THE CELLULOID TEAPOT

THE END , THE BEGINNING & WHERE TO GO ....

2006-08-09T16:30:00.000+01:00

IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT THE UK/USA DVD OF 'GWENDOLINE' YOU ARE VISUALLY DEPRIVED-RECTIFICATION IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY !

Well, we've seen no end of fascinating jewels of underground / fringe epics, from classic 'firsts' to Nasty Nazis. From the colourful alchemy of Bava to the down right and dirty of Doris Wishman, from mind blowing giallo to cock sucking porno - nothing has been sacred... And it is only a mere peek at what's' out there for the viewing !!!!

Thank you for all your support over the year and putting up with 'silent' gaps in between.

I hope you have found my blog entertaining and stimulating but.....hang on a moment...I am lamenting....this is not right as a brand new Celluloid Teapot - style website has thrust itself forth from between the thighs of mistress blogspot.

My brand new site is titled 'The Fringe Fantasy Film Show' and will be just as groovy in content than the teapot.

The reviews will be, I hope, unless I get really carried away, more 'punchier', there will also be the use of 'linking' so you too can purchase the 'best' print at the best 'value'.

This will be down to my discretion but I am not working on commission, the customer service of the websites where such DVD delights can be obtained have sold their credibility alone.

Any recommended website for ordering such digital delicacies will fall into the following categories to warrant a link 1) Ease of use 2) The Waiting Game 3)The cock-up-o-meter.

There will not be a sudden deluge of lurid ads for 'cheap DVD's' as we have search engines for that, what I will mention at times is a reputable way of procuring the best sources and the greatest value for the customer.

So many people have asked 'Where can you get these?', now dear friends you shall know. On occasion, o.k, a large majority of the time you will need to send off to Europe and Stateside but with millitary encryption, paypal and a whole other 'host' of 'hack protection' software this should not worry you at all.

With banks also hot on the fraud side of things they'll soon be in touch if things seem 'odd' on the transaction front - take it from experience.

As fraud phoned me once and asked if I had recently purchased over £300 worth of computer equipment in Russia - I was most grateful for that call and the preventative measures taken place to avoid such bad doings from happening to the innocent.

So you too can now find a 'reputable' gateway into a land where these films are available for the taking in all their uncut glory. Damn British Censorship too hell !

I have enclosed a link to the new site which I sincerely hope you find just as thrilling .

So please pop along to http://filmfantasy.blogspot.com/ and enjoy very muchly the new 'feel'. There's not much on it at the moment as I have been reviewing and deciding on where I can go with this and weigh up lessons learned from previous experience.

Never the less, the primary concern is for the visitor, making the visit a pleasurable, knowledgeable experience with a few 'thrills' thrown in for good measure.

I will look forward to your visits very much and if any of my articles inspire you to buy or rent the film featured then I would be over the moon, the best things in the world shouldn't be coveted but shared I feel whether ideas, food, fashion or film.

Big Love to all Fringe Film Fans and the wonderful companies who bother to release such joys that the mainstream distributors would not give the time of day.

Feels good to have the upperhand on the vacuous put-up-with-any-old-shit cinemagoer - poor , ignorant buggers. Imagine having 'Titanic' as your number one movie and be unaware of anything else except what vomits forth at the local Odeon multiplex- that must be awful. You have my sympathy for such limited experiences with what films truly have to offer.

In the interim build up your knowledge and wallow in some of the prime examples of exploitation, horror, fantasy and sci-fi within the realms of 'The Fringe Fantasy Film Show'.

Big Love to all Fringe Film Fans and the wonderful companies who bother to release such joys that the mainstream distributors would not give the time of day - this site and its new home is for you.

James x

Censorship, like charity, should begin at home, but unlike charity, it should end there.

- Clare Boothe Luce

THE BIRTH OF MACISTE AND THE ITALIAN FEATURE FILM REVOLUTION – AN ARTICLE

2006-08-05T21:54:00.000+01:00

THE BIRTH OF MACISTE AND THE ITALIAN FEATURE FILM REVOLUTION

– AN ARTICLE

(Stills from 'Maciste all'Inferno' , Cabiria ,Hercules and Hercules in the Haunted World)

This is my last reportage for a while. Work wise I need to focus 100%, hence an age since my last review.

So I am also going to change the Blog look too as we venture into a monumental time in the history of film.

We begin the tale with the birth of ‘peplum’ and focus on ‘Maciste’ or, Hercules as he was eventually exported.

There is some way to go and a lot of viewing time needed to cover the 1957-1964 ‘reign’ of sword and sandal Italian epics. These will kick off the new look teapot as this is the last of the style we have grown fond of.

We will review the adventures of Maciste from selected silents through to turning point talkies of sword and sandal folklore, as we follow the birth and rise of this genre.

Due to underexposure this will be something of a revelation to the British who have fared badly with material readily available in this country.

Mario Bava had a go at them, Fellini was inspired by them and D.W Griffith paid homage to them (well Cabirias’ an absolute certainty) – such is an important, but little known, chapter in cinematography.

Not all were epics but the peplum (a name given to these style of movies that featured such a tunic and due to the garments simplicity were also very inexpensive to make) momentum never seems to vanquish completely, it comes back in various guises and forms but beneath it all seems to be a formula as staple as a giallo format for sword and sandal visual ballads of fable.

To begin at the beginning…..

Sidney Olcott was the first to venture into peplum territory with ‘Ben Hur’ in 1907 but was a scant 15 minutes so was far from the lavish feature film it later became. Despite this, there really were no other peplum examples apparent. We must move from the USA to Italy for the true zeitgeist of this sort of movie.

In contrast to the self-made moguls of American studios, Italian production companies were headed by the cultivated members of the aristocracy, who made films based on historical, biblical or mythological subjects in keeping with the literary and dramatic tradition of grand opera

The first important influence was Italians’ first tableaux-style film ‘L’inferno’ in 1911 which dreamily revealed Dante and Virgil’s experiences on their journey through hell.

This format was the basis used for an emergence of epics in Italian cinemas earliest days. Due to the Italians’ imperialist victory in the Libyan war (1911-1912) and further inspiration from grand opera these caused a catalyst of epic ‘firsts’ with breathtaking cinematography and jaw dropping sets that seem impossible for the time. Italy also housed plenty of Roman Antiquities that were inspirational in their own merit.

The imagination didn’t have to stretch too far when it came to the creation of such sets of unbelieveable magnitude. Only what one has ever thought and dreamed became an opulent reality seemingly commanding respect as well as enjoyment from the audience.

One is wowed by the early effects whilst maintaining the utmost reverence for design and craftsmanship apparent.

The early era brought the Italian cinemagoer visual feats as ‘The Last Days of Pompeii’ (1913), Quo Vadis (1912) and in 1914 this successful tradition brought a cinematic first ‘Cabiria’. This was the first time that the action seen broke away from tableaux style representation and became a live animate adventure.

Loosely based on Gustave Flaubert’s ‘Salammbo’ Cabiria was also the very first feature film running an admirable 123 minutes, practically unheard of.

