Advertisement
Mixed Reviews: Guilty Pleasures
From 1970s Euro sleaze to Italian Neorealist classics, it's time to admit some guilty pleasures.
(Page 2)
The most shameful acknowledgement of them all: I live in Philadelphia. In addition, I must also disclose that Irv Slifkin, the author of Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City’s Movies (Middle Atlantic Press, $17.95), and I both program the Philadelphia Film Festival (though I really don’t know him personally). Still, objectively speaking, this book is an enjoyable and compulsively readable tour through this most cinematic city, one that thankfully covers not only the most obvious selections (Rocky, Philadelphia and M. Night Shyamalan’s films), but also some interesting obscurities (Mikey and Nicky, Trick Baby). Slifkin’s reviews are always fun and informative, but there is one noticeable problem with the book: For a publication that celebrates such a photogenic metropolis, how about some decent photos?
I now have to own up to a fascination with cheesy 1970s softcore erotica, particularly if it hails from a European country—just as I must also admit that I don’t find the films to be particularly erotic. As the mania for releasing even the most obscure horror movies seems to have been exhausted, independent DVD labels have turned to the retro erotica genre as a new potential cult niche. Two labels have leapt to the forefront of this new wave: Impulse Pictures has released three DVDs (all priced at $29.95) with no extras and just serviceable transfers, but one of them is a very critical unearthing for those interested in 1970s Euro sleaze. One can safely forego both Justine & Juliette (1975), a Swedish sexploitation romp from director Mac Ahlberg (better known as a renowned cinematographer) that features some of the most unattractive genitalia ever displayed on film, and Carlos Tobalina’s Refinements in Love (1971), a fascinatingly bizarre and inept “mondo”-styled mockumentary about liberated sexuality of the era (actually, this one is almost worth a look). But Impulse has also uncovered Schoolgirl Report, Vol. 1: What Parents Don’t Think is Possible (1970), the first in a series of 13 (!) German pseudo-factual exposés of the sexual escapades of teens. Enlivened by the jaunty scores of Gert Wilden (already popular through CD reissue), these films were hugely popular at the time, and Impulse plans to release further entries. (Be advised that while Schoolgirl is softcore, the other two Impulse releases are most definitely not.)
Severin Films has already emerged as the sort of “Criterion Collection” of ’70s erotica, with stunning transfers and multiple supplementary features on many of its releases (most of which are priced at $29.95). One can safely skip the two French omnibus films they offer: Private Collections (1979) features a trio of tales helmed by three directors—Just Jaeckin, Shuji Terayama (the film is almost worthwhile just for his segment alone, an incoherent but gorgeous bit of Kabuki-fried visual insanity) and Walerian Borowczyk—whereas Immoral Women (1979) finds Borowczyk (a generally awful director who is often given soft treatment by more mainstream critics due to a certain stilted pictorial sensibility often mistaken for beauty) helming all three stories, to little effect. But the two Italian offerings from Severin are essential: Perversion Story (1969) is actually a thriller with minor erotic elements from horror director Lucio Fulci (Zombie), and it’s an outstanding example of the “giallo” genre. But the new label’s real accomplishment is Black Emanuelle’s Box (Volume One, no less, priced at $69.95), a gorgeously packaged set of four discs (three films and a soundtrack CD) representing entries in the Black Emanuelle series that starred Laura Gemser in the title role. Joe D’Amato’s Emanuelle Around the World and Emanuelle in Bangkok accompany Giuseppe Vari’s Sister Emanuelle (all 1977) in a collection that provides an excellent introduction to the world of 1970s Euro sleaze at its unabashed finest (although the series’ best entry, Emanuelle in America, has been released elsewhere).
2 of 3 |
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Del.icio.us
Reddit
YahooAdvertisement
COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT 
This story was published in the Summer 2007 MovieMaker Magazine. The headline was:
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Order this issue | Subscribe to MM
Latest from the blog:
Jaman Launches “Movie Channel for the World”
Jaman.com announced the availability of instantly streamed, HD-quality movies—for free.
With nothing more than a simple click, cineastes can watch one of 100 ad-supported titles from the online distributor's collection of more than 3,000 films at no cost. Alternatively, those viewers who are less inclined to "pay" for the free films by watching the ads can pay just $1.99 to watch them commercial-dree. “By offering a free streaming media service along with our current rental and ownership download options, we are anticipating the future of digital cinema," says Jaman founder and CEO, Gaurav Dhillon. "With streaming, we provide our community with a quality viewing experience that is free and for our advertisers, we deliver a unique audience and premium and targeted placement opportunities.”
Posted 05.15.08 | News/Commentary | 1 comment
Other recent posts:
Posts people are talking about:
SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS
Advertisement
