Fiebre italiana

Remarkably, this release contains the occasional scene not found on the Italian language version. Watch the Italian version with subtitles downloaded from the web to truly appreciate this film.

Each of the five vignettes offers something to enjoy: (1) Watching Edwige Fenech walk down the street in her trademark skin tight dress is simply marvelous. Someone ought to make a 20 minute loop of that. (2) Giovanna Ralli is the ultimate in sultry Italian beauty - and her relentless abuse of "cheauffeuer" Filippo is delightful. (3) Perky Dayle Haddon was an unexpected treat - especially in the bathtub. But Marty Feldman owns the day in this thigh-slapper. (4) Barbara Bouchet is perhaps the weakest of the group - coming across a bit wooden as the target of an enigmatic man with tons of money. (5) The fresh-faced Sydne Rome plays spacey Marcella to perfection in this cautionary tale of a canine jealousy.

It's a little hard to judge this film given the painfully unfunny dubbing of the English-language version. The people that dubbed these things often didn't seem to take their jobs too seriously and this is especially true of these Italian comedies where they apparently felt they had to "add" to the humor by giving their characters stupid voices. Unfortunately, giving goofy voices to gorgeous foreign actresses like Barbara Bouchet and Edwige Fenech doesn't make the movie any funnier, just a lot less sexy. (Strangely, the one American here, Sydney Rome, doesn't seem to have been dubbed, but it's kind of hard to tell as she talks in a stupid and annoying voice naturally).

Conceptually and visually the humor is a bit stronger. The Tomas Milan character's coke-bottle glasses and hat with a long feather that becomes "erect" when he gets excited are not nearly as funny as the filmmakers seem to think, but the famously bug-eyed comedian Marty Feldman does some fine physical humor in "The Bodyguard" sketch about a bodyguard who takes his job VERY seriously, not leaving the side of his female charge even when she is in the bath or making love.

The movie does seem to heap a lot of humiliation on the most beautiful women in the cast (typical for Italian sex comedies I guess). Barbara Bouchet is tricked into having sex with a randy business partner of her husband in the first sketch (which is pretty clever, at least) and Edwige Fenech plays a society woman who accidentally has sex with the wrong partner, who turns out to be the most overweight and grotesque of the grotesque Italian men on the street corner that leer at her everyday as she walks by in tight skirts. If they absolutely had to humiliate the female cast members, they should have gone with the irritating Sydney Rome rather than class acts like Bouchet and Fenech, but Rome gets off pretty easy playing a sexy woman with a very vicious dog in the final sketch. OK movie, but not great

Wacky! Boobies and some girlbutt, one full frontal shot. No guyparts.

A set of skits that it helps to understand Italian humor. One scene though, where Marty Feldman is in the pool with his 'version' of a periscope, is HILARIOUS! ;o)

This is a fast-moving collection of comedic burlesque in anthology form. All the episodes are tightly and neatly sewed up into a hilarious package, a rare combination of dry wit and slapstick that is reminiscent of the great American film farces of the Thirties. Highly recommended to adults.

This is a very typical sex comedy, with all sort of sexual jokes and innuendos in it. It really reminded me of the British 'Carry on...' film-series, in terms of its comedy, with as a difference that this movie consists out of 5 short stories and has some better looking women in it.

But it's being just as immature with its comedy basically. Seriously, it's all very childish really and not all that clever with its story and situations. A real simplistic movie, lots of people will still enjoy watching for what it is. Just not me.

Most people will say or perhaps complain that this movie is being sexist toward women because they are the ones who are showing some skin and are being portrayed as lust objects, in this movie. I however feel that this movie is just as sexist toward men, since the movie portrays almost every single male in this movie as sex hungry animal, with only one thing on his mind. I know it's all done in the name of comedy but it's just a bit too stereotypical and simplistic for my taste.

I am not complaining about it though that the movie consists out of 5 short and unrelated stories. I actually think that this was a good move for the movie to take. It ensures that the movie never drags or start to repeat itself with its comedy and situations. Each story is a fresh one, with different characters in it, however most of them really aren't that well written, funny or interesting. I only really liked the story involving Marty Feldman. That guy was truly hilarious, even in Italian. He has comedy written all over him. His story alone is really worth checking out and the only one that ever cracked me up.

A very immature Italian sex comedy, that serves its purpose well enough I guess but just never truly becomes a great, clever, surprising or hilarious movie to watch, except for all the scenes involving Marty Feldman.

5/10

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