armando_mariani Reviews

Il ginecologo della mutua (1977)

An Italian Sex Comedy: raunchy but quite entertaining.

[7/10 · 20 June 2005]

Cult and, in many ways, talented movie-maker Aristide Massacesi aka Joe D' Amato, never felt really comfortable with comedy, during his prolific career. He was a great cinematographer and a skilled and clever director for an audience looking for "strong emotions". Movies with sex, guts and violence were his "bread 'n' butter" and he (almost) always delivered. As a matter of fact, comedy is one of the most difficult genres and demands a sophisticated sense of humor and a sensibility he probably never had. For "Il ginecologo della mutua" aka "The ladies's doctor", he had available (for a pleasant change), what appears to be at least a decent budget, a more than usual clever script by long-time collaborator Fiorenzo Carpi, a cast of strong and skilled veteran actors like Renzo Montagnani, Mario Carotenuto, Massimo Serato, Tony Ucci and Italian stage and movie legend Aldo Fabrizi, as well as an outstanding group of pretty and absolutely not inhibited ladies, lead by a gorgeous Paola Senatore, all of them enthusiastically willing to show all their "treasures". So, probably aware of his limitations, he apparently decided to let his talented actors do what they could do best: means acting, restraining himself to a "soft touch" direction, only injecting, from time to time, some hearty doses of raunchiness and sleaze, as his personal trademark. If what I speculate is true, I think this was a very wise decision and, as a result, we got a far more entertaining Sex-Comedy, then the majority of the Xeroxed farces, which the Euro audience was bombarded with, during the 70's and early 80's. Renzo Montagnani is great as Dr. Giovannaldi, an obscure and modest, but "not so innocent" gynecologist, employed by the national health system, which knows how to properly scam this institution. His wife is lesbian; they only share conveniently an apartment (in those years, the majority of homosexuals stayed still comfortably in the closet...) and they have completely independent lives. He accepts this odd arrangement, simply because she is the daughter of an established professor, which may help his career. One day however, he gets the opportunity of his life-time: he is offered to take over, temporarily, the posh practice of an established colleague, on the run for tax troubles. He obviously accepts. In this way, he can continue to seduce his own patients and also succeeds in satisfying "big time" his new high-class clients, becoming rapidly popular and requested. He finally manages in becoming a partner in a new luxury clinic, working his way to the top, by cheating, lying and having torrid sex with every (beautiful and influential) woman available. Excellent (as usual) Aldo Fabrizi, as the exploitative father in law of the oversexed ladies's doctor, mainly concerned in finding a safe way to transfer to Switzerland the money he makes. In a couple of scenes, which are definitely a blast, he just about "steals" the movie. Among the women, there are several familiar faces (and bodies) of that period, such as Daniela Doria, Dirce Funari, Loretta Persichetti, Lorraine de Selle, caught in various stages of undressing and nakedness and, the more funny than sexy, Isabella Biagini. In a very small part with only a couple of short scenes, we can also appreciate a very young and very, very pretty Marina Hedman, freshly arrived from native Sweden to conquer the Italian movie industry, perhaps in one of her first screen appearances. She only smiles here, stutters a few lines with a horrible Teutonic accent, wakes her "booty" a couple of times and, amazingly,... doesn't "show any skin" at all! Only a few months later, during the same year, she performs the first Italian mainstream-movie hard-core sequence in Massacesi's "Emanuelle in America", breaking the ice for an all new explicit trend and becoming, during the 80's and '90's, as Marina Frajese (in the meantime she had married famous journalist/anchor-man Paolo Frajese, who quickly divorced her, as soon as he realized, that he was sharing, at least visually, his wife's most private parts with several hundred million men around the world...) and later as Marina Lotar, one of the most popular Porn Queens of all times. In 2000, great Robert Altman, landed a (perhaps unintentional) remake of this cult classic "Dr. T and the women", starring a somehow lame Richard Gere in the title-role. In spite of being an Altman admirer, I think this is just another polished Hollywood product, with far less "punch" and definitely not as entertaining as his raunchy predecessor. Just leave Sex-Comedies to the Italians....It's just a fact: they were and still are the best in this department! I think this is a must for Italian Sex-Comedy fans and rightfully deserves its Cult status and if you liked it, don't miss Pasquale Festa Campanile '71 "Il merlo maschio" starring a young and gorgeous Laura Antonelli and '79 "Il corpo della ragassa" starring "my darling" Lilli Carati. I give this one a 7 out of 10.

Behind Convent Walls (1978)

An artistic peak among all "Convent Erotica" movies.

[8/10 · 31 May 2005]

I've watched quite a number of so called "Nunsploitation" or "Convent Erotica" movies and at least eight of Walerian Borowczyk's erotic escapades and I think that "Interno di un Convento" aka "Behind the Convent Walls", truly deserves the term "Art-House Movie". In my opinion, it has to be considered one of the few artistic peaks, among the several dozens stinkers (mainly purely exploitative), which crowded European screens, during the '70 and '80s. The director shows us here more then a glimpse of his cinematic genius, crafting a little movie on a "shoestring budged", full of mesmerizing images and sounds. The cinematography (the movie seems almost entirely shot on a hand-held camera and in natural light) is simply gorgeous. Streams of bright sunlight flow towards the viewers from the background windows of beautiful Renaissance settings, creating dream-like visuals, in which the bodies of the female interpreters, quite often involved in steamy erotic games, appear almost floating weightlessly at mid air. By the way, Marina Pierro as "Sister Veronica" and Ligia Branice as "Sister Clara", are unbelievably beautiful even in (or half out) their rough monastic robes. The Mediaeval harpsichord, violin and organ scores, which underline the most climatic sequences, provide the proper musical frame for this dark tale of forbidden love affairs, sacrilegious erotic rituals, psychological and physical abuse and murder. The movie has a few dull moments where it seems that it is going nowhere, but then it gets back on track with a few pleasant surprises. There are two sequences which, personally, I consider among the most outstanding of the whole picture. The first begins with a flock of nuns busy cleaning up and decorating the chapel using straws of red carnations. Suddenly one of them, practicing on her violin, strikes a few musical notes of what seems to be a very lively tune. This attracts the attention of all the other nuns, who start looking at her in great expectation...Encouraged by her sisters, she strikes another series of notes, which immediately originates giggling of approval from the audience... Another nun joins right in playing the organ and they both start an improvised duet playing a very captivating "pagan" tune. Like stricken by a sudden electric discharge, the nuns immediately forget all about their work duties. The whole Sisterhood improvises a party and start dancing and jumping around happy and thoughtlessly. The camera jumps right in the middle of this improvised party, cavorting around with the nuns, by means of circular dancing movements at the rhythm of the music. It's an amazing apotheosis of flying black veils, black gowns, white undergarment and red carnations... You can almost feel the sense of relieve of the poor nuns, who get carried away in a temporary escape from the frustration of their austere and mortifying living routine. The other sequence is the one everybody who has seen the movie, obviously talks about... It's probably the only really explicit and graphic scene of the whole movie, but I think that the way it has been shot and directed, makes this sequence beautiful and not disturbing. Borowczyk unveils here the deepest roots of his erotic fantasies. He shows us a nun deeply (and desperately) in love with Christ. Spiritual love is not sufficient for her; her repressed senses demand to be also physically possessed by him. She reaches her objective, with the help of a home-made wooden dildo, with a Christ-like face painted on one end and a mirror...and a big deal of imagination. WOW! Definitely eroticism at his peak and definitely... not a movie for everyone! I give this one an (enthusiastic) 8 out of 10.

Convent of Sinners (1986)

Plenty of sleaze in this Massacesi's "Convent Erotica genre" second entry.

[7/10 · 27 May 2005]

Aristide Massacesi, the undisputed King of Italian Sexploitation Movies, here credited as Dario Donati, did it again. After his infamous '79 "Immagini di un convento" aka "Visions in a Convent", an erotic/porn romp starring sultry Paola Senatore (for the erotic part) and totally uninhibited Marina Hedman (for the porn department), comes back several years later, with his second entry in the "Convent Erotica" or "Nunsploitation" sub-genre. Actually in this one, he makes an honest effort to improve the quality of this production and he...almost succeeds. Still a low-budget production but with great Renaissance settings, excellent cinematography, an attractive cast lead by a gorgeous young Eva Grimaldi (at the beginning of her career, bound to become one of the most recognized Icons of Euro Sex-Cinema), decent acting and a clever and quite exploitative direction. As a matter of fact, even if less explicit and graphic then its predecessor, we get here the "whole sleaze enchilada" containing: more then obligatory nuns-lesbian action, nuns-masturbation, nuns-whipping, nuns-torture, nuns-fondling, nun-priest sex action, naked nuns frolicking in bathtubs, a hunky handyman who is mute but compensates his handicap, by being available to "comfort and service" needy nuns and the most incredible and unthinkable exorcism practice, involving holy water and an enema syringe...Wow! Do I need to say more? All the nuns are young and pretty (even Mother Superior is not bad at all...) and you really wonder if, to become a nun in those days, girls had to meet very high beauty parameters.... The story is quite the "classic one": a young girl, Suzanne, is raped by her step-father and consequently (as customary in those days), sent to a convent, to get her out of the way. There she finds soon out, that life behind the convent walls can be quite exciting. She has a steamy sensual relationship with Mother Superior, assorted lesbian encounters with other nuns and a sacrilegious sexual relationship with the young Father Confessor of the convent. This, however, unchains the jealousy and angriness of the other nuns, lead by the Vice-Mother Superior, who "has plans" for Suzanne. Repeatedly rejected, she accuses her of being possessed by the Devil and manages to send her to trial before the Archbishop. Suzanne gets tortured and exorcised (with great satisfaction of the male audience..). She still proclaims her love for God, but also confesses a lack of religious vocation, which made her vulnerable to the "temptations of the flesh". Unable to prove her innocence, abandoned by her lover (who realizes, at the end, that a career in the Vatican is more important then a love relationship) and rejected by the vast majority of the Sisterhood, she "flips-out", gets into convulsions, tears open her robe and (beautifully) naked, drops unconscious on the floor of the church! Highly dramatic organ music - THE END – rolling closing-credits....let's go to bed! OK, OK, it's only a Sex-Movie but why have those "Nunsploitation" or "Convent Erotica" flicks become so popular during the '70 and '80s and, in several cases, so successful? (I'd like to recommend very stylish and stimulating Walerian Borowczyk's '78 "Behind the Convent Walls" and both equally excellent Domenico Paolella's '73 "The Nuns of Saint Archangel" and "Story of a Cloistered Nun" and, it goes without saying, the one who started the whole genre: delirious Ken Russell's '71 "The Devils"). I think mainly for their anti-clerical spirit, which started spreading during the seventies, showing the Church, the Cloister, the Inquisition and similar institutions as very corrupt and barbaric. But not only for this reason. They also depict a microcosm, in which young women are "prisoners" confined in limited space, where the most evil and powerful, can sadistically abuse the weakest and the most innocent. I believe the majority of male readers will agree that the half-naked body of a nun (who implies purity, since she is supposed to deny her body and all her sexual desires), becomes a "perverse object of desire". If the very same body undergoes whipping or any other act of (sexual) abuse, it tremendously increases its erotic appeal. A sexual act, like fondling or masturbation, performed on screen by a beautiful actress impersonating a nun, in various stages of undressing of her rough underwear, alone or with a partner, set in a Cloister, becomes an almost unbeatable element for high-voltage and kinky eroticism. What is it? Perverse and fetishistic erotic fantasies? Desire for sacrilegious profanation of a symbol of purity? Expression of a "macho culture" originated "love'n'hate" relationship towards women? Desire of revenge for a symbol of forbidden, unnatural and inaccessible femininity? I don't think I go wrong if I say: a mixture of all of the above! So, if you enjoyed watching "Convent of Sinners" aka "La Monaca del Peccato" (like I did) but, at the end of the movie, felt a sudden urge to...take a shower, it's OK, go ahead and you'll feel (a little) better afterward. I give this one a seven (with a little sense of guilt) out of ten.

Il corpo della ragassa (1979)

Pygmalion revisited Italian Sex-Comedy's style.

[7/10 · 6 May 2005]

I remember my Grandpa (who was a wise man), telling me as a kid, a popular Italian saying which, loosely translated, sounds: "A pussy-hair can pull stronger then a pair of oxes"! Growing older, I soon came to realize that my Grandpa was right. It's definitely a vulgar saying, but it makes a point: some women can use sex to make the male "dance to the rhythm of her own music" and the male usually...loves it. It's just a fact of life. That's what happens in "Il corpo della ragassa" (in northern Italy dialect) to Doctor Ulderico Quadrio, a "way over the hill" wealthy single man, who lives in a luxury house, still with his former nanny/housekeeper/lover Caterina. He has a week spot for French culture and young chicks. He discovers Teresa called "Tirisin", a poor and ignorant 22 years old virgin (!?!) with a very pretty face and a "drop-dead body", gets carried away and, with the help of Caterina, teaches her the arts of femininity and erotic seduction. Tirisin is a quick learner and soon Ulderico can show off, what once was a rough stone, now a polished and shiny diamond. As he says to his friends: my masterpiece! Tirisin very quickly puts his newly acquired skills to work against her horny benefactor, which falls pray of his own victim. She plans to exploit him and drives him crazy with jealousy. At one point, she even pretends to be pregnant. Way out of control, he decides to marry her. Just before he does, Tirisin, who feels that finally victory is in sight, decides to offer herself to her mature fiancée. Ulderico however, at the brink of mental and physical resistance, can't take so much excitement and practically "croaks" between the legs of his young lover, just seconds before this so long awaited act can be consumed. You must see it to believe it. Tough luck and bad timing but, on the other hand, what a wonderful way to die...!. There are several reasons why I found this typical Italian Sex Comedy entertaining. The script was loosely based on a quite amusing novel written by the late Gianni Brera, a talented writer, knowledgeable journalist and sport commentator, skilled "gourmet" and, using his own words, profound "connoisseur de femmes". The story is far from being original, basically it is "Pygmalion revisited Italian Sex-Comedy's style", but the development of several sub-plots and secondary characters makes it actually quite enjoyable. Experienced Director Pasquale Festa Campanile, picked up the best of the novel and succeeded recreating the peculiar atmosphere, during the sixties, of a provincial city (several outdoor sequences were actually shot on location in Mantua, pretty medieval town, well known for its great cuisine and beautiful women), and its surrounding rural area, located at the lower east corner of Lombardy. He nostalgically recreates a kind of lazy atmosphere, impregnated with flavors and scents of good wine, hearty food, sweat, uninhibited sex with easy women with lots of over-sized curves and jumbo body-hair. Poor Doctor Ulderico, who has a sophisticated taste for art, food, women and considers sexuality mainly an intellectual activity, is definitely out of place in this provincial town. So he builds his own exclusive world around himself and Tirisin, as a valuable trophy, becomes part of this project, together with the antiques, sculptures, paintings and other assorted art objects. At this point you may come to think: well, who is the real exploiter here? Good thought my friend! There is still hope for you... And now the acting. Enrico Maria Salerno, a versatile actor with a solid stage background, who got sucked into Movie-Land starring in numerous (and mainly worthless) flicks of the "Gialli/Polizziotti" and "Sex-Comedy" sub-genres, finds himself well at ease in the part of Ulderico and delivers several moments of fine acting. The teaching process is opportunity for several laughs and so are the courting efforts by the pathetic doctor, who seems almost afraid...to "get too close to the cheese". Renzo Montagnani, who became nothing less then an "Icon" of the Italian Sex-Comedy (watch '77 "The Ladies Doctor" aka "Il Ginecologo della Mutua" and you'll understand what I mean), strangely gets limited screen-time here, but still delivers a convincing and hilarious portrait of the greedy and exploitative father of Tirisin. Worth to mention a group of supporting actors led by solid veteran actresses Elsa Vazzoler, as the possessive Caterina, and Marisa Belli as Cecchina, the (almost) retired whore, who becomes friend, "consigliere" and partner of Tirisin. And now let's finally get to the leading lady: Lilli Carati, as many of you remember, the undisputed Queen of all the beauties who crowded Italian screens in the '70's, a sultry brunette with mesmerizing dark eyes, great cheek-bones, luscious lips and a body "to die for" with all the right curves in the right places. She starred mainly in a bunch of silly Sex-Comedies (watch '78 "Avere vent'anni", where she teams-up with cutie Gloria Guida, a silly sex-romp with a surprisingly shocking ending), went on into "Erotica" becoming a regular of (in)famous Aristide Massacesi aka Joe d'Amato and, little by little, learned to act. She proves it here, as the naughty but lovable Tirisin. Unfortunately she got into drug habit and subsequently ended up in H. C. Porn to support her addiction. She vanished in thin air after '91 and....I still miss her! I give this one a (bit generous) 7 out of 10.

Marriage Italian Style (1964)

A temperamental love story and an emotional portrait of Neapolitan true life will make you cry and laugh!

[9/10 · 1 April 2005]

I thing that during the last 40 years, I watched "Matrimonio all'Italiana" at least six or seven time, the last (but probably not the least) being a few days ago and, guess what, it gets better every time! The majority of the viewers and critics call it an "Italian comedy". I have to disagree. I consider it a "Love Story" and a "Neapolitan true life drama". The Neapolitans were (and to a certain extent still are) "a bread apart". Their unique philosophy, religious believes heavily mixed-up with superstition ("San Gennarí, pienzace tu..!" = Little San Gennaro, you solve it..!), their concepts of life, death, love, honor, pride, family, motherhood, their unique sense of humor and their ability to go around the obstacles, are all part of a cultural heritage, product of centuries of almost uninterrupted foreign domination, which sank them more and more into poverty. WW2 was the most severe blow, which hit Naples and the whole region very hard. The weakest and poorest learned the hard way how to bend, if necessary, without breaking, becoming a race of survivors, struggling on a daily basis to satisfy their more basic needs. They developed the so called "Arte di arrangiarsi" which can be loosely translated as "Art of finding the way...to get away with it", which was used to "steal" from the rich and powerful minority, by means of mostly illegal but very imaginative subterfuges, their little share of wellbeing. This movie is an enjoyable colorful portrait of this "world apart", beautifully directed by Vittorio De Sica and wonderfully acted by one of the best teaming-up of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, joined by a strong group of supporting actors, lead by veteran Neapolitan actress Tecla Scarano. It is full of outbursts of typical lively Neapolitan hot and loud temperament and, a mixture of joy and sorrow, humor and drama, will take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and will make you laugh and cry. One of the two main characters, Filomena Marturano, gives us a perfect example of how "L'arte di arrangiarsi" can be fruitfully implemented. Filomena is an extremely poor young woman (born and grown up in a "basso napoletano" = one room living place occupied by one or more families). Luckily she is very beautiful (Sophia Loren is stunning in this part of the movie) and the circumstances offer her no better alternative then become a prostitute at 17 and the whorehouse's main attraction at 20. Sophia/Filomena is gorgeous, seductive and hilarious as she traps into marriage, faking imminent death, the flamboyant, egoistic and vain longtime lover Marcello/Don Mimí. He can save her from her miserable life and provide a better future for her and for her three children. When her game plan is discovered and she has to accept the cancellation of the marriage or go to jail, she changes strategy, implying that Mimí is father of one of her three sons, without telling however which one. This new situation provides, for both actors, the opportunity for another series of "head to head" confrontations, which are hilarious and sentimental at the same time. Filomena always loved Mimí and at the end, also Mimí realizes that Filomena, in spite of everything that happened, was and still is the best woman of his whole life. He has to admit that he also loves her, although in his own way. They get married again and, this time, both willingly. It looks like that, at this point, we have been served a sweet "Happy Ending" but it isn't so. Watch carefully the expressions of both characters during the closing sequence when, finally back from church and the colorful noise of the ceremony, they are resting in their newly-wed bedroom. Filomena, has crashed on a small sofa. Her face expresses the satisfaction of "mission accomplished" but also the overwhelming exhaustion after a lifetime battle against destiny. Don Mimí is sitting behind her on the bed, his eyes staring at the vacuum, guessing what the future will now have in store for them... Vittorio De Sica ends his wonderful movie whit this unusual twist, which leaves us also wondering... If you have a close understanding of the Italian language, as well as of Italian society and character, you will enormously enjoy this one. Unfortunately, even the best dubbing (I stumbled into a atrocious German version and even a Russian, where a guy with an extremely loud voice, shouts a translation on top of the original soundtrack...really nightmarish!) will not be able to convey to non-Italian speaking viewers, the true meaning and the little precious details of the story. I would like to recommend this movie especially to younger film fans, which have missed this wonderful season of Italian Cinema. Don't miss also De Sica's '63 "Ieri, oggi, domani" (another earlier Loren/Mastroianni great teaming-up) and '54 "L'oro di Napoli" (This one makes you really understand the true spirit of Naples, moreover you get the chance to enjoy the acting of unforgettable Eduardo de Filippo, play writer of the original "Filomena Marturano" stage-play). If you wonder how Sophia could manage a highly dramatic character and story, then '60 "La Ciociara" is the movie for you. I give this one an enthusiastic 9 out of 10.

Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy (1976)

A Porno-Musical? Yes, and a very enjoyable one!

[9/10 · 9 March 2005]

The first time I saw "Alice in Wonderland – an X-rated Musical Comedy", was in the early '80 in a Movie-Theater in N.Y. City with some friends. I remember we actually enjoyed it very much, although we were left wondering why all the "goodies" were covered by in various forms shaped colored patches and why the movie was suddenly jumping from one scene to the next one, leaving us guessing...what we just missed. Obviously it was the soft-core edited (chopped) version, which left me with the desire to watch it again soon, but in its original integral version. Well, more then 20 years went by, during which I forgot all about this movie and, only a few days ago, by sheer chance, I stumbled upon a heavily used VHS copy (which had seen better times: a bit washed-out colors, scratchy sound and a few flaws), but guess what? It's the original uncut version and, this time, I really had a ball! Humor, Musical and Porn may sound an awkward combination but, in this case, it really works and, unlikely the big majority of boring porn-flicks nowadays invading our screens, this is a really amusing and entertaining sex fantasy, which will not disappoint you. The direction is clever, the swift editing makes the movie fly like a bird, all the familiar characters are lovable or just plain funny, all the actors seem having a good time, the songs are catchy (worth mentioning the one about "growing up" sung by Alice at the beginning of the movie and the hilarious "What's a nice girl like you doing on a Knight like this"), the dance numbers are well choreographed and staged (amazingly energetic Terry Hall proves that she can "also" dance and dances enthusiastically her guts away...Don't worry, she also does what she was best known for...), the acting, the singing, the set, the costumes are of quality level and then...there is Kristine "Blue Eyes" DeBell, in the first starring role of her career and (oh boy!) she indeed has a few H.C. sequences! Personally I think they are absolutely not distasteful, on the contrary, they are spontaneous and quite arousing. She is young and (ohhh!) so very pretty; with the help of her new friends in Wonderland, she discovers her body and her sexuality so, she sings, she dances and...what do you expect? She is also experimenting sex! The closing sequence, when she finally makes love to her boy-friend, is exceptionally well photographed and directed and is the highlight of the movie. I think her "physique du role" (the innocent blue eyes and captivating smile) and her acting ability, make those explicit sequences more then acceptable and actually highly enjoyable. There is plenty of sex going on in (this) Wonderland and everybody seems eager to "get busy" with the first available boy(s) or girl(s), which means lot of hard-core action to be seen. On the other hand, some close-up shots, clearly "spliced in", just to make the "porn-hounds" really happy, are a bit redundant for my personal taste. In general, however, the sex-action is not offensive since handled with a great deal of humor and it blends almost seamlessly with the music, the dances and the comedy. If you think you and your partner can handle graphic sex, watch it together. Take my word, you will have an hour and a half of very good time (perhaps also an after-show extra action...) This is "Adult Entertainment" so be careful, don't leave this video around or among other kid's videos. If your 10 years old can put his hands on it, he might amuse himself, but you will be forced to provide embarrassing explanations about the reasons why "this" Alice behaves quite differently from the one he red about in Lewis Carroll novel or he watched on the Disney's video. I bet, you will not forget this "one-of-a-kind" very soon. It's a real shame that they don't mak'em like that anymore...! I give it a 9 out of 10.

Erotic Symphony (1980)

Intense erotic psycho-drama - SPOILERS AHEAD!

[9/10 · 2 March 2005]

This is an aesthetically well conceived psycho-drama, which seems built around his own (well chosen) musical sound-track (Franz Liszt romantic Concertos and Franco's own synthesized scores). Images and music combined, create a fascinating erotic atmosphere. "Sinfonia Erotica" (Erotic Symphony) is a most appropriate title for this movie. I consider it one of Franco's most ambitious and best crafted works in spite of being an "only-few-thousand-bucks-budget-production". The movie has a captivating languid pace, with slow, sudden unpredictable circling camera movements and shots from unorthodox angles. The lens cuts thru the shadows, showing mainly details of faces, bodies and objects, often reflected in mirrors. The setting is a large villa, surrounded by luscious vegetation and sunny bodies of water. The camera leads us, following the action, through rooms and corridors, whose darkness is broken by the flickering light of candles and oil-lamps, shown in close-up and out-of-focus. Distant voices, moaning, echoes and other eerie sound-effects, effectively contribute creating a morbid and hallucinated atmosphere of sensuality and corruption. The story is about Countess Martine De Bressac (sultry Lina Romay), her mental illness, her sensual obsession and her very "Sadean" relationship to her husband. She feels irresistible lust driven love for him. In return she gets rejection, psychological abuse and humiliation. Armand had engaged earlier in a relationship with an ambiguous teenager named Fiore, and completely neglects his marital duties, which drives Martine over the edge of mental sanity. During her recurring sex-abstinence triggered violent crises, she wildly caresses her body, trying in vane to quench her sexual desire. One night, she sexually assaults Norma, a young novice (beautiful Susan Hemingway). Earlier in the movie, Norma had been found wounded at the entrance of the villa and immediately "adopted" by Armand, who turned her into his favorite "pleasure-toy", to provide a touch of extra spice, during his encounters with Fiore. In a later twist of the story however, Norma and Fiore fall in love and are planning to run away. This triggers the vengeance of Armand. He discovers them making passionate love and, in a sudden burst of rage, runs his sword thru their naked bodies joined (at this point forever) in the act of love. Martine lives secluded within the boundaries of the villa, in a semi-catatonic mental state, her eyes gazing through the window towards imaginary spaces. She spends time only in the company of her lady-friend Wanda, who warns her about the criminal plans of Armand and will pay with death her loyalty to her mistress and, sometimes, briefly with her mysterious Doctor who, however, seems "playing on both sides of the fence". Martine appears not able to communicate with the real world. In her mind she hears the loving words exchanged with her husband at the beginning of their marriage. She only becomes alive during her continuously frustrated attempts to make love to Armand. She keeps getting rejected and forced back to a borderline mental state, where reality and fantasy are deeply interconnected. Relentlessly she keeps offering herself to him and finally, one night, he violently possesses her. At one point, close to the peak of pleasure, she gasps, collapses and dies or, at least so it appears. Here we get the most baffling conclusion of the story! Armand plunges into a remorseful state of despair for having killed Fiore. In spite of having reached his objective (getting rid of his wife to get free access to all her wealth), he is a broken man. One night, suddenly Martine appears like a ghost in front of him, with a deadly sword in her hand. Did she came back from death or did she faked it? She is vengeful and determined to finally settle the scores. Armand is in shock, he can't take it anymore and begs her in tears, to put and end to his misery. She runs the sword thru his throat and...Justice is delivered! In the closing sequence we see Martine with her shady Doctor, who urges her, now that "their plan has been accomplished", to forget the whole sad story and start together a new life. Does this mean that Martine was not the "victim" but really the architect of a complex plot, to turn her husband into the "actual victim"? De Sade often mixes-up the roles of "victim" and "executioner" and the "victim" has to fall to the lowest annihilation level and "die" in order to "resurrect". Or was the whole story just the product of Martine's schizophrenic fantasy? Or perhaps a dream? This is a complex, multi-layered movie, recommendable to mature and open-minded viewers and to Franco fans. The depiction of sexual situations is graphic, bordering (and frequently trespassing) forbidden territory. This "IS" a movie for grown-ups. Without the sex sequences, the movie would simply fall apart. If you decide to go for it, please beware of any edited/cut versions. They would keep you safe from nudity and sex however, they would leave you guessing, hopelessly trying to find some sense for the (at this point) loose images rolling on screen. Lina Romay is a wonderful leading lady and she delivers one of the best performances of her career. Her portrait of Countess Martine is convincing and compelling. She is sensitive, romantic, passionate, sad, wild and crazy. Her wonderful big dark eyes have a unique and natural ability to express all kind of feelings. Her sensuality is intense and overwhelming. She doesn't only impersonate the character; she really "IS" Martine De Bressac! Susan Hemingway's character is also complex. She is young and pretty and shows generously her teen body. Perhaps she also actually tried to act here, which is hard to tell since, in my copy, she gets the worst and most vulgar Italian dubbing among the whole cast. Sadly, this little gem, in spite of being an Italian co-production, probably never made it to regular theatrical release in my own native country. I give it a 9 out of 10.

