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"The Awful Dr. Orloff" was the film that put Jess Franco on the map in the field of trashy exploitation cinema. Hes been a legend since, turning out hundreds of films. Admittedly, this isn't an original plot at all. A quick scan of the film's summary shows it rips off the key plot elements to "Eyes Without a Face". However, "The Awful Dr. Orlof" is one of the best imitation films ever made. It doesn't have the artistic beauty that "Eyes Without a Face" had, but its a much more sordid tale overall and plays the material to a hilt. Its also a constantly compelling story that remains frightening throughout, with plenty of gloomy and fog-drenched Gothic atmosphere.On a technical level, the film is average. Howard Vernon is quite good as the title mad doctor, but the rest of the cast is pretty poor. The inspector character is completely uninteresting and Conrado San Martín in no way rises above the material. Diana Lorys is positively gorgeous but not that much of an actress. The direction by Franco is good and probably his most quickly paced, but far from his most interesting. Fortunately, the cinematography and jazz score are great, and there are several sequences that retain the ability to jolt the audience. Plus, unlike the director's later work, there is a story to speak of here. "The Awful Dr. Orlof" isn't Franco's best film but it may be his most accessible. (6/10)
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