For the fifth part of our continued look at Severin’s THE SENSUAL WORLD OF BLACK EMANUELLE box set, let’s move onto to disc eleven and AMORE LIBERO – FREE LOVE, directed by former cinematographer Pier Ludovico Pavoni in 1974, a film which is probably best remembered today as Laura Gemser’s big screen debut. Confusingly billed as “Emanuelle” in the film’s opening credits, causing confusion to those who don’t know better, this film could be considered a precursor to the Black Emanuelle films. By virtue of its tropical setting and overall tone, AMORE LIBERO fits perfectly into the ’70s “exotico erotico” mythos, a rather fascinating example of this short-lived sub-genre of Italian erotica instigated by Ugo Liberatore’s BORA BORA (1968). Francesco (Enzo Bottesini), an Italian engineer and minerals expert, is sent to Esmeraldo (or Emerald Island in the English version) in the Seychelles to help begin the preparation of the Silver Mines Project after his predecessor Giovanni Maistrelli has mysteriously disappeared. Upon his arrival, he works in liaison with the eccentric Mr. Chavad (Venentino Venantini), a Frenchman who worries this new mine will “change the life of the entire archipelago”, but Francesco is soon distracted by the island’s exotic charms when he meets Janine (Laura Gemser), a fascinatingly beautiful islander…
Although first and foremost a softcore sex film, director Pavoni seems intent on making some kind of serious social commentary about the encroachment of industrialization, and in all fairness, he does manage a few moments of aesthetic ethnic interest including an impressive island-style ‘floating Christmas mass’. In keeping with the film’s “exotico erotico” motif, the script espouses the necessary scenes of interracial sex, and also includes local girls splashing through the shallow beaches with Francesco, while Katia (Olga Bisera), another foreigner “living a natural life” is first seen riding a horse bareback along the serene, picture-perfect beaches. Further typifying the film’s exotic theme, Gemser’s character Janine is not only gorgeous (who looks equally beautiful in several floral-patterned tropical sundresses or nothing at all), but also signifies “something symbolic” and a “serenity” of the island culture, which both Francesco and Chavad likewise desire. However, lurking like leprosy beneath the island’s beauty, “mysterious things happen”, and Francesco is left to ponder the precise significance of Venantini’s character amidst a disconcerting tangle of mistrust, and misinterpretation of truth.
Although released on DVD as THE REAL EMANUELLE by MYA Communications in 2009, this release was poorly sourced from a sub-standard VHS (complete with tape rolls), which didn’t earn this obscurity any favours whatsoever; even the English subtitles were sloppily transcribed. Thankfully, this now out-of-print DVD, which was fetching far too much money on the over-priced collector’s market, can now be rendered obsolete thanks to Severin’s new immaculate Blu-ray. Taken from the film’s original camera negative, Fausto Rossi’s top-notch cinematography now reveals the island’s lush surroundings with considerable aplomb; it’s really quite outstanding just how good this film now looks. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks in English and Italian also sound clear and vibrant, especially during some of the film’s more threatening passages. Plus, Fabio Frizzi’s spectacular soundtrack (a clear forerunner to Nico Fidenco’s numerous Black Emanuelle scores) also flourishes with the improved audio clarity. The brief – but welcome - extras include The Seductress (9m55s), an audio interview with Olga Bisera who casually chats about her “turbulent life” and crumbling marriage to producer Enzo Gallo prior to her accepting the role in AMORE LIBERO, which she regarded as a kind of escape. She also describes the film’s tropical paradise, which the entire cast and crew “fell in love” with and her chance meeting with the Prime Minister of Seychelles. The film’s English opening credits (2m00s), and the film’s English export trailer (3m21s) are also included.
Shifting over to the second film on disc eleven, José María Forqué’s LA MUJER DE LA TIERRA CALIENTE (1978) or EMANUELLE – A WOMAN FROM A HOT COUNTRY as it is titled here, is one of the least talked-about pictures in Laura Gemser’s vast filmography. Largely filmed in Columbia, two disparate strangers (Stuart Whitman and Laura Gemser) cross paths when they hitch a ride in the back of an empty horse trailer driven by a pair of bickering truckers (Antonio Gamero and Francisco Algora). Initially galaxies apart in both profession and personality, their stories draw their mutually exclusive worlds ever closer to each other…
By no means overly memorable and dramatically rather sluggish in unfolding, both Whitman and Gemser do commit themselves with sincere performances as the two lost souls who have seemingly gone astray in their lives. Unfortunately, the hoary plot devices including the Whitman character’s crumbling marriage, and Gemser’s descent into several loveless relationships (including one with the overly aggressive Don Guillermo [Gabriele Tinti]), are stretched to infinity by interminable talking head drama. Best aspects of this rather heavy-handed melodrama include some arty camerawork by Alejandro Ulloa and a beautiful – but morose – score from maestro Carlo Savina, which adds immeasurably to the film’s leisurely atmosphere.
Given the film’s obscurity, Severin’s new Blu-ray looks terrific, and really does wonders with some of Ulloa’s deliberately soft-focus imagery, especially when compared to Mogul Video’s 1987 U.S. VHS videocassette, which was deceptively retitled FURY. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks include English and Spanish audio with optional English SDH subtitles only. Although it’s great to have this little-seen film finally available in a good-looking home video edition, EMANUELLE – A WOMAN FROM A HOT COUNTRY will be of only minimal interest to most viewers, and would be much less effective without the presence of Laura Gemser.
For disc twelve, Severin shifts its focus to Ajita Wilson, an African-American trans model who made quite a career for herself in European sex films during the ’70s and ’80s, and one of her earliest roles was in Guido Zurli’s BLACK DEEP THROAT (1977). Despite the title’s insinuations to Gerard Damiano’s legendary DEEP THROAT (1972) and something far more sexually explicit, this turns out to be nothing more than an obscure quickie cash-in on the Black Emanuelle films and its star Laura Gemser. Produced by exploitation film mini-mogul Dick Randall, Wilson stars as Claudine, an investigative photojournalist who works for a Parisian “daily rag” that has a lead on an elaborate sex cult involving well-known actor José Depardieu (Ivano Staccioli). However, in one of the film’s more outrageous developments, Claudine’s expose is constantly interrupted by her sudden bouts of uncontrollable nymphomania (“Hey sailor, you doin’ anything?”), a plot point that is comically triggered by the sound of a particular song.
Having recently appeared in Cesare Canevari’s fascinating THE NUDE PRINCESS (1976), Ajita Wilson once again spends a goodly portion of the running time either all-out nude or in a succession of chic fashions, while every member of the cast falls under the spell of her irresistible allure, which also includes Francine (Agnes Kalpagos), one of the senior members of the cult. The somewhat messy storyline also embraces all the expected porno film scenarios including plenty of vacuous sex, voyeurism, attempted rape, and a big climatic orgy, which pushes its strictly softcore setting to the very edge. Ignoring the film’s obvious imitative streak and some flimsy plot devices (including a visit to a spiritual guru played by lowly character actor Attilio Dottesio), BLACK DEEP THROAT is at least somewhat more watchable and works well enough as a cheap-but effective sex programmer. At one point early in the film, Claudine’s associate editor Angelica (Patricia Webley) states that “viewers are tired of the sex angle without something new involved”, an opinion that some viewers may very well take to heart of said film.
Never released on U.S. or Canadian home video, Severin have debuted BLACK DEEP THROAT on Blu-ray in its intended 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which looks excellent bringing to light plenty of detail and a very healthy colour palette. On a side note, due to missing film elements, the film’s opening and closing credits were taken from a slightly stretched VHS source, but this really is a minor quibble. The sole audio option is English, which comes through with reasonable depth and clarity in this DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Extras include Ajita Wilson An Elusive Icon (16m03s), another fantastic video essay this time from Film and Gender Studies Scholar Matt Richardson who sheds plenty of light on this once mysterious star. This very well-researched essay (which includes some fabulous film clips, magazine covers, and poster art) goes over her gender affirming surgery in the ’70s, and how she “commands the screen with strength and grace like any blaxploitation heroine of her time”, even if, many of her of films were dominated by “racist and misogynist scripts.” The film’s original Italian trailer (2m17s) finishes off the extras.
Ajita Wilson once again takes the lead in the second film on disc twelve, Joe D’Amato’s PORNO NIGHTS OF THE WORLD No. 2 (1978) wherein she plays a sexually-liberated stewardess (for this review, let’s stick with the ’70s vernacular!) who is interviewed during a stopover in Hong Kong by Italian porn star Marina ‘Hedman’/Frajese. Through her busy jet-setting work (“My old job was dreadfully exhausting, but I always enjoyed myself.”), she gained plenty of “new experiences”, which she recounts via several clips from nightclubs around the world, and include everything from innocuous routines like belly dancing, body painting, and a burlesque show with a giant polystyrene penis to more risqué snippets of tribal fertility rituals, S&M shows, and even the obligatory ‘ping-pong ball’ act. As with the other sexy mondo films included within this set, this new 2K scan taken from the original camera negative looks virtually flawless, which is quite astonishing in light of the film’s cut-and-paste quality. English and Italian audio is also included in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks (with optional SDH subtitles), which are clean and quite consistent given the film’s post-synched dialogue. The film’s Italian trailer (3m09s) is also included.
