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Shameless Screen Entertainment is a relatively new and British (I think) DVD-label, specializing in smutty and excessively violent cult movies – mostly Italian ones - from the glorious eras when everything was possible, namely from the late 60's up until the mid-80's. The label's selection feels like a crossover between the oeuvres of "Mondo Macabro" and "No Shame" (they probably even borrowed the name of the latter) and they already released some really rare sick Italian puppies like "Ratman", "My Dear Killer", "Killer Nun", "Phantom of Death" and "Torso". "The Frightened Woman" was completely unknown to me, but since fellow reviewers from around here, whose opinions I hugely value, described it as one of the greatest and most mesmerizing psychedelic euro-sexploitation movies of its era, I didn't hesitate to pick it up. This is a very weird film and probably not suitable for about 99% of the average cinema-loving audiences. If you're part of that remaining 1%, however, you're in for a really unique treat. The style, atmosphere and content are similar to Jess Franco's "Succubus" and Massimo Dallamano's "Venus in Furs", yet they're both widely considered as classics whereas "The Frightened Woman" is virtually unknown. It's all a matter of profiling and good marketing, I guess. The story revolves on a literally filthy rich doctor (he lives in a gigantic secluded mansion, owns multiple old-timer cars and has a very impressive collection of artsy relics including a life-size mannequin doll replica of himself) with a bizarre and slightly offbeat attitude towards women. He considers them a threat for the survival of the male race and thus spends his days kidnapping, humiliating and sexually abusing random he picks up from the street. Dr. Sayer then abducts the ambitious journalist Maria with the intention to completely crush her female spirit, but he slowly falls for her. Just he starts to believe in actual love, she strikes back with a vengeance. This really isn't for everyone, but if you can appreciate moody & sinisterly sexy ambiances, bizarre scenery toys and psychedelic touches that seem utterly implausible and surreal, you can consider this one a top recommendation. It's slow, stylishly sleazy and totally bonkers… Shameless Entertainment, all right!

From today's point of view it is quite ridiculous to rate this film 18 (or X in the US). The film has a sexual, yet sublime erotic story to tell, but the pictures are rather innocent. Throughout the movie you feel and see the spirit of the late 60s and early 70s in the fashion, the dialogues and the typical experimental cinematography and lighting. And this is exactly the part that makes it worth seeing.

Every once in a while us cult Euro freaks stumbled upon something that could genuinely be classified as a hidden gem. The Frightened Woman certainly falls into this category. Unlike many similar sexploitation films from the time, this Italian effort is pretty obscure and relatively unknown. Its recent DVD release has went some way to address this of course, and it's a very good thing too as this is a superior genre effort. In fact, I would have to say that it's one of the very best examples of Eurotica full stop. What differentiates this one from most others is in its very stylish look and feel. The set design is terrific throughout, with great décor and excellent use of colour and lighting. The cinematography is extremely good throughout which only accentuates things even more. It really feels like one of those glorious Italian movies from the period that combined psychedelia with pop art and a slice of surrealism. It means that this picture is very much a product of the time. This of course, is naturally a huge plus point and can be taken as a recommendation in itself.

The story involves an S&M relationship between a rich misogynist and a captured woman.

The film stars Dagmar Lassandar who is one of the unsung greats of Italian genre cinema. She starred in a number of great films from the likes of Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, Ricardo Freda and Luciano Ercoli. This is undoubtedly her best role though. Her sex appeal is utilised very well throughout, peaking with a tremendous scene that can best be described as 'Lassandar's dance', where she grooves on down to some Europop in a glorious extended scene. The music throughout by Stelvio Cipriani is superior, some of the best he ever did.

The Frightened Woman is an unconditional recommendation to all fans of cult Euro cinema of the psychedelic/pop art type. It's bizarre, effortlessly cool and sexy.

'The Frightened Woman' is a wonderful slice of 60s sexploitation - stylish, erotic and camp to the nth degree! Fans of Jess Franco's non-horror movies like 'Succubus' and 'Sadisterotica', or Dallamano's underrated 'Venus In Furs' (aka 'The Devil In The Flesh') will eat this baby up! Philippe Leroy is well cast as Sayer, the rich, jaded sadist who likes to degrade women for kicks, and Dagmar Lassander (who some may remember from Fulci's so-so 'House By The Cemetery') is equally good as the inquisitive journalist who unexpectedly finds herself trapped in his vicious games. She surprises Sayer (and us) by subverting his tricks and tortures, and takes him on a journey that he could never have foreseen, and the ending may be slightly predictable, but is still worth waiting for. Like much of Franco's output from the same period, this movie is equals parts art and trash, with many psychedelic touches, some very effective, and others unintentionally hilarious. You either dig this era and these kinds of movies, or you don't. I do, and I loved it. An underrated movie that deserves a much larger audience.

