Jesus Franco Dead: Spanish Director Dies At The Age Of 82

Spanish director Jesus "Jess" Franco died on Tuesday in Malaga, Spain, due to complications from a stroke. He was 82.

According to Movie Talk, Franco -- also a cinematographer, actor and writer -- directed almost 200 films in a multifaceted film career that spanned several decades.

Specializing in horror and eroticism, the auteur's first big hit came in the early 1960s with the release of the cult horror classic "The Awful Dr. Orloff." He was also well received in Europe, the United States and elsewhere with films including "99 Women" and "Oasis of the Zombies."

As WENN notes, the Madrid-born director also collaborated with British actor Christopher Lee on such classic films as "Count Dracula" and "The Blood of Fu Manchu."

Later in his career, Franco also became known for making erotic films and hardcore pornography.

"The auteur steered the 1960s Spanish horror boom, and even in the face of fascist censorship, placed sex, blood and gore at the front and center of his motion pics," Sean Fitz-Gerald wrote in a Variety.com obituary about Franco.

In 2009, Franco was awarded an Honorary Goya by the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition for his contributions to Spanish cinema.