8. Lina Romay
Lina Romay was Jess Franco's partner and creative muse for many many years. Franco was devastated by the loss of Soledad Miranda (the best of his muses) and thought he would never find another woman to take her place, but along came 18 year old Lina into his life. She was to star in approximately 100 films, directed mainly by Franco. Lina always admitted that she was an exhibitionist and that sex came easy to her. Cast in Franco's epic Female Vampire, the tender aged Lina looks amazingly poised whilst walking around in nothing but a cape and some thigh high boots. Her uninhibited sexuality allowed Franco to explore both the fun side and the dark side of sexuality. Franco always seems to be obsessed with Lina's pubic hair and Lina masturbating - there are zoom shots a go go. Some of the films Lina appeared in are: Barbed Wire Dolls, Lorna the Exorcist and Macumba Sexual. Tragically, Lina was cut down before her time. She died of cancer when she was 57. Her mentor and lover, Jess Franco, died a few months later.
7. Erika Blanc
Italian siren who is still starring in movies years after the Italian cult movie collapsed, Erika Blanc was a striking beauty who starred in several key European horror movies. I remember her most fondly for her striptease in a coffin from The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave - a thoroughly demented but tremendous fun Giallo. Erika also had her turn as an actress in several horror movies of the age including witch burning torture fest Mark of the Devil 2. She got to work with Italian horror genius Mario Bava in the seriously scary ghost story Kill Baby, Kill. Her films of recent years are of a much nobler inclination than the Gialli and horror films she cut her teeth on but she will always remain a Euro Cult goddess in many people's eyes.