A successful businessman and family man, Patrick Mariel (Guy Delorme) is getting set to take his wife Marianne (Jacqueline Laurent) and his soon to be eighteen-year-old daughter Linda (Lina Romay) on a resort trip to the South of France. Before they leave, they begin receiving threatening phone calls from a woman named Lorna (Pamela Stanford), demanding that Patrick hand over his daughter to her. Meanwhile, Linda has been having vivid sexual fantasies. Ignoring Lorna’s demands, Patrick takes his family on vacation, where Lorna is waiting. Again, demanding that Patrick hand over his daughter, it’s revealed that years prior he had an affair with Lorna. She claimed to be a witch and promised Guy great wealth if he gave her his yet unborn daughter when she turned eighteen. When Guy continues to refuse, a series of strange things begin to happen, such as little sea crabs emerging from Marianne’s nether regions.
While all this is going on, a woman locked in an asylum (Catharine Lafferiere) writhes on a bed as she undergoes treatment from a doctor played by Jess Franco himself.
Dreamlike and slowly paced, Lorna the Exorcist doesn’t tell a particularly good story, yet remains riveting for fans of Franco. All the kinks and quirks we expect from him are there, as are the gratuitous close-ups and horror elements. Pamela Stanford really makes this work, replete with garish makeup and an otherworldly vibe. Guy Delorme and Jacqueline Laurent are fine as Lorna’s parents, seeming comfortable with the requisite family nudity.
Brought to Blu-ray for the first time in the US, Lorna the Exorcist is the first title on Kino’s new sub-label described as such: “Kino Cult is a deep dive into unapologetically weird genre cinema, blending recent arthouse discoveries with hundreds of outrageous midnight movies and grindhouse classics. These classics have been amazingly restored and have NEVER looked better!
Presented in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio, the 1080p image has some light damage and uneven color balances but does offer some nice close-ups and a crisper filmlike experience.
Audio is included in French or English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The English dub track is somewhat awkward, but its nice to have it available. The haunting guitar score by André Bénichou and Robert de Nesle (a producer on several Franco films), is effective.
The following extras are available:
- Audio Commentary with Tim Lucas
- Meet Pamela Stanford (HD, 22:23)
- Kiko and the Count: A Conversation with Gérard Kikoine about Robert De Nesle & Jess Franco (HD, 25:53)
- Fear and Desire: Stephen Thrower on the Cinematic Currents of Jess Franco (HD, 30:03)
