The Mistresses of Dr. Jekyll (1964) YIFY - Download Movie TORRENT

The second "Orloff" movie is apparently unrelated to the first (a re-acquaintance with which will follow): in fact, this name is omnipresent throughout Franco's filmography; anyway, it is more or less on the same level of THE SADISTIC BARON VON KLAUS (1962) – even if I watched ORLOFF in English rather than French (or, for that matter, the original Spanish language). Again, Franco shows to be fairly adept with genre conventions and even manages to blend them relatively easily with a modern-day setting – still, he cannot help being himself and resist incorporating nightclub performances (in fact, this rather lazily makes the artistes themselves the victims so that we get a song every 20 minutes or so!) and, inevitably, erotic overtones.Incidentally, Howard Vernon (the actor most associated with the Orloff role) is sorely missed here – the character himself is only of secondary importance and appears very briefly – but the memorable Morpho figure, a disfigured zombie-like creature obeying its master's will (not unlike Cesare from the German Expressionist landmark THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI {1920}), is now assumed by Andros. The latter – played by Hugo Blanco, the villainous latest member of the Von Klaus family and whose brooding good looks suit his mute stalker here – is perversely turned into a monster (hence the title, though the print actually bears the absurd moniker DR. JEKYLL'S MISTRESSES - which would, in any case, have better suited Walerian Borowczyk's masterful 1981 film, DOCTEUR JEKYLL ET LES FEMMES!) by his own scientist brother (Vernon's bearded, rather gruff replacement and saddled with the peculiar surname of Fisherman) when he catches him in bed with his own wife (she, of course, also pays for her infidelity by being driven to the bottle).However, the plot this time around is decidedly contrived: we never learn why Andros (who sleeps upright in a class cage, as Cesare himself did albeit in a wooden-box) is sent on a murderous rampage – after being revived, and subsequently controlled, by sound-waves – every once in a while (most effectively when he nonchalantly moves through a crowded nightspot following yet another attack). The "Digitally Obsessed" website review suggests the reason for the various killings is because Fisherman wanted to get even with his spousebut this is hardly EYES WIDE SHUT (1999), is it?! Similarly, the heroine – the monster's daughter, whom she believed was dead and buried (at one point, he even visits his own grave!) – turns up to stay with the central family only so that we get the obligatory damsel-in-distress and add an admittedly refreshing touch of pathos to Andros' condition; Agnes Spaak, sister of the more famous Catherine(!), appears in this part. On the other hand, the girl's bland male counterpart is extremely annoying, and the presence of the Police basically only serves to keep the audience abreast of the villains' eventual apprehension.

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Bunuel1976 6 / 10

DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER (Jesus Franco, 1964) **1/2

Reviewed by fertilecelluloid 5 / 10

An above average thriller that suffers from Franco's work ethic melancholy

"Dr. Orloff's Monster" is an interesting curio, a sequel, in name only, to "The Awful Dr. Orloff", my favourite Franco pic. Only once in this version is the name "Orloff" mentioned. The Howard Verson role here, another disgraced surgeon, is played by Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui and his name is Dr. Jekyll. His "Morpho" equivalent, however, called "Andros" (Hugh Blanco), is a central character. Like Morpho, the blind manservant in "Awful", Andros kills for Jekyll and harbors a grudge or two.The story is straightforward. Jekyll's niece Melissa (Agnes Spaak) travels to Austria to visit her uncle at his brooding castle. She finds an unhappy household (shades of "A Virgin Among The Living Dead") and a hostile reception from Jekyll who is all work and no play. But being a curious lass, Melissa takes time to explore the castle at night and meets up with Andros, who turns out to be her missing, deceased father, a tragic figure who lives in a state of walking death and is controlled by low level sonics.Not as technically polished or atmospheric as "The Awful Dr. Orloff", it is still miles beyond most of the crap Franco churned out. Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui, as Jekyll, is not a very charismatic male lead, and reminded me of a poor man's Sebastian Cabot (from TV's "Ghost Story"). Spaak as Melissa is very pretty and sexy and Blanco manages to elicit our sympathy for his shambling dead man.Stylistically, the film is uneven, and the pacing is funereal at times, evidence of Franco's work ethic melancholy. The director's trademark jazz clubs, saucy strippers and camera zooming are in surplus here, as is his penchant for lurid close-ups of deformed faces (something that must be admired). I like the film, but it lacks energy and suffers from cloudy motivation and one-dimensional characterization.Still worth seeing, though.

The Mistresses of Dr. Jekyll

1964 [SPANISH]

Action / Horror / Sci-Fi

The Mistresses of Dr. Jekyll

1964 [SPANISH]

Action / Horror / Sci-Fi

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Movie Reviews

DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER (Jesus Franco, 1964) **1/2

An above average thriller that suffers from Franco's work ethic melancholy

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