Cabiria concerned the adventures of the titular heroine who is separated from her parents at the time of the Punic wars in the 3^rd Century B.C.A.E (Before Christ Allegedly Existed). There is a spectacular explosion of Mount Etna that results in Cabirias abduction by pirates in the confusion. There she is taken and sold at Carthage as a slave and sacrificial fodder for the ancient god Moloch.

She is saved by Fulvio Axilla, a ‘rascal’ nobleman and his giant companion/slave Maciste.

The film starts a journey of visual treat where costume and set design have meticulously been detailed. Cabiria begins her odyssey with Mount Etna, witnesses the savage splendour of a barbaric Carthage, dodges human sacrifice and even witnesses Hannibal crossing the Alps, amongst other things!

Cabiria was filmed by Giovanni Pastrone in North Africa, Sicily and the Italian Alps and is truly a spectacular event in plot and in style.

The movie was also the first to be shown on White House grounds and when reached stateside inspired D.W Griffith ‘Babylon’ sequence in ‘Intolerance’ (1916), which at the time of Cabiria was under production known by a completely different working title ‘The Mother and the Law’.

From this film there was one character overall; that staid in the Italian publics imagination, that was Maciste played by Bartolomeo Pagano.

During the years 1915 to 1926 Pagano reprised his role in 25 movies spanning 11 years. The unusual element this time was that Maciste could seemingly enter any moment in history. This ensured Maciste was utilised as supreme propaganda for the First World War and in one of his films is a WW1 soldier.

His agenda was simple and that was too right wrongs and ensuring good always over bad, on regular instances in the ‘silent’ Maciste movies, the ‘bad’ element was usually represented by corrupt aristocratic or state figures. Art imitating life?

The series of Maciste films were constantly popular with the public and Macistes’ swansong ‘Maciste all’ Inferno’ (Maciste in Hell) is probably the best example of Paganos’ successes.

When Federico Fellini was a child he saw Maciste all’Inferno and was so enamoured and inspired by what he saw made the decision to become a director and the rest, as they say, is history

Maciste faded during the 30’s and 40’s but resurfaced again in the 1950’s. The ‘Maciste all’Inferno’ print was re-edited and re-scored and began stirring an interest in sword and sandal epics. Stateside ‘The Ten Commandments (1956)’ brought biblical epics and Christian mythology in vogue.

In 1958, the Italian film industry looked back at their pioneering triumphs and a hero was finally resurrected and it wasn’t before long he was back into the Italian nations hearts and due to wise, if not confusingly re-titled, national distribution the Hercules ‘format’ proved a lucrative venture.

Maciste had returned lifting fables off the page leaves and bringing them to Technicolor life on the big screen - a new chapter for Maciste had begun ………………….. (To Be Continued)

The 1914-1926 outings of Maciste were;

Cabiria (1914)

Maciste (1915)

Maciste il Fuoco (Maciste: The Fire) (1915)

Maciste Alpino (Maciste in the Alpine Regiment) (1916)

Maciste bersagliere (1916)

Maciste poliziotto (Maciste the Policeman) (1917)

Maciste medium (Maciste the Medium) (1917)

Maciste sonnambulo (Dreams of Maciste) (1918)

Maciste Atleta (Maciste: The Athlete) (1918)

Maciste contra la Morte (Maciste against Death) (1919)

Maciste I (1919)

Maciste salvato dalle acque (Maciste saves from the Waters) (1920)

1919/1920 produced a Maciste trilogy;

Maciste Innamorato (Maciste in Love) (1919)

Il Vaggio di Maciste (Macistes’ Journey) (1920)

Il testamento di Maciste (Macistes’ Testament)(1920)

Maciste in Vacanza (Maciste on Holiday) (1921)

Rivincita di Maciste, La (1921)

Maciste e la figlia del re della Plata (Maciste and the Daughter of the King of Plata) (1922)

Maciste und die Japanerin (Maciste and the Japanese) (1922)

Maciste contra Maciste (Maciste against Maciste)(1923)

Maciste und die chinesische Truhe (Maciste and the Chinese Chest) (1923)

Maciste Emperatore (Maciste the Emperor) (1924)

Maciste e il nipote d’America (Maciste and the Nephew from America) (1924)

Maciste contro lo sceicco (Maciste in Africa) (1925)

Maciste nella gabbia dei leoni (Maciste in the Cage of the Lions) (1926)

Maciste all’Inferno (Maciste in Hell) (1926)

FORTHCOMING TREATS:

Sword and Sandal Reviews including the rare Maciste all’Inferno, also we look at Italians cinemas first L’Inferno, Cabiria and a whole host of 50’s / 60’s beefcake delight.

The sleaze won’t stop either there’s some true gruelling stuff in fantasy land that need the celluloid teapots exposure. The Maciste section will last for a while but will be broken by different reviews to keep the electicness at giddying heights. It won’t be long, all the best.

James x

THE DEVIL INSIDE HER – HARDCORE CLASSIXXX (1977) –REVIEW 29

2006-07-19T22:01:00.000+01:00

As well as churning out all sorts of hybrids, one more sensational or extremer than the other, there was also ‘crossover’ hardcore. One of these was the combination of two taboos ‘Hardcore Pornography and Witchcraft’.

Usually this gave directors a cape to hide behind, producing some pretty depraved and twisted stuff as no one could get as low down and as dirty as the Devil from good ‘old Christian Mythology.

The Devil Inside Her is a proud example of what can be done with a little imagination, some mediocre acting and actors that perform too any high standard you could wish, so the cuts at the box office were very lucrative affairs, Thanks to the almost ‘legendary’ 42^nd street pre –Reagan these ‘unusuals’ drew in the masses.

The film was directed by Zebedy Colt who churned out some notorious roughies as his contribution to the genre (as well as playing the nasty sleazoid lead character as well). This is one of his best, there is a certain redness that is used primarily for the climatic ‘double pene-everything’ orgy.

The ending is very lewd and terribly ‘naughty’ but somehow pulls away from the ‘crudity’ and gravitates towards a more pantomime-esque/fairytaled version of events. With a climax starring Annie Sprinkle in one of her most resplendent roles, the target of three full bladder reliefs, it becomes a type of ‘darkroom’ lit obscenity and all the more ‘hellishly’ good for doing so.

The people’ possessed’ sequences are also quite fascinating as they, despite a little o.t.t eye make up, spasm their tongues wonderfully. Scenes seem lifted from ‘Haxan’ (1927) where the demons do exactly the same as represented by the actors 50 years later.

Some cool use of exterior footage is well handled showing the director had a ‘flair’ that was not ‘that’ essential to the plot but represents such rural beauty compared to the aggressiveness to happen at Satan’s’ banquet.

The one delight is the character of the ‘Devil’ himself (played theatrically by Rod Dumont); he is surprisingly scary considering the low budget constraints but ‘villains-it-up’ in a delight campful way it at time steals the show.

We first encounter him in the woods where he is masturbating to the sound of music/vocals played backwards. I have never seen anyone with the capability of testicle and winky twisting since penis puppetry compared to Mr.Dumont. He literally has a Reed Richards penis, skin and testiclay that at one stage it looks as those it’s going to be stretched out of the screen and poke your eye out. Quite remarkable.

