Pretty alright Hubert Frank film
This is another film by German softcore pornmeister Hubert Frank, the man who also brought us "Vanessa" and "Patrizia". This has much more of a plot than usual, approaching an actual drama at times. A washed-up tennis star and compulsive gambler is on the outs with his wife (Bea Fiedler)--perhaps understandably since at point her wagers her--and loses her--in a card game. He takes up with her sexy best friend (Elisa Servier) who convinces him to try to murder his wealthy aunt in an effort to out-manipulate his estranged wife for the older woman's money. Meanwhile, a female agent for the aunt (Olivia Pascal) is hanging around investigating everything (actually she mostly just watches people have sex). And then there is a bizarre and random subplot involving modern-day slavery and a native servant girl of the aunt who falls into the clutches of the slavers.
Given the murder and slavery plots, the general racial insensitivity (the black hit-man the couple hire doesn't want any money, but only sex with the white mistress), a couple rape scenes, and some other questionable scenes (where women are tied up, have their nipples threatened with light bulbs, have their pubic hair plucked out, or are forced to masturbate with lit candles!), this movie in many ways resembles a Joe D'Amato "Black Emanuelle" film or one of Jess Franco's seedy 70's efforts. It is much sillier than any of those though, and pretty hard to take too seriously.
The main strength of this movie naturally is the four good-looking girls who spend a whole lot of time naked and/or engaged in softcore frolicking (willingly, unwillingly, or semi-willingly) with various partners. Olivia Pascal is perhaps the most well-known, largely from Frank's more widely released film "Vanessa". She's good here too, but doesn't have nearly as much screen time as in the earlier film. Bea Fiedler was another perennial piece of German cheesecake. She is less memorable than Pascal generally, and has an even more perfunctory role here. The real revelation though is Elisa Servier as the devilish mistress, who turns out to be not entirely faithful (or entirely heterosexual). Servier was a French actress who later appeared as one of David Hamilton naked nubiles in "Tendre Cousins". The actress who plays the native girl is kind of in the Laura "Black Emanuelle" Gemser mould, but with even the less acting talent (I know, the mind boggles). They're never great, but I always kinda enjoy the films of Hubert Frank, who is more talented as an overall filmmaker than David Hamilton, less erratic than Jess Franco, and less given to appalling lapses of taste than Joe D'Amato. Like all of his films I've seen, this one is pretty alright.
Given the murder and slavery plots, the general racial insensitivity (the black hit-man the couple hire doesn't want any money, but only sex with the white mistress), a couple rape scenes, and some other questionable scenes (where women are tied up, have their nipples threatened with light bulbs, have their pubic hair plucked out, or are forced to masturbate with lit candles!), this movie in many ways resembles a Joe D'Amato "Black Emanuelle" film or one of Jess Franco's seedy 70's efforts. It is much sillier than any of those though, and pretty hard to take too seriously.
The main strength of this movie naturally is the four good-looking girls who spend a whole lot of time naked and/or engaged in softcore frolicking (willingly, unwillingly, or semi-willingly) with various partners. Olivia Pascal is perhaps the most well-known, largely from Frank's more widely released film "Vanessa". She's good here too, but doesn't have nearly as much screen time as in the earlier film. Bea Fiedler was another perennial piece of German cheesecake. She is less memorable than Pascal generally, and has an even more perfunctory role here. The real revelation though is Elisa Servier as the devilish mistress, who turns out to be not entirely faithful (or entirely heterosexual). Servier was a French actress who later appeared as one of David Hamilton naked nubiles in "Tendre Cousins". The actress who plays the native girl is kind of in the Laura "Black Emanuelle" Gemser mould, but with even the less acting talent (I know, the mind boggles). They're never great, but I always kinda enjoy the films of Hubert Frank, who is more talented as an overall filmmaker than David Hamilton, less erratic than Jess Franco, and less given to appalling lapses of taste than Joe D'Amato. Like all of his films I've seen, this one is pretty alright.
- lazarillo
- Feb 17, 2012