C. Belinsky - THE Great Eurocine Artist

I was recently inspired by a post by Robert Monell on The Invisible Dead at I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind. Back in 2001 I attempted to launch a Eurocine fan site on the web. Response was underwhelming, though I did get a good amount of mail regarding my positive review of Zombie Lake. Go figure.
Eurocine is a pet fascination of mine, and though my zoo is full of strange obsessive filmstuff, the land of Lesoeur is something that pulls me back in every so often. This company produced or co-produced some of my favorite Jess Franco films, including Eugenie, Virgin Among The Living Dead, Awful Dr. Orlof, Exorcism / Sadist of Notre Dame amongst others. Not only did they help Franco get these films made, but if you look at the overall career of that wild director you can't help but see the gravity between these two entities. Be it 1962 and The Awful Dr. Orlof or 1989 and Esmeralda Bay-there have been ups and downs, but they are certainly linked, one as important as the other.
But there is much more to Eurocine. The Lesoeur's produced jungle action, sleazy trash, nazisploitation, sex comedies and porno on top. Sometimes all of the above at once. My world would be less fun without Maniac Killer or Othello The Black Commando to rewatch. Never mind Zombie Lake!
However, this is not a post about Eurocine believe it or not. One of the things I enjoy the most is the poster art the company created. From the threadbare to the elaborate, Eurocine always delivered a poster that sold the concept of the film to perfection. After spending hours perusing the Christophe Bier edited Cinema Culte Europeen magazine on Eurocine (a fine document by the way) I came to the conclusion that my favorite Eurocine artist was C. Belinsky. Two problems though. First, I can't find much, if any real, information on him. And on top of that I do not own a single piece of this fine fine art. I have lots of Jess Franco stuff, but no Belinsky! Hopefully this archive of images will change that and I can triumph and post a pic of myself with one. Belinsky's art is unique and I find it amazing to behold. At times the images feel like my memories of the movies-razor sharp in parts and hazy in others.
As an aside to the upcoming Lamberto Bava project, I will post up some Belinsky and hopefully start a new cult of fans. Maybe it is time to dust off SADOMANIACS INC. as the title of that old Eurocine site and see if Daniel Lesoeur would take my call. I wonder if he would be amused by the fact that I'd love to post a complete set of credits, artwork and reviews of these films in English? I think it would be incredible as a resource for fans of European Cult Cinema.

Two rough proposals for Eugenie. I actually find these amongst the most amazing bits of Belinsky items I've seen. Layout work is something I really enjoy looking at, and both of these are brilliant.

And here is the finished poster...incredible not only for the amazing image of the knife in the mirror, but also the likeness to the actors.

Holy Diamonds Of Kilamanjaro. Bienert looks happy and look at that monkey! I love the Eurocine monkey! I believe the same monkey appears in many of the 80's films-even laid up in a hospital bed in Commando Mengele.

Never seen the film, but the cast and all those French words sound cool.

This one is for the Pierre Chevalier directed VIOL. A sleeeeeeeeeeZEEEE film with a young Brigitte Lahie no less. Now that is a great graphic.

Men For Rent-Eurocine Sex Comedy or Trash Classic??

I was really excited after viewing the recent Severin DVD of CANNIBAL TERROR to find a few others had done the same at Eurotrash Paradise. Prime junk cinema, and a perfect bit of Eurocine madness. Possibly the shoddiest "cannibal" film ever made in Europe, it has a really strange plot, stupid characters and utterly insane "cannibal" attacks. A must have. But that is on Friday.

It got me to thinking about my old site, Erotikill Cinema. It was a tribute to Eurocine and this review from 2003 was still on my back up hard drive. Truly, a unique film. What Cannibal Terror is to Cannibal Holocaust, Men For Rent is to The Mack.

ENJOY!

Men For Rent
(1974)

Hommes de Joie Pour Femmes Vicieuses / Des hommes de Joie / Men For Rent
Directed by Chantal Calvanti (Pierre Chevalier)
Starring Alix Mahieux, Daniel Darnault, Pierre Taylou, Jean Michel
Dermay, Aphonse Beni, Michel Charrel, Yul Sanders, Roger Darton,
Monica Swinn

"I've got an idea...yer gonna ball my pussy."

When a woman pushing 300 pounds says that to a man while he lies nude in bed and she is on the toilet, then it's time to hit the bricks running. But not if you are a MAN FOR RENT! This sex comedy from Eurocine regular Pierre Chevalier sets the land speed record for the most offensive ways you could possibly refer to the less than demure act of fucking, especially when you are a swinging dick…for hire!