As with FOOTPRINTS (1975), I became aware of this one purely by accident: it was mentioned in a review of THE LIBERTINE (1969), which I researched when that film turned up on late-night Italian TV, as being in a similar vein; incidentally, I missed out on that screening of THE LIBERTINE (though I acquired it via the same channel later on) but did manage to watch the film by way of a rental of the English-dubbed R1 DVD during my sojourn in Hollywood in late 2005/early 2006. Actually, in view of the enthusiastic reviews for it, I was let down by THE LIBERTINE – being too light-hearted in nature for what was essentially a serious theme (the sado-masochistic relationship between a young couple)!; to be honest, for much of the time, I was afraid that THE FRIGHTENED WOMAN would go the exact same route…but was subsequently amply redeemed by a wicked (if not exactly unpredictable) final twist.

The film concerns the freethinking social attitudes and dazzling creative arts prevalent in this era: an eminent philanthropist (Philippe Leroy) invites a female journalist (Dagmar Lassander) at his fashionable home for the week-end; however, it transpires that he’s a misogynist who distrusts all members of the opposite sex and would rather dominate (or even kill) them! Therefore, for the first half of the narrative, we see the heroine enduring pain and humiliation at Leroy’s hands (including being forced to make love to a dummy in his own image!)…until the tables are subtly, but unsurprisingly, turned: she not only emancipates herself from his control, but teaches him that Man and Woman can co-exist harmoniously – except that Lassander’s following her own personal agenda as well!!

The leads are perfectly cast, and the film itself often darkly comic for those in the mood; furthermore, it’s greatly abetted by a typically effervescent “Euro-Cult” score (from the ever-reliable Stelvio Cipriani) and the imaginative – even outré – look (the giant structure depicting the lower section of the female form, with a steel-trap where its sexual organ should be, seems to emanate from Freud: incidentally, this prop figured prominently in stills I’d seen previously from THE FRIGHTENED WOMAN…but it barely registers in the film proper!). Other bizarre touches include the preposterous radio program “Sexual Aberrations And The Stars”, and an idyll at a castle belonging to Leroy’s family complete with secret passage through the wardrobe and a dwarfish manservant. One of the highlights, then, is easily Lassander’s erotic dance virtually in the nude – an episode which actually spearheads the ‘humanization’ of Leroy; eventually, the two characters have a ‘showdown’ in the latter’s pool – amusingly set to a Spaghetti Western-type theme!

In the long run, for all its stylishness, the film emerges as inferior to the similar but much more extreme contemporaneous Japanese masterpiece by Yasuzo Masumura BLIND BEAST (1969). Finally, it’s worth noting that THE FRIGHTENED WOMAN was distributed in the U.S. by film-maker Radley Metzger’s company Audubon Films; he would even employ its production designer (Enrico Sabbatini) for his own CAMILLE 2000 (1969)! To get to the edition I watched: apart from the usual shortcomings in the English-dubbing department, the presentation here was further marred by a rather washed-out appearance and brief instances of distracting extraneous noise on the soundtrack! By the way, there seems to be some confusion with respect to the film’s running-time: its length given on various sources ranges anywhere from 84 to 108 minutes – all I can say, however, is that the copy I own ran for 87 minutes!

The Frightened Woman is a curious piece of Eurocult, much along the same lines as the films that Jess Franco was churning out around the same time. The film very much captures the feel of late sixties to early seventies European cinema and the atmosphere is definitely the film's best asset. It's lucky that the film will to appeal to fans of this sort of film too, as the idea behind the central plot line is pretty damn ridiculous! I'm not sure if there was some sort of paranoid science related thing happening in Italy in the late sixties, but films like this and the bizarre Giallo Death Laid an Egg suggest to me that something was going on... Anyway, our lead character, Dr. Sayer, has somehow got it into his head that women are taking steps to eliminate the need for men, and so he kidnaps a young lady named Maria. It turns out that he actually does this sort of thing all the time, and has got into the habit of killing his partner every time he has sex. However, things take a turn for the unexpected when Maria convinces him to change his ways.