The body hopping is a nice touch and endearingly ensures everyone who is anyone gets fucked these too are handled not in your usual ‘grind house-porno’ fashion.

The short 65 minute running time is long enough it seems, to tell a decent yarn and offer an abundance of deviancy throughout. For a XXX rater it runs quite tame for the first 15 minutes but immediately old Lucifer pops up things become quite different.

It is at the ending though Mr.Colt & Mr.North really shines bringing some of the most amazing sexual feats achieved while maintaining that whole ‘panto’ feel.

PLOT

New England 1826 and the virginal Jenny whiles most her spare time with her beloved Joseph. Hope is spiteful too as she also is in love with Joseph to the point of obsession. Joseph only has eyes for Jenny and both have maintained a chaste relationship for all this time.

Despite being a total untruth Hope tells Jenny’s strict god-fearing Father that they had been kissing. In true Christian fashion Jenny is forced to strip naked and is dutifully flagellated over a cart wheel.

Hope reaches boiling point when she believes Jenny and Joseph are planning to wed, she preys to the devil or god to help her ‘get Joseph and make him hers’.

The Devil listens and grants all carnal desires to everyone whilst he ‘hops’ from body to body until the ‘peak’ reaches a sex n’ vegetable , incestuous frenzy.

In a nearby cottage in the forest Hope meets a witch who prepares herself for the devil by calling for Nicodemus who magically appears from the realms of the demons. As he hangs from a tree Hope is ingratiated into the joys of oral satisfaction and judging by Nicodemus he rates her highly indeed!

After the devil does his family circle he appears for his banquet which turns into a lavish orgy ending with Jenny’s’ ‘induction’ too hell, after a good fucking though.

As the orgy climaxes the now ‘un-possessed’ Father and Joseph track down the ‘Devils Orgy’ and brandishing crucifixes and paraphernalia banish the devils back to from whence they came. Jenny is saved but unfortunately Hope is now a handmaiden to Lucifer, if he is treated the way she treats corn-on-the-cob and a bunch of carrots then he’ll be quids in.

I SAY...........

A trash classic that clashes a powerful sexually charged xxx milieu against a well cinematographed fairytale setting. Well done to all involved for such a smashing bit of entertainment achievable with a little skill and forethought. A cauldron of depravity- therefore- A MUST GET!!!!

The Film; The Devil inside Her (also known as Metamorphosed (working title) / The Devil within Her)

The Year;1977

Country; U.S.A

The Director; Zebedy Colt / Howard North

The Players;

Jody Maxwell .... Hope

Terri Hall .... Faith

Dean Tait .... Joseph (gardener)

Zebedy Colt .... Father

Renee Sanz .... Witch

Chad Lambert .... Nicodemus

Nancy Dare .... Becky (wife)

Annie Sprinkle.... Devil's orgy participant (as Annie Sprinkles)

Rod Dumont .... The Devil

SCARY STUFF T.V – ACE OF WANDS – AN ARTICLE / REVIEW 28 ‘PEACOCK PIE’

2006-07-16T13:22:00.000+01:00

In 1970 many changes were occurring in the U.K’s televison land, especially now colour had become more accessible, fortunately science-fiction and fantasy shows were the first to make breakthroughs and championed the arrival of colour.

The vitally important and shamefully forgotten BBC2 anthology series ‘Out of the Unknown’ was already treating viewers to a Technicolor future, when the third and fourth series were broadcast in the new colour format.

What happened to these colour firsts? – The BBC wiped them of course. Out of 49 episodes of ‘Out of the Unknown’ made only 19 completes, exist in the archives and with only one complete colour example, ‘The Last Lonely Man’ and a 30 minute clip of another of the colour stories, the pioneering anthology series that featured teleplay adaptations by the talents of Isaac Asimov, E.M Forster and Nigel Kneale are now gone forever.

Doctor Who also went halcyon and psychedelically ‘hung-over’ and the stories, due to a change in the script writers/editors, made the series more ‘grown-up’. Arguably this produced my own personal favourite season – 7 and arguably my favourite story ‘Inferno’. This also seemed the winning format echoed in ‘Ace of Wands’ despite it being primarily aimed at children due to its’ slot in the schedules.

On ITV, the scheduling for drama produced a gap. As a stroke of genius Trevor Preston and Pamela Lonsdale created a new children’s fantasy series ‘Ace of Wands’. Preston had only ever written for adult drama and this combination with Lonsdale’s’ child-orientated skills at dramatics were a winning combination. It produced a pioneering series blessed with that ‘Kidult’ element that could be seen and ‘chilled’ by all ages.

Due to its’ episodic ‘cliff-hanger’ format wooing audiences back week after week and its’ overall ‘slickness’ Tarot captured the hearts and minds of a new aquarian ‘dawn’.

The acting ability is of the highest and plays just as an important part of the framework of the story as the effects and scary bits – something practically unheard of, for a childrens programme, in this day and age.

When a series had been put together, and perfectly casted by the seem of things, Ace of Wands was pitched by Thames Television as follows;

'A C E O F W A N D S'

THAMES TELEVISION continue their special interest in children's programming (such as SEXTON BLAKE and TYRANT KING) with this unusual new 13 half-hour episode series launched on the Network - 29 July 1970.

'Tarot' (the Ace of Wands) is a twentieth century Robin Hood with a pinch of Merlin and a dash of Houdini. By profession he is a renowned illusionist, by vocation a righter of wrongs. To help solve the mysteries, Tarot uses all his magic skills which range from sleight of hand and escapology to hypnosis and telepathy. Sometimes his methods might be surprising but his confrontations with the formidable Kings and Queens of crime always end with the triumph of 'Good' over 'Evil'.

Tarot has three associates - 'Lulli', 'Sam' and 'Mr. Sweet'. All have their own particular place in his organisation and their own specialised functions. Lulli is young, beautiful and intelligent. She studied philosophy at Oxford for a while then got bored and left. She is a compulsive 'doer'. She met Tarot by accident when she backed her beach buggy into his E-type Jaguar and they subsequently discovered that they had an advanced telepathic communication. Since then Lulli has worked as Tarot's assistant on stage and off, and has proved invaluable.

Sam is Tarot's right hand man. He's done everything, been everywhere (even to prison) and has incredible 'connections'. There are a lot of people who owe Sam favours and he has no hesitation in using his contacts, he is impulsive, cheerful, tough and totally dedicated to Tarot.

Mr. Sweet is an antiquarian bookseller with an international reputation as a lepidopterist and entomologist. He has a major role to play for Tarot as front man and go-between. Adventures often start with someone in trouble approaching Mr. Sweet in the hope that he will enlist the unique services of Tarot on their behalf. Mr. Sweet is lovable, amusing, eccentric but quite capable of amazing and unorthodox action if a situation demands it.

There is another member of the set, Tarot's pet owl 'Ozymandias'. 'Ossie', as he is called, is a Malayan fishing owl, just over one foot high, has buttercup yellow eyes and makes a whistling sound when he is excited. He is devoted to Tarot, Lulli and Mr. Sweet but has reservations about Sam who calls him a 'cross-eyed cuckoo'.

