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Jesús Franco Biography and Full Filmography - MovieWise

Quick Facts

Born:
1930-05-12

Birthplace:
Madrid, Spain

Credits:
130 Total Roles

Jesús Franco

Directing

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Biography

Jesús "Jess" Franco was a Spanish film director, writer, cinematographer and actor. His career took off in 1961 with his cult classic The Awful Dr. Orloff, which received wide distribution in the United States and England. Though he had some American box office success with Necronomicon, his first women-in-prison film Ninety-Nine Women, and his two Christopher Lee films, The Bloody Judge and Count Dracula, he never achieved wide commercial success. Franco moved from Spain to France in 1970 so that he could make more violent and sexual films, and it was at this point that his career began to go downhill commercially, as he turned to low-budget filmmaking with a heavier accent on adult-oriented films. Although he produced a few well-received, low budget horror films in the early 70's, many people in the industry considered him a porn director due to the huge number of X-rated adult films he began churning out. Franco returned to low-budget horror in a brief comeback period from 1980-1983, but after 1983, his career took a second downturn. With the exception of Faceless and Killer Barbies, his films after 1984 are quite disliked and obscure due to their incredibly low budgets. Franco has nevertheless retained a large cult following through the years with his sexually-charged horror films, some of which are regarded as masterpieces by his avid followers.

Known For

Full Filmography

Year Title Role
2024 Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S” MOVIE Self - Archive footage
2021 Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess MOVIE Self (archive footage)
2019 Wild Session MOVIE Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2017 Drácula Barcelona MOVIE Himself
2015 Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert MOVIE Himself (archive footage)
2014 Queridos monstruos MOVIE Self
2014 Call Me Jess Redux MOVIE Himself
2014 Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror MOVIE Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2014 Falks Frauen MOVIE (archive footage)
2013 Revenge of the Alligator Ladies MOVIE Himself

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