Thong Girls – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1987
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Jesús Franco
Cast: Lina Romay, Antonio Mayans, Eva León, Analía Ivars, Juan Soler, Agustín Gil, José Llamas, Muriel Montossé, Jesús Franco

Release Date: February 25th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 84 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"It’s summer’s end in the resort city of Benidorm, where seductive foreigners, conniving hustlers, gullible tourists and insatiable celebrities all come together in a barbed confection that’s part sunny comedy, part Nashville-style satire and totally, unmistakably, sexy Franco fun." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative".

Thong Girls comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.4 GB

Feature: 24.3 GB

Though some source debris remains, the bulk of this transfer is in good shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, and image clarity is strong. That said, there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. There are a few dialog exchanges in French. Though the audio sounds clean and balanced, range-wise it is limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a locations featurette titled In The Land of Franco Part 11 (17 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions and Flowers of Perversion titled Jess Franco's Naked City (41 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Francomania's John Dixon And William Morris.

Summary:

Thong Girls was released in 1987 despite being filmed in 1983. Though Jess Franco was primarily working for Golden Films around this time, throughout his career he would make films on his own, like Thong Girls. When compared to other Jess Franco films, despite its title, Thong Girls is not like any of his other films. That said, Thong Girls is a different kind of film from Jess Franco that feels more like a Pedro Almodóvar melodrama, at least when it comes to content.

Though there is an in-the-moment quality to the events that unfold, the result is a surprisingly straightforward narrative. Set in the coastal town of Benidorm during the height of tourist season, the summer, there are a variety of colorful characters who share the spotlight. Some of the cast of characters include a hustler, a celebrity, tourists, a scantily dressed woman on roller skates who also rides a skateboard, a drag queen, and two annoying kids panhandling money for video games.

Most of the key cast members are made of Jess Franco regulars like Lina Romay (Female Vampire), who portrays a celebrity nightclub singer; Muriel Montossé (Cecilia), who portrays a sexy French tourist; and Antonio Mayans (Cries of Pleasure), who portrays a streetwise hustler. The most memorable performance is Analía Ivars, who portrays the scantily dressed woman on roller skates who also rides a skateboard. She is most known for portraying the bride character from Jess Franco’s Bahía blanca. That said, it is clear all of the cast are having fun, and it is not difficult to get caught up in their enthusiasm.

Jess Franco was never a filmmaker who let budget limitations get in the way; he often used them to his advantage. The area where Jess Franco expands his budget the most is how he maximizes his locations. Humor plays a significant role in the story that unfolds. Though most of the time it hits its mark, there are moments that are just silly. Also, there is some nudity, albeit toned down for a Jess Franco film. The first sighting of a thong is halfway through the film, and then there is a barrage of them. The most Jess Franco moment is a nightclub sequence with a drag queen singer. Ultimately, despite its salacious title, Thong Girls is more of a melodrama than the type of exploitation films that Jess Franco is known for.

Thong Girls gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer