Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Lorna the Exorcist Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 21, 2023

Jess Franco's "Lorna the Exorcist" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with actress Pamela Stanford; archival program with sound/dubbing specialist and editor Gerard Kikoine; new audio commentary by critic and novelist Tim Lucas; and more. In French and English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Gamble everything you have now -- then bet your future, too.

I often wonder whether Jess Franco’s films would have turned out a lot better if he had been given much bigger budgets to work with. It is easy to speculate that at least some would have turned out far more glamorous, but I am unsure if this may have been a positive development. In Franco’s universe, more rarely means better. I think that the opposite is true. Most of the time, smaller budgets forced Franco to be more creative, and when he was in the mood to be creative, he often shot spectacular material.

Of course, in Franco’s universe spectacular is not synonymous with top quality either, which makes critiquing his work very, very difficult. For example, I rarely care about the quality of the stories that are told in his films. I do not instantly discard them, but I do not think that they are as crucial as they are in conventional films. As far as I am concerned, Franco’s best films are the ones that plug into my mind and then temporarily transport me to that most surreal playground where he becomes a mad magician. These films always produce an incredible atmosphere that overtakes their stories. Sometimes I like the atmosphere, sometimes I do not, but I am never bored because the experience is always unique.

Is it possible that this experience could have been consistently better if Franco had been able to work with bigger budgets? I doubt it. Some of Franco’s most atmospheric films are also some of his most intimate films, which means that bigger budgets would have been incompatible with their goals. Of course, I could be wrong. Franco could have used the money to secure superior equipment, bigger and better crews, bigger stars willing to do wilder things before his camera if the pay was right. Anything is possible, just like in Franco’s films, where at the right time the impossible becomes one hundred percent possible. It begins to make perfect sense, too.

Lorna the Exorcist is a classic Franco mind-bender that also tells an interesting story. Patrick Mariel (Guy Delorme), his wife Marianne (Jacqueline Laurent), and their daughter, Linda (Lina Romay), travel to the French Riviera to celebrate the latter’s eighteenth birthday. However, shortly after they reach their hotel, Patrick receives a phone call from a woman, Lorna Green (Pamela Stanford), with whom years ago he had an affair. Patrick is instructed to meet Lorna at the same casino where his life was permanently redirected. A few uneven flashbacks then reveal how Patrick became a very wealthy man after meeting Lorna.

Patrick’s transformation was part of a most unusual deal. After meeting Lorna at the casino and then going back to her hotel room, Patrick made love to her and then agreed to trade his future daughter for his incoming wealth -- money for flesh, which Lorna was going to collect when his daughter turned eighteen. But before Lorna made him wealthy, Patrick did not know what it meant to be a father, and when Linda was born, he instantly began regretting his decision to trade her. But a deal is a deal, and Lorna, assisted by her private bodyguard, Maurizius (Howard Vernon), now demands what belongs to her.

If the description of the story that is told in Lorna the Exorcist sounds like a variation of the classic legend about Faust, it is because it absolutely is, but with numerous Franco-esque twists. There is plenty of explicit erotic material in it as well, which makes it most inappropriate for the prudish.

However, and this is very important to underscore, instead of transforming Lorna the Exorcist into a sleaze fest, which is something that an Italian director very enthusiastically would have done, Franco delivers another intimate séance. Indeed, Lorna the Exorcist is yet another one of those very fluid Franco creations that plug into the mind and then for a short period of time transport the viewer to his favorite surreal playground.

Robert de Nesle and Andre Benichou’s minimalistic soundtrack is very special. It has an airy quality that is half of the atmosphere. It is one of the best done for a Franco film.

*Lorna the Exorcist can be seen in French and English. Both tracks feature overdubbing. However, the French track has always been considered the original track.

Lorna the Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lorna the Exorcist arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

I pulled Mondo Macabro's DVD release of Lorna the Exorcist and several comparisons to see whether this Blu-ray release offers a substantial upgrade in quality. Excluding discrepancies in resolution, I think that the two releases offer extremely similar presentations of the film. While I do not think that this is a bad thing, I cannot write that it is great either. Why? The master that was used to prepare Mondo Macabro DVD release presents a reconstruction of Lorna the Exorcist that uses material of varying quality. All of the limitations and age-related imperfections that were visible on the DVD release are present on the Blu-ray release. Also, there is footage that comes from 35mm print, which is not in great condition, and as a result there are numerous drops in density levels and color stability. On my system, there is plenty of material that looked better on the Blu-ray release, but there is quite a bit that looked practically identical to what I was getting while upscaling the DVD, too. The good news is that no attempts have been made to repolish the master so that the source limitations and age-related imperfections are less noticeable, so despite all inconsistencies the visuals still have proper organic qualities. Some of these visuals just look very dated and worn out. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Lorna the Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the French track.

I prefer to view the film with the French track, which has always been considered the original track. However, you should know that the French and English tracks feature overdubbing.

Mondo Macabro's DVD release has two tracks as well, so I did a few quick comparisons. The gap in quality that exists between the lossless French track and lossy French track is pretty substantial. The important music theme sounds much better throughout the entire film, so as far as I am concerned this alone is a good enough reason to recommend upgrading. The dialog is clear but often quite uneven, which is hardly surprising considering that it features overdubbing.

Lorna the Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Pamela Stanford - in this recent program, actress Pamela Stanford, who plays the character of Lorna in Lorna the Exorcist, explains how she entered the film industry as an extra, and discusses the first role she was offered -- in Jess Franco's Celestine, Maid at Your Service -- the production of Lorna the Exorcist, and Franco's directing methods. Mrs. Stanford also addresses a few exploitation/naziploitation films she made later on. In French, with English subtitles. (23 min).

• Interview with Gerard Kikoine - in this archival program, Gerard Kikoine, sound/dubbing specialist and editor on several Jess Franco films, including Lorna the Exorcist, discusses his professional relationship with Franco and producer Robert De Nesle. The program was produced by Merrill Aldighieri and Lucas Balbo on June 24, 2010. In French, with English subtitles. (26 min).

• Interview with Stephen Thrower - in this archival program, critic Stephen Thrower explains what films and when forced him to change his evaluation of Jess Franco's films, why they frequently appear to be quite inconsistent, and what he thinks motivated the Spanish director to be so prolific over the years. Mr. Thrower also addresses the construction and style of Lorna the Exorcist. This program was included on Mondo Macabro's DVD release of Lorna the Exorcist. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, novelist and critic Tim Lucas discusses Jess Franco's cinematic universe, the conception and production of Lorna the Exorcist, the locations in Southern France where key sequences were shot, the main characters in the film and their dilemmas (with some very interesting comments about Pamela Stanford's make-up), the erotic content, the important role music has throughout the film, etc.

Lorna the Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An impromptu trip to the beautiful French Riviera quickly evolves into a surreal nightmare in Lorna the Exorcist, a sizzling mind-bender from cult Spanish director Jess Franco. This film also features one of the simplest yet most effective music scores that Franco was able to secure. Kino Lorber's upcoming Blu-ray release offers a rather rough technical presentation of a reconstruction of Lorna the Exorcist, but I still think that it is worth picking up. It has a good selection of bonus features and is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.