Starting off with our main man Noodle giving his wife the what for in the tub, we see him drop her at her street corner. Off to go shopping for scented candles? NOPE, she is setting away from the family home to whore herself out for the day. Sure… he's a typical Eurocine bastard...right? WRONG. Because Noodle is a man for rent. Joined by the Black Angel (who uses spray on sweat to make the ladies heart beat faster, like the rhythmic drums that accompany his manly stick work), The Plumber (who has the charming habit of saying he is going to "beat your pussy" to turn the ladies on) and the skinny Scheherazade...who ends up on the receiving end of a big stick and is always saddled with the fattest of customers. This comedy is straight up naughty vignette
time, as various non-caring women rent our boys out for a spin or three and make them work harder than they thought they would ever have to. It ain't all fun and games when you turn your woman out… and then join her!



No simple review can really get across how bizarre and funny this all is. Classic lines splatter the English dub track, and could very well be the filthiest language ever heard in a comedy about male prostitutes. The crew must seriously have gone off the map to get this done in one day, and the word cock has to be reclaimed for the rooster it is so abused here. Laughter will ejaculate from your mouth as Men For Rent swings from near hardcore to slapstick comedy and is
something I haven't encountered previously in a Eurocine project... a straight up humor production done with all of their in house talent.

Pierre Chevalier is a real enigma at times. He seems to wallow in the sleazy elements of any project given him, over the years he did receive some whacked out tasks from the Lesoeur Clan. This little slice of ass slap(stick) goes as far as any sex comedy ever did, and probably further. For no other reason...seek it out! Well made? Nah. But if you define "Funny" as watching a guy getting sodomized in a comedic fashion for a LONG time with a walking stick wielded by an
angry woman who wears a little generalissimo cap and tap dances around? Oh yeah. Can I think of a funnier film from the Eurocine factory?

"I'm sorry I can't...my cock is paralyzed!"

Also, you can see the Eurocine sales pitch on their site by following this link. Hilarious!!

Thanks to Valor for the cover scan!

Eurocine Want List 1: PIGALLE, CARREFOUR DES ILLUSIONS

The Eurocine Art Project expands yet again. First it was just about Constantin Belinsky, then... good old Eurocine poster art that sucked me in. Now, want lists! If only this concept of feeding my family did not apply, I'd love to do up nice special edition DVDs of several titles that aren't available right now-and many of them are available through Eurocine! This first entry is a film I have yet to see, but looks very interesting. Apparently it is a flick with prostitutes and missing microfilm. Hey, with Pierre Chevalier at the helm and stars like Evelyne Scott, Alice Arno and Pamela Stanford it is a must see. And I've never seen it offered anyplace! So, number one with a bullet from my Eurocine Want List is PIGALLE, Carrefour des Illusions! DVD companies take note. I will buy ONE (1) copy! That is a sale for ya!

Pigalle, Carrefour des Illusions / La Ragazza di Pigalle / Pigalle, Crossways Of Illusion
1971 Celia Films/Eurocine
Directed by Pierre Chevalier
Music by Daniel White
Starring Evelyne Scott, Jean Michel-Dhermay, Beatrice Costantini , Alice Arno, Daniel White, Chantal Broquet and Pamela Stanford

EUROCINE SALES PAGE

A gang use a stip-tease artist on tour in Lebanon in order to smuggle a microfilm out of the country. As soon as the girl lands at Orly field, she is followed by the smugglers who want to get hold of the film. Counterspies make an unsuccessful attempt to trap the smugglers who stage a spectacular kidnapping right in the middle of Paris in order to get the girl, but she has not the film. During the performance of an erotic show in private, an agent makes contact with a friend of the girl. But when the poor girl goes home, she is beaten to death in her bathtub by a hood. Before dying, she is nevertheless able to tell where the secret agent's gang is hiding out; it is an abandoned mansion...

Hitting a Plaut-Toe with Cecilia + Eurocine Art Archives

Back in this post I had wondered about the upcoming release of the Eurocine film CECILIA. That title is a splice job using footage from Jess Franco's film Aberraciones Sexuales de una mujer casada and new footage shot by Claude Plaut (which is a pseudonym for Olivier Mathot, that name itself a pseudonym for Claude Plaud!). It does appear this is the cut and paste job, which I'm actually very excited for. What I found interesting was the first review I've located on the title over at the wonderful 10,000 Bullets site. Check it out... the film runs about 10 to 15 minutes to long and features scenes that are vintage Franco. Sounds like the standard cut and paste job from Eurocine. However, maybe I'm just warped, but I love to see these paste up variants, because not only does it get some of Eurocine's charm popped on top, but the Franco footage is highlighted as being BETTER than the rest of the footage.

