Severin Films, with sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new 4K film restoration (from the original camera negative) of cult filmmaker Jess Franco’s 1988 graphic horror tale, Faceless.
This new 4K Ultra HD release will be available for genre fans to enjoy just in time for the Labor Day weekend — perhaps as part of a Franco marathon — with a street date of Aug. 30.
In something of an update to Franco’s 1962 classic, The Awful Dr. Orloff, or perhaps a re-do with a bigger budget and better production values … or an homage. Take your pick. Faceless checks all of the right boxes, including a more coherent script, excellent cinematography by Maurice Fellous, an international cast, gruesome murders and a cameo appearance by Howard Vernon (the original Dr. Orloff). A genre fan’s delight to be sure!!
We are introduced to Dr. Flamand (played by Helmut Berger — The Damned, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Ludwig) and his sister, Ingrid (Christiane Jean … as Cosette in Robert Hossein’s 1982 production of Les Misérables), who are suddenly attacked by a crazed woman who hurls acid at the doctor, but hits his sister square-on in the face instead.
It turns out that she was a former patient, who was unhappy with Flamand’s work. This event sets in motion the storyline for the balance of the film as Flamand takes the “necessary” steps to repair his beloved sister’s face … let’s just call his approach, unorthodox.
Before you know it, his assistant, Nathalie (played by Brigitte Lahaie, aka: Brigitte Simonin), is out kidnapping young women on Flamand’s behalf, including their latest victim, Barbara (played by Bond girl Caroline Munro — The Spy Who Loved Me … Dracula A.D. 1972, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Maniac, Flesh for the Beast … a genre fan favorite to be sure). She is locked in the basement, with the others, which is guarded by the deranged Gordon (Gérard Zalcberg).
At this point you are thinking everything is in place for Flamand to do a face-lift, restore his sister’s beauty and have Gordon and Nathalie get rid of the evidence. But Franco knows better, he introduces the hero of the piece, Morgan (Christ Mitchum — Chisum, Rio Lobo, Big Jake) — a detective hired by Barbara’s father (played by Telly Savalas) — and, since this is a very complicated operation, Flamand has to consult with Dr. Orloff, who directs him to a former Nazi “doctor,” Karl Heinz Moser (Anton Diffring), who apparently has some experience with this sort of face-off … face-on procedure.
Now the race is on … can Morgan track down the kidnapped Barbara and rescue her before Flamand slices off her face!! Several “practice” attempts by the doctor makes for a very gory lead-up to the finale, which, of course, has a twist!!
This 4K Ultra HD presentation from Severin Films on Aug. 30 comes loaded with extras. We begin with vintage commentary from filmmaker Jess Franco, who is joined by Lina Romay, selected scene commentary by Chris Mitchum, the short film titled Therese II: The Mission, archival interest with Franco and Mitchum and five featurettes — “The Female Predator,” “Parisian Encounters,” “Predators of the Night,” “Facial Recognition” and “Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco.”
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