.

Broken Dolls (1999)

Certainly among Franco's best...!

[8/10 · 16 February 2005]

As a movie-lover, I carry with Jess Franco a kind of longtime and ongoing "love'n'hate" relationship, in the sense that I "love" to search for his movies; when I can put my hands on one I haven't seen yet, I watch it right away and, usually, I begin to "hate" him... immediately after-wards! For one thing however I have to give him credit. He understands "entertainment" and, in spite of having worked (almost) ever on "shoe-string budgets", he has (almost) always delivered what his audience was looking for: sexploitation, S&M, erotica, horror, porn, satanism, zombie, cannibals, vampires, nuns...you name it. He jumped enthusiastically on almost every "bandwagon" on the horizon, crafting low-budget movies in his original style. He is one of the few directors who has dared to challenge himself by transferring on screen Marquise De Sade's philosophy (quite a challenge), with more then respectable results in several cases. He delivers best creating dramatic situations, in which he injects generous doses of T&A. and a "bit more"...which is his special and personal trademark. "Broken Dolls" was for me actually a pleasant surprise. Yes, he still wanders endlessly with his zoom lens (quite dusty, perhaps on purpose to create a dreamlike atmosphere!?!) over tree-tops, beaches, ocean waves, birds and objects which, apparently, have no relation to the story or to the movie. The cinematography is at times shaky, the movie seems being shot with a hand-held 16 mm. camera and the sound has a lot of flaws. The copy I watched was English dubbed, apparently, by the very same actors. Unfortunately, they don't manage too well this language and carry a (very) heavy Spanish accent. Particularly Lina Romay lines were sometimes almost incomprehensible and made the viewing, to a certain extent, an involuntary hilarious and, sometimes, excruciating experience. In spite of all the above, he crafted an original little movie, which I could not stop watching till the end. He manages to bring across a couple of messages, the story, if not completely plausible, is at least interesting, the location is beautiful and so are the ladies bodies, which are generously revealed in highly erotic contexts. The acting is surprisingly good. Paul Lapidus is an amazingly colorful "Nut". Only problem is that he has such a sympathy charge emanating from all his (fat) pores, that it is kind of difficult to take him seriously, when he pokes holes and slices-up, with profusion of blood, the bodies of the two lowers "caught in the act". Lina Romay decides to be a serious actress, wisely leaving the "clothes dropping" to her much younger and fresher supporting actresses and delivers a compelling portrait of an angry, sad and disillusioned middle-age woman which, at the end, looses all hopes for salvation. A pleasant soundtrack underlines the action on screen. "Broken Dolls" is a "must see" for all Franco's fans. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Rojo sangre (2004)

Paul Naschy "The Legend": still alive and...kicking!

[9/10 · 11 February 2005]

When I started to watch "Rojo Sangre", Jacinto Molina's aka Paul Naschy ("The Spanish Horror Legend") last movie, on a beautiful Spanish DVD transfer, I didn't know I was in for a big and pleasant surprise. I just got "burned" by "Tomb of the Werewolf" (2003), which I couldn't bear for more then 10 minutes and ended up straight into the trash-can. I wasn't sure I should give Jacinto a second chance during the same evening... I'm glad I did! If not his best movie, this is certainly one of his most important works and, for sure, his most personal in many ways. He gets involved here as the leading actor, scriptwriter and I suspect, he also exercised some influence on young and talented Director Christian Molina (no relation to Jacinto), at his first and, so far, only directing experience (lets keep an eye on this fellow). The main character: Pablo Thevenet, an aging and struggling actor, who is not getting jobs anymore, has no money left, is turned down by friends, directors and his own agent, tries to convince an arrogant casting director what a good film and stage actor he was and still is. He starts mentioning movie titles which, in reality, belong to Naschy's own filmography. A part from that, Jacinto Molina is also an "aging actor" in real life. It may break your heart to see, what has become of the guy which, in his prime-time, was an athletic and handsome typical "Macho Latino", as he appeared, for instance, in "Blue eyes of the broken doll". Now he is almost bald, wrinkled and walks with the help of a cane... but, as an actor, believe me, he is alive and kicking big time! Surely he can fully relate to the Thevenet character and understand, better then anybody else, what it would mean, for a once famous actor, loosing his audience and being forced to go from one humiliating and hopeless casting-call to the other, just to survive. This knowledge helped him to craft this complex and powerful character. There is no intention from my side to spoil your pleasure, if you decide to watch this movie, by giving you in advance the whole plot or too many details. I will only say that he keeps sinking towards his final humiliation, until he finally snaps and the inside growing rage pushes him to kill all the scumbags in the entertainment industry, he considers responsible, in one way or the other, for his misery. As a skilled actor, he does it however in a stylish manner, impersonating, one after the other, a gallery of infamous madmen, like Ivan the Terrible, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin and others. He "gets busy", using mainly a precious collection of assorted Japanese sharp blades, just perfect for the gory slashing, but a handgun comes also handy at times. The killings are bloody and brutal but, cinematographically, exceptionally well crafted. Gore-hounds will love them and love this movie. In his descent to the lowest level of dignity, he gets also involved in the production of a "snuff-film". I consider this horrifying and savage sequence being, cinematographically, one of the best of the whole movie. Earlier in the movie, he signed a "Contract" with a bizarre character named Mr. Reficul (read it backwards...does a bell ring?), who offered him a humiliating but well rewarded job. This will be the starting point of his brutal career as a deadly agent of the Dark Side. A part of Naschy's acting performance (which I consider superb), it is worth to mention a young fellow named Miguel del Arco, who delivers a remarkable mean-spirited performance as Mr. Reficul. The dialogs are clever and, sometimes, very amusing. Right in the opening scene, Thevenet gives to a friend a detailed description of an odd sexual-aid technique he finds quite effective..... His friend is embarrassed to death and his face shows it all. This monologue is absurd but Naschy is capable to make it sound almost logical and perfectly acceptable. The scene is a blast! Beware, unless your copy has subtitles (avoid dubs at all costs), you need to be in full control of the Spanish language, to completely appreciate the dialogs and the movie in his entirety. The cinematography and the visuals are awesome. Director and cinematographer have probably seen Argento's "Suspiria" and Bava's "Kill, Baby Kill" and have learned the lesson. They successfully apply all the technical marvels available from today's technology, to create a kaleidoscope of dizzying chromatic visuals, in which "reds" and "yellows" provide an extra kick, during the most atmospheric and dramatic sequences. The camera moves rapidly, morphing from one sequence to the next, the accurate and swift editing ads tension, all this supported by an appropriate and atmospheric original soundtrack. To me this is a highly recommendable stylish and gorgeous "fantastic-horror" movie. So please, grab your pop-corn (or cup of Spanish Brandy if you prefer), sit back, relax and go for the ride but please, don't forget Thevenet's words, concluding his "El Murillo Movie Award" acceptance speech:"...be very careful with what you sign...!!!" I give it a 9 out of 10.

Baise-moi (2000)

"Requiem" for a Pornstar.

[4/10 · 7 February 2005]

I've seen "Baise-Moi" on DVD several weeks ago. The movie made also a short run in Adult Theaters here in México City as "Viólame!" but I don't think it scored high. I enjoy a "pretty strong stomach" and, with the years passing by, I became more open-minded and tolerant (thank God something good comes also with the aging process...). The movie contains a graphic rape sequence, a few more explicit sex scenes and "tons" of gore and violence, without being able to deliver a message. Perhaps it was supposed to be just a provocative movie but, the violence in particular, remains almost unexplained and gratuitous and, therefore, it can only be considered pure exploitation. Graphic depiction of violence and sex in movies absolutely don't offend me (on the contrary, if well done and essential to the plot, I surely like it), but I wasn't very impressed by this one. I mostly agreed with the comment posted on IMDb so, I didn't feel any interests in posting another comment, since there was not much else I could say. However, last week, I heard on the radio, while listening to a variety program which deals with music and movies, that on January 28th, Karen Lancaume aka Karen Bach, "Nadine", one of the two main characters of this movie, took her own life at age 31. A suicide news note is always a sad note but the suicide of a person who has gained certain notoriety, usually (and unfortunately) stirs-up a process of exploitation based on bad publicity and I wouldn't be surprised at all, if the movie would make another run in theaters and the sales of the DVD would benefit of an important boost. How sad! Poor "exploited" Karen; she surely was a pretty lady and perhaps even a fine person but, at age 31, in spite of being still a young woman, she already passed "prime-time" which for an "Adult Movie Star" (that's what she was whit 28 porn-vids and one main-stream movie, also classified as porn, in her résumé), is just about around that age. The porn industry system is allegedly very cruel and burns-up those girls, who decide to go for it, very quickly. The competition of new young "hungry" starlets perhaps became unbeatable and unbearable for her or else... We shall never know why she did it; we can only guess she was profoundly unhappy and severely depressed. I wish (and I hope I'm not the only one), she has now finally found the peace and happiness she couldn't find in life. Karen: "REQUIESCAT IN PACEM"!

The Burning (1981)

Cropsy is here...Jason go...hide!

[7/10 · 4 February 2005]

I was told that this "Friday the 13th" blatant rip-off, is much better then its predecessor. As a matter of fact, I think I have to agree. I watched a splendid DVD print of the English uncut version and I had...a ball! The characters are much better defined, the photography is very good, the story makes a (little) more sense, the direction by Tony Mylam is clever, the pulsating soundtrack score helps to building-up the tension, Tom Savini's F/X's are out of this world, the acting is more then acceptable for a flick of this kind, the young actors and actresses are generally good looking and a couple of gorgeous babes are also willing to drop their clothes and march totally in the buff towards their gruesome destiny...which doesn't hurt at all! The movie starts at a very slow pace with only a couple of action sequences (one is Cropsy killing a fat prostitute, stabbing her in the belly...and wiggling the blade...how considerate!). We don't get to see much of Cropsy (which, we find out later on, is not a pretty sight anyway...), we see the scenes through his eyes thou and hear his heavy breathing. This contributes to building up the tension. It's in the second part, that things start really moving fast and the s***t hits the fan! That's when Crospsy finally thinks "pay-back time!" and starts getting busy with his long blade garden scissors, poking holes in the bodies of the screaming teens, cutting fingers and limbs, nailing them against trees and doing assorted slashing. During the raft sequence, he "does" at least 5 or 6 kids in one attack. At this point, (in)famous "Gore Magician" Tom Savini at his best, opens his Trick-Box, blows his engine at full throttle and hits the audience with a variety of amazingly graphic gore effects, very realistic and at very close range (slit throats, blood gushing in streams from wounds, impaling and... you name it), and provides "big time entertainment" to every respectable "Gore-Hound" in the audience. I have no intention to spoil it too much; consequently I can only say that, at the end, Cropsy gets absolutely what he deserves. Will he be back for a sequel? He actually newer did so: I don't think so... AMEN! This is only for the not-squeamish and it is recommended to keep repeating during its vision, possibly with lights on:"...this is only a movie...this is only a movie...this is only a movie...this is......" I give it a 7 out of 10.

About Schmidt (2002)

A sad and marvelous little gem!