Naturally, the entire film is really rather pointless; and while The Frightened Woman isn't exactly a thrill ride, there's still some interest. The speeches from the lead man are interesting in a completely nonsensical sort of way. The acting is typically trashy, although the leads; Philippe Leroy and Dagmar Lassander give decent leading performances considering the type of film. The majority of the film centres around the forced relationship between the two central characters, and this is somewhat the film's downfall. The problem is that what they're doing isn't always all that interesting; and the relaxed flow of the film means that it can become a bit dreary at times. The locations are good, however, and the bachelor pad in which most of the action takes place is a good representative of the period in which the film was made. As a 'battle of the sexes', it has to be said that The Frightened Woman veers more towards femininity, which is odd considering the way that women are usually treated in Eurocult cinema. Overall, I wouldn't recommend anyone going out of their way to find this film; but if you're a fan of trashy Jess Franco stuff, you might just like this too.

It could not have come from a different country nor from a different time. This movie simply oozes psychedelia influenced late 60s Italian cinema. So, pseudo serious and sexually free. Sumptuous settings and dreamy music make this a visual and aural delight. Plus we get the lovely Dagmar Lassander, surely at her very best looking. The kinky goings on make for a wild ride and if the romps amidst the Mimosa towards the end seem overlong it is but another rather charming trait of the time. You were probably expected to split those few minutes between the screen and your girlfriend and it does of course herald a twist in the proceedings. It might have been better if Philippe Leroy didn't look quite so odd with his fraying red hair and twisted facial expression. He does well though and has many silent moments where Dagmar is cavorting and he has to show a mixture of love and hate. Not an ordinary narrative film by any means but for those who like that something different, this is certainly that.

If you need that instant buzz that only late 60s/early 70s Euro sex movies can give off, then look no further for you have just stumbled across the mother lode ! Subsequent TV director Schivazappa's exercise in psychedelic porn (of the soft core variety) may not generally be considered as a classic of its kind but it knocks many better known titles from the likes of Tinto Brass, Jess Franco and Joe D'Amato for a loop. Radley Metzger sure was hip to this way before anyone else when he picked up this marvelously twisted little number for US distribution through his company Audubon. Gorgeous cinematography (favouring symmetrical compositions) may elicit cries of 'pretentiousness' from those who swear by shoddy skin flicks shot in someone's backyard. Hey, as far as I'm concerned, it's their loss for this is one thrill ride of a movie with twists so, well, twisted that you may not even believe them after you have actually witnessed them on screen ! Dagmar Lassander (immortalized as the gone to seed landlady from Lucio Fulci's HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY) has never looked more exquisite than she does here, subtly portraying the innocent (?) researcher held hostage by mad medic Philippe Leroy (with all the art-house favorites to his name, you wonder whether he has the good humor to mention this one on his c.v.) as their initially violent 'relationship' turns to S&M-tinged love story. Nothing is what it seems however in this sick and imaginative gem of a movie with several truly erotic moments achieved with surprisingly minimal nudity. I for one was completely baffled and enchanted by the way Schivazappa chose to suggest oral sex during one scene (I'll let you find that one out for yourselves...) and Lassander's gauze-clad boogie to an impossibly groovy 60s tune should have become iconic in a way similar to the image of Sylvia Kristel reclining in that wicker chair in her EMMANUELLE days. You may not know this film just yet, but trust me, once seen you'll never forget it !!!

"The Frightened Woman" is a boring title for a boring movie. It's really only worth watching for some striking, surreal imagery, like the giant molded legs with the doorway in the middle. Who can forget the moment where the doorway shuts from both sides, forming teeth?

Indeed, the filmmaker seems to be throwing around a bunch of psycho sexual ideas about men and women, and perhaps the fear men have of women and the attraction women have to powerful men.

Either way, the movie makes no real statement of interest, we get the aforementioned striking image here and there but it is hard to care less about the characters, and the conclusion at the end was so predictable it only left the question why we had to wait so long for it to arrive. But then, at an hour and twenty six minutes, the movie felt at least twice that long.

