone cares to chime in with a statement to the contrary!), one hopes that MIL SEXOS TIENE LA NOCHE (which roughly translates to NIGHT OF A THOUSAND SEXES, but its meaning is anybody's guess!) itself won't be too far behind
