Due to a lack of research on my behalf, I didn't know "The Devil Came from Akasava" was a Krimi instead of the more regular type of sleazy exploitation flick that director Jess Franco usually delivers. No harm done, really, except that (at least for me) a Krimi requires a different type of mental mood to watch. Krimis are films based on books or stories by Edgar Wallace (or by his less talented son Bryan Edgar Wallace) that are entirely produced in Germany but supposedly take place in London, and they are full of crazily implausible twists and dim-witted humor. They were hugely popular - and still quite good - during the late fifties/early sixties, but embarrassingly poor by the end of that same decade already. The notorious Jess Franco does add some fresh elements to the old and outworn Krimi-formula, like exotic locations and shameless nudity, but I regret to say it remains a daft movie.
All my fellow reviewers seem to unanimously agree on one thing, though, namely that lead actress Soledad Miranda is one of the most beautiful women in cinema history and that her role alone is worth seeking out the film. I'm not convinced. She was a natural beauty, yes, and obviously I wouldn't kick her out of my bed. But Mrs. Miranda wasn't exceptionally beautiful or exceptionally talented, and the fact she's so loved is undeniably linked to her unfortunate and tragic death at age 27. Everybody always assumed she was on the verge of a promising international career, but we can never be sure of that, can we? She might also had continued working together with Uncle Jess and ended up in the porno industry.
In "The Devil Came from Akasava", Soledad Miranda depicts an agent from the British Secret Service (sure...) assigned to trace the whereabouts of a stolen mineral and its missing discoverer. The mineral is a unique stone able to turn other materials into gold, but its radiation also instantly kills people, or tuns them into green-faced zombies. The stone and Prof. Forrester went missing in Africa, near Mombasa, and is believed by both the Secret Service and Scotland Yard to be smuggled into England. Agent Jane Morgan (Miranda) is sent over to identify all the naughty people, and - of course - the best way to do so is by performing as an exotic nude dancer in a local bar and willingly sleep with all kinds of perverted males.
Like the older wave of Krimi movies, or even slightly worse, "The Devil Came from Akasava" is a tiring movie, what with all its unnecessary and clichéd plot twists. Villains/suspects turn out to be undercover agents and, vice versa, trustworthy characters turn out to be evil villains. The attempts at humor are also pitiable, especially with poor old Siegfried Schürenberg repeating his same old role of clueless Scotland Yard supervisor. In fact, the highlight of the film are mere details, like an elderly lady who uses her cane like a samurai sword or Franco's old pal Howard "Dr. Orloff" Vernon as an unconvincing hired killer. Franco awarded himself with a cool supportive role, and he's honest enough that his character's sexual advances are rejected several times by Soledad.
All my fellow reviewers seem to unanimously agree on one thing, though, namely that lead actress Soledad Miranda is one of the most beautiful women in cinema history and that her role alone is worth seeking out the film. I'm not convinced. She was a natural beauty, yes, and obviously I wouldn't kick her out of my bed. But Mrs. Miranda wasn't exceptionally beautiful or exceptionally talented, and the fact she's so loved is undeniably linked to her unfortunate and tragic death at age 27. Everybody always assumed she was on the verge of a promising international career, but we can never be sure of that, can we? She might also had continued working together with Uncle Jess and ended up in the porno industry.
In "The Devil Came from Akasava", Soledad Miranda depicts an agent from the British Secret Service (sure...) assigned to trace the whereabouts of a stolen mineral and its missing discoverer. The mineral is a unique stone able to turn other materials into gold, but its radiation also instantly kills people, or tuns them into green-faced zombies. The stone and Prof. Forrester went missing in Africa, near Mombasa, and is believed by both the Secret Service and Scotland Yard to be smuggled into England. Agent Jane Morgan (Miranda) is sent over to identify all the naughty people, and - of course - the best way to do so is by performing as an exotic nude dancer in a local bar and willingly sleep with all kinds of perverted males.
Like the older wave of Krimi movies, or even slightly worse, "The Devil Came from Akasava" is a tiring movie, what with all its unnecessary and clichéd plot twists. Villains/suspects turn out to be undercover agents and, vice versa, trustworthy characters turn out to be evil villains. The attempts at humor are also pitiable, especially with poor old Siegfried Schürenberg repeating his same old role of clueless Scotland Yard supervisor. In fact, the highlight of the film are mere details, like an elderly lady who uses her cane like a samurai sword or Franco's old pal Howard "Dr. Orloff" Vernon as an unconvincing hired killer. Franco awarded himself with a cool supportive role, and he's honest enough that his character's sexual advances are rejected several times by Soledad.
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