[9/10 · 2 February 2005]

Only recently I had the chance to watch "About Schmidt" on cable. A few days ago, I watched it again on DVD and, I'm sure, I'm going to watch it several more times in the future. I think this is one of the best movies in recent years. A sad and marvelous little gem which, surprisingly, comes from a "Hollywood factory". The central idea of this movie somehow brought to my mind "American Beauty", which however is quite different in its development and conclusions. Why did I like it so much? Among other reasons, most certainly because I could relate to it. As a matter of fact, (almost) all should. It could be renamed "About Ordinary Humans". This movie is about "sense of approaching death and facing defeat" (...soon I'll be dead and...no one will remember that I ever lived and feel that I'm missing....) and consequently, "a tardier search of the meaning of life" (the sponsoring of the little Tanzanian boy). We may not like the idea, but we all have a big chance to face that (perhaps some of us already did...). If you think this is not going to happen to you, one of the three: you are still too young, or you are quite an exceptional human being or...you are in for a big surprise! The movie best assets: a strong script, a fine and sensitive direction (both by outstanding Alexander Payne), deeply structured characters but, most of all, a wonderful acting performance by the leading actor and the whole supporting cast. Jack Nickolson, as usual, steals the movie delivering a surprisingly subdued performance (compared to what he had accustomed us in previous movies: this time only a few smiles, no grins, no moving eyebrows...). He does a nice little character study and nails the Warren part with a gutsy performance, reaffirming himself as a wonderful actor. His performance should have been rewarded with an "Oscar for Best Actor". I truly think, in this case, he got robbed...again. A little example: the opening scene shows us Jack/Warren sitting at his clean desk in his almost empty office, staring at the wall-clock waiting to strike 5:00 o'clock, which will mean the end of his professional career and the beginning of a new life. His face looks emotionless, almost like cut in stone but still, you can feel the hurricane of contrasting emotions ravaging his heart. Even better: when he leaves the office, after having paid a totally useless visit to his successor, he spots all his important work papers, representing a lifetime of work, nicely boxed and stacked-up against a garage wall but... dangerously close to the garbage bin. His face expression shows it all but, without a twitch of a nerve. Not many actors can do that. Kathy Bates, in spite of having very limited screen-time, is simply a riot as Roberta, the horny divorcée, mother of the groom and undisputed head of a dysfunctional family. She never goes "over the top" (it would have been easy in that part) instead, she is so real that you can...almost smell her! Her scene with Jack/Warren in the Jacuzzi is priceless. Hope Davis as Jeannie, the mousy and "past prime-time" Warren's daughter, is terrific in her part and proves she can act with her guts. Marriage is her last chance and she is not going to miss it. She is bitter, angry and close to a nervous break-down, but determined to get her little share of happiness at any costs. Dermot Mulroney (quite underrated young actor which should get more and better opportunities), is great as Randall, the dorky water-bed salesman, full of good intentions, but hopelessly "breast-fed into a complete looser" by his own mother. This honest and heartfelt movie is not supposed to "make the audience feel good", so I highly recommend it only to the ones who...don't mind. I rate it 9 out of 10.

Closer (I) (2004)

A punch in the stomach but...I loved it!

[9/10 · 1 February 2005]

Watching "Closer" was, in a way, like receiving a punch in the stomach. That's what I felt after viewing this amazingly almost perfect movie. I'm really glad I did! Why do I say "almost perfect"? Simply because I think that, even in its screen version, "Closer" remains a "stage-play" (which I regret not having had a chance to see), cleverly translated to the screen by the same author Patrick Marber, with the help of a recognized "specialist" like Mike Nichols. Both ensured the required fidelity to the spirit of the original. Rough, controversial, unpleasant, cruel, at times uneasy to watch and almost agonizing, but painfully honest and coherent with real life. Definitely not a commercial product and, consequently, not the movie for everyone. If you just want to be entertained and are too lazy to put your brain to work, "The Aviator" or "Ray", for example, could be your cup of tea. By the way, both are excellent movies, don't get me wrong. If you don't mind using your head or, just plain, are not afraid and love the challenge and don't need a happy ending then, please, watch the exquisite film "Closer". You won't regret it. All the above explains the very contrasting reactions from the audience. I'm sure, many spectators really felt cheated and asked for their money back... The essence: four interesting and very complex characters, a wonderfully written dialogue (as harsh and realistic as it can be) and four amazing young actors to bring to life this compelling today's story about love and sex. The subject matter: truth, lies, love, hate, sorrow, regret, manipulation, sex, sex and more sex.... Real today's life situations involving the relationship of two couples, which are unable to avoid screwing (in the broad sense of the word) each others up. And all end up loosing. The acting: what can I say? Seldom have we had the luck of having four fine actors, which chemistry worked so well, reunited in the same movie. Moreover they all are very good looking, which doesn't hurt. My darling, (still very young) Natalie Portman is absolutely incredible in the role of "Alice". She "is" at least four different kind of woman at the same time. Her different personalities are brought up, one by one, while she is interacting with the other characters. She is a helpless fragile child, a sexy shameless vixen, a sweet and caring lover, a selfish and arrogant bitch and, perhaps, something more. She manages this not easy acting task, showing the same astounding skills of a "seasoned stage-chameleon" but still, she makes it appear so natural and easy. I must confess, she managed to reach several times deep down in my "emotion-reservoir" and made me tremble....and also, she is sooooo pretty! I would rate her performance here at the same level of her unforgettable performance as "Mathilda"in "Léon" (unbelievable, she was only twelve at that time...) I feel comfortable we'll see a lot more good from Natalie for many years to come. Clive Owen is amazing. He can be a repulsive, sex manipulative, egoistic and egotistic bastard and, minutes later, a fragile, confused and somehow lost soul. His scene with Jud Law, in his doctors' practice, is one of the best for both actors. I only hope he will not be too attracted by the lures of Hollywood and will keep choosing his new projects with intelligence. Jud Law is strong and convincing, as he has already accustomed us in previous movies. Julia Roberts passes with flying colors in, probably, one of the most difficult and challenging role of her career. Her best scene (to me) is when Clive/Larry is confronting her and wants to know if she slept with Jud/Dan in their apartment. First she warns him: "...please...don't do this...", but when he increases the pressure, she suddenly drops all moral barriers and starts throwing in his face the truth, with plenty of graphic details, which have the same impact of a sharp blade plunged frantically in his flesh, in a paroxysms of verbal sadism and self destructive humiliation... WOW! I give it a 9 out of 10.

The Aviator (2004)

"The Aviator" didn't fly as high as I hoped!

