Jess Franco: The World's Most Dangerous Filmmaker

by Kristofer Todd Upjohn

JESS THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS FILMMAKER Jess Franco was a director, cinematographer, writer, composer, editor, producer and actor in more than 150 fiercely independent films he made from 1959 to 2013. Born in Madrid, Spain, he was declared one of the most dangerous filmmakers by the Spanish Catholic Church. He was also one of the most prolific directors of Spanish cinema. His underground classics include Christina, Princess of Eroticism, Vampyros Lesbos, Daughter of Dracula, Tender Flesh, The Awful Dr. Orloff, Venus in Furs, Marquis de Sade’s Justine, Revenge in the House of Usher and many others. Kristofer Upjohn celebrates Jess Franco in a collection of essays that examines his individual movies for the first time not just an artistic perspective but also with a subtextual psychological analysis as well—from Count Dracula and Jack the Ripper, all the way to The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein and Countess Perverse. There has never been a low budget maestro like Jess Franco.

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Bill Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passionate analysis of many Jess Franco films and interesting hard to find biographical material for many of Franco's collaborators. Upjohn is clearly a fan, but I found this provides the book with an energy often missing in book length film criticism. Copious illustrations include stills and movie posters. Includes an invaluable filmography for a director whose films often appeared under different titles. A valuable film reference work.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a really terrible book. It's repetitive, inaccurate, poorly written and substitutes gushing fanboy praise for any real analysis of Franco's gifts and shortcomings as a filmmaker.