Like his earlier nunsploitation twofer, THE OTHER HELL (1980) and THE TRUE STORY OF THE NUN OF MONZA (198), disc six features Bruno Mattei’s VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN’S PRISON (1982) and EMANUELLE IN PRISON (1983), which were helmed jointly alongside each other with frequent collaborator Claudio Fragasso. VIAWP follows the standard WIP template to a tee without ever straying outside the lines. Sent to prison for an unspecified stretch for drugs and prostitution, Laura Kendall (Laura Gemser) is soon witness to the usual acts of humiliation, subjugation, beatings and other such ‘niceties’ common to the women-in-prison genre; which are, more often than not, instigated by the head prison guard Rescaut (Franca Stoppi from BEYOND THE DARKNESS [a.k.a. BUIRED ALIVE, 1979]) and the quietly authoritarian warden, Delores (Lorraine De Selle). At first, Laura merely calmly observes the brutality on display from the sidelines, but she herself eventually becomes drawn into and embroiled in the prison milieu too, and in one of the film’s more memorably disgusting scenes, she dumps a bucket of excrement over a prison guard’s head (“I gave you an order! Obey it!”), resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind, shit-strewn scuffle on the prison floor. Thrown into solitary confinement, she is soon hungrily chewed upon by nasty red-eyed rats during a scene where Gemser appears to be squirming in all-too-genuine discomfort, which only adds extra exploitation verisimilitude to an already sleazy, downbeat scenario. The requisite sympathetic doctor (Gabriele Tinti), himself also an inmate at the men’s prison located – handily – right next door (!?), naturally comes to Laura’s rescue, but, sure enough, one of the prison snitches (Italian porn starlet Françoise Perrot) soon discovers Laura’s covert true identity and motivations, which as a result sees still more indignities being heaped upon her…
While ostensibly an unofficial Emanuelle entry, Mattei’s film is far removed from Joe D’Amato’s rather playful, globetrotting skinflicks. Shot in-and-around what appears to be a large abandoned villa, VIAWP is steeped in a morbid sense of decay and hopelessness. Even the sparsely-decorated DePaolis Studios sets are suitably grubby, another aspect that further augments the overall depressing atmosphere. Of course, being a Mattei film, it never fails to entertain, really piling-on the sexploitation staples throughout its almost 100-minute running time. The director also inserts plenty of sleaze in-between all the violence and, in one of film’s more stylish sequences, cons seek solace in each other’s arms during a montage of Sapphic couplings set to appropriate synth-’n’-sax ‘mood muzak’ courtesy of Luigi Ceccarelli. At the time of the film’s release, Gemser had been an established presence in Italian cinema for a number of years already, and she gives a committed performance (once again dubbed by English voice-talent Pat Starke) as the bruised-and-battered heroine and, as with their earlier co-starring roles, she and Tinti generate plenty of believable onscreen chemistry. As expected, Franca Stoppi also puts in another lively, over-the-top performance, adding to the film’s delirious temperament.
Released theatrically and on video simultaneously in the U.S. as CAGED WOMEN in 1984 by both MPM and Vestron Video, respectively, VIAWP film made its official DVD debut in 2002 courtesy of Shriek Show, and was for the time, a nice-looking disc. In 2018, Severin decided to revisit Mattei’s squalid little film with a new “2K scan from an uncensored inter-positive”, which still retains the adequate amount of natural film grain and some surprising colourfully-composed shots, which nonetheless doesn’t take away from the filthy atmosphere on display in abundance. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 also sounds very good, with all of the post-synched dialogue coming through loud-’n’-clear. Extras included Brawl in Women’s Block (29m03s), an on-camera interview with Claudio Fragasso and his wife and frequent collaborator Rosella Drudi, who discuss their humble beginnings working together when they “learned to do everything” on a film set, their initial collaboration with Mattei on the two-pack of aforementioned nun films, and the “successful formula” of shooting their films back-to-back, their mutual admiration for Gemser, as well as many of the other actors in the film… and, be ready for their camera-hungry cat, Milo, who photo-bombs the proceedings to share some unexpected screen time with its humans! The disc also included an archival (and re-edited) interview with Mattei (2m47s) which originally appeared on Shriek Show’s DVD, the film’s 30-second radio spot (“A bizarre world of violence where anything goes!”) and reversible cover art featuring two quite striking choices.