The stories are centred around Tarot and his friends versus their adversaries - the 'Royalty' of the underworld.

The permanent cast are as follows:

TAROT ............. MICHAEL MACKENZIE

LULLI ............. JUDY LOE

SAM ............... TONY SELBY

MR. SWEET ......... DONALD LAYNE-SMITH

OZYMANDIAS ........ FRED OWL

The creator of the series is TREVOR PRESTON and the producer PAMELA LONSDALE.

The first episode (titled 'One and One and One Are Four') Tarot is asked to find a famous professor's invention which was stolen from his laboratory and which in the wrong hands could be used as a devastating weapon. Tarot's adversary is the beautiful but evil 'Madame Midnight', played by HILDEGARD NEIL, who is determined to get the invention and outwit Tarot.

Clive Willis - 22 July 1970

The series burst onto to television screens in July 1970 in a quarter past five slot. The first script was expertly handled by P.J Hammond and brought a Thames’ James Bond to a bewildered, interested and thrilled receptive audience.

Living on a barge, single, flared trousered and velveted jacket Tarot, played magnificently by Mackenzie, was the epitome of 1970’s macho flamboyance.

The whole ‘hip’ affair was set against the back drop of a fashionable street market and featured regular appearances from the wise ‘Mr.Sweet’ an antiquarian book-seller who would lend a hand to some of Tarots bizarre investigations and the ‘cosy’ regular supporting cast.

A sad factor is that the entire first and second is (allegedly) missing from the Thames archive. There has nothing to be said or recorded that they had been junked and unfortunately nothing to state the opposite either.

Sam and Lulli went onto bigger and better things at the end of Season 2.

When Season 3 was launched brother and sister Miki and Chas joined Tarot in his adventures oh and ozymandias, Tarots pet owl. Not much changed Tarot re-established his strong psychic link with Miki just as he had with Lulli and Chas provided the comical element and muscle when needed like Sam

It’s so difficult and annoying to not know what the others were like, unfortunately I doubt if we’ll ever know.

In the case of some more popular missing episodes because of the ‘status’ of some series, this missing material is painstakingly researched and people ‘aware’ - in the hopeful event of finding such other holy grails.

With other series like Ace of Wands and Out of the Unknown - this is as doubly as hard at procuring missing episodes/clips as although enjoyed and revered in high esteem at the time, it didn’t last long enough for the ‘memorable classic’ to dye in its’ wool.

Maybe something might surface in time? It’s a real loss to the archives from what I’ve seen and is so destined to be forgotten - but here at the ‘Teapot’ - we could never have that!

Fortunately all of Season three of ‘Ace of Wands’ exist and one of its’ best stories ‘Peacock Pie’ is to be reviewed. This is drama at its’ absolute nadir, the cast is spot on and the performances of a high calibre for a ‘children’s show’.

The direction is moody, oppressive and sometimes downright delirious really realising what must have been P.J Hammonds top class script.

Brian Wilde portrays the sinister but sad Mr.Peacock and gives a truly classic performance mixing melancholy, sardonic and madness. This makes ‘Peacock Pie’ one of ‘Ace of Wands’ most classic adventures.

Such skilled direction also heightens tense moments, using obscure angles and the use of a fish eye to achieve such ends is also noticeable. The climax to episode one is absolutely spot-on and climax to episode three, handled ‘emotionally’ well.

At the end I will give you a brief episode guide, enjoy this trip down memory lane……

Oh, forgot too mention when Ace of Wands came to a rather an abrupt end in 1973, ‘The Tomorrow People’ was ushered in and became yet another classic children’s television show, worthy of a separate post most definitely.

Ace of Wands; ‘Peacock Pie’ (3 episodes) TVX Date; 6-20^th September 1972, then repeated 12^th – 26^th October 1973

THE PLOT

Leaving the bank in a hurry Mikki bumps into an odd man, despite their exchanges of sorry and ‘pleasantries’ there just seems something ‘ethereal’ about the man. He suggests Miki needs a holiday; slowly she envisages a lonely, harsh weathered beach and somehow, oddly agrees with him.

Miki jaunts off back to Tarots’ for rehearsals for the nights ‘show’ , the telepathy experiment fails abysmally and Miki keeps being blocked by the ‘deserted beach’ scene.

Miki is concerned and tells Tarot that its’ worryingly how someone could be so powerful to achieve such head-mess and manipulation via thought control.

The person behind this is mild-mannered but sinister ‘Mr.Peacock’ who dwells in suburbia with his housekeeper Mrs Mcfaddyen. She chides him about his ‘tricks’ and is rather annoyed that the last £45 rent turned out to be blank bits of paper.

Mr. Peacock accepts this was a callous, mischievous thing to do but confirms she will receive her money tomorrow for sure. As Mr.Peacock can control what others see he plans a bank robbery, the security firm believe they are depositing the cash in a special vault but in fact are leaving it in an abandoned house.

Miki, Tarot and Chas are now on to the case and Tarot and Chas drive to the desolate house.

Mr.Peacock lurks amongst the rubble and unknowingly to Tarot and Chas will begin his assault on the mind ultimately resolving in an extreme battle of psychic wits and paranormal games, where minds could be lost forever and the participants locked in paranormal entrapment……..

The Players;

Mr. Peacock Brian Wilde

Mrs. MacFadyean Dorothy Frere

Young Mrs. MacFadyean Jenny McCracken

Manageress Valerie Ost

Writer P. J. Hammond

Designer Gordon Toms

Director John Russell

THE REST………

I don’t need to repeat myself and apologise if I do that despite its’ scant running time this is an awesome ‘deep’ tale of pure magic and fantasy but also paradoxically about grim inner loneliness, both delicately handled by John Russells direction and sensitive portrayal by Brian Wilde.

A smashing series that unfortunately is only meagrely represented in the archives as well as by the retro (where did we go wrong???) friendly mainstream. A show we should never let fade into obscurity.

Still somewhat of an enigma, thanks to fans who remember and new ones who don’t, Tarot and Co live on in memory and the scarce viewing resources on offer.

A fantastic psychedelic ‘hang-over’ treat that used the ‘new’ colour revolution for all it was worth with real hippy chic and velvet derring-do!

1 One and One and One Are Four 7/29/1970

2 The Mind Robbers 8/19/1970

3 Now You See It, Now You Don't 9/16/1970

4 The Smile 9/30/1970

5 Seven Serpents, Sulphur and Salt 7/21/1971

6 Joker 8/11/1971

7 Nightmare Gas 9/1/1971

8 The Eye of Ra 9/22/1971

9 The Meddlers 7/19/1972

10 The Power of Atep 8/9/1972

11 Peacock Pie 9/6/1972

12 Mama Doc 9/27/1972

13 Sisters Deadly 10/18/1972

14 The Beautiful People 11/8/1972

*CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE ON DVD OR ANYWHERE REALLY*

Season One

Story One; Madame Midnight and her sidekick Teddy Talk steal a scientists invention to cure paralysis which lead Tarot & Co to a monastery in Berkshire.

Story Two; Zandor kidnaps two government officials and leads Tarot and Co to a sinister house where traps are laid and an evil snake dwells – that hates people.

