[Blu-Ray] FILM REVIEW: She Killed in Ecstasy

She Killed in Ecstasy - Severin Films 4K UHD Blu Ray Release Review

Director: Jesús Franco

Starring: Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon, Horst Trapper, Fred Williams

Written by: Jesús Franco

Produced by: Artur Brauner, Arturo Marcos

Cinematography by: Manuel Merino

Original Score by: Manfred Hübler, Bruno Nicolai, Sigi Schwab

Synopsis:

After a doctor commits suicide when his research using human embryos is terminated, his widow seduces then kills the four physicians she holds responsible for his downfall.

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Thoughts:

Notorious to many, irrelevant to some, Jesús Franco is a filmmaker who has carved out his own identify and who famously was his own biggest critic. He leaned heavily into sexual and horror themed exploitation with vivid and often shocking imagery. He was one of a kind but his back catalogue is an insane mixed bag. 'She Killed in Ecstasy' isn't his best work but it does highlight his close working relationship with lead actress Soledad Miranda.

You know you're in for a wild ride when the opening credits sequence is full of close ups of embryos in jars with the musical accompaniment of 70s funky jazz. It shouldn't go together but the weird style clash is something Franco did really well. In fact the entire film is littered with bizarre musical choices that feels almost pornographic in its intent but fun all the same.

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Fred Williams stars as Dr. Johnson, a physician who is working on an experimental genetics project, hence all the embryos. His work is brought to a halt by a number of his superiors who believe that his unorthodox work should not be funded anymore. Falling into a deep depression and having nowhere else to turn, Dr. Johnson kills himself leaving behind his gorgoeus wife Mrs. Johnson (Soledad Miranda). Feeling hatred and an urge for justice, Mrs. Johnson sets out to seduce each of her late husbands superiors whom she believes is responsible for his death and eventually kill them. Using all of her weapons, mainly her sexual prowess, she takes them all out one by one in deadly fashion.

The plot sounds like pretty standard stuff, in fact Franco already made two previous films with very similar premises to this one. It sounds Hitchcockian but there's a touch of giallo here instead of noir and the visuals and set-ups are a million miles away from Hitchcock. Franco, as always, loves the overuse of smash zooms. He enjoys playing with the camera, employing lots of close-ups which obviously create a real sense of intimacy. This invasive tactic should help to get into the character's mindset and maybe even create more tension during the seduction and kill scenes but it doesn't really work all the time. Intricate character work is not one of Franco's strong points and he focuses more on visuals here.

And the visuals are impressive. As with the majority of 70s exploitation films, there is an air of snuff about them, lots of nudity and profane yet subtle violence and Franco certainly knows how to do a murderous woman scorned very well. Soledad Miranda is irresistible whose fervent sexuality oozes off the screen but there's something venomous lurking underneath and she does a phenomenal job at getting that lethal undercurrent behaviour across. There's a sorrowful madness in her eyes.

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Severin Films have done a fantastic job with this release. Newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative, all the glorious fake blood and exuberent set designs are even more saturated. And the extras are pretty good too, including various cool interviews and special featurettes. Franco himself talks about the film's themes and influences and there's an indepth chat with a Soledad Miranda historian. I thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of 'In the Land of Franco' , a multi part documentary series highlighting shooting locations from various Franco films. In this particular installment, we visit a serene village on the outskirts of Paris at the home of Daniel Lesoeur, the son of the late Marius Lesoeur, the owner of Eurociné, an independent film production company that often bankrolled Franco projects in the late 60s, throughout the 70s and into the early 80s. Here, as well as exploring the surrounding area where Franco filmed some of his most notorious work like 'Midnight Party' and 'Cannibals', presenter Stephen Thrower gets hands on with an insane archive of Franco original film posters and film reels.

Jesús Franco may be a little bit "quantity over quality" but nobody would ever call his work dull, that's for sure. This is an absolute must buy for any Franco fan or cult film connoisseur.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½

-Gavin Logan

'She Killed in Ecstasy' is released on 4K UHD Bluray on March 30th from Severin Films