Jess Franco has Passed

While very few details are available at the moment, international outlets are reporting that Spanish director Jess Franco passed away earlier today. According to El Pais, Franco's death was due to a stroke and the announcement was made this morning by Kike Mesa, the director of a 2007 documentary on Jess Franco's life.

Jesús Franco Manera, better known as "Jess" Franco,  was born on May 12, 1930 in Madrid, Spain. He directed nearly 200 films over the years and is probably best known for his horror films in the 1960's and 1970's, including Count Dracula and The Bloody Judge with Christopher Lee, Vampyros Lesbos, The Awful Dr. Orloff, Oasis of the Zombies (in 1983), and many more.

Our thoughts are with Jess Franco's friends and family. As mentioned above, this information is all coming from secondary sources, so we'll be looking for an official statement from his family, and will update this story with any quotes from those that knew him.