Shameless Self Expression

Set in 1939, when Americans appear to be largely apathetic to the impending war in Europe, perhaps unaware of the serious threat posed by the Nazi regime. Newspaper editor Harry Davenport is looking for hard news from his foreign correspondents and decides to insert a fresh face. Enter apolitical crime reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) to be sent to Europe and find out what’s really going on. After Davenport gives him the more important-sounding nom de plume Huntley Haverstock (!), he is sent to investigate negotiations conducted by a supposed peace organisation, to see whether war is imminent. The organisation is headed by Herbert Marshall, along with Dutch diplomat Albert Bassermann playing a key role. Laraine Day is Marshall’s daughter, a member of the rather amateur peace group, and the near-instant object of Haverstock’s affections. Haverstock gets barely a chance to talk with Bassermann before he is felled by an assassin, right in front of Haverstock’s eyes. Haverstock has land...

Eugenie (Soledad Miranda) makes a deathbed confession to author/biographer (Jesus ‘Jess’ Franco himself), recounting the tale of how her depraved stepfather (Paul Muller) groomed her into a life of depravity, debauchery, and murder.   Not to be confused with the similarly titled “Eugenie…The Story of Her Journey into Perversion” (by the same director) or “Justine de Sade” (which is not to be confused with Franco’s own “Justine” for that matter), this 1973 Marquis de Sade adaptation from writer-director Jesus Franco ( “99 Women” , “A Virgin Among the Living Dead” ) is perhaps the perfect marriage of Franco, sleazy material, and actors. Basically this is what Franco’s “She Killed in Ecstasy” might’ve been like if it were based on a Marquis de Sade work. There’s a few slow spots here and there, but overall I actually think this is Franco’s best film. Yes, even better than my previous choice “Vampyros Lesbos” , and better than his more ‘respectable’ films like “Count Dracula” ...