José Ramón Larraz
| José Ramón Larraz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
José Ramón Larraz Gil 1929 Barcelona, Spain |
| Died |
(aged 84) Málaga, Spain |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, Film director and producer |
| Years active | 1970-2002 |
José Ramón Larraz Gil [1] (1929 – 3 September 2013) was a Spanish director of exploitation and horror films such as the erotic and bloody Vampyres (1974).[2][3]
Born in Barcelona, Larraz started his career as a comics writer for magazines like Pilote and Spirou. His most known creation was the action-comic series "Paul Foran", which he wrote under the name "Gil".
Larraz began making films in England, then in 1976 apparently relocated his operations back to Spain. He made many different types of films, but is best known for his horror films. Symptoms was an official British entry at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival.[4] His last few horror films were Spanish/ American co-productions. He apparently retired from filmmaking in 1992 at age 63. Larraz died, aged 84, in Málaga on 3 September 2013.
Selected filmography
As writer and director
- Whirlpool (1970)
- Deviation (1971)
- Symptoms (1974) aka "Blood Virgin"
- The House That Vanished (1974) aka "Scream and Die", aka "Don't Go in the Bedroom"
- Vampyres (1974) aka "Daughters of Dracula", aka "Blood Hunger"
- The Violation of the Bitch (1978) aka The Coming of Sin
- The Golden Lady (1979)
- El Periscopio (1979)
- Polvos mágicos (1980) aka "Lady Lucifera"
- Stigma (1980)
- The National Mummy (1981)
- Black Candles (1982) aka "Sex Rites of the Devil"
- Rest in Pieces (1987)
- Edge of the Axe (1988) w/ Patty Shepard and Jack Taylor
- Deadly Manor (1990)
Further reading
- The book Immoral Tales: European Sex & Horror Movies 1956-1984 (1994) by Cathal Tohill and Pete Tombs dedicates a chapter to him.
- The paperback film novelisation Vampyres (FAB Press, 2001) by Tim Greaves.
- Vampyres: A Tribute to the Ultimate in Erotic Horror Cinema (1996) by Tim Greaves is devoted entirely to the making of the film, filled with interview material, reviews and a treasure trove of photos.
References
- ↑ DigitalCavalry. "Fallece el realizador José Ramón Larraz. - TumbaAbierta.com. El portal del entretenimiento en el género fantástico.".
- ↑ "José R. Larraz". BFI.
- ↑ "Vampyres (1974) - José Larraz - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
- ↑ "10 great overlooked British horror films of the 1970s". British Film Institute.
External links
- José Ramón Larraz at the Internet Movie Database
- Lambiek - info on Larraz career as a comics writer
- Obituary (Spanish)