Though Spanish-born filmmaker Jess Franco (Picture: ), has been credited with directing more than 170 feature-length films over the past 45 years -- under no less than 40 different aliases (which include Clifford Brown, John O'Hara, Manfred Gregor and even Betty Carter) -- there are many cinemaniacs who probably aren't all that familiar with this mad king of exploitation cinema.
Franco's flicks don't pop up on cable frequently and aren't exhibited at the local multiplex. A glance at the cult shelf at a more eclectic video retailer is probably the best way to gain an audience with the work of this sinister se?
The maverick filmmaker's mammoth output in the thriller, erotica and horror genres includes such recent Stateside releases as Incubus (2002) (Picture: ), Helter Skelter (2000) (Picture: ), Blind Target (2000) (Picture: ), Lust for Frankenstein (1998) (Picture: ), Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula (1999) (Picture: ) and Tender Flesh (1996) (Picture: ), which feature such video-friendly lovelies as Amber Newman (Picture: ), Linnea Quigley (Picture: ), Monique Parent (Picture: ) and Lina Romay (Picture: 1), Franco's significant other for the past three decades.
These five titles, like the rest of his extensive resume, are the inimitable work of a filmmaker who, quite simply, does whatever he wants and doesn't censor his vision, the yield being a collection of low-budget works that are at once violent, sexy and often disturbing.
Your work and its subject matter often considered controversial, racy and over-the-top-genre films with a distinctive bite, if you will. How did you come to create these inimitable pieces?
I have always been a fan of cinema and when I was growing up in Spain, we could only see films that were heavily cut and censored and I always wanted to make films-and to make films with full flavor. I enjoy telling stories in my way and I hope that's what my fan will like.
You've been unofficially credited with directing at least 170 films under a slew of assumed names. Why so many different names?
Sometimes, for official reasons. We used to have to fill quotas when making films in certain countries. So a German film, for example, needed to have a German director. So, Jesus Franco would become Jess Frank. Other times, I like to give homage to people who are my heroes in film and music, so I'll use a name to give homage to them.
How have you gone about financing your films over recent years? Sometimes you appear to a be director-for-hire.
No, not at all. There are always times when a director must make a film he does not like to make. But I'm lucky in these years to have a strong tie with my American producers who accept my projects and then arrange for the financing. If someone wants to hire me to make a film it must be a film that I like. Over the past few years, I've been asked to make about 4 or 5 films that I have not liked. So I haven't done them.
What do you think are the finest films you've ever directed?
Every film, when I make it, I like it. Year later, I may not like it so much because I see that I could have done differently. I very much like Necronomicon [aka Succubus (Picture: )] of my older films and Dracula Contra Frankenstein (Picture: ). Of my new films, I like Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula .
And the worst?
Gritos En La Noche [aka The Awful Dr. Orloff (Picture: )] is such a slow, dreary film. People always call it a classic, but I am tired of it. That's why I want so much to remake it!
And how about the most controversial?
Why would I consider my films to be controversial? I make the stories I like, but it is up to the audience to say what is controversial, not me.
You've worked with one of our favorite lunatic actors, the late Klaus Kinski (Picture: ). Any good Kinski stories for us?
Klaus Kinski is-was-a crazy man, but very gifted and talented. I think he is excellent in my film Jack the Ripper.
He is, I believe the first person to tell the story that caused the rumors that I would make more than one film at a time because I would shoot so much footage of him. A reporter asked him one time "What films did you make with Jess Franco?," and Kinski told him something like "I don't know-Jess is making so many films on the set that you have to ask him.
That was not true, but Kinski is so crazy that people believed him. Now everybody thinks I'm shooting one film but making another.
With so many of your more recent film finally arriving in the U.S. market via DVD, do you feel that there's a renewed interest in your work?
My producer allows me to make my films so I make them and then he brings them to audiences.
The teenagers in Europe love my films. Interest in my films in America seems to have begun with videotapes, VHS. People in America started to look all over the world to find my films in all their different versions.
But now, I see a fresh interest because people are looking for the films I am making currently and not asking me about the ones I made twenty years ago.
I am happy when people ask me questions about Tender Flesh and Mari-Cookie and Vampire Blues (Picture: ), because I know that people in the U.S. are interested in me now.
When I'm in America, I'm happy to be so well received when I meet fans of my films when I go to conventions -thousands of fans were in Secaucus, New Jersey to meet me at the Chiller convention. They told me that it was the largest audience ever for that convention at that time
It must be very satisfying for you.
Yes, yes. Today, I would say that my films are probably most seen on video and DVD. That is okay, you know.