I'd seen this one before, and coming back to it, all I could remember was the main guy's hair, which is sort of red-blonde. I have seen this referred to as "sexploitation", but there's basically no sex, and very little nudity.

The head of a philanthropic fraternal organization is actually a misogynistic sadist who serially tortures beautiful, powerful, liberated women, that would never give him the time of day...if given the choice.

He fears a future where science will render men obsolete, and takes it out on women that refuse to submit to his whims.

After breaking the women down mentally...he forces them to "make love" to a sex doll fashioned in his own image.

All of this is part of a regimen designed to mold these once liberated women into willfully masochistic slaves.

Though, they do so only as a survival mechanism, out of fear they will be murdered by this sick and twisted psychopath.

In order to survive, they must prolong the torture.

This victim, however, tries to infiltrate his psychology in order to cure him.

Or so she claims, at least.

If she can make it come down to a battle of wits...she believes she will win.

She shows no fear, for she does not fear death, as a reincarnationist.

And, slowly, she manages to turn the tables...and seize the role of the dominant.

She plays him...at his own game...by pretending to be into it.

He simply can't handle that.

But he can't get enough of it either.

He needs to break her...but she refuses to break.

She becomes his greatest challenge.

At one point, she makes it look like she overdoses on pills, in order to escape the situation...so he is forced to nurse her back to health...because he needs to have complete control over her life...and death.

And this breaks him.

He reveals everything to her.

Now she knows she is in control.

And it is this point when she successfully subverts his dominance...and takes control of both their realities.

Now he is the one who should be afraid...

She continues to toy with his dominant tendencies and male ego...knowing she's fully in control.

Constantly teasing him.

Pushing him deeper into his own mind.

But was she ever trying to cure him...or was she always just trying to consume him?

Turns out, she was the spideress, the scorpion, the praying mantis...all along.

This is a film that is as stunning as it is discomforting.

An all around brilliant, arthouse masterpiece of deviant cinema.

9.5 out of 10.

If you're a fan of Radley Metzger style eurotrash psychedelia this is for you. "Femina Ridens" is chock full elaborate sets, wild music and depravity. The misogyny of Leroy's character can be wince-inducing (He makes Rush Limbaugh seem like Phil Donohue.) but hang in there as the plot twists around

I have watched The Frightened Woman, and i have found it to be a very strange and shocking film that, features a lot of sexual threat humiliation and violence. It is about a girl called Maria(Dagmar Lassander) who is the living sex toy of a doctor called Dr. Sayer(Phillippe Leroy). he gets delight and humiliation from killing women when they are are at their most excitable mood. By using bizarre and dangerous sex games against them. Dr. Sayers degradation pushes Maria much to far for her to handle. So she aims to put a spell on him. The film features a lot of 60's type pop art design which will please viewers.

First of all, aesthetically, it's great, i loved the cinematography, the colors, the music, everything. I expected all this, what i didn't expect is that it's not just a style over substance movie. Plot was interesting, occasionally this was exciting, characters were deeper than i thought and whereas it's dark and twisted, it's also whimsical and charming. This is not as "Marquis de Sade" as it seems and i liked that, i mean it's easy to make a "torture porn" movie. But it's difficult to make something classy and tasteful. This movie balances between disparate characteristics. Actors not too great but charismatic, some unpredictable turns and an ending which was far-fetched but delightful.

Still not great, still more style than substance but absolutely entertaining as long as you read the synopsis and know what this is about. Certainly, it's not for everyone.

AKA The Frightened Woman, aka Femina Ridens. Beautiful Dagmar Lassander becomes an unwitting sex toy of the rich and sadistic Dr Sayer (Philippe Leroy) but as time progresses their relationship changes. This is neither a horror or giallo movie but a sex pyschological thriller. And a damn fine one at that. Like many Italian films from this period every frame is a work of art, and it has an amazing soundtrack. I found one musical piece going around in my head for several hours afterwards. Incredibly kitsch, it's one of those films that the viewers experiences as opposed to merely view. Sexually and violently it's pretty tame by today's standards but just let yourself be transported back to Europe in 1969 and enjoy!

Who is the prey?

6.8- Femina Ridens (1969) - Italy, with a hint of nudity, this metaphorical film should be watched in a specific era and period of filming to have a sense of immersion, or to have a special interest in that period of history and a commitment to historical research. Otherwise, will be confused, with long and awkward dialogues, numerous rhetorical metaphors, mediocre and slow plot progression, overly tiring viewing process, and only the final reversal that moves.

