José Ramón Larraz obit

R.I.P. José Ramón Larraz 1929-2013

 

He was not on the list.

STARBURST is sad to learn of the death of Spanish film director José Ramón Larraz. The 84-year-old will be remembered for films such as the erotic chiller Vampyres (1974), Whirlpool (1970) and the former video nasty The Violation of the Bitch (aka The Coming of Sin, 1978).

His 1973 film Symptoms, starring Donald Pleasence’s daughter, Angela is on the BFI’s 75 Most Wanted list for films with no existing 35mm prints (although a rough print under the title The Blood Virgin screened at a festival in Brussels in March this year). Another, La muerte incierta is also lost, with only bootleg copies of a 16mm print in existence.  Despite retiring in 1992, he became a regular interviewee on documentaries covering Euro-horror and directed a mini-series about Spanish poet Miguel Hernández in 2002.

A full retrospective had already been planned for a future HORROR OBSCURA in STARBURST, and will appear soon.

 

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Filmography

Year     Title     Notes   Ref.

1970    Whirlpool        Directorial debut as J R Larrath          

1971    Deviation         Credited as J R Larrath          

1973    La muerte incierta       Credited as José R Larraz      

1973    The House That Vanished       Alternative titles: Scream and Die; Don't Go in the Bedroom. Credited as Joseph Larraz          

1974    Emma, puertas oscuras           Alternative title: Emma, Dark Doors. Credited as José R Larraz      

1974    Symptoms       Alternative title: Blood Virgin. Credited as Joseph Larraz     

1974    Vampyres        Alternative titles: Daughters of Dracula; Blood Hunger; Daughters of Darkness. Credited as Joseph Larraz       

1977    El fin de la inocencia             

1977    Luto riguroso              

1977    El mirón                     

1978    The Coming of Sin     Alternative title: The Violation of the Bitch   

1978    La ocasión                  

1979    El periscopio              

1979    Polvos mágicos           Alternative title: Lady Lucifera         

1979    The Golden Lady                   

1980    Estigma           Alternative title: Stigma         

1981    Madame Olga's Pupils            Credited as Joseph L Bronstein          

1981    La momia nacional      Alternative title: The National Mummy        

1982    Black Candles Alternative titles: Sex Rites of the Devil; Los ritos sexuales del diablo. Credited as Joseph Braunstein       

1983    Juana la loca ... de vez en cuando                  

1985    Goya   TV mini-series in 6 episodes 

1987    Rest in Pieces  Credited as Joseph Braunstein           

1988    Edge of the Axe          Credited as Joseph Braunstein            

1990    Deadly Manor Alternative title: Savage Lust. Credited as Joseph Larraz     

1992    Sevilla Connection                 

2002    Viento del pueblo        TV mini-series in 2 episodes