Paroxismus (1969)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Jesus Franco

Writers:

Milo G. Cuccia (writer)
Carlo Fadda (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1969 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Music | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The coat that covered paradise, uncovered hell!

Plot:

A couple who get involved in an underground scene of kinky sex and sadism have a surprise coming to them...

Plot Keywords:

Sadism | Musician | Room | Confusion | Sex

Cast

James Darren	...	Jimmy Logan
Barbara McNair	...	Rita
Maria Rohm	...	Wanda Reed
Klaus Kinski	...	Ahmed Kortobawi
Dennis Price	...	Percival Kapp
Margaret Lee	...	Olga
Adolfo Lastretti	...	Insp. Kaplan (as Aldo Lastretti)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jesus Franco	...	Jazz musician (uncredited)
Manfred Mann	...	Jazz musician (uncredited)
Paul Muller	...	Hermann (uncredited)
Mirella Pamphili	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jesus Franco

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Milo G. Cuccia		writer
Carlo Fadda		writer
Jesus Franco		writer
Bruno Leder		writer
Malvin Wald		writer

Produced by
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Mike Hugg
Manfred Mann
Stu Phillips		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Angelo Lotti

Film Editing by
Henry Batista
Michael Pozen
Nicholas Wentworth		(original version)
Stanley Frazen		(uncredited)

Special Effects by
Howard A. Anderson	....	special effects

Production Companies

• Cinematografica Associati (CI.AS.)
• Terra-Filmkunst
• Towers of London Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1970) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Blue Underground (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Shameless Films (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Black Angel (UK) (working title)
Paroxsysmos
Può una morta rivivere per amore? (Italy)
Venus in Furs (USA)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK | West Germany | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | USA:R | Australia:R

Company:

Cinematografica Associati (CI.AS.)

Quotes:

Jimmy Logan: She was beautiful, even though she was dead.

Surrealism at its best

Surrealistic erotic shocker from Jess Franco – the film is often incoherent but Franco's style has such verve and flavor that it overcomes this. The storyline remains intentionally vague, adding to the film's overall dreamlike sensibility. Maria Rohm – another of Franco's amazing female stars, every bit as intoxicating as Soledad Miranda – stars as a woman seeking revenge who becomes acquainted with a disillusioned jazz trumpeter (the plot, Franco says in his interview on the DVD, was based on something trumpeter Chet Baker told him, about being lost in fantasy when he plays). The storyline was modified slightly to accommodate an association with the then-popular Venus In Furs book, but is otherwise an original tale. Often distorted, this sadistic sex thriller remains a compelling stylistic piece of storytelling, set in exotic locales with mesmerizingly exotic women and a visual style (despite some heavy handed flash editing that Franco has later claimed he didn't care for) that is quite intriguing – wrapped in a neat 60's jazz score by English rocket Manfred Mann.