Story Three; Falk plans an ingenious bank robbery which pits Tarot and Co against a computer house-boat and nasty Nazis.

Story Four; Tun-Ju and Mrs Kite plan to steal the Mona Lisa, Tarot and Co are pitted against their most mercenary of adversaries yet.

Season Two;

Story Five; Mr Stabs proves to be one of Tarots’ most supernatural enemies. With the ability of turning base metals into gold, Tarot and Co must deal with the curse of the seven serpents as well as Mr.Stabs inscrutable plans for the future.

Story Six; A travelling magical troupe run by the sinister Mr.Harry, featuring Jack, Queen and King arrive to entertain the local children. What seems an innocent exercise at first,turns much darker when children begin going berserk in their classrooms.

Story Seven; Thalia and her monosyllabic brother Dalbiac, steal an important gas that causes such powerful hallucinations that in the wrong hands could prove catastrophic.

Story Eight; Ceribraun steals The Eye of Ra a priceless diamond that can turn people into chalk. Tarot and Co try to retrieve it but has to battle menacing chess pieces in the process.

Season Three

Story Nine; Tarot and his new entourage, Chas and Miki have to deal with an alleged ‘curse’ on the nearby market where they live. Strange occurrences have been frightening the market traders, could this have anything to do with the sinister Mr.Dove?

Story Ten; An ancient energy ‘The Power of Atep’ is unleashed at a séance where Mikki is attending. In order to restore chaos Tarot and Co journey to Egypt to Ateps tomb where they must find the solution to harness the energy before it is too late.

Story Eleven; Mr.Peacock is Tarots next adversary that is committing crime through dominant mind control. Mr.Peacock seems unstoppable as he attacks Tarot and his friends until the ultimate battle of mind takes place meaning either could be imprisoned in ‘nowhere’ forever.

Story Twelve; Mama Doc and her sidekick Bobby run a ‘hospital’ for ‘poorly’ dolls but there is something more sinister afoot as Tarot and Co notice, as soon as someone disappears they seem to become a casualty at the dolls hospital but in a very miniature form. Is the same fate to befall them?

Story Thirteen; Chas has an important assignment – to photograph a women’s 100^th Birthday party. All is not what it seems however when Chas returns with no memory of the events that occurred and Tarot and Co take on the creepy old ladies of Bliss Cottage.

Story Fourteen; A travelling group of ‘perfect’ hippies begin to throw fetes locally where everything is free. Tarot and Co stumble across more bizarre motifs for such generosity and gets attacked by fatal household appliances in the process including a rather unstable chain-saw!

The Beautiful People ended the show on a rather ‘ambiguous’ note and could have lead to a fourth tenure but changes within Thames’ departments brought new changes in programming and Ace of Wands rather mysteriously vanished as quickly as it had suddenly appeared. On a bang though not a whimper!!!

The folksy-hippy-groovy theme tune can be found on c.d with a collection of other’ obscure’ 1970’s themes the album called ‘Magpie-and other themes’, the C.D is a super listen and I’m sure you’d appreciate it if you found this and my other ‘Sapphire & Steel’ article enjoyable.

Please someone release this on DVD or at least do a retrospective at some stage.

Cast of regulars for Seasons One and Two;

*Tarot – Michael Mackenzie *Mr Sweet – Donald Layne-Smith* Ozymandias – Fred Owl * Sam – Tony Selby * Lulli – Judy Loe*

Cast of Regulars for Season Three

*Tarot – Michael Mackenzie *Mr Sweet – Donald Layne-Smith* Ozymandias – Fred Owl * Chas – Roy Holder* Mikki (Petra Markham)*

Created by Trevor Preston

Produced by; Pamela Lonsdale (season 1-2) and John Russell (season 3)

Music by; Andrew Bown

Lyrics by; Trevor Preston

Screened; ITV regional 1970 – 1973

*ALONG WITH SAPPHIRE & STEEL, DOOMWATCH AND DOCTOR WHO THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES AND DESPITE THE LACK OF MATERIAL FOR VIEWING PLEASURE WILL ALWAYS REMAIN TO BE.THIS SHOW IS SO STYLISH, HIP AND SO SOPHISTICATED IF IT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF BEING FILMED IN PARIS I'M SURE IT WOULD'VE *

As the c.d does not feature the beautiful lyricism of the song (a groovy little dirge in its' own right show related or not) you can now sing along......

VERSE 1

Jet white dove

Snow black snake

Time has turned his face

From the edge of mystery

Where running is no race

VERSE 2

Ageless night

Careless day

Fate reaches out a hand

To touch the edge of destiny

A story with no end

CHORUS

Tarot cards

Tarot the diamond man

Tarot guards

Wherever he can

Tarot cards

Tarot the diamond man

Tarot guards with mystic hands

VERSE 3

Falcon sun

Leopard moon

Minds searching for tomorrow

Take what you can from yesterday

The rest beg - steal - or borrow

VERSE 4

Iron roads

Asphalt sky

Windows made from water

Son of secrets - mystery's child

Ruler of eight quarters

[CHORUS]

VERSE 5

Velvet roofs

Tattooed streets

Patterns made from words

Laughter echoes in the dark

Life hovers like a bird

[CHORUS]

SUPER SINFUL SEQUELS – ILSA-HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHEIKS (1975) –REVIEW 27

2006-07-15T18:35:00.000+01:00

I thought I would lead away from the jack booted delirium of the previous posts and now move back into more ‘random’ territory. Didn’t want to make too great a leap however so presented here is a review of the sequel to She Wolf of the S.S

Harem is a much lighter affair than its’ predecessor, the ‘kitsch-ness’ flows in abundance and the amount of enthusiasm that went into making this production shows and the film is all the more better for it.

Don Edmonds once again uses his skilful mis-en-scene to bring us ‘adult-comic-strip’, here Guido Crepax fuses with DC Comics as we have something pulp but classy.

This was made due to the phenomenal success of She Wolf and was almost immediately a follow on. Friedman this time was nowhere to be seen so it was down to the skills of Don Edmonds and Dyanne Thorne to bring the whole thing to memorable life.

Unlike She-Wolf, Harem is decidedly less grim and despite the grim effects (Joe Blasco at the helm yet again) is most certainly a more ‘palatable’ affair.

This could also be due to the fact that the producers wanted to secure an ‘R’ rating, so although grim seems a little diluted in comparison, unlike its’ harsher predecessor.

THE PLOT

The Middle East, Ilsa Time (chronologically we could say mid 1950’s but 1970’s style of course) and we witness a helicoptor dropping three coffin like crates in the middle of the desert.

They contain three of the worlds most beautiful and prestigious women, some to be sold in the white slave market or some for the perverted pleasure of Sheik Hakim Sharif. To ensure their purity and non interference they have locked chastity belts and once awoken from their drug induced delirium are placed in three golden cages to be prepared for their ‘grooming’.

We see the consequence of a guard fraternising with a female ‘inmate’ he is left to the beautiful bodyguards Velvet and Satin, where they absolutely pulverise him. For a low budget this fight sequence is fucking grade stuff, very impressed with the power behind it. To claim the victory the mans goolies are pulled off to an exotic shrill call of success.

