Plot: What’s it about?
Don Martin (Paul Lapidus) has retired to his own private island, a lush paradise that is the kind of place people dream about. But while this paradise is a perfect domain, those who inhabit the island are not so perfect. Martin shares the tropical island with his eccentric family, a band of varied folks with assorted intentions. His own wife and daughters despise him, but Martin is able to hold his family together, thanks to pure greed. He has buried an immense treasure somewhere on the island, which keeps his relatives in place. After all, if the treasure is discovered, the finder could leave the island and live however they pleased. But in the meantime, Martin is able to maintain some sense of order, though of late, chaos has started to unfold. A wave of paranoia and insanity has gripped the island, thanks in no small part to the encroachment of the outside world. An oil empire has begun offshore projects, which threatens the island’s purity and isolation. But Martin has more immediate concerns also, such as his suspicions about his own wife. He is convinced she is cheating on him, which makes him consider some drastic actions. All the while, the rumored treasure is sought out by everyone, in a desperate dash to leave the island behind. But is the treasure real and even if so, will it bring the finder true happiness?
Jess Franco has directed hundreds of movies, most of which were shot in mere days with a threadbare budget. He sometimes had more resources, but Franco could churn out cheap schlock like there’s no tomorrow. Broken Dolls is one of Franco’s more recent efforts, produced with One Shot Productions. If you’ve seen other Franco films from One Shot, then you know about what to expect from Broken Dolls. The movie was shot on video, which means the visuals aren’t refined, but Franco works some small wonders. He loves to zoom in and he does so here, though he seems to be more on his game at times than usual. His direction is still basic in most scenes, while also limited by the lack of production values. The storyline is almost vacant, as Franco is more interested in showing us naked bodies than telling some narrative. An attempt is made to frame up a plot, but in the end, we’re left more confused than when we started. Lina Romay (Female Vampire, Barbed Wire Dolls) has aged well, but still looks rough around the edges. Even at her current age, Romay never hesitates to drop her clothes and in Broken Dolls, she does so often. The film has ample nudity, with some pretty graphic sex scenes to boot. I found Broken Dolls to be passable, but outside of Franco fans, I’d have a tough time recommending this release.
Video: How does it look?
Broken Dolls is presented in full frame, as intended. As I said before, this movie was shot on video for what looks like ten bucks, so the visual presence isn’t that impressive. If you take some of your own home movies, the old ones, not digital elements, then you’ll have about the same basic visual performance. I’d prefer a slick, refined treatment of course, but with this material, you can’t expect miracles. The shot on video roots are obvious, as the image is soft and unrefined, though no worse than other such projects. The colors look decent, with bright hues and contrast is solid, but not as stark as I would like. In the end, I am still let down by this presentation, but due to the material, not the actual transfer itself.
Audio: How does it sound?
I don’t have much to report in this department, as audio is basic, but the production limitations hinder the soundtrack. I can’t be sure, but it seems as if all the audio is looped here, as there is no hint of natural, live sound here. That might sound like a curse, but in this movie, the audio is secondary in most scenes, so no real setbacks. I do wish the audio was crisper and more natural, but the nature of the movie balances that out. And given the obvious lack of attention to the sound design, I doubt the audio could be much more effective. The dialogue sounds clean, but looped and oh man, be prepared for some thick accents. So all in all, this isn’t a great soundtrack, but it is about all we could expect in this case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The sole supplement here is Helter Skelter, another feature length film from the twisted mind of Jess Franco. Lina Romay plays a dominatrix of sorts, who has assorted sexual encounters with various men and women. No idea what the plot was supposed to be, but the psychedelic visuals and graphic sexual interaction should please fans of Franco. And in truth, what better supplement could there be than a bonus movie?
