Of the dozen or so films directed by Jess Franco that I have seen, from his gigantic oeuvre of over 190 (!) pictures, 1966's "The Diabolical Dr. Z" is easily the best of the bunch. Aptly described by the excellent reference book "DVD Delirium 2" as a "beguiling mixture of drive-in sleaze and European art film," this French/Spanish coproduction--from a director whose output has been wildly variable, both in terms of quality and subject matter--greatly surprised me. In it, Dr. Zimmer dies of a heart attack in front of the medical convention to which he had come to present his latest findings. Using her father's recently invented gizmo that enables one to control the minds of other men, Irma Zimmer enslaves a psychotic strangler and a taloned cabaret performer with the oh-so appropriate appellation Miss Death. With these two cat's-paws, she sets out to avenge her father on the three convention members she holds responsible for his demise. The picture has a roster of fine attributes that sets it way above the usual horror fare, including (and foremost, for this viewer) some sensationally gorgeous B&W photography by DOP Alejandro Ulloa, a mournful, outre and discordant jazz score by Daniel White, and a story that just keeps getting wilder as it proceeds. (The plot device of a woman going after the medical men she deems responsible for a loved one's death would be revisited by Franco in the far inferior film "She Killed In Ecstasy" in 1970.) In the roles of Irma and Nadia (Miss Death), Mabel Karr and Estella Blain are simply outstanding, and Franco regular Howard "Dr. Orloff" Vernon, as well as the director himself, offer amusing performances in lesser roles. The film is taut, exciting and really an incredible experience to sit through. Dare I say it: a Jess Franco horror masterpiece! This Mondo Macabro DVD comes with the usual bounteous array of extras, including an interview with "The Bad Boy of Spanish Cinema," Franco himself. The print looks great, offers excellent subtitling for the French-language soundtrack, and is a must for all fans of well-made Eurohorror. I, for one, loved it!
Review of The Diabolical Dr. Z
