Hera Purple

A woman goes to a psychologist and is hypnotized. In her hypnotic state, she has flashbacks of black widow-like murders she committed recently, while possessed by the Greek goddess Hera. In a confusing bit of editing, we also follow a group of detectives who are investigating the murders. The film is just a massive excuse for softcore porn and lame violence. I rented it because of the absolutely hilarious trailer found on the DVD for Miike's Gozu, which advertises "sex with on snowfield!", "homosexual sex!" (while a man and woman copulate on screen) and "sex with doctor!" The actual movie is much less funny, of course, but it has its moments. They invent all kinds of interesting new sexual positions. The woman causes an instant erection when she brushes against a man's crotch. Perhaps the best thing about the DVD is that the default language is actually English, a dub that sounds like it was produced in India, half incoherent and half containing ludicrously translated phrases like those I've already mentioned.

A woman troubled by vague anxiety consults a psychiatrist. To obtain a faster diagnosis, he uses hypnotism. This results in what is for the audience an extensive series of homicidal sex fantasies. How much of them could possibly be real? Meanwhile, a team of detectives (with funny personalities and "morgue" humor) is investigating a series of very strange murders that seem to parallel the woman's "fantasies". This is just good fun, until they appear to be closing in on their quarry. Hera Purple and reality don't mix well and things start to get scary. By the third act horror is taking over. The whole thing is well made and executed (compare "Orgy of the Dead"). Could confuse children but very entertaining for adults.

A woman bothered by dreams, anxiety and feeling that there is someone else inside of her goes to a psychiatrist. Under hypnosis she tells the pshchiatrist how, in her dreams, she and/or her alter-ego seduce men and then kill them while making love to them. Meanwhile,murders like her dreams are really happening.

This is an entertaining low budget horror film. The murders, while seemingly random, you eventually find out do have a pattern, there is an attempt to give some of the characters some depth, and there is a sad twist at the end. The acting ranges from below average to good. The main actress is particularly good and, in my humble opinion, as beautiful as her younger alter-egos. The sex scenes are very hot and arousing but not explicit. Also, some of the photography is quite good.

On the down side, there are some plot holes and how the goddess Hera gets involved is not explained nor is it clear the goddess Hera is really involved.

This is still definitely worth seeing and to me, is reminiscent of some of the Italian horror films of the 1970s like "The Devil's Wedding Night" and "Nude for Satan". Cheezy and fun.