Sacred Flesh

Porn in Britain has an unusual history, often presented in bowdlerized versions (like horror releases, given to local censorship), and this distributor Redemption/Salvation Films released many a mainstream U.S. porn video of the '90s with all the explicit sex removed.

Here we have a sex film about nuns, made to capitalize on that genre and the ongoing popularity of Ken Russell's breakthrough "The Devils", that takes itself so seriously as to sap the energy and arousal potential out of a softcore feature. That being said, the attention to detail and visual creativity make it of interest nonetheless.

The story such as it is has a convent in turmoil, with the mother superior (an earnest NonSex performance by Sally Tremaine) seemingly going crazy, having conversations with Mary Magdalene (played acidly by Kristina Bill) who is presented (in her mind) as sort of a Devil. Many scenes of nuns having sex are presented but most of the film (shot on video) is a talkfest with protagonists wondering whether some satanic cult is at work.

I was interested to see several topflight Adult Cinema actresses (of the future) participating in the most explicit, though strictly softcore, action, notably Michelle Thorne masturbating with conviction but hardly recognizable as this was shot before she had her iconic huge breasts surgically created, the naturally buxom Hannah Callow in a lesbian twosome, and lovely Majella Shepherd pawed by two lustful clergymen, years before she so memorably (and comically) took on Mandingo in the American porn video "Chasing the Big Ones 13".

One has to have some justification for watching a film like this. Surely, we cannot be just voyeurs, are we? This is probably the ultimate in nunsploitation films. I am certainly not through investigation, but I cannot imagine something more perverse than this one.

So, we have to follow along with the writer/director who apparently wanted to justify the sumptuous feast of nun flesh in this film by having not one, but two or three philosophical discussions going on about mean and women, nuns, and satisfying your carnal desires. Bugger! Just fast forward through all that and get to the action.

And, what action you will see in this film. It stretched the line between soft and hard core porn so far that I actually felt it may bust through if there was one more scene. Full frontal nudity was the norm, and those none were certainly passionate about satisfying each other - or themselves if no one was about to help. A nunnery full of bodacious babes and all there for us to enjoy. Even the priests got in on the act somewhat as they wanted to make sure that a particular nun knew what she was sacrificing.

Whew! I am just overwhelmed at what goes on behind those walls.

I saw this in London. There were five people in the audience. I think the intent was to make an arty euro porn film, but it looks like it was shot on beta and suffered from dropout and poor colouring. The story goes nowhere, just a tempted mother superior and various nun couplings. I really made the effort to see this one after enjoying the far superior RAZERBLADE SMILE, but Eileen Daly is truly wasted in this mess. Pity.

British imprint Redemption Films have been releasing obscure Eurotrash films since the early 90s. Their early VHS releases of films such as Tombs of the Blind Dead, The Living Dead Girl and Virgin Among the Living Dead were instrumental in triggering my love of cult cinema when I discovered them at my local video store. In 1989 Redemption founder Nigel Wingrove made a short film, Visions of Ecstasy, which was banned outright by the BBFC on grounds of blasphemy. Wingrove fought the BBFC in court - losing his home and many of his possessions in the process due to the hefty lawyer costs - but lost the case. To date, Visions of Ecstasy remains the only film banned in the UK for blasphemous libel. Now it seems Wingrove has decided to stage a "comeback" with another "blasphemous" film, again of the Nunsploitation variety.

The basic plot of Sacred Flesh centres around Mother Superior Elizabeth who is possessed by devils. The convent's Abbess is rightfully concerned about her and writes a letter to a local Abbot requesting him to come and check her out and maybe exorcise some demons. That's about all there is plotwise, the rest of the film's brief runtime is taken up with the Mother Superior's nightmarish visions, long monologues on sexual repression within the Catholic church, and the typical lesbo-nun action, flagellation, bondage-crucifixion, etc.

Mother Superior Elizabeth is torn by Catholic guilt, between the repression of lust she is taught, and the sexual abandon she craves, her hallucinogenic revelations involve: on the one hand Mary Magdalene condoning sexual freedom and condemning the Catholic church, and on the other the "Death Nun" extolling the virtues of chastity and threatening hellfire & damnation. I imagine in Nigel Wingrove's mind he is probably quite proud of himself for producing yet another artistic, highly controversial piece of blasphemous filth but in reality this chunk of shot-on-video junk is basically low budget soft porn masquerading as highbrow art. Mary's rambling, awkwardly worded anti-Catholic tirades come off as pseudo-intellectual bullshit, that's purely there as an attempt to add some class to this low budget tits 'n' ass show.

For a medieval piece set in the early 1900s I find it strange that the nuns sport copious amounts of whorish make-up and silicone, some even flaunt bellybutton & tongue piercings and freshly shaved pussies. I wasn't surprised then to discover that half of the cast are actually British porn stars moonlighting as "actresses".

Now, usually I'd really dig this (or any) kinda sleaze especially when there's the added bonus of skanky nuns, but I think what initially put me off here was the fact that Wingrove is trying so hard to emulate the spirit of 70s European exploitation and completely fails (although the horrendous acting and shitty script didn't help much either). Trying to hide your lack of budget behind some flashy editing and lighting then throwing in some didactic bullshit does not a good film make.

Nigel Wingrove cocks a snook at the then recently retired James Ferman for his banning of 'Visions Of Ecstasy' a decade earlier.

A feature length shot on video imbroglio of cosmetically enhanced and fully shaven nuns doing close-up 'penance'.

Yes the scenes of the devilish succubus reciting arch dialogue are amusing, in a Lair Of The White Worm type way. But they are few and far between, and if you're not into the heavy breathing stuff, it's too boring waiting for them.

Very poor stuff all round. Redemption was so much better than this in the beginning when they got so many of us into obscure foreign horrorsploitation.