The Hot Nights of Linda: Hard Banana Edition – Severin Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1975
Director: Jesus Franco
Writer: Jesus Franco
Cast: Alice Arno, Marie-France Bertrand, Lina Romay, Abdul, Paul Muller, James Harri, Catherine Lafferière, Monica Swinn, Angelo Bassi, Richard Bigotini

Release Date: October 8th, 2013
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"Alice Arno (of JUSTINE DE SADE fame) stars as a secretary sent to the seaside estate of a depraved millionaire, his nymphomaniac daughter (Franco’s beloved muse Lina Romay), her invalid cousin (Catherine Lafferiere of EXORCISM) and their grunting houseboy. But when her day’s work ends, a nightmare of depraved new duties will begin!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "presented in high definition for the first time ever!"

The Hot Nights of Linda comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 17.6 GB

There is source-related damage that varies in degree throughout. There are also density issues, faded colors, and weak black levels. This transfer is best described as a "grindhouse" print. That said, this transfer is sure to exceed most Francofile’s expectations, especially considering how hard it has been to track down a watchable transfer for The Hot Nights of Linda.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD Dolby Digital mono mix in English. Though limited at times in range, the overall quality of this audio mix is very good. Background hiss is minimal, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include English language trailer (4 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), outtakes (5 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Fantastic Fest’s lifetime achievement presentation to Jess Franco (1 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with director Jess Franco titled Hot Nights of Jess (16 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Lina Romay and Jess Franco (12 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles) and an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions, Franco Volume 1: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús and Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco titled Stephen Thrower on Linda (11 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Included with this release is a DVD counterpart to the Blu-Ray disc.

The first pressing of this release, limited to 2,500 copies, comes with a bonus DVD that contains the alternate hardcore version of the film titled Les Nuits Brulantes De Linda (79 minutes, 3 seconds – anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital mono French with non-removable English subtitles). It should be noted that this version of the film comes from a VHS source.

Summary:

If ever there was a filmmaker whose films evoked the feeling of déjà vu, that filmmaker would be Jess Franco, whose films have a distinct familiarity to them despite the fact that he would effortlessly shift from one genre to another. Most filmmakers will find a genre in which they feel most at ease.He would take on all offers to satisfy his obsessive need to create. And in this regard, genre becomes secondary when watching his films, since he is arguably his own genre. And nowhere is this more evident than in how many of Franco’s films are loosely linked by themes and in a lesser regard to recycling the names of characters, thus creating an almost linear link from one film to the next.

Though known more for his distinctive visuals than clever dialog, it is oddly appropriate that one of the best lines to appear in any Jess Franco film appears in The Hot Nights of Linda. When Lina’s character, Olivia, says, "It’s marvelous to live without a sense of time," if there ever was a line of dialog that could perfectly sum up The Hot Nights of Linda, this is it.

Narrative wise The Hot Nights of Linda are simple and to the point. The characters, their nasty habits, and their back-stories are all well defined. The atmospheric visuals are well suited for The Hot Nights of Linda’s deliberate pacing, which reinforces that previously quoted line of dialog. A few standout moments in the film include a dream/nightmare sequence which reveals a traumatic event from the past. A scene where Olivia seduces the mentally challenged mute who has access to something she wants

However, the entire cast more than holds their own in their respective roles. There are two performances that stand out above all others. These two performances are by Pierre Taylou (Exorcism) in the role of Abdul, the mentally challenged mute, and Lina Romay (Female Vampire) in the role of a nymphomaniac named Olivia. Besides the aforementioned scene where she seduces a mute, she has another superbly realized seduction scene with Alice Arno's character, and, of course, there is a scene where she performs fellatio with a banana.

The Hot Nights of Linda gets a first-rate release from Severin Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer