Plot: What’s it about?
strange chain of events has unfolded in Akasava, a place which is rumored to be home to some supernatural elements. A well known professor even ventured to Akasava to look for the elements of lore, but he never returned. The professor wasn’t insane or superstitious, so what did he look for in this strange place? He was searching for a special stone, one which has amazing powers that could do a lot of good in the world. By the same token however, if the stone fell into the wrong hands, it could cause immense damage. The disappearance of the professor prompts Scotland Yard to dispatch an agent, one to uncover the truth about the situation. The man sent in is Rex Forrester (Fred Williams), who has the orders to not only find out what happened to the professor, but look into the supernatural claims about Akasava. Once he arrives in Akasava, leads are rare in the case, but the rumored stone is confirmed as real. This stone can turn normal metals into valuable gold, but it has a negative effect when used in contacts with humans. And the stone has been stolen, which means it could be in the hands of someone with evil intentions. Forrester doesn’t have to work alone however, as he has the company of Jane Morgan (Soledad Miranda). Can he crack this case in time, or will the stone be used for some underhanded plot?
As we all know, Jess Franco (Barbed Wire Dolls, Female Vampire) has directed countless movies and his best known works are often in the realm of horror cinema. But his work wasn’t limited to the scary movies, instead he dabbled in all kinds of genres, though his trademarks were always evident on the material. Such is the case with The Devil Came From Akasava, in which Franco conjures up an outlandish spy thriller that shows his usual traits, including an obviously rushed and cheap production. So expect recycled sets, costumes, and even stars from other Franco efforts from this time period, but that isn’t all bad news. No, Franco is able to inject some hilarious moments into the material and of course, the women are quite attractive. We even get to see the stunning Soledad Miranda (Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy), in what would be her final picture. Others presented include Franco regular Howard Vernon and Fred Williams (Juliet of the Spirits, Rampage of Evil). This is simply a hilarious movie to watch, thanks to the laughable premise, outrageous details, and low rent production values. But The Devil Came From Akasava does have tons of 70s charm, including a knockout of a groovy soundtrack. So for fans of Franco or all things 70s, give The Devil Came From Akasava a look.
Video: How does it look?
The Devil Came From Akasava is presented in full frame, instead of the original 1.66:1 widescreen presentation. As Image has a solid record in terms of visual treatments, I was surprised to find this oversight on this release. So I have to mark it down somewhat from the start, but beyond the lack of a proper widescreen edition, this movie looks quite good. The print looks much cleaner than expected, given the age and low budget roots of the material. I found some grain at times, as well as minor nicks, but nothing serious to mention. That is impressive stuff, as this movie looks like it was made for five bucks well over three decades ago. The colors are still bright, with no real fading to report, while contrast is stable and never dips much. So for what it is, this movie looks great here, but I do wish Image would have given us a widescreen version.
Audio: How does it sound?
I never thought I would own this movie in its original German soundtrack, as all previous versions have been terrible English dubs. The dialogue here isn’t gold, or even close, but it is still nice to have the film as intended. The material has frequent signs of age evident, such as distortion and just plain poor looping, but it sounds solid enough. The sound effects are low end by design, so don’t expect much depth, but come on, this is a mono option. So as far as a 70s mono track on a low rent movie is concerned, this one sounds reasonable. And if nothing else, it is nice to have the original German soundtrack, instead of the even worse English dub version. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
