Killer Barbys

(Jess Franco; 1996)

(Shriek Show)

Touring rock band The Killer Barbies run into car trouble and end up stranded outside a nearby castle, inhabited by the vicious and ancient Countess Von Fleidermaus, who needs a potion concocted of semen and the blood of the young to survive. The Killer Barbies end up on the menu. This is typical Franco Exploitation sleaze, and that’s why we love him. Billed as one of the goriest Franco films to date, what we have here is wall to wall sleazy goodness. While many gorehounds may be disappointed as to what Jess Franco and The Killer Barbies find “gory”, Killer Barbys (yes, I know the title differs from the way the band name is spelled) still has much of the gore and all the nudity of your average horror/sleaze-fest, replete with a naked girl running fully nude through a gloomy forest in go-go boots. This is the man who brought us Female Vampire (Erotikill), after all. Recommended viewing.

No sound enhancements to speak of with this disc, but I must point put that Franco found it necessary to loop one Killer Barbies song over and over in the background, and you’re going to get sick of it fast. Also of note, the sound cuts out a few times during the film, but I suspect it’s due to the horrible dubbing. Nothing to worry about..

Picture quality is excellent, no artifacting or pixellation to be found, and the print is presented to us in a widescreen ratio of 1.85:1.

Features include:

-2 Killer Barbies music videos

-Interview and commentary with The Killer Barbies

-Art Gallery

-Shriek Show trailers

The box art is well put together, but a tad misleading. It looks more like a Killer Barbies concert or music video compilation rather than a horror film.

Sound: 8

Picture: 8

Special Features: 6

Box Art: 8

Film: 8

Overall Rating: 8

(Rating scale is out of 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best)