En route to the palace are Dr.Kaiser and Commander Adam Scott; Kaiser hopes he can make oil negotiations with the Sheik, Adam Scott has much of the same on his agenda at a surface level but is also an undercover agent, checking up on his spy already in the palace and posing as a harem girl.

Back at the palace we witness the varied techniques in ‘fattening’ the women up. There is one truly repugnant scene where a huge beast of a woman sits naked gorging on cream and fatty things. She needed ‘Trisha’ or an early morning TV show playing, add to this fifty two triangular earrings in one sceptic ear and you have perfect chav representation. If she was sporting Burberry she’d be your average council estate fat hag; Blair’s people I think they’re called. Gross – but sets the scene…..

Anyway one of the girls who refuses to eat is fed in a fois-groie style because the heavier the women the higher the price the Sheikhs will pay.

Women with blemish and fault are surgically enhanced in some pretty disgusting ways but nothing as up-chuck we haven’t seen already in plastic surgery documentary.

Its’ quite weird looking at the 1970’s version of ‘blemish’ correction and to see methods of plastic/silicone surgery there classed as torture but undergone by so many people in this day and age- due to the drive of an aesthetically obsessed society.

It is soon discovered who the ‘plant’ at the palace is – the well endowed Haji Cat (a big tittied Russ Meyer favourite). Poor Haji endures some of the most vicious tortures to reveal who else is involved.

From flesh-eating ants and titty vice nasties to the distasteful magnificence of exploding diaphragms poor Haji has to get through the lot but still endures it to the final uterus-blowing end.

Kaiser and Scott finally arrive, Ilsa falls for Scott in a big way whilst Kaiser provides random and comic relief for the audiences.

In one black humoured moment he appears concerned he will be offered the goats’ eye and how prestigious this is to eat it; he is offered this and triumphantly gathers enough strength to get on with it - which he does so admirably.

Pleased and grinning with himself we then flash to the dungeon – Haji has no right eye for some reason……

Kaiser cocks up the negotiations but Scott decides to stay on as he has achieved two things he has seduced Ilsa completely and utterly, he is almost, as he thinks, near to his other secret agent.

The Sharif does not approve of this love-affair at all and in order to finish it orders Scott to be imprisoned with a tarantula ‘head cage’ for company and Ilsa to be taught a lesson – being sexually assaulted by a pox infected leper. Both scenes are graphically displayed for the audiences’ pleasure (and kitsch amusement).

After she is humiliated Ilsa is so pissed off she decides enough is enough. Rescuing Scott and enlisting help from her bodyguards Satin and Velvet they begin an all out attack on the Sharif and his men.

The female ‘prisoners’ are also let loose with a few pistols and after plenty of, surprisingly bloody good, action sequences overthrow the Sheik and his palace of corruption. He surrenders to Ilsa and she makes one last request that she wants him to perform.

She calls for the Sheik to be tied and gagged, his former sex slave Katsina is called for, she mounts him and gives the Sheik the ride of his life – with TNT diaphragm as an explosive bonus.

Ilsa and Scott also discover another prisoner a small 8 year old child, Prince Sellaim he is the natural heir to the Sheiks fortunes and entitled now to the palace and all its riches.

The bloodshed is not over however, and before wrongs are righted and justice prevails there is the matter of Ilsa herself - will she get her just desserts and how ……..?

ROUND OFF…………………………………………..

With all the best of the hokum of a cliff-hanger serial, lashings of brutality and comic strip chic ‘Ilsa –Harem Keeper’ is a success in its’ own merit and deserves as much praise as its sister.

The movies sets are amazing for the $14 budget and has‘sheen’ unlike the way She-Wolf played out. She-Wolf seemed to have that grubby, ‘roughie’ hang-over from the late 60’s – early 70’s – but by this stage Ilsa was now coming into her own style and her own right as the first screen villainess.

The movie was this time produced and directed by Don Edmonds who took a call from the Canadian Distributors after the nuclear success of the first box office Ilsa film requesting an immediate sequel. Edmonds fortunately accepted and Dyanne Thorne was only too happy to reprise her role.

With Palm Springs doubling as the mystical east, filming in temperatures well over 100 degrees and a Nunnery used as the palace things were now beginning to move along quite nicely.

Ilsa made her second outing to much critical acclaim and further notoriety, becoming something of a minor cult in certain UCLA fraternities.

There are some truly grade A exploitational iconic instances on display here, just like its predecessor. One delightful moment is Ilsa’s grand entrance wearing a skin tight fetish garment with two hounds either side or the other instance is when a thief has his hand cut off and the severed appendage brought to Ilsa on a Silver Salver.

She unclasps the clenched fingers to reveal the ‘still clutched Ruby’ – wonderfully macabre stuff indeed and you’ll be pleased to know are dollopped liberally throughout.

The most notorious string of events has to be concerning the exploding diaphragms and poor Haji being used as cannon fodder for its first demo, with the aid of a mechanical dildo machine. It really is pure comic book style and so wonderfully camp you’ll be in stitches at the result and in disbelief at such fiendish ingenuity.

As wonderfully daring and explicit as the first but a lot less sadistic, Harem keeper is not family viewing but is the best Ilsa film to start with before moving onto her other more, unsavoury, outings.

The Film; Ilsa-Harem Keeper to the Oil Sheiks

(A.k.a ; Elza - strazniczka haremu - Polish title

Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks - US advertising title

Ilsa - Haremswächterin des Ölscheichs - West German title

Ilsa la belva del deserto - Italian title

Ilsa, Keeper of the Oil Sheik's Harem)

The Year; 1975

The Country; Canada

The Director; Don Edmonds

The Producer; Don Edmonds

The Cameraman; Dean Cundey

Special Effects; Joe Blasco

The Players;

Dyanne Thorne; (Ilsa, Harem Keeper to the Oils Sheiks)

Michael Thayer; (Adam Scott)

Victor Alexander (Spalding Gray); (El Sharif)

Haji Cat; (Foxy Spy)

Tanya Boyd; (Satin)

Marilyn Joi; (Velvet)

Wolfgang Roehm (Richard Kennedy); (Dr.Kaiser)

*Available in a beautifully restored Region 1 DVD*

SIN AND SWASTIKA! ILSA SHE WOLF OF THE S.S – (1974) – REVIEW 26

2006-07-13T22:42:00.000+01:00

It is with the greatest decadent pleasure I can take this opportunity to review one of the most controversial films in exploitational history.

I have illustrated screenshots to reflect certain moments; please be sensible you must be aware of the nature of this film so therefore discretion is most advisory.

I usually stick to a semi-brief synopsis and wrap this up with factual conclusivity, I am going to spend more on this movie as it deserves every word spent on it as its’ history is so fascinating.

This was the mother of all the trashy con-camp films that adorned 42^nd Street and Italian fleapits from 1974-1980.

For once we have the premiere example of a film that actually delivers what we anticipate in bucket loads and makes no apologies for bad taste.

For once we have a movie that lives not only up to its’ ‘nasty’ status but the title is not ‘sensationally’ misleading. Its’ so difficult to praise something that is so ugly in plot and focuses on one of the darkest periods in European history but I can’t and will not do but anything less than praise it.

