Lialeh

Lialeh (1974)

*** (out of 4)

Arlo (Lawrence Pertillar) is trying to put on an erotic number on the New York City stage but just can't find the right actress. That all changes when Lialeh (Jennifer Leigh) comes in.

You never quite know what you're in for whenever you watch a film that you have zero information on and I must say that LIALEH was quite an eye-opener to say the least. I'm honestly not sure why the film isn't better known because it's pretty much an insane little picture that packs a lot into its short 71-minute running time. Writer/Director Barron Bercovichy would only have this credit to his name and the same is true for the two leads. Today the film's main claim to fame are the songs and music by Bernard Purdie.

There's quite a bit going on in this film and it's just downright bonkers at times. This includes a crazy white chick who wants to bang Arlo and he gives her some meat alright but not what she was expected. Out of nowhere comes a scene inside a church where a preacher hurts his penis but thankfully two ladies are there to help. You've got Arlo and Lialeh doing some phone sex, which is overheard by two female operators who immediately can't take it and have some lesbian sex. You've got a loser who went to bang a chick only to discover she had a dick. Then, we come to the ending, which I won't reveal anything about.

Technically speaking the film isn't all that well-made and there's no logical plot going on. The film seems to have been made on the fly with things just being made up and thrown in as they went along. I thought the two leads were decent for what they were asked to do but there's no question that it's the title track as well as the music that really steals the picture. LIALEH is pretty much a crazy little picture that takes you on bizarre place after another. This was advertised as the first black XXX musical ever made and that alone is cool but it doesn't prepare you for what's actually in the film.

Lialeh is a well made cheap adult film that recently got a major hype due to the soundtrack done by Bernard Purdie. It was legit released by Arrow videos with a mention it is THE BLACK DEEPTHROAT (since Arrow released DEEP THROAT on video), but the film has nothing to do with deepthroat nor even shares the plotline. The film stands on it's own, with multiple locations which was uncommon in early 70's adult films. It was also uncommon to have a film mostly black cast for a adult film in that era. The film director Barron Borcovichy does a wonderful job making this cheap film look professional, especially the soundtrack. He must have been happy to get Mr. Purdie to sing for he shows it twice in the film. (too bad his lipsic don't match). Muscial number "pink on the inside" is creative and excellent. great subplot involving a priest, and a loser who tells Lialeh he was in love with a girl who was a guy! You watch this film, you don't get those lame saturday night raincoat film you get in the 73, you get something more. It's a pure 70's film, not a 90's/2000 video film that has zero plot so video rental people can fastforward to the sex scene. Barron knows how to keep the gap between the sex scene with creative plotlines to entertain the audience at the theatres. It's a shame filmmaking of a adult film died in video era.

In fact, in the 80's my old video store had 2 vhs and 1 beta of this film and I had customers who rented it many times. I even use mention of this film on several scripts I wrote (never got made (: ). I try to buy the soundtrack many times but the terms "blackplotation" was used so the price was way too high. There is nothing explotation on black people lialeh, it doesn't have evil white people that is required for these "blackplotation" films. I think many people who knows about this film now days is misguided thinking it's something it is not. Lialeh is a entertaining movie, watchable from start to finish and a standout film on it's own. even the shocking ending will even make you laugh at the end. It's too bad the cast or the director never did anything, but it was the 70's so people disappear back then. maybe under another name?