Moving onto the final Blu-ray in this set, disc thirteen includes Manlio Gomarasca’s and Massimiliano Zanin’s INFERNO ROSSO – JOE D’AMATO ON THE ROAD TO EXCESS (2021), an absolutely first-rate documentary which focuses on D’Amato’s entire career with a look at all the trends he followed. Through a comprehensive selection of film clips, photos, artwork, and several revealing interviews with his colleagues, friends and family, Gomarasca and Zanin beautifully chart his path from an acclaimed cinematographer to the prolific director he became during the “global movement to wipe out taboos” (i.e., the permissive ’70s). He is unanimously described as “a great craftsman in the best sense of the word”, and the doc also covers his less-talked about – but prolific - production company Filmirage, where as a producer during the mid-to-late ’80s, he acted as a sort of “Italian Roger Corman” and gave aspiring filmmakers and contemporaries alike a chance to work. All-in-all INFERNO ROSSO is an engrossing and moving look at one of the more devoted and consummate professionals from the once thriving Italian film industry.
Beautifully-produced, INFERNO ROSSO looks great in HD, even if, some of the film clips are taken from standard definition sources. Apart from the interview with director Eli Roth, which is in English, the film is presented in Italian and French with English subtitles, and sounds crystal clear outside of the SD film clips. Further expanding on D’Amato’s legacy, the disc also includes several extras beginning with an awfully-strange introduction from distributor Nicolas Winding-Refn for the film’s Venice International Films Festival premiere (1m27s), and Two of a Kind - Talking About Joe (29m27s), a conversation between Locarno Film Festival’s Giona A. Nazarro and Manlio Gomarasca wherein they discuss their relationship with D’Amato and his extensive career. The disc also includes a substantial number of deleted scenes (36m25s), which offer additional and extended interviews, and a great deal more discussion about his early hardcore films. The doc’s Italian trailer (1m45s) concludes the extras.
As a bonus, Severin have also included SCANDALOUS EMANUELLE (1986), one of D’Amato’s glossy period-piece erotic films, which he produced for his company Filmirage, which also includes a small role for Laura Gemser. Former ’70s starlet Jenny Tamburi stars as Christina, a wealthy heiress who is in love with her husband Diego (Marino Masé), but is also having an affair with his best friend Andrea (Sebastiano Somma). However, through some “gentle persuasion”, Andrea convinces Christina to periodically work at his brothel, which his partner Francesca (Lilli Carati) oversees, but it soon becomes apparent that Diego’s idea of love is a little different…
Tailor-made for late-night cable and video store shelf-filler, SCANDALOUS EMANUELLE or PEEP SHOW (as per its original English export title) weaves a decidedly intricate web of erotic desires, where just about everybody involved has got a dirty secret or illicit demands. Tamburi acquits herself admirably as the sexually frustrated woman who uses her body to entice and influence everyone, which even extends to her best friend Josephine (Gemser), who also declares her love for Christina (“You’re the only person I care for, and I want you so desperately.”) during a tender moment in a dressing room. Although none of the love affairs are very interesting, it’s all elegantly constructed with fine art-direction, which adds a modicum of prestigious veneer to the entire endeavour.
Although Severin was supplied with a new “2K scan provided by Film Export Group”, this appears to have some digital cleanup applied, which isn’t overly distracting since the film has an intentionally soft look already. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 English track is, for the most part, shot using live sound (except for actor Somma who was post-synched by English voice talent John Gayford) and, even though many of the Italian actors speak English with noticeable accents, it’s all relatively clear and intelligible. Also included on the disc are a couple of archival interviews beginning with Scandalous Christina (9m25s) in which Jenny Tamburi discusses her unique name, her fortuitous break into the film industry, and her “erotic appeal.” In Peeping Lilli (12m26s), a frank audio interview with Lilli Carati (handsomely accompanied by various photos, artwork and film clips), she casually chats about her career and her general dislike about the movies she was offered, her addiction problems, the joy of starring in Fernando Di Leo’s TO BE TWENTY (1978), and how she had no qualms about doing nudity. The film’s original English export trailer (under its PEEP SHOW title, 1m52s) is also included.
Predominantly licensed from Italy’s Beat Records, Severin have also included Nico Fidenco’s Groove (45 tracks) and Black Emanuelle’s Rarities and B-Sides (23 tracks), a couple of CDs which comprise discs fourteen and fifteen that contain selected music cues from just about every film in this box, including a nice selection of previously unreleased tracks, which is perfect background music to sit and read The Black Emanuelle Bible, the most significant extra in the entire set. This lavishly-illustrated, 356-page (!) book is a real stunner, and includes several essays and reviews from the likes of Kevin John Bozelka, Costas Constandinides, Rachel Harrison, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Kier-La Janisse, Jennifer Moorman, Xavier Aldana-Reyes, Jorge Rivera-Gutiérrez, Erin Wiegand, Bryan Connolly, and the late, great Craig Ledbetter. Every Black Emnanuelle film and/or variation thereof is thoroughly assessed and examined including films not included in this set, including why they were passed over.
It goes without saying that Severin Films have truly outdone themselves with THE SENSUAL WORLD OF BLACK EMANUELLE, a jaw-droppingly exhaustive, first-class presentation that defies every possible expectation, and remains one of the finest releases in Severin’s mightily impressive catalogue!
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