Years ago, I used to make films with large American box office grosses and they were always in Variety-films like 99 Women. Today, I know that my new films are made for my audience and not for the mainstream audience. But as long as I'm able to make my own films, it is fine for me.
Franco's flicks don't pop up on cable frequently and aren't exhibited at the local multiplex. A glance at the cult shelf at a more eclectic video retailer is probably the best way to gain an audience with the work of this sinister se?
The maverick filmmaker's mammoth output in the thriller, erotica and horror genres includes such recent Stateside releases as Incubus (2002) (Picture: ), Helter Skelter (2000) (Picture: ), Blind Target (2000) (Picture: ), Lust for Frankenstein (1998) (Picture: ), Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula (1999) (Picture: ) and Tender Flesh (1996) (Picture: ), which feature such video-friendly lovelies as Amber Newman (Picture: ), Linnea Quigley (Picture: ), Monique Parent (Picture: ) and Lina Romay (Picture: 1), Franco's significant other for the past three decades.
These five titles, like the rest of his extensive resume, are the inimitable work of a filmmaker who, quite simply, does whatever he wants and doesn't censor his vision, the yield being a collection of low-budget works that are at once violent, sexy and often disturbing.
Your work and its subject matter often considered controversial, racy and over-the-top-genre films with a distinctive bite, if you will. How did you come to create these inimitable pieces?I have always been a fan of cinema and when I was growing up in Spain, we could only see films that were heavily cut and censored and I always wanted to make films-and to make films with full flavor. I enjoy telling stories in my way and I hope that's what my fan will like.
You've been unofficially credited with directing at least 170 films under a slew of assumed names. Why so many different names?
Sometimes, for official reasons. We used to have to fill quotas when making films in certain countries. So a German film, for example, needed to have a German director. So, Jesus Franco would become Jess Frank. Other times, I like to give homage to people who are my heroes in film and music, so I'll use a name to give homage to them.
How have you gone about financing your films over recent years? Sometimes you appear to a be director-for-hire.
No, not at all. There are always times when a director must make a film he does not like to make. But I'm lucky in these years to have a strong tie with my American producers who accept my projects and then arrange for the financing. If someone wants to hire me to make a film it must be a film that I like. Over the past few years, I've been asked to make about 4 or 5 films that I have not liked. So I haven't done them.
What do you think are the finest films you've ever directed?
Every film, when I make it, I like it. Year later, I may not like it so much because I see that I could have done differently. I very much like Necronomicon [aka Succubus (Picture: )] of my older films and Dracula Contra Frankenstein (Picture: ). Of my new films, I like Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula .
And the worst?
Gritos En La Noche [aka The Awful Dr. Orloff (Picture: )] is such a slow, dreary film. People always call it a classic, but I am tired of it. That's why I want so much to remake it!
And how about the most controversial?
Why would I consider my films to be controversial? I make the stories I like, but it is up to the audience to say what is controversial, not me.
You've worked with one of our favorite lunatic actors, the late Klaus Kinski (Picture: ). Any good Kinski stories for us?
Klaus Kinski is-was-a crazy man, but very gifted and talented. I think he is excellent in my film Jack the Ripper.
He is, I believe the first person to tell the story that caused the rumors that I would make more than one film at a time because I would shoot so much footage of him. A reporter asked him one time "What films did you make with Jess Franco?," and Kinski told him something like "I don't know-Jess is making so many films on the set that you have to ask him.
That was not true, but Kinski is so crazy that people believed him. Now everybody thinks I'm shooting one film but making another.
With so many of your more recent film finally arriving in the U.S. market via DVD, do you feel that there's a renewed interest in your work?
My producer allows me to make my films so I make them and then he brings them to audiences.
The teenagers in Europe love my films. Interest in my films in America seems to have begun with videotapes, VHS. People in America started to look all over the world to find my films in all their different versions.
But now, I see a fresh interest because people are looking for the films I am making currently and not asking me about the ones I made twenty years ago.
I am happy when people ask me questions about Tender Flesh and Mari-Cookie and Vampire Blues (Picture: ), because I know that people in the U.S. are interested in me now.
When I'm in America, I'm happy to be so well received when I meet fans of my films when I go to conventions -thousands of fans were in Secaucus, New Jersey to meet me at the Chiller convention. They told me that it was the largest audience ever for that convention at that time
It must be very satisfying for you.
Yes, yes. Today, I would say that my films are probably most seen on video and DVD. That is okay, you know.
Years ago, I used to make films with large American box office grosses and they were always in Variety-films like 99 Women. Today, I know that my new films are made for my audience and not for the mainstream audience. But as long as I'm able to make my own films, it is fine for me.
