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Oh, the Italians… They take the genre or genres that are not native to their cinema, put a twist on it and – it somehow works! More than that, it sports its own style. They did it with spaghetti westerns and giallo pulp, so why they would not try the same thing with the Kung Fu flicks. Spaghetti or noodles, it is just a matter of taste, right? And, truth to be told, many “outsiders” tried their luck with Asian-style martial arts-powered action, from Gareth Evans to Timo Tjahjanto, and their efforts were far from embarrassing.

Enter the Italian actor and filmmaker Gabriele Mainetti who already flirted with the Asian-sourced sub-genres with his 2015 “They Call Me Jeeg Robot” and his vision of the “old-school-new-school” countdown between the mob dinosaurs and the triads newcomers on the streets of Rome. “Forbidden City” was released to selected theatres without a flashy festival premiere, but...

Movies set in unexpected locations typically make a point of labeling where they take place with prominent on-screen chyrons. “The Forbidden City” slyly withholds that information, treating the answer almost like a twist. The surprise stems from a prologue set in rural China, where a father teaches his two daughters kung fu before leaping forward to its first bone-shattering set-piece.

A decade or so later, Mei (Yaxi Liu) reappears in the basement of the Forbidden City, a multi-story Chinese restaurant-cum-brothel, fighting her way through a crowd of thugs and sex traffickers. When one assailant pulls a knife, she smashes a compact disc and fights back with the jagged shards of plastic. Mei kicks her way up the stairs, intending to save her older sister Yun, who’s nowhere to be found. Cornered in the kitchen, she improvises weapons from iron pans and a gnarly cheese grater, dousing the next round of henchmen in boiling grease.

On March 6, 2024, Netflix launched “Supersex,” the true story of how Rocco Tano, a simple guy from Ortona, Italy, became Rocco Siffredi, the most famous porn star in the world. The Italian drama series written by Francesca Manieri stars Alessandro Borghi as Rocco and has received rave reviews from critics.

Holding fresh at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, the scandalous series is a critically acclaimed hit with an equally impressive audience score. The ensemble cast includes Jasmine Trinca, Adriano Giannini, Enrico Borello and Vincenzo Nemolato. Read our full review round-up below.

See ‘The Gentlemen’ review round-up: Theo James leads cast of ‘colorful characters’ in Netflix crime drama

Meghan O’Keefe of Decider writes, “’Supersex’ manages to weave together smut and art in intoxicating measure. It could very well be the first foreign language show since ‘Squid Game’ to dominate Netflix’s other programming for weeks at a time. It’s also, thankfully, bringing back the kind of artsy,...

Rocco Siffredi’s Thoughts on Netflix’s Supersex ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

When it comes to making shows inspired or based on real-life personalities, no one can beat Netflix. From documentaries to movies and web shows, the streaming platform has brought to life the stories of people who have inspired or shocked everyone with their actions and behaviour. The latest addition to their library is Supersex, an Italian adult drama series inspired by the life of adult star Rocco Siffredi.

The Netflix series was written by Francesca Manieri. Francesca directed the show with Francesca Mazzoleni and Matteo Rovere. The official Netflix synopsis reads, “Inspired by true events, this is the story of how Rocco Siffredi escaped a humble life and emerged as the world’s greatest adult movie star.”

Ever since Supersex was released, netizens haven’t stopped talking about it. The explicit content in it has baffled everyone. However, in an interview last year,...

Over the past few years Italian cinema has been making strides in the global arena and 2024 looks likely to bolster its international standing. New works by top auteurs Paolo Sorrentino and Luca Guadagnino will be launching from the festival circuit just as a fresh crop of directors comes to fore, starting with Margherita Vicario, whose first film “Gloria!” scored a Berlin competition slot.

Below is a compendium of new Italian movies set to hit this year’s fest circuit.

“Another End” – Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve (“The Worse Person in the World”) star as lovers caught in an unusual bind in Italian director Piero Messina’s sci-fi film “Another End” which is competing in Berlin. This second feature by Messina – whose first feature, “The Wait,” launched with a splash in the 2015 Venice competition – is set in a near-future when a new technology exists that can put the consciousness of...

Netflix has dropped a teaser trailer for “Supersex,” the series freely inspired by the real life of global porn star Rocco Siffredi, which will world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and drop March 6 on the streamer.

“Every power is an enigma. It can give you light, or throw you into darkness. But every existence lived to its fullest always has a price to pay,” a voiceover says in the teaser as Siffredi is bombarded by fans and paparazzi.

The show looks at how “Rocco Tano — a simple guy from Ortona [a small town in central Italy] — became Rocco Siffredi, the most famous pornstar in the world,” according to its official synopsis.

The hotly anticipated series is created and written by prominent Italian screenwriter Francesca Manieri, who is known for her feminist works.

At the center of “Supersex” – which is produced by Lorenzo Mieli’s The Apartment, a Fremantle company, and Groenlandia, which is part of...

Netflix has dropped its first key art and several new images for Supersex, the hotly anticipated biographical series on Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi.

Alessandro Borghi, star of Netflix’s mafia drama series Suburra and 2022 Cannes jury prize winner The Eight Mountains, plays Rocco in the fictionalized take on the porn actor’s life. The seven-episode series — created and written by Francesca Manieri, Lorenzo Mieli for Fremantle-owned The Apartment and Matteo Rovere for Banijay’s Groenlandia — will bow on Netflix worldwide March 6, 2024. Rovere, Francesco Carrozzini and Francesca Mazzoleni are directing.

Netflix has said the series is “freely inspired” by Siffredi’s life and career, as well as from direct testimony from Siffredi. Supersex plans to tell the soup-to-nuts story of Rocco from his childhood and family origins through his “relationship with love” that led him to pursue a career in porn.

Jasmine Trinca plays Lucia, a fictional female character who...

Netflix has set a March 6 premiere date for “Supersex,” the series freely inspired by the real life of global porn star Rocco Siffredi, who has more than 1,500 hardcore films to his name.

The series is created and written by prominent Italian screenwriter Francesca Manieri who is known to be a militant feminist. It is described in promotional materials as a profound story that runs through Siffredi’s life since childhood and looks at his family, “his relationship with love” and how “Rocco Tano — a simple guy from Ortona [a small town in central Italy] — became Rocco Siffredi, the most famous pornstar in the world.”

“Supersex” directors are Matteo Rovere (“Romulus”), Francesco Carrozzini (“The Hanging Sun”) and Francesca Mazzoleni (“Punta Sacra”).

At the center of “Supersex” – which is being produced by Lorenzo Mieli’s The Apartment, a Fremantle company, and Groenlandia, which is part of the Banijay group – are unknown aspects of the Italian porn star, who...