I have no knowledge of this film but it's what the cool teenagers talk about when they smoke in the school-yard so I'd better write about it (i.e. pretend I actually know what I'm talking about).
No, seriously, Jess Frenco's LA COMTESSE PERVERSE (France, 1973) is going to get no less than three releases from two different video labels in the very near future; in May it'll come out as both a 1-disc and a 2-disc release from Edition Tonfilm in Germany (or maybe they're in Switzerland I'm not entirely sure), and in June Mondo Macabro are putting it out as a 1-disc release.
Now, bear in mind I've never watched the damn film but this is the info I have from a German forum where one of the people behind Editon Tonfilm posted about it. One of the things he said is that he reckons LA COMTESSE PERVERSE is among the 10 best films from Jess Franco's golden period of the 1960 & '70s!
LA COMTESSE PERVERSE was released in 1973 under that exact title. The original film has never been released on video tape or DVD and it's been a very sought after film (a fan subbed copy of the French tape is being passed around in fan circles).
Then in 1974 it was re-edited and new footage was added to the film. It had a cinema release and came out on VHS in France under the title of LES CROQUEUSES.
BUT there more! In 1975, it was yet again re-released with new erotic scenes (HC I believe) under the title SEXY NATURE.
So THREE different versions of the film exist!!! However, obviously, only the first version is Jess Franco's original director's cut version.
On Edition Tonfilm's 2-disc release they'll be including the original cut on disc 1 and the third version in full on disc 2. The footage from the second version will be included as extras on disc 1. This release will be a world premiere as, like I said, the original edit has never been released to home cinema in any format anywhere! The 1-disc release will contain the SEXY NATURE edit of the film.
Mondo Macabro are releasing the film under the new re-title of COUNTERSS PERVERSE. The disc will contain the original director's cut version only. I have no info about the extras.
Both labels are releasing the film with its original French audio, the MM disc with English subs while Edition Tonfilm's release is going to be subbed in German only.
Specs for the Mondo Macabro release are yet to be announced.
Specs for the Editon Tonfilm releases (from a forum post by the label and yes it's in German, you figure it out):
Amaray-Case mit Alternativcover im O-Ring Schuber
DVD 1
La Comtesse Perverse
Frankreich 1973
Regie: Jess Franco
Darsteller: Robert Woods, Alice Arno, Lina Romay, Howard Vernon u.a.
Länge: 73 Minuten
Sprache: Französisch
Untertitel: deutsch
Format: Originalformat 1.33
Weltpremiere der Originalfassung, erstmalig aus dem Originalarchiv und über lange Zeit gemastert. Seid 40 Jahren gilt dieser Film als einer der gesuchtesten Franco-Filme überhaupt und überzeugt durch eine perfekte Mischung aus Horror und Erotik. Franco bediente sich dem klassischen Stoff „Graf Zaroff – Genie des Bösen (The most dangerous game, 1932)“ und machte seine eigene Version daraus.
Extras:
- Bonusszenen Les Croqueusses (18:32)
- Rohvorspann Comtesse Perverse (1:16)
- Bonusszene Sexy Nature (5:03)
- Restaurationsvergleich (5:01)
- Alternativvorspann Comtesse Perverse (1:08)
- Werbematerial Les Croqueusses (1:34)
DVD 2
Sexy Nature (Les Croqueuses)
Frankreich 1974/1975
Regie: Jess Franco
Darsteller: Robert Woods, Alice Arno, Lina Romay, Monica Swinn, u.a.
Länge: 97 Minuten
Sprache: Französisch
Untertitel: deutsch
Format: Originalformat 1.33
- Bonusheft „Gräfin Zaroff – Genie des Bösen“ 8 Seiten mit Schnittbericht, Bildern und Informationen über Jess Franco und seinem Schaffen.
Disc 2 mit dem Film Sexy Nature ist auch als große Buchbox mit dem original Kinoplakat erhältlich.
