Wednesday 2 May 2007

Kiss Me, Monster (1969)

Kiss Me, Monster is Jess Franco strictly in fun mode. This 1969 movie is a send-up of spy movies, seasoned with a healthy dash of psychedelia. The plot is obscure to say the least, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it includes all the elements necessary for a movie like this – a mysterious secret society, a mad scientist and a secret formula. The movie also includes not one but two glamorous girl secret agents. Although they’re really not that keen on being secret agents – they’re hoping to break into show business. Being a Jess Franco film, there are also slightly weirder ingredients, like a sisterhood of whip-wielding “queer virgins” and a method of sending secret messages by windmill. At least I think that’s what they were doing with the windmill. The dubbing on the Redemption VHS edition is atrocious, but that actually adds to the fun. Janine Reynaud and Rosanna Yanni are delightful as Diana and Regina, the two intrepid female spies. Their performances add just the right extra touches of camp to the movie. Definitely not a movie to take seriously, and clearly not intended to be taken seriously, but a lot of fun. I believe it’s the sequel to Two Undercover Angels, which I’ve not seen.

6 out of 10

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