As mentioned before however, I can see no differentiation in spending an evening with a glass of chilled Liebfraumilch and Ilsa on DVD than slowing down at a motorway accident to see if we can spot a bit of grief or an odd limb. The film panders to one of our most basic human conditions – morbid curiosity. For one of the first times a movie a film truly reflected the publicity.

I applaud the anarchy and the sheer unapologeticness of Ilsa. Although some of the cast ‘hid’ under pseudonyms and the lead was ‘overlooked’ for other parts due to her portrayal the history is fascinating and seems, sociologically that we were much more ‘hardier’ than we are now (?). This is not a definite statement however as you will always find people who adore the film and those that nearly throw up. We will always have sections who believe Ilsa to be a ‘Trash’ classic and those that think the film should be shelved and left into obscurity.

I am part of the former observers than the latter. The old question asked is ‘can movies go too far?’ Ilsa almost gets’ there. Due to the skilful direction of Don Edmonds this his third movie) that makes all the horrors of Camp 9 – ‘comic strip’ an achievement that lessens the grimness but does not necessarily make the milieu less sicker.

There is no apologies made for what we see something that just not could happen in a pricked conscience society where anything indecent has to be justified or hides behind that wonderful statement ‘it is art’.

Ilsa – She Wolf of the S.S does neither it is simple and pure exploitation at its best (or worst) depending on viewpoints.

If you remember we looked at Love Camp 7 , this was one of the con-camp ‘firsts’ but is lame in comparison to Ilsa, well this soft core bit of sadism was dreamed up by David F.Friedman, Friedman is an exploitational icon, not only did he commit the first Nasty Nazis to celluloid but was the first to produce a non-loop Hardcore movie feature film called ‘Seven into Snowy’ just before the U.S.A began its ‘Belle Époque’ of decently themed hardcore pornography.

The likes of ‘Deep throat’ and ‘Devil in Miss Jones’ were only forming in the mind of Gerard Damiano and Linda Lovelace and John Holmes were not household names just yet when Snowy made its debut. Haven’t seen it but would love to.

He also set up the Adult Motion Picture Association in the states and way back in 1963 pioneered the first ‘splatter/gore’ movie ‘Blood Feast’ along with its director Herschell Gordon Lewis.

When Love Camp 7 was released in Canada it hit the roof, attracted great publicity and packed grind house cinemas and drive-ins up and down the country.

It out grossed its’ costs and always staid in the minds of the Canadian distribution company due to it being such a success.

In 1973 David Friedman were approached by the Canadian distributors asking for the same thing, the only difference was this time they wanted focus on experiments as well as the rough stuff.

Using a book entitled Les Medicines Modie (heard through the DVD commentary this was not clear and the asshole who annoyingly interjects Ms.Thorne, Mr.Edmonds and Mr.Friedman when they interestingly reminisce may have given a wrong English translation) which gave detailed accounts of Nazi experimental research and as much Holocaust research material he could find, Friedman went to work and an idea began to form.

Many reviews claim the inspiration for Ilsa was the factual ‘Ilsa Koch’ who tortured inmates at Buchenwald concentration camp at a whim, made lampshades from their skin and even bound books in it. Although we should not rule out her influence completely it was only a minor ‘inspiration’ comparing it to ‘Les Medicines Modie’.

The next was the casting, the buxom beauty Dyanne Thorne was approached and agreed to take the main lead. Friedman and Don Edmonds (the director) could not have selected a better choice.

Dyanne Thorne manages to be one of the cruellest dominatrix’ to evolve on screen but still maintains powerful sexiness and although it wasn’t her deliberate primary concern could arguably be the first emancipated, feminist baddie.

Dyanne Thorne really makes the role her own and just as Spiderman, Superman, Sherlock Holmes, Uncle Tom Cobbly and all deserves, in my opinion, just as much Kudos.

It is what she represents more than what she actually is that is the main issue.

She would be the perfect foil for any superhero to tell you the truth but it just so happens she is also a high ranking S.S officer and delights in cruel experimentation that partial acceptability turns into sheer abhorrence.

In the original ‘Wonder Women’ series that was set in WW2 (England never got to see these as it kicked off with ‘The New Adventures…..based in the current time) as well as featuring a whole host of Nazi characters,that seem to play as diluted ‘Sadiconazista’ movie characters anyway.

One episode was entitled ‘Fausta-The Nazi Wonder Women’. If I could imagine Lisa in any other vehicle at the time it would have to be this show. Although I am in no way saying that if you like Wonder Women you’ll adore death-camp films there are quite a few comparisons to the ‘feel’ of the show and the ‘feel’ of Ilsa and that’ feel’ is camp Machiavelli..

So with the cast assembled and contracts agreed, Cinepix (the distributors) loaned the disused/abandoned set of TV series Hogan’s Heroes to set the scene; it also known that this set was used for ‘Gone with the Wind’ too for our trivia hungry readers !

The rushes were sent to Montreal on completion. When Friedman was contacted he was not very happy with the cuts and alterations that they wanted made to it. Friedman was paid and went off to pursue other projects and left it in the hands of the distributors. Friedman’s rationale was that he produced what they wanted produced and then they indignantly demanded so many changes.

Filming is expensive and due to the limited budget there wasn’t really much time to make all these changes. Friedman’s’ interest had already began to wander by this time and by this stage gave the picture to the distributors and said ‘you do it then’ or words of that nature.

He then left and due to this and no doubt the notoriety factor hid under the pseudonym of Herman Traeger. When Ilsa received the crown of one of the sickest movies ever made, Friedman remained under the non-de-plume for almost 20 years.

When it was revealed he was responsible for the movie it wasn’t really such a surprise.

Things were a little more harsher for poor Dyanne Thorne, unfortunately due to the character this consequenced in Dyanne Thorne being ‘blanked’ by most other film producers in America .

All is not lost however.

So when this movie was released was their an uproar? Quite simply - No!

The Canadian cinemagoers lapped it up. Ilsa shot to pole position in notoriety and became as iconic as Dracula and Frankenstein to some and spawned a legion of fans including Quentin Tarantino and other genre appreciates.

The next target was America, Edmonds and Friedman realised that if the movie was submitted to the MPAA (Motion Picture of America Association) it would be cut so much that one would virtually have the opening and closing credits only. So in order to distribute it stateside they whipped up a frenzy marketing wise and ‘self imposed’ an X rating ( X ratings could crucify a film as X in the states is always associated with Dirty Mac Brigade hardcore).

However the X rating didn’t seem to deter the audiences who were already aware of such a controversial movie by word of mouth and other publicity as the film had already been sold to Europe (Bar Western Germany where its’ still banned) and had been obtained by 17 countries where it had been a phenomenal success, we in the U.K ……….Banned It.

It played at the Apollo Theatre on 42^nd Street stateside with remarkably ‘low-key’ publicity, within week two, queues were around the block with high UCLA support.

For a film of this kind it grossed more profit than modern-day blockbusters in ratio/percentage; to the cost of production and box office revenue.

