The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus
The Sadistic Baron von Klaus (1962), originally La Mano de un hombre muerto, is a
very early Jess Franco gothic horror in black and white, featuring what was then a
very controversial dungeon nude torture scene featuring Gogo Rojo. She shows her
breasts for most of the extended scene, and her buns as well. The young baron is
told by his mother to destroy his father's dungeon, and then to leave and escape
the family curse. He, instead, falls victim to the curse, and begins torturing and
killing young women.
The acting and score feels more like a staged melodrama (I was tempted to boo and hiss), but does
show that, even in 1962, Jess Franco was willing to show graphic nudity and violence. To my knowledge,
next Tuesday's Region 1 DVD release is the first time this film has been available in the US. In a
refreshing reversal of form, the edited version of the dungeon scene is the one in the deleted footage.
This is chiefly of interest to Jess Franco fans, and Euro Shock completists.
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