SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY [SIE TÖTETE IN EKSTASE]

Director: Frank Hollmann (Jess Franco)

Starring: Soledad Miranda, Ewa Strömberg, Paul Müller

VAMPYROS LESBOS  [LAS VAMPIROS]

Director: Franco Manera (Jess Franco)

Starring: Soledad Miranda, Ewa Strömberg, Dennis Price

These two Jess Franco films starring the bewitching Soledad Miranda are required viewing for anyone with an interest in European horror. Neither film has much of a plot to speak of (Vampyros Lesbos is about a promiscuous female vampire, She Killed in Ecstasy a kinky revenge drama), but viewers who require such formalities are unlikely to stray this far off the beaten track anyway.

Both films have been restored and remastered, and these discs mark the first release of the improved transfers anywhere in the world. Previous incarnations (including the American DVDs from Synapse) look pale and uninteresting in comparison. If you can Ignore Franco’s monumental shortcomings as a director, the films are a lot of fun: they're as kitsch as Christmas, and now shine with a vibrancy that few fans will have witnessed before. Neither is perfect, though: both have occasional signs of dirt and damage, and the odd patch of graininess. Both are presented in 1.85:1 ratio, with anamorphic enhancement, and with their original German language tracks, with optional English subtitles. The 2.0 mono (192kbps) audio on both – including the fab ‘n’ groovy soundtracks – is strong and clear, and both films are uncut. Second Sight’s presentation can’t really be faulted, although some sort of commentary track would have been extremely interesting. Both discs contain a theatrical trailer and a worthwhile gallery of photo’s and front-of-house stills.