For Severin’s present restoration on Blu, another 2K scan was prepared, which is surprising as their previous Blu looked very good, indeed. Brawl in Women’s Block, the Mattei interview, and the radio spot are once again included, but Severin have also secured an interview with producer Roberto Di Girolamo in Two for One (11m50s) who shares his thoughts on his and Mattei’s numerous collaborations and the director’s professionalism, Mattei and Fragasso’s relationship, and the film’s continued popularity. The film’s original Italian trailer (with optional English subtitles, 3m49s) is also included.
Not content to make just one women-in-prison picture, Gemser is back behind bars in EMANUELLE IN PRISON, an unrelated, but structurally similar companion film. After threatening to expose a highly-corrupt District Attorney (Jacques Stany), intrepid reporter Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) finds herself in prison due to a trumped-up drug possession charge. In prison, Emanuelle must not only contend with the usual bull-dykes and sadistic female guards, but in furtherance of the District Attorney’s sly schemes, he orders the prison’s equally corrupt warden (Lorraine De Selle) to try and make her disappear with the help of Albina (a scene-stealing Ursula Flores), the prison’s bitchy top dog and underhanded snitch. However, four extremely violent male prisoners led by the psychotic Crazy Boy (Gabriele Tinti) take control of the prison during a routine transfer resulting in strained psychological warfare and bloody violence…
Incorporating several ingredients from VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN’S PRISON, the film’s opening credits are a real eye-catcher, which combines arty, expressionist-styled lighting with existential monologues from several of the film’s prisoners. Set to a sombre, piano-driven synth score from Luigi Ceccarelli, the film’s gloomy, downbeat scenario if firmly established, but in a unique first for an Italo trash film, this jailhouse stage show also takes great pains to try and humanize it’s cast of women behind bars. That being said, director Fragasso (the film’s true director despite the film’s on-screen credit attributed to Frenchman Gilbert Roussel) introduces all the standard women-in-prison elements like lesbianism, catfights, numerous cellblock riots, and lots of lurid dialogue (“I’d like to bite your nipples off! exclaims Emanuelle). Further (in)human behavior between captors and captives ensues when the prison is taken over by Crazy Boy and his accomplices including rape, switchblade stand-offs, Russian roulette (!), and plenty of bloody shotgun blasts. Cutting back and forth at predictably regular intervals between all the extreme violence, a battalion of Italo starlets lounge around in constant states of partial undress, while cries of ecstasy or agony reverberate down the penitentiary halls, in what amounts to a perfect mix of softcore sex pic and skeevy actioner.
Released on VHS in 1987 by the ubiquitous Vestron Video (“Maximum security. Maximum terror.”) as WOMEN’S PRISON MASSACRE, this was eventually issued on DVD twice by Shock-O-Rama Cinema. The first edition was heavily edited, but then in 2008, a 2-disc set included a newly-remastered uncut version paired up with CAGED WOMEN. In 2015, it quietly surfaced on Blu-ray as WOMEN’S PRISON MASSACRE courtesy of Scream Factory in an excellent – but bare-bones – release, which makes Severin’s extras-laden Blu-ray all the more welcome. Severin’s David Gregory confirmed on the Severin Films Podcast that this 2K scan from the film’s original camera negative was the same source used for Scream’s earlier Blu, which by the way, looks quite impressive with nicely-balanced textures and a richness to the, at times, exaggerated colour schemes. Once again, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 English audio track features all the usual voice-talent including Carolyn De Fonseca, Ted Rusoff, Susan Spafford, and Pat Starke who voices Gemser yet again.