To add to the Eurocine Art Archive, here are the two faces of Cecilia!

Halloween Horrors 9 - Devil's Kiss

One of the very first things I did on the web was create a little free server site praising the films of Eurocine, and I'm sure I would have lost my mind if I'd had the DVD of DEVIL'S KISS on hand at the time. While the company is best known for releasing some of my favorite Jess Franco films and the international hit Zombie Lake (seriously, how much money do you think that film made in licensing rights alone??)...I'm totally taken by the other films they had their hands in, such as Orloff Against The Invisible Man, Maniac Killer and Men For Rent. Devil's Kiss is now added to that list and unearths one obscure bit of French trash cinema that I'll be hard pressed to forget. With an outstanding cast, a crazy mixture of super science and satanic shenanigans and a monster you'll gawk at with genuine awe the first time he S L O W L Y goes in to "action" this is an uneven but enjoyable film that battles any doldrums with monster madness.

Claire Grandier (Silvia Solar) and Professor Gruber (Olivier Mathot) attend a completely ridiculous fashion show at a villa owned by the De Hassenmont family-though each for their own obscure reasons. Claire is working as a medium and is there to entertain the show goers with a seance. Of course, things go wrong and the host steps in. He knows that Ms. Grandier is ticked off, because she can't let go of the fact that her husband committed suicide-and she blames the De Hassenmonts. Luckily, Baron De Hassenmont is interested not only in the occult, but also in the psuedo necroscience that Doctor Gruber is an expert in...and he also specializes in Telepathy. I'd love to see his degree!


Now that they are in, the master plans unfold. After Claire recruits a sex mad dwarf, of course) the dynamic duo use some mystic mumbo jumbo ("Lucibel"?) and the telepathic powers of the doctor to construct a Frankenstein Mosiac Man that makes Frankenstein '80 look good. The doctor must control the creature, but unfortunately he has a bad heart.... Random violence occurs as neither the doctor nor the medium seem to have any villainous competence at all. Luckily for us, the gentle viewer, the plot serves no purpose as the monster strides about killing everyone he can. The doctor tries his best to conquer the creature telepathically, but it doesn't work out. Ah well...better for us monster fans.

Sure it isn't much, but Devil's Kiss is an entertaining film for fans of EurObscure films if for no other reason than to watch the cast try to salvage what they can. Mathot is one of my favorite faces in all of Eurocine and he is great as he huffs and puffs his way through the role of Professor Gruber. He acts menacing. He acts exhausted. He rubs his head and does telepathic battle with the soul of a freakish stitched together maniac! Silvia Solar is also charming as the dressed in black medium on a mission of vengeance. I've never found her particularly attractive, but her face has a lot of expression and she really does try her best in every role I've seen her take on. But the fun doesn't stop there. Of special note is Evelyne Scott's chest which has a co-starring role as the pretty maid Loretta. Things don't go well for her character, but she is good at appearing frightened and wearing a very low cut top. Also making the time go by is an appearance by Naschy/Ossorio alumni Maria Silva as a fashion model that ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Carlos Otero, a familiar actor from spaghetti westerns and notably Crimson with Paul Naschy is GREAT as the creepy butler as well. But the most amusing appearance is by Victor Isreal (who recently passed away). He shows up at the bizarre fashion show and says "Spiritism in this day and age? I prefer the fashion show!" And then he vanishes from the rest of the movie. Weird, but perfectly Eurocine.


A strange little film, Devil's Kiss is exactly what this Eurocine fan enjoys about the studio films. It is cheap, but shot in that specific style I love-one that seems to leak out of the Franco productions and in to these quick and naughty films. Crusty castle walls, cheap monsters and rampant nudity are all the production values you could ask for. A nifty music score of bleeping booping sounds and lilting symphonic sounds pushe things along nicely as well. If you venture into this film, I can not recommend the amazing English language dub of this film more. It is a must for anyone that likes wacked out dialogue. You can pick a great line out of every 5 I'd wager. It is just weird how many bizarre concepts are smashed in to this dub script...too many is never enough really.