Who is the prey?

6.8- Femina Ridens (1969) - Italy, with a hint of nudity, this metaphorical film should be watched in a specific era and period of filming to have a sense of immersion, or to have a special interest in that period of history and a commitment to historical research. Otherwise, will be confused, with long and awkward dialogues, numerous rhetorical metaphors, mediocre and slow plot progression, overly tiring viewing process, and only the final reversal that moves.

No, it is not erotic, and it is not as others write. It is simply a commercial film in the pure sense, having all the visual ingredients to manage to captivate you for about 1 h 48 min. It has a moving music, a beautiful woman, Dagmar Lassander, and a special actor in the person of Philippe Leroy. The story is simple and well elaborated. It is actually a film with a message, one of a moral nature, but only the intelligent ones will understand it.

Everything about this film is perfection! A stunning performance from both lead actors! The set design and locations were gorgeous! The score was twists and turns of thriller, suspense and blissfully happy all wrapped up into one. However, the score doesn't over power and the film is filled with great cues that are nearly totally silent which goes very well with the tension and suspense throughout.

Some disturbing sequences so it might not be for everyone. But for any fan of Italian art films, this one is simply a masterpiece!

I will put this film in my personal top 5 movies that I've ever seen.

A young journalist, kind of a tame 60's Euro version of a feminist, finds herself kidnapped by a deranged male artist. He shows her photographs of a number of a women he claims to have killed, and promises to do the same to her when he's finished having his way with her. She seems to develop a case of Stockholm syndrome and soon becomes his willing playmate. But at the end neither of the them turns out to be what they initially appear (to give you just a hint, this movie is alternatively called either "The Frightened Woman" and "The Laughing Woman"). The plot of this movie resembles both the earlier film "The Collector" and the later "The Story of O", but it is very different from either. It also somewhat resembles the contemporary Japanese "pinku" movies, but is much more tame. Like other Italian movies released by Radley Metzger's Audobon Films (i.e. "La Matriarca)it kind of resembles one of Metzger's own films as well, but it is really its own unique creature.

With the possible exception of Metzger's "The Punishment of Anne" (which I've never seen) this might be the best version of a B-and-D/S- and-M film. (Granted, that's not saying much). This movie works as a B-and-D fantasy because it really explores the relationship and the ever-shifting nature of power between the dominant and submissive partner, and also because, even more importantly, it STAYS at the level of fantasy. In America they are so nervous about this subject for some reason that it is actually illegal to tie someone up in a hardcore porno movie. This may not be such a bad thing though because in countries like France and Germany, which have no such compunctions, the introduction of a hardcore footage into a B-and-D plot creates a jarring realism so at odds with the psychosexual fantasy that the whole thing, far from being exciting and disturbing, is mostly just silly and stupid. (There are also, of course, plenty of people who actually live this "lifestyle", but the less said of them the better).

The much more subtle, even tame approach really works here (for me). I especially enjoyed the pop-art set design and the kind of Freudian obsessions that were big in those days (i.e. one of the artists sculpture's looks like giant vagina dentata). The movie really doesn't get much more racy than Dagmar Lassender dancing around in an unraveling paper dress (but then again you ought to SEE Dagmar Lassender dance around in an unraveling paper dress), or more violent than some of the slide photographs the artist shows of his previous murder victims(which may not be genuine). I'm sure this arty and rather mild movie will disappoint both the serious porn addicts and the truly perverted S-and-M/bondage freaks, but for all of us curious (but not THAT curious) Euro movie fans it's a pretty decent way to go.

Dagmar Lassander is the it girl of the giallo era. In my eyes. She's wicked cool! This german actress kicks some butt in this revenge story. Does man or woman prevail? You will have to wait and see.

TW: It's a bit uncomfortable to watch in some scenes. Think Armie Hammer ick vibes. But just wait for it.

Has some fluffy, comedic scenes with a dwarf in a castle and some running around in fields?

The soundtrack is chef's kiss.

I'm trying to see as many Dagmar Lassander films as I possibly can. She's just that great!

Not sure if this is a fully developed Giallo. But it is Italian. In the 70's. And, Weird. It's got all the things! Just trust me!

Happy watching!