There are plentiful extras beginning with an audio commentary from Bleeding Skull’s Annie Choi and film editor Perri Pivovar who share their thoughts on the film’s odd opening, it’s “different sensibilities” and slow burn approach to the material, it’s tenuous connection to the other film’s in the series, Mattei’s and Fragasso’s directing style, and their general admiration for the film. Composer Luigi Ceccarelli is then interviewed in Jailhouse Rock (39m02s) who goes over the “academic aspects of studying music”, his fortuitous meeting and long-time collaboration with Mattei, Fragasso, and Fragasso’s wife and writing partner Rossella Drudi, the intricacies of scoring a film, the technological advances within the business, and of course, scoring WOMEN’S PRISON MASSACRE. In Razor Blade Smile (14m00s), actor Pietro Angelo Pozzato talks about his entry into the business and his first films with director D’Amato, and how Fragasso “let him go all over the place” in what amounts to one of the film’s most hilariously histrionic performances. The great Franca Stoppi is then interviewed in Matron of Hell (17m13s) wherein she discusses her lengthy theatrical career, her numerous film roles, her marriage to fellow screen actor Simone Matteoli (who appeared in Andrea Bianchi’s zombie gutmuncher BURIAL GROUND [1980]), and how she is best remembered for her numerous “unhinged performances.” The film’s original English export trailer (3m53s) under its BLADE VIOLENT title is also included.
With disc six concluding the official Black Emanuelle films proper, disc seven commences with the many “apocryphal” films starring Laura Gemser. These titles (which comprise the rest of the box set) were more often than not erroneously credited as a Black Emanuelle picture to help capitalize on Gemser’s growing popularity, and one of the more widely-seen examples was Joe D’Amato’s BLACK COBRA (1976). Arriving in Hong Kong for one of her famous snake-themed stage shows, exotic dancer Eva (Laura Gemser) is befriended at the airport by Jules Carmichael (Gabriele Tinti), who promises to show Eva the Hong Kong she doesn’t know. Jules’ brother Judas (Jack Palance), an eccentric industrialist living in Hong Kong, just happens to have an unhealthy obsession with snakes (“I think you really prefer those damn snakes to people!”) whose luxurious apartment is filled with a variety of slithery reptiles. When Jules and Judas catch one of Eva’s infamous shows, Judas is immediately smitten (“I like the scent of you.”) and invites her to stay at his place, showering her with gifts and his odd sense of affection. However, just when everything seems settled, Eva’s predilection for the female form, and Jules’ duplicitous behaviour gradually erode this short-lived – and somewhat strained - arrangement…
Seldom having looked more radiant than she does here, it’s no wonder that Palance’s character idolizes her, even if, only as another objectified female fantasy figure (“It’s nice to be appreciated, rather than collected!” remarks Eva). Casually moving along to the sounds of Piero Umiliani’s mellow rhythms, what begins as typical softcore titillation with several highly-charged erotic tableaus (including a lengthy soapy shower scene), soon develops into a treacherous powerplay when Eva’s new girlfriend Gerri (Michele Starck) and Jules’ jealousy threatens the odd status quo, all of which leads to an unforgettable ending where other films of this ilk dare to venture.
Although released on VHS in 1987 by Video Gems (“Deadly passions… Exotic desires.”), this was a difficult title to track down during the DVD era with only cheap bootlegs haunting every bargain bin imaginable. In 2018, Code Red released the film on Blu-ray as the cheekily retitled EMMANUELLE AND THE DEADLY BLACK COBRA (notice the double “M” spelling), which was quite the revelation after suffering through several cruddy versions over the years. The disc included a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 English audio track that was tolerable, but there was some very noticeable pops and hiss, which probably meant the audio was taken from an inferior source. Once again, it was confirmed by David Gregory on the Severin Films Podcast that this HD transfer on Severin’s new Blu-ray was taken from the same source, but some additional clean-up and colour-grading was done. Thankfully, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks sound far cleaner than Code Red’s earlier Blu, and are included in English and Italian (with optional English SDH subtitles).
Further enriched with several noteworthy extra features, Severin’s disc begins with a highly-entertaining audio commentary from film historian Samm Deighan, wherein she discusses the film’s various titles and releases, it’s similarities to D’Amato’s other Hong Kong-lensed film EMANUELLE IN BANGKOK, it’s “exoticism”, the massive popularity of the series as a whole, the numerous differences between the French Emmanuelle films and the “countless Italian ones”, the film’s strange plot and “exploitation movie set-up”, D’Amato’s long career, and much more besides. Next up, D’Amato is interviewed by Mark Ashworth in Joe D’Amato at Eurofest (11m57s) wherein the director talks about his extreme cinema, his various pseudonyms, the “professionalism of working in the United States, and how BEYOND THE DARKNESS is his personal favourite among his films. In From Prague to Hong Kong (12m58s), actor Michele Stark, of Czech and French parents, talks about her migration to Italy and her work on BLACK COBRA, where she reveals that Jack Palance was really “arrogant.” The film’s original English export trailer (3m14s), which includes some different music cues, is also included.
