Christina, Princess of Eroticism (1971) **** (out of 4)A young woman named Christina (Christina von Blanc) goes to a small village where she's to meet some of her relatives as well as hear the reading of her father's will. Before long it dawns on her that something isn't quite right with the family when her uncle (Howard Vernon) slaps her for inviting an outsider to the house and when her dead father (Paul Muller) shows up to try and warn her.This here is without question one of the best films in director Jess Franco's career as it's a perfect mixture of art, Gothic nightmare and just a cold look at death. There are countless experts out there who will give theories on how this movie was Franco's most personal and why it was a direct connection to his star Soledad Miranda being killed shortly before this was made. It's worth noting that a lot of people overlook this as some sort of cheap horror movie but I think that's selling the film quite short. Known under a variety of titles including A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD, this film certainly manages to build up an eerie atmosphere and some great performances.Some might say the story makes no sense but I'd argue that many dreams or nightmares don't make sense. This film is somewhere in between a dream and a nightmare because there are so many moods going on here. The dream-like nature can be seen in moments like when Christina goes swimming not realizing that she's being spied on. Another great and peaceful sequence simply shows her sleeping in her bed not knowing the evil she's surrounded by. The nightmare aspect of the film is perfectly captured in the atmosphere including the entire final fifteen-minutes where this character that you've come to care for slowly loses everything.Performances are something that don't often get talked about when it comes to any Franco movie, which is a shame because we've got some great stuff here. This includes von Blanc who perfectly makes you believe the innocence of the character. Britt Nichols is wonderful as the overly sexual member of the family and Vernon is always worth watching. Muller and Anne Libert are good in their roles as is Franco who plays a dimwit. Another item that often gets criticized is Franco's use of zooms but they actually work well here and help build up the atmosphere and coldness of the picture.As with many Franco films, this one here is available in several versions. I've seen at least six different versions including one with hardcore footage and another that had Jean Rollin adding zombies to the film. The best version to watch is the one running in at 79-minutes. It's the shortest version out there but it's said to be the one closest to the director's preferred cut. As is, Christina, PRINCESS OF EROTICISM is without question proof that Franco could create an art film and a great one at that.

This movie begins with a young woman by the name of "Christina Benton" (Christina von Blanc) traveling from London to a castle somewhere in either Belgium or France in order to attend the reading of her late father's will. Along the way she is warned not to go but she continues on anyway. Once she arrives she is greeted by her distant relatives who have taken up residence there. Again she is discreetly warned by two of them to leave immediately but she disregards their advice too. On top of that, the longer she stays the more she discovers just how weird her relatives are. Yet she still continues to stay. Anyway, rather than disclose the rest of the story and possibly ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a Euro-horror film that was sadly typical of the early 70's. The fact that it was dubbed in English didn't concern me nearly as much as the overall plot which seemed chaotic and confused. Along with that, excluding the very end of the film, I thought most of the movie was quite dull. Be that as it may, I must admit that I thought Christina was absolutely gorgeous. Likewise, Britt Nichols (as "Carmencé") and Ann Libert (as "The Queen of the Night") also had their moments. But other than that I saw nothing worthwhile in this movie. Accordingly, I rate it as below average.

This was certainly one strange movie: Carmencé (Britt Nichols) is doing her toenails during a funeral service, and a head as a flower vase is in her room. Christina (Christina von Blanc) even drops in unexpectedly while Carmencé is licking blood from a blind girl (Linda Hastreiter).Everyone keeps telling Christina that no one lives in the castle she is visiting. One has to wonder as they do not eat with her. Maybe they are ghosts. They certainly don't object when she inherits everything from her father.She not only sees her dead father (Paul Muller) several times, but he talks to her. Is she dreaming? Is she dead and just doesn't know it? Death runs though this film.I have to say for a low budget film, it was beautifully done; the scenery and music were very good, and it was strangely interesting.

Decent mix of sleaze and spookery. Howard Vernon heads a household of seemingly living but dead folk and there is a sense of decadence as well as of death throughout. Plenty of bare flesh helps fill in where there are the usual lapses in Franco's narrative (speaking of which, in this he features as a grunting mute and still manages to overact). Some good stuff including nude bathing among lily pads and the surreal dialogue with the ever retreating father as hanged man. Good photography (except for the zooms, unless they are towards young flesh, of course) and a fine score from Bruno Nicolai. All in all, likable and enjoyable. Disc includes alternative endings with Romero like zombies.