The Awful Dr. Orlof

One of Franco's first movies (when he was still considered a good director), very pleasant to watch. It has all the elements of the traditional horror recipe and is often inventive and surprising ; of course it is not really scary (well, at least not anymore), but the angst mood does still work pretty well, and it is both funny and seriously set (what post-Scream so-called horror movies are not) ; and sometimes even beautiful (the black and white pictures help). Actor Howard Vernon is a good Frankenstein/Jack the Ripper villain, and has something of Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee. If you like old terror tales (from Universal 1930's to Hammer 1970's, that kind), you should give it a try, really.

I saw this, one of Franco's first films, late at night and although it was creepy and at times rather surreal, there is little to approach the weirdness of Vampiros Lesbos et al. But instead we have a well-crafted gothic fantasy reminding one of Universal or Hammer horrors, but ultimately surpassing these in terms of suspense and scares. There is also very little of the violence or nudity that characterises his later work (although I did see a slightly trimmed version). This is probably Franco's most accessible film and, although he has himself remade it at least 4 times, this still remains the ultimate version. And unlike just about anything else by Franco, it stays the right side of cheese throughout, relying on Franco's skill as a director rather than cheap nudity thrills. Definitely recommended for fans of euro-gothic horror, although fans of Franco's later more whacked-out work would have to prepare themselves for something making a little more sense than normal.

Jess Franco's breakthrough film is a straight retelling of Yeux San Visage, albeit with some of the poetry removed and a more straightforward 'thriller' structure added. It's probably Franco's most 'normal' film, with only only a few of the the sleaze diversions that became the raison d'etre of his work from then until the present day. However, look closer and you can trace his obsession with nightclubs and mirrors (put to best effect in one scene in Vampyros Lesbos!) back to this film. Overall, a little on the long side for today's audiences, but a very important taboo-busting film at the time, and contains some very good cinematography, occasionally in an almost bava-esque style.

It is very difficult for me to discuss the various merits of the 1962 Spanish-French horror film "The Awful Dr. Orlof" without comparing them to the French-Italian horror film "Les Yeux Sans Visage" ("Eyes Without a Face"), which came out three years earlier. While both films concern a deranged doctor who kidnaps young women in order to procure skin grafts for his mutilated daughter, "Les Yeux" is the classier of the two; more literate, more shocking and more poetic. Still, despite its lousy reputation, "Orlof" does have lots to offer. It is beautifully shot in B&W, with consistently interesting camera work, and features an effectively creepy score, utilizing mainly piano, percussion and weird sound effects. Thus, a genuinely unsettling aura is achieved throughout the picture. The film also boasts some surprising nudity and a few shock scenes; these latter are not as gross as the ones in "Les Yeux," but still make an impression. And whereas "Les Yeux" gave us the sinister and beautiful Valli as the mad doctor's accomplice, "Orlof" gives us Morpho, a scarred, bug-eyed human robot whose every appearance is visually fascinating. The gorgeous Spanish actress Diana Lorys also stands out here as the police inspector's ballerina girlfriend who goes undercover to stop the demented doctor. Though a fairly paint-by-numbers affair, "Orlof" still proved a fun and riveting entertainment for me, and, thanks to the fine folks at Image Entertainment, it has been nicely transferred into a fine-looking DVD. Too bad about the terrible dubbing, however; subtitles would've been so much more preferable.

In 1912, five beautiful easy women are kidnapped and the efficient Inspector Tanner (Conrado San Martín), who is engaged of Wanda Bronsky (Diana Lorys), is assigned to the case. The responsible for the abductions is Dr. Orloff (Howard Vernon), a former prison doctor, and his deformed assistant Morpho Lodner (Ricardo Valle), who was a prisoner sentenced to death and revived by Dr. Orloff, that bring the women to the Hartog Castle to remove the skin of his victims to repair the face of his daughter that was burned in a fire. When Wanda decides to help her beloved fiancé to find the criminal, she becomes the next victim of Dr. Orloff. Now Inspector Tanner's last chance to find Dr. Orloff relies on the lead of the drunkard Jeannot (Faustino Cornejo).

"Gritos en la Noche" (a.k.a. "The Awful Dr. Orloff") is one of the best films of director Jesus Franco that I have seen so far. The story combines the story lines of the successful 1960 "Les Yeux Sans Visage" ("Eyes without a Face") with Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes and the result is good. The cinematography in black and white is great and the acting is decent. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Terrível Dr. Orloff" ("The Terrible Dr. Orloff")