Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Nigel P Howard Vernon, dapper and hidden in shadows for his first few appearances, abducts silly young ladies in order to transplant their faces onto that of his scarred daughter. Vernon began his long association with Spanish Director Jess Franco with this film, often starring as main characters in often low-budget European horrors after a career playing mainly playing 'gangsters and heavies'. As his billing in mainstream films got lower and lower, his star rose under Franco. Vernon is excellent in this, as he is in all Franco's films – an underrated actor often starring in underrated productions.He plays Orlof, a villain with a smattering of sympathy and a henchman called Morpho (Ricardo Valle). The practicalities of employing a totally blind assistant must be limited – Morpho's scarred, boggle-eyed make-up is not dissimilar from that of the titular monsters in Franco's 'Oasis of the Zombies' twenty years later. The name Morpho would be given to many villainous underlings in future projects.Inspector, Tanner (Conrado San Martín), finds his time divided between this gruesome case and his new fiancée Wanda (who on occasion, bears a resemblance to Yvonne Monlaur's character from Hammer's 1960 hit, 'Brides of Dracula' – a film that inspired Franco to pursue a horror film career). Imagine if Orlof decides that she should be his latest victim! Taking cues from 'Frankenstein', 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' and especially the French classic 'Eyes Without a Face (1960)' – there's even a black cat thrown in for good measure - this is reputedly Spain's first horror film. It is a chiaroscuro triumph, striking in black and white, almost film noir. Directed with assurance and almost completely lacking Franco's predilection for camera zooms, 'The Awful Dr. Orlof' is the film that put Franco on the map – and deservedly so. Otherwise known as 'Screams in the Night'/'L'Horrible Docteur Orloff', there are few signs of his future in cut-price 'exploitation' that would become his trademarks. An entirely respectable, well played, good looking and confidently produced horror, it ticks all the right boxes and a few more besides.

gavin6942 Dr. Orlof (Howard Vernon), a former prison doctor, abducts beautiful women from nightclubs and tries to use their skin to repair his daughter's fire-scarred face... yes, this is a dark, twisted version of "Eyes Without a Face".This is considered to be the earliest Spanish horror film, and Jess Franco's directorial debut. The second point hardly surprises me, though I have to say this was a strong start (his earlier films in general seem to be more well-developed than his later attempts). The first point seems odd -- was Spain so far behind in film that it took until the 1960s to have a horror film? Franco was influenced by comic books, particularly the work of Manuel Vázquez Gallego, who has a small role here. He was also influenced by Orson Welles, and there are some cinematography moments that suggest "The Third Man". Film historian Tim Lucas calls out the cinematography, and also the composers, comparing the music to the score for Ken Russell's "The Devils".Lucas notes this film introduced the idea of an "oral sadist" rather than vampire or zombie -- a monster who bites necks, but has no interest in drinking blood or eating flesh.Which version is best is beyond me. The Spanish version is longer, particularly in the opening scene, and the wild music is more muted. Plot-wise, it is probably stronger than the French. Anyway, a fine little film with some good black and white shots and a creepy atmosphere. Franco seems to be somewhat focused on people with weird eyes, a theme he would return to in "House of Usher"... okay.

Witchfinder General 666 With a repertoire of over 180 directed films to this day, Cult director Jess Franco is positively the most prolific Horror/Exploitation/Trash filmmaker who ever lived. Franco's work is sometimes unfairly dismissed as worthless junk, but while it is indisputable that his impressive filmography includes quite a bunch of stinkers, he is also responsible for several classics and genuine masterpieces. Especially his early work is amazing, and the 1962 milestone "Gritos En La Noche" aka. "The Awful Dr. Orloff" is the perfect proof for the genius of this man. Young women have been disappearing in the small town of Hartog. Once a devoted scientist, Dr. Orloff (Howard Vernon), is obsessed with restoring the beauty of his daughter who has been disfigured in an accident. Aided by the monstrous assistant Morpho, Orloff is willing to commit whatever atrocities necessary in order to bring his daughter's face back... The theme of a scientist gone mad who kills young women in order to restore life and beauty of another woman wasn't exactly new in 1962. The film was obviously inspired by George Franju's masterpiece "Les Yeux Sans Visage" ("Eyes Without A Face", 1960), and Giorgio Ferroni's brilliant Gothic tale "Il Mulino Delle Donne Di Pietro" ("Mill of the Stone Women", 1960) also had a similar topic. Franco therefore picked up on this topic, but, SO WHAT? - "The Awful Doctor Orloff" has a very particular charm of its own right and is furthermore an absolute milestone of European Sleaze Horror cinema. Franco delivers all the elements we love about 60s Gothic Horror - a supremely uncanny Gothic atmosphere, eerie locations, genuine creepiness, demented characters and an ingeniously morbid plot - all in his very particular style, and furthermore paves the way for Erotic Horror/Exploitation films to come by adding a considerable amount of sleaze and nudity (the film shows bared breast on two occasions, which wasn't exactly the norm in 1962). The violence is also quite exceptionally gritty for the time (though this was also the case in "Eyes without a Face"). Franco's regular leading man Howard Vernon is superb in the role of Dr. Orloff (a role he would reprise in several other films by Franco). Conrado San Martin is good as the investigating police Inspector. The female cast is very nice to look at, beautiful Diana Lorys deserves special praise in her double role as the inspector's girlfriend and Dr. Orloff's daughter. The town of Hartog, and especially Orloff's hideout are magnificent Horror locations. Franco-typical, the film has some genuinely comical characters (a bum who helps with the investigations, as well as a lunatic who claims to be the murderer in a hilarious scene). The creepy atmosphere is aided by a uniquely Franco-flick-style score, and an amazing photography. Along with the equally great "Miss Muerte" (aka. "The Diabolical Dr. Z", 1966) which is actually a sequel to this film, "The Awful Dr. Orloff" is easily Franco's greatest achievement, and a genuine Eurohorror milestone that must not be missed by any true Horror fan.

Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski) This film has nothing outstanding or even average about it, on the whole, it is the work of a very immature director who only wanted to make a film for money on the quick. The plot, or the tedious 1 & 1/2 hour worth of filler, is absolutely ridiculous. Insane dialogue is scattered in long tedious shots. The acting is atrocious, most of the actors look like they belong in some cheap cabaret on a skid row area of town, they can't express true emotion that the roles demand. Take for example the lead inspector, he is an insincere and unbelievable character whose inability to solve the obvious murder case is incredulous. I sat there bored to death, and the other reviewers said it was 'scary'. Nothing at all was frightening about this, the dumb monster is played by a guy in rubber make-up and he's also blind, someone should have just torched him. The ending is not only expected (heroine saved, monster killed) but abrupt and absurd, the lead inspector shoots the monster while it is holding the heroine from about 80 yards while it is up on the castle balcony. Avoid this if you can, it isn't worth anything.