Paula Hammond - Features EditorThere are cult films… then there are cult films…and if you’re a fan of Gothic chillers, then The Diabolical Dr Z is one Halloween chiller you won’t want to miss.
A Spanish-French co-production directed by the inimitable Jesús ‘Jess’ Franco (Count Dracula) from a screenplay by Jean-Claude Carrière (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), The Diabolical Dr Z – also known by its original Spanish title Miss Meurte – was released at the height of the 1960’s European horror boom and followed Franco’s earlier chillers The Awful Dr Orloff, The Sadistic Baron von Klaus and Dr Orloff’s Monster.
Before his untimely death, mad scientist Dr Zimmer (Antonio Jiménez Escribano) created a device that would allow him to control human minds. In the aftermath of his passing, his daughter Irma Zimmer (Mabel Karr) takes it upon herself to continue his work – and seek revenge on his behalf. To punish those who discredited and disgraced the late Dr Zimmer, she uses his invention to possess nightclub performer Miss Meurte (Estella Blain), who lures her victims to their deaths at the hands of her razor-sharp, poisoned nails…
An early film by a titan of cult cinema, who would continue making films until his death in 2013, The Diabolical Dr Z is both an atmospheric and accomplished contribution to the European horror cycle of the 1960s — and a forerunner to the more outrageous exploitation films that would later catapult Franco to infamy.
Eureka Classics’s new release comes to the UK for the first time ever this October on Blu-ray . Presented in a crisp 2K restoration this edition is strictly limited to 2,000 copies … so grab it while you can.
