Breaking out of the daze from Voodoo Passion (1977-also reviewed),I started trying to decided what title I should next watch from auteur film maker Jess Franco. Seeing the sealed box set on my shelf waiting to be opened,I got ready for the first chapter of Fu Manchu by Uncle Jess.
View on the film:
Sitting in a five film set, Indicator present a fantastic edition of the title,packed with detailed documenteries, audio commentery and a transfer that retains the film grain, whilst having a clean soundtrack and a print where the colours pop on the screen.
Detailed in Stephen Thrower's excellent book Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jess Franco, that in the first of what was to become a long collaboration with producer Harry Alan Towers, (who also co-wrote the script) that sudden money issues led to footage from three different movies being used,in an attempt to cover the budget troubles.
Co-writer (with Manfred R. Kohler and Towers) / directing auteur Jess Franco & his regular cinematographer of this era Manuel Merino, leap over the behind the scenes difficulties, with a sleazy Adventure atmosphere, gazing on the women chained up by Fu Manchu (played with a menacing edge by Christopher Lee) with Uncle Jess's distinctive playing of the zoom-in like a trombone, landing on the exposed skin of the ladies (whose chained up appearance, looks towards Uncle Jess's future take on the WIP genre), which is matched by Jazzy brightly coloured dissolves towards Lopez, (played by a snarling Ricardo Palacios) and the mapping of Fu Manchu's plan.
Getting the rights to the characters, but not Sax Rohmer's novel, the writers swiftly mix the Euro Spy baddie ambitions of Fu Manchu and his daughter, (played by an alluring Tsai Chin, later to co-star in Shang-Chi from Marvel) with the dashing adventure of Dr. Petrie trying to save Nayland Smith from the poison of Fu Manchu.
View on the film:
Sitting in a five film set, Indicator present a fantastic edition of the title,packed with detailed documenteries, audio commentery and a transfer that retains the film grain, whilst having a clean soundtrack and a print where the colours pop on the screen.
Detailed in Stephen Thrower's excellent book Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jess Franco, that in the first of what was to become a long collaboration with producer Harry Alan Towers, (who also co-wrote the script) that sudden money issues led to footage from three different movies being used,in an attempt to cover the budget troubles.
Co-writer (with Manfred R. Kohler and Towers) / directing auteur Jess Franco & his regular cinematographer of this era Manuel Merino, leap over the behind the scenes difficulties, with a sleazy Adventure atmosphere, gazing on the women chained up by Fu Manchu (played with a menacing edge by Christopher Lee) with Uncle Jess's distinctive playing of the zoom-in like a trombone, landing on the exposed skin of the ladies (whose chained up appearance, looks towards Uncle Jess's future take on the WIP genre), which is matched by Jazzy brightly coloured dissolves towards Lopez, (played by a snarling Ricardo Palacios) and the mapping of Fu Manchu's plan.
Getting the rights to the characters, but not Sax Rohmer's novel, the writers swiftly mix the Euro Spy baddie ambitions of Fu Manchu and his daughter, (played by an alluring Tsai Chin, later to co-star in Shang-Chi from Marvel) with the dashing adventure of Dr. Petrie trying to save Nayland Smith from the poison of Fu Manchu.