The Diabolical Dr. Z

Miss Zimmer manipulates a provocative dancer to avenge her father

A Spanish-French production masterminded by Jess Franco, this combines the moody artistic tone of early ’60’s B&W mystery/horror flicks “Night Tide” and “Carnival of Souls” with bits of the Frankenstein story for imaginative Euro horror. There’s also the risqué sideshow element of “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies,” just not in color. It’s early Franco at the top of his ‘B’ game.

On the feminine front there are several beauties: Lucía Prado (Barbara), Mabel Karr (Irma Zimmer) and Estella Blain (Miss Death), amongst a couple peripherals.

It runs 1h 27m and was made betwixt the Madrid-based Hesperia Films and the Paris-based Spéva Films and Ciné Alliance.

GRADE: B+