Sadist of Notre Dame (aka Exorcism)

D: Jess Franco

A  better scene in "Sadist of Notre Dame"

Franco plays in this film an ex-priest who wants to "safe" women through killing. Potential objects are prostitutes and women who star in a parisian stage show where a black mass is performed, among them lina romay. Like the majority of franco´s films this film was made on a zero budget, the actors dont take their job here allto serious and the english dubbing is quite dreadfull. altough i dont believe the film is even in original language much better. the film starts actually quite good: in a cellar lina romay (in her best condition)and another woman are performing a kind of sado show. romay not much wearing except some chains, and captured, is smeared with the blood of a dove, and after that killed.then the viewer notices that this was just staged. a kind of grand guignol!. this is one of the few interesting scenes. the only actor who seems to take the role really serious, is franco himself as if he wants to win an academy award for it. in a night club he meets a a prostitute and they go home to him, (he has a private chapel at home!)then franco forces her to say she´s possesed byt the devil and so on. and kills her finally. similar it  happens with other women, at the end he breaks into romay´s apartment and chlorofomes her, then sets her in chains, (nude of course), to torture her, (again one of the few interesting scenes). the end is then a bomb and very laughable. alltough the film plays in paris, the film could have played in every other city, there are nearly no outdoor scenes of paris. one shot of notre dame and that´s it. probably franco didnt have even permission for shooting. several versions should exist from this film, one with x-rated scenes, but who gives a shit about that?

El Sadico de NotreDame (1981) Director,Writing Credit: Jess Franco

Cast: Lina Romay, Olivier Mathot, Claude Boisson, Antonio de Cabao, Maria Forlan, Jess Franco