This is a film I would have wondered about for many years if I'd only seen the title and artwork-the original "Perverse Carresses of Satan" is just the kind of thing that makes me get all heated up and ready to pounce on damn near any film really. Thankfully, it did not disappoint! Special credit must be given to one time director Jordi Gigo who not only brought this oddity to life, but also plays "The Annunciator" according to the credits. It took me a while to figure out that meant The Announcer and he is presenting the bizarre fashion show in the opening sequence. WOW...what a credit!!

Eurocine Art Archives!

On occasion I'm asked what my blog is about? Well, it can only be about the stuff I love and the fun in sharing it. So, I'm rampaging through my Lamberto Bava library and jotting up reviews and stuff-and in the process of compiling all that I'm going to share a bunch of Eurocine art. If you read the previous posts on C. Belinsky we can call that the start (just scroll down)... So, today we have FOUR bits for the distinctly not great but wonderfully sold HELL TRAIN. This Monica Swinn flick is not one of my favorites, but the videobox and artwork is just so tantalizing.

Until the official Eurocine Fansite becomes a reality, I'll plug away by putting this stuff on the web for everyone to see. Enjoy!

Eurocine Spectacular from Artus Films

Nothing like a great bit of EUROCINE email in the morning. Artus Films is releasing several Eurocine films to DVD-and this is a stunning line up of titles. Sadly (for me) there will be no English audio tracks, but it is difficult to resist the titles I have yet to see.
You can get a lot more details at the web page and check out some great stills and trailers. Here are a few to whet your appetite!

Helga la louve de Stilberg - trailer
Uploaded by apparitor

Nathalie dans l'enfer Nazi
Uploaded by apparitor

Elsa Fraulein SS - trailer
Uploaded by apparitor

Train special pour Hitler

Train spécial pour Hitler
Uploaded by apparitor

And most interestingly, Les gardienes du penitencier!

Les gardiennes du pénitencier
Uploaded by apparitor

Constantin Belinsky part 2- More Eurocine and Monsters!

More Constantin Belinsky for the weekend. Included are several roughs for Eurocine, including a great Orloff And The Invisible Man one. Also another Eugenie version and some western action. After finding the artists first name the search has become easier. Included here are a few other interesting items, especially the Creature From The Black Lagoon re-issue poster. Click the images for larger versions.

Day 2 and I still do not own a Eurocine Belinsky. I'm on the hunt. HAPPY WEEKENDING everyone.

Eurocine Art Archives - Female Vampire Press Screening!

Now here is an interesting bit of Eurocine history... a pass for Female Vampire. Look close by clicking and check this thing out! The fluids dripping from above are classic to say the least-and what a tagline. Also of note is that they crammed a few titles in there! Les Avaleuses, The Bare Breast Countess (minus an -ed I see) both come up...but no EROTIKILL? Too bad. This little item makes my day, hope it does yours as well.

A Virgin Among The Living Dead...Red Mask Edition! UPDATED!

While doing my afternoon blog perusals I really enjoyed the post at Fascination: The Jean Rollin Experience regarding the Rollin footage in A Virgin Among the Living Dead that was shot quickly and inserted by Eurocine.

These scenes hold a nostalgic place in my heart really, I hate them when I watch them in the film-and all the slowing down of footage really drives me nuts. But they are interesting and worth noting, because that version is present in what would become one of my favorite Franco films once a good proper edition found it's way to me.

But yeah...I get a kick out of that footage. But what is even odder to me is the orgy sequence that is in some prints, though not in the US "Virgin" edition.

Enter...Pioneer Entertainments Japanese DVD. A truly WEIRD edition of the film, it contains a great print of Christina, but adds in the orgy sequence to the main film for some reason. So, no slow motion repeating of the same zombie knocking the same door of the same (non) hinges, but the orgy is right there! Also, it actually looks pretty good-though the rest of the film is in gorgeous widescreen, this sequence in full frame is interesting.
But it gets weirder...


Yep, the "Special Edition by Jean Rollin" is a complete print of the Virgin Among The Living Dead re-edit looking very nice in full frame. It does NOT have the orgy scene intact though? So...I've always assumed that bit was shot by Rollin. Am I right?




EDIT-Here is a page in French regarding the man that directed this sequence! Funnier still, the image of the charming lady is from one of my favorite Eurocine comedies...MEN FOR RENT which is reviewed here. Any translators around?

