Once días, once noches

I first watched this movie on cable back in the late 80s and 90s. They would show it regularly; I didn't know who directed it until a commentator mentioned Joe D'Amato's name who died in 1999; The film is about a guy named Michael marrying this ordinary woman named Helen; He hooks up with this woman Sarah, who he doesn't know is writing a book of men's sexual natures, and he just happens to be No 100; What turns into an full-fledged blown out affair for Michael and Sarah turns into pure agony for poor Helen who is waiting for her day at the altar; The ending can be predictable to some; But it's worth a look; It's hard to get this movie here in the US but I am sure they still show on the premium cable channels;

Eleven Days, Eleven Nights (1986)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

After the Italian Horror market dried up several of the genres directors were left without work or had to switch gears and try something else. Joe D'Amato had already done hardcore features but his career got a boost with this softcore flick, which became a big hit in Italy and other countries. A man (Joshua McDonald) is about to be married in eleven days but he starts up a steamy love affair with a young woman (Jessica Moore), which leads the man to thinking twice about getting married. The only problem is that he doesn't know the woman is just sleeping with him so she can write a book on sex partners. This film starts off okay but slowly goes downhill due to some stupid characters, which are amongst the worst written I've ever seen. The stereotypes of the characters are at times laughable. For instance, the man's girlfriend is a plain, ordinary, boring, bookworm who wants to wait to have sex. There's a dinner scene with her parents, which just has to be seen to be believed. The one good thing about the movie is Moore who is able to display a great sexual presence. D'Amato does great with the softcore sex scenes but the rest is pretty bad.

This is notorious Italian director/cinematographer Joe D'Amato's most successful 80's softcore sex flick. It certainly succeeds as standard 80's erotica--and in my estimation even surpasses its most obvious Hollwood inspiration, Adrian Lyne's overrated "9 and 1/2 Weeks"--but it's not nearly as interesting as some of D'Amato's sleazy 70's stuff like a lot of his "Black Emanuelle" films.

The plot involves a female writer who as part of a book project has slept with 99 men (pretty impressive considering the part was played by Jessica Moore who was all of 19 at the time). Her 100th unsuspecting "victim" is an American architect who she first seduces on a New York ferry and then begins a very hot and semi-kinky affair with despite the fact he's due to be married in 11 days (and 11 nights). A love (or lust) triangle soon develops between the writer, the architect, and the latter's bride-to be, but as this is a (not-always-too-believable) male fantasy, you know the one of the women is bound to eventually lose out while the guy will get to have his cake and eat her--I mean, eat it--too.

As always with D'Amato the cinematography is very good and the music while cheesy is actually pretty catchy (much better than the execrable "hits" in "9 and 1/2 Weeks"). The numerous sex scenes are much more silly-kinky than disturbing-kinky and any "drama" here is pretty hard to take seriously. Of course, no small amount of the appeal of this movie is Ms. Moore herself (actually an Italian actress whose real name is Alessandra Ottavia). She had supporting roles in "Don't Fear Aunt Martha" and Lucio Fulci's "Ghosts of Sodoma" where she mostly passed as an ordinary teen, but dolled-up and naked she is absolutely incredible. She has a body like Jessica RABBIT come to life. I kinda would have liked to see her in action with the OTHER 99 guys besides the douchebag in this movie (in one of the kinkier scenes she does try to set up an interracial three-way between her, the architect, and a studly black guy). Moore and D'Amato would team again in the semi-sequel "Top Model". I'd recommend them both.

(1987) Eleven Days Eleven Nights/ Undici giorni, undici notti DUBBED DRAMA

This is another one of those movies where the thin and forgettable story line takes a back seat to the nude scenes much of it from Sarah (Jessica Moore). On the first 10 minutes, as she is coming toward a building, a large man wearing sunglasses is taking pictures of her. As he is snapping shots of her coming toward the building up until she goes to this empty floor where there are nothing but unclothed mannequins on different poses. And the obese guy is still taking photos of her. What is odd is that she begins to disrobe, she does not appear to notice him doing this as they are both on the same floor. And it was at this point, I was unable to watch anymore.

This is one of those soft core porn movies that try to be mainstream in their plots. It doesn't work either way. The movie is basically crap as a regular movie and there is more skin in any of the reality shows on TV. Dont watch it.