Although the co-feature on disc seven ideally epitomizes all the necessary elements expected of your prototypical Black Emanuelle picture, Brunello Rondi’s BLACK VELVET (a.k.a. BLACK EMMANUELLE, WHITE EMMANUELLE, 1976) clearly sacrifices narrative transparency in favour of a more free-wheeling ‘experience’; consider this an erotic film for the arthouse crowd. The minimal plot centres around a disparate group of people in Egypt, which includes Laura (Laura Gemser) “the world’s most famous model” and her incredibly abusive photographer Carlo (Gabriele Tinti), the emotionally bankrupt Crystal (Susan Scott), her spunky daughter Pina (Annie Belle), and Horatio (Al Cliver), an indifferent mystic who promises some sort of spiritual reawakening for his wannabe disciples (“When will you take us to the Holy Place?”). Virtually plotless, this is a mesmerizing oddity where high art and lowly sleaze co-exist in a kind of disharmonious imbalance. Supported by an attractive cast and some stunning locations, the sex scenes are plentiful (including one very surprising ‘in-your-face’ moment), but interestingly, are punctuated by a seemingly abject loneliness. Elsewhere, in one of the film’s most memorably revolting scenes, Laura is forced to pose in front of a rotting animal carcass, and later, in an even more sensationalistic photo shoot, several recently discovered corpses. Couched in enigmas, the overall tone is as cryptic, cold and unlikable as most of the character’s in the picture, which is not to say it isn’t compelling, just confounding.
Although released multiple times onto VHS, including a 1983 release from Cult Video as SMOOTH VELVET RAW SILK (it was subsequently rereleased by Continental Video in 1986 as EMANUELLE IN EGYPT), the film’s scope photography was severely compromised in all of its analogue incarnations. In 2008, as part of their Black Emanuelle’s Box Volume 2, Severin’s DVD not only featured the uncut version, but also restored the film’s proper 2.35:1 framing giving further depth to Gastone Di Giovanni’s lush cinematography. Audio options included both English (with some scenes still in Italian with English subtitles) and Italian (with optional English subtitles), which sounded fine. Extras included Black Velvet (18m28s), an interesting featurette highlighted by an on-camera interview with star Al Cliver and additional audio interviews with Gemser and Belle, who chronicle the confusing nature of making all these movies at the same time, the film’s locations, Rondi’s lack of direction, and much more. The film’s original Italian trailer (3m46s) was also included.
Severin’s new Blu-ray is another very pleasing upgrade whose boost in resolution improves detail considerably, and looks appropriately robust with stronger colour reproduction. The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio once again features the same audio options as the DVD, which come through with audible vigour, especially when Dario & Alberto Baldan Bembo’s sumptuous score takes over. Outside of the aforementioned Black Velvet featurette, newly-produced extras include an interview with biographer Alberto Pezzotta in The Roots of Evil (17m14s) where he provides plenty of insightful context including the film’s deceiving marketing by producer Alfredo Bini, the film’s similarities to Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ARABIAN NIGHTS (1975), how Rondi pushed the limits of censorship, and much more in this rather illuminating glimpse into the film, which should help viewers garner a better understanding of its odd appeal. In A Relationship of Confusion (17m16s), critic Joseph Fahim explores this unique film from an Egyptian perspective and how its “an artifact of its time”, Egypt’s limited European productions and how it would be impossible to make a film such as this today, and lastly how censorship was put into place in Egypt soon after the film’s release; given the lack of comprehensive history on the Egyptian film industry, this was a very pleasant and eye-opening surprise. The disc also includes the film’s English opening credits (1m48s), which were taken from Miracle Films’ UK pre-cert VHS, as well as the film’s rare English export trailer as SMOOTH VELVET WHITE SILK (which includes alternate music cues, 3m46s), and the aforementioned Italian trailer.
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