Big Game - Max Boulois' Most Dangerous Game

THE BIG GAME

Fuerza Mortal/Force Mortelle, Big Game- la chasse aux noirs, Mad Mex The Blackfighter

Max Boulois, the man behind Othello, The Black Commando strikes again. If Fred Williamson had Po' Boy Productions, Max certainly found the Mo' Po' Garçons-Eurocine, to pickup his project. What starts out as a simple rip off of The Most Dangerous Game gets injected with a french fried funk that is all Boulois' own.

Opening in Vietnam, Gerald (Max B) bursts on the scene to save his good buddy as they attempt to escape a P.O.W. camp. Slinging him over his shoulder like a sack of footballs and running through the open jungle, this is something Chuck Norris could only dream of doing. See, Max is a good guy... but the world isn't prepared to be nice in return of course! When Gerald gets home to the Big Apple there is a hard road ahead for our jumbo commando as his gym, which appears to be a bedroom, has run him into serious debt. Loan sharks are closing in. But wait... shock cut to a nude black man running away from some hunters in a jungle that looks suspiciously like "Vietnam"-and when he gets shot too easily, we know that these bastards need a Hard Target...a Most Dangerous Game...A BOULOIS!

The hunters come to the same conclusion of course... and because ex military guys are involved (of course), they pull some military records in the search for someone tougher to kill. Behold! The way to get our man involved to the MAX has arrived, and Gerald is contacted. With an offering of one million dollars to survive the hunt, our skeptical bit of brawn listens and looks around his gym/bedroom. The down on his luck hero agrees, and after a bit of blindfolded transport, it's back to the aforementioned weeds to duke it out with some white hunters who really aren't so great. Of course, they do spell out the fact that Max Boulois is the perfect specimen despite what our eyes tell us. Also we learn that because he is black he can swim fast and jump crevices (no lie, that is what they say!). Well, Gerald takes it to them, using his wits and fists, finally commandeering a very funny little ATV for some slow dragging of the evil white man and a game of chicken with a helicopter!

After making it home, the poor sports that tried to kill him for fun create trouble and refuse the million to the Man...killing his friend in the process. Push comes to shove, and Max stops sitting down (which he does while wearing his football helmet and fondling a ball) and springs into action. Recruiting the finest young teens on bikes, he sniffs out the government men (and even gets some help from a nice looking Government agent lady with a gun)-and dishes out his vengeance in true MadMax style.

To call this a good movie would be an overstatement, yet I can't help but be fascinated and utterly charmed by the oddity of Max Boulois cinema. His Othello The Black Commando is a bizarre experiment where Boulois was trying to be very serious and thoughtful, but Big Game doesn't try to be anywhere near as daring. This is an action film poured straight through one mans aspirations and tiny pockets! When one Golf Pro turned activist writes, directs, stars, and even does the funk score (check out the vocals!) it is certainly an achievement. The film is loaded with images that go from sublimely strange (check out the use of opticals on the explosions and especially the flashback/imagining of his friend dying) to the stunningly dull. Cheap and ugly looking, the flick doesn't attempt to be more than it is-and uses the attitude and style of it's auteur as it's sole drawing point. For Americans it's a jolting geographic experience as well. The film is shot in Miami and New York/New Jersey, but Max drives between both! Somehow Florida becomes a city in New York! Classic blaxploitation? nah. Classic Eurocine pickup oddness? Certainement!

The Greek video tape from Video Alsen is full frame and ugly looking, but finding this obscure flick anywhere is a blessing...if you are lucky enough to stumble onto it, enter the Big Game without haste, because it could be gone tomorrow!

The enigma of Max Boulois rolls on for another movie. Not your average hero, Max is a big burly ex-football player and happily seems to NOT exude any charisma, unlike so many other ex-jocks who tried a turn in the action flick game. But the man has vision, and it's his own, so you can't fault him that. Today, you can find Max-Henri Boulois' books of political commentary in France, as well as attend his political rallies. In 2001 he hosted "Memory of Slavery", with guests such as Nelson Mandela! I wonder if Nelson caught Big Game? It's a crevice jumping classic!

Eurocine Art Archives - Ads!

Time for more Eurocine Art Archiving with ad mats for your enjoyment. Click 'em for the big versions of course. Some Jess Franco and Paul Naschy, The Paris Sex Murders, A Pigalle thing that makes me wish this was a paperback cover and one really nifty Western. That one is particularly cool if you look at the two bits of art by Belinsky at this post. They used the rough version and did it with pictures!