Hi everybody, I’m the new kid on the block – Philleh. Please don’t steal my lunch money. I’ve been kindly invited here by ‘The Hermanator’ to review some pretty sleazy exploitation flicks and the like. What? You were expecting an in-depth analysis on the life and work of Rainer Werner Fassbinder? Not this time, Chuck!
Throughout my reviews I’ll try and expose a little more about my overly perverse self and hopefully keep you good people entertained, and lord willin’, point you in the direction of some fine Italian-sleaze!
So, I’m coming fresh out the gates with a work by two of trash cinemas greatest “auteurs”. Their names still ring out mighty and proud, they’re Joe D’Amato and Bruno Mattei, baby! If you haven’t heard of either of these sleaze merchants then you’re not only missing out on a world of guilty pleasure but witnessing two hacks who didn’t have ANY respect for cinematic convention; or for other filmmakers feelings.
I managed to find the rare X-Rated Kult DVD while on a Mecca to Manchester to meet a couple of my personal heroes, Lance Henriksen and Malcolm McDowell. Finding a DVD stall that sold all kinds of trash was like a dream come-true, and a nightmare realised for my wallet, I can assure you.
1975’s Emanuelle's Revenge (Original title - Emanuelle e Françoise le sorelline) is a sleazy little number starring the one and only, George Eastman (real name, Luigi Montefiori), as Carlo, an abusive womanizer who drives poor Françoise (Patricia Gori) to suicide. Her older sister Emanuelle (Rosemarie Lindt) wants revenge for her baby sisters tragic demise and devises and ingenious form of getting her own back. By having sex with lots and lots of people in front of him; while he’s chained behind a one-way mirror – touché!
And that, dear reader is all that’s allowed for plot development. As Emanuelle goes about rubbing herself up against any man, woman or piece of furniture that happens to be situated by the mirror, poor ol’ Carlo grows increasingly sweaty and grunts… a lot. Soon, Carlo is plunged into some sort of sexual delirium and starts hallucinating some rather outlandish stuff; like a group of Emanuelle’s friends having a cannibalistic banquet, while rubbing each others naughty regions! Oooh, I say. Things go wrong for Emanuelle when Carlo manages to get free… thinking of nothing but sweet, sweet revenge.
This was Joe D’Amato’s first attempt at the Emanuelle series and it’s lacking the presence of the gorgeous Laura Gemser, but it does score kudos for having the big man (Eastman) as the evil Carlos. Sure, the plot is ridiculous and the acting is truly tepid, but with some groovelicious funk numbers and some rather nice boobies, it’ll entertain sleaze hounds for 90 minutes. The cannibal dinner is worth mentioning due to its overly comic nature. The actors were clearly forced to chew on raw meat/innards and no one is practically found of the taste and it shows! It also looks like the fake limbs have been smothered in ketchup for the actors to lick off!
This title isn’t going to garner the respect (it’s not the right word, but it’ll do) as later entries in his Emanuelle saga. Nothing is going to top the experience of watching Emanuelle In America for the first time, uncut. For fans of D’Amato, Mattei or even George Eastman this will be pleasurable enough viewing. Those willing to spend that little extra on this import will get some pretty solid extra’s, including five tracks from the OST and alternative openings/sex scenes; varying from the more liberal (read: explicit) sourced from a Dutch VHS to the more conservative (read: tame) from, you guessed it, the British release. You are also treated to a couple of trailers.
There is also an interview with D’Amato lifted from the Joe D'Amato: Uncut documentary and is subbed in German only. The feature itself can be viewed in its English dub. If you’re feeling overly adventurous though you can watch it in German without subs or even in Italian with German subs. Rock on.
Until next time kiddies…
DVD: X-Rated Kult
Running Time: 96mins Approx
Extras: Trailers, Photo Gallery, Interview, OST & Alternative Scenes.