[7/10 · 31 January 2005]

Martin Scorsese is one of my favorite directors. At least five of his movies (Taxi Driver – Raging Bull – Last Temptation of Christ – Goodfellas and Casino) are on top of my "All-Time Favorite Movie List". With raising expectation, I was waiting for a chance to watch his last opus "The Aviator", about a period of the life of the flamboyant and visionary Howard Hughes, who started building Drill-bits in Houston, TX and ended up in California, producing spectacular movies (and courting pretty movie starlets which he made famous), building futuristic planes and confronting head to head the giant (at that time) of commercial aviation PAN-AM. Yesterday, finally the chance arrived. What can I say: it's a wonderfully crafted and polished Hollywood product but I felt that something was definitely missing. Strong directions and cinematography, swift editing, jaw-dropping visual effects (the plane crash on Beverly Hills sequence is visually impacting and leaves you, at the end, totally devastated; cannot believe what nowadays computer graphics can do...), top-notch casting and production, very good acting especially by Leonardo DiCaprio, (who is "getting better by the movie" in spite of looking, in this one, a bit to boyish to credibly impersonate Howard Hughes), Cate Blanchett (amazing portrayal of a young Kate Hepburn which, however, I remember much prettier...please no offense), Alec Baldwin (one of the most slick and stylish villain in movie history) and Alan Alda (great performance which absolutely deserves a recognition). So what was really missing? I think this movie is missing a "Soul", that special "something" which touches you and somehow gets you involved, for good or for bad, while watching a movie. The one which can make you think, laugh or cry. The one that can give you the willies or, sometimes, even can make you feel like throwing pop-corn and stuff at the screen of your TV set. In short, that "something" that somehow gets to you and makes movie-watching such a fascinating experience! Even so called "bad movies" or "B-Movies" usually have it (I am a die-hard fan of those), but I couldn't feel it here. I was watching that marvelous and expensive display of cinematographic art, but I couldn't get emotionally involved and really relate to the characters or to the story unfolding on the screen. ...just watching and, I think, I even doze-off a couple of times (and I didn't even drink one beer...). Does this make it a bad movie? Of course not! This is a splendid movie. Perhaps only a "not entirely perfect one". It simply did not completely "deliver". By the way, this is simply my personal reaction and point of view as a spectator and movie lover and I truly think that "The Aviator" deserves (and certainly will receive) more then one "Academy Award". However, I would be surprised (and a bit disappointed), if it will receive an "Oscar for Best Picture". I think it should go to "Closer" instead, but.... who am I to judge...? Sorry Martin but, this time, I give it a 7 out of 10.

El ojete de Lulú (1986)

Sorry Jesus, but this is a NO-NO...!

[3/10 · 28 January 2005]

Dear Jesus,

How could you??? How could you rip-off Claude Mulot's '75 "Le Sexe qui parle" in such a shameful manner, just switching from... "main entrance" to "back door" and think...you could get away with it? I can understand if, at the time you made this movie, perhaps you badly needed to make a quick buck to pay rent and bills but, at least you could try to do it with the style I (and many more) know you are capable of. I know it's "hard-core" but we all know you can do better then this. I can absolutely NOT forgive you for having "thrown" at us (audience), "our" lovely Lina Romay in tasteless and gratuitous gynecological poses and, to make things even worst, let her hide under that horrible wig, which made her look so cheap and vulgar. Where did you leave the atmosphere, the mesmerizing images, the erotic build-up and the style you got us accustomed to? Perhaps you tried to make it funny but, the only time I was able to smile, was when Lina/Lulú spots the "Oscar" statue sitting on top of a piece of furniture and decides quickly to put it...to use. First I thought this was your humorist way to give us your opinion about the "Academy Award" but, most probably, the statue was just found by the Prop-man somewhere in a box and he decided to bring it to the set, thinking that it may somehow fit in the plot.... Sorry Jesus, but this is definitely a NO-NO! I can only give a very merciful 3 out of 10 and, to get the bad taste out of my mouth, I'm going now to watch (again) "Les Avaleuses" or "Doriana Grey" and I hope it will help...

El mirón y la exhibicionista (1986)

"Que Viva la Lina...!

[8/10 · 27 January 2005]

I am a fan of the controversial cinematographer Jess Franco, so my point of view is not going to be shared by many readers, which is OK with me: this is a free world! As a matter of fact, I must confess that I watch every Franco's movie I can get my hands on and, honestly, I find always something intriguing and interesting in his work. Yesterday I watched "El Mirón y la Exhibicionista". I expected some kind of erotic-horrific romp, instead I discovered, after a few minutes watching, that this is definitely pure hard core. Yes folks, people really making love to each other (or to themselves) and you get to see it all. So, if you are offended by the graphic depiction of sexual acts, stay away, watch something else since this is not...your piece of cake. The usual hard core stuff available nowadays in carload quantities in the market, doesn't strike me too much. Generally, after a few minutes, I'll find it boring and this is probably due to the lack of fantasy and intelligence of the makers. A good Porno is very difficult to make. So, why comment a Porno? First of all, because nobody else did on this one and second, because this is made with a certain style and intelligence. I think in this one, Jess delivers to his audience big time! The plot is very simple: in what appears to be a resort/hotel room, a good-looking woman (Lina Romay, still gorgeous and with a great skin, in spite of a few pounds too many and a funny red wig), is reading magazines and listening to music from a tape-deck. She is obviously bored but, after a while, she realizes (what an eye...) that a man is watching her from the window of a conveniently placed building in front of her room. It appears that he has binoculars, which qualifies him immediately as a "skilled Peeping-Tom". She doesn't let the opportunity skip by and starts staging a quite titillating and very arousing show in total benefit of this uninvited, but evidently quite welcome, guest. I skip describing all the sexual variations (including girl to girl and boy to girl) we are presented with, during the 60 minutes duration of this movie. I couldn't possibly do it anyway, without risking to be thrown out of IMDb...and I very much like it here. I can only say that the images and the situations, in spite of being as explicit as they can be, are well done and far less vulgar then one could expect. But this is not the point. The point is the ability of the director and the leading lady (which I think is a far better actress then she was given credit for), to create and show the compelling and escalating atmosphere of tension and complicity, which is building up, as time goes by, between "watcher" and "watched". Lina gets "busy" with her body and soul and you can tell she likes what she does, but her eyes constantly run at the window, looking to be assured that "He" is still there and that he likes what he sees. Believe it or not, her facial language is (particularly under these peculiar circumstances) quite expressive and convincing. There is a mounting tension between the two which, in spite of being at least a couple of hundred yards away from each other and linked only by sight and some other person body, which is the "occasional-transfer", have never been so close and this, till the...inevitable conclusion. The dialogue is basically non existent. However at one point Lina says (in Spanish) to her occasional and cooperating "transfer-partner": ...you may think I'm a maniac but...I love this game! It says it all! Great Lina Romay! "Que Viva la Lina!" (By the way, I'm also a Lina Romay's fan...) Only a true voyeur and exhibitionist can be capable to recreate this kind of atmosphere and I think that, both Jess and his long time companion and muse Lina, are all that. Otherwise how could they be so good at it! On the other hand I have to admit that, probably, it takes also a real voyeur and an exhibitionist, to really appreciate this little movie.....Hmmmm!....which makes me think.......Hmmmm!.....but who doesn't have a little bit of this, somewhere in the deepest part of his soul...? Strong direction, skilled and sharp cinematography, excellent acting, gorgeous colors, pleasant jazzy big band music in the background, babes who haven't discovered yet the use of a razor... This is not the usual boring porn flick. I rate it: 8 out of 10 (but, of course, I'm a Jess Franco and Lina Romay fan).