Due to its vileness, crassness, sheer poor taste and general obscenity, Ilsa was catapulted to infamous stardom, naturally for all the wrong reasons, but never the less the cash tills went ‘white hot’ on 42^nd street. Something so notorious finally made is debut.

The Washington Post heralded Ilsa as ‘the 1^st pure screen villainess’. Film reviews mentioned how distasteful and repugnant this exercise in sleaze was; therefore also fuelling box office takings.

The audience were astounded and genuinely shocked but in the most jaded way the majority lapped it up. Although the tone is misogynistic, women also could get satisfaction, the lead was female and powerful beyond belief and oozed feminist guile and dominance.

We also get to see blokes naked and in the sex scenes it is always ‘Ilsa’ on top, she also has a penchant for castrating men that cannot ‘fulfil’ her all night believing them to be only half a man.

Yes women are sickeningly violated and treated in the most atrocious manner but this is primarily dished out by Ilsa, she commands the rapes, she commands the experiments and ultimately commands whether someone lives or dies.

Thorne in the role is an absolute joy to watch and despite what is going on in the background and subject matter the movie is worth seeing for her performance alone. She, despite a noticeably un-German accent (she did try though) gives the part such nasty ebullience she makes you want to hiss and boo at her every appearance.

I suppose to compare Ilsa to any other villainesses I would ‘looser than loosely’ state she is similar to that of Servalan in the ‘Blake’s 7’ television series or a Fascist Frank-N-Furter but Ilsa is Ilsa and really there is no one as evil as she nor, achieves such applaudible alchemy fusing cold and cruel with hot and sexually charged.

Rightly or wrongly, depending on we as individuals, the sexual violence is also coupled with stark feministitic dominance notice ‘Ilsas’ always on top during the sex scenes and there too in the castration – 3 females against one male etc, etc.

The character of Ilsa herself is mainly brought to life by Dyanne Thornes’ expert acting capability and decisive persona change skill blowing ‘the males’ interpretation of a feminist argument’ right out of the water.

Well I hope that sets the scene and if this has whetted your appetite we will look at the plot and end with more comment. I also really need to round the Sadiconazista Summer off too.

I feel some prime examples have been fathomed and I would like to move on to something different.

On the grapevine I hear that ‘Gestapo’s Last Orgy’ will be having the bells and whistle treatment (about time!) Then I can see it fully uncut and pristine. ‘Deported Women of the SS Special Section’ makes its DVD debut along with ‘Red Nights of the Gestapo’ too.

Those who have enjoyed this ‘section’ of the teapot will have plenty to look forward to in the coming months ahead - that is a promise.

The Plot

*This is an in-depth synopsis and although does not reveal Ilsas’ destiny and every ‘experiment’ for first time audiences; it is quite meaty. If you want to be really bowled over by your first viewing experience I suggest you skip this bit*

We open on a soft-core coupling between a man and a buxom blonde haired woman. The man reaches climax and the women gets off him, rather disappointingly, and leaves him to sleep while he showers.

When he arouses the female is clad in tight fitting Gestapo uniform accommodated by two other female Gestapo officers. She is ‘Frau Doctor Commandant Ilsa – She Wolf of the S.S ‘and she is deeply pissed at the mans poor performance. He is grabbed by the two female heavies and taken to a block in Camp 9 where he is treated how half a man should be treated – with castration!

Army vehicles arrive carrying the new inmates of Camp 9 lambs to the slaughter.

Male P.O.W’s arrive too.

One of these Ilsa takes a shine to, a chap called Wolfe and admires his Aryan ‘Nordic’ aesthetic.

As the women ‘bed-down’ for the night at Camp 9 they bond with the other inmates where to their horror they learn their fellow inmates are infected with a host of deadly diseases. Karla (an underrated character played superbly melancholy by ) reveals the results of syphilis to the aghast of the newly incarcerated (Edmonds’ ‘switch face-side’ technique works exceedingly well as good as the special effects on display by Joe Blasco).

The next day the experiments begin on the various female inmates. A women is strapped to a chair whilst her toe-nails are pulled out with pliers (echoes of Herschell Gordon Lewis’ ‘Blood Feast’), others are seemingly being whipped into unconsciousness.

Whilst the theatrics are underway Wolfe meets another inmate ‘Mario’ and laments how he had a night of passion with the she-wolf and now he’s half man. Mario also is in love with Karla and due to his de-bollocked state and his beloveds’ disease ridden decay vows that revenge is keeping him going.

Wolfe also risks his life talking to a female prisoner Rosemary and develops a soft spot for her.

Things that night take a turn for the worse a male and female prisoner weren’t as lucky as Wolfe and were caught talking to each other. They are taken to the dungeon where Ilsa and her female officers de-blouse and in the sleaziest iconic comic-strip moment sweatily flagellate both parties to death. Ilsa stays bloused but struts up and down approvingly personifying the Gestapo Dominatrix image with grim sophisticate.

This is tactlessly intercut when a selected P.O.W is abducted by one of the lesbian camp guards and thrown into a lions den of sex hungry males; yes what comes next is intercut, as you feared, with the flagellation sequences. The ultimate taboo unashamed sexual marriage with violence, it intercuts like a crimson tableaux of extremity; that pushes the boundary to its’ limitations of taste and decency.

Once this iconic moment is over we lead into another, with the couple well and truly flagellated to death they are hung- poled upside down roped by their feet in the concentration camp yard. This imagery was chaste again in Garrones’ ‘SS Experiment Camp’ two years after.

Wolfe is summoned to Ilsas’ boudoir, unbeknownst to the she-wolf he has a medical condition meaning he can keep erect all night if he wants without the seed being sown. Ilsa has the time of her life with her insatiable thirst finally satisfied.

The following morning the women are inspected by the creepy ‘Dr.Binz’ and after their callous examination are then taken to a room where Ilsa waits with a 12” dildo , fortunately off screen we fill in the gaps as we watch many grimaced faces and a ‘squelch-pop’ sound that stops you thinking on anymore.

After being insolent with Ilsa and defiant in another Anna enters the dildo room. As the amps increase Anna glares at Ilsa throughout the ordeal defiantly and venomously glaring at her persecutor.

Ilsa not only performs this bizarre experiments on women for the third Reich she also has a few ‘sidelines’ as she wants to find the ultimate strong female that proves her ideal that women are superiorly more pain resistant than men. Other attempts fail miserably but Anna turns out to be the newest possible candidate for this role.

After witnessing her experimental unit in progress the next day she invites Wolfe over again this time to take on her ‘Wolfettes’ together whilst yeah salaciously drools at the spectacle of big boobs and hairy arse cheeks.

Ilsa receives notification that a top ranking German General is on his way to visit Camp 9 under the Fuhrers orders. He is lead through another array of infected limbs, pitiful wails and b-movie gruel (apparently the meal-worms made the actor feel so queasy it made him puke).

The General unfortunately believes the experiments to be a waste of time and value but still remains to be impressed as the report to the Fuhrer has to be equally justified and there is yet more to see.

Ilsa lays a banquet on for the General where she is presented with the Heinrich Himmler cross; one of the most prestigious rewards for an S.S officer. After the guests have finished the repulsive dinner, featuring another startling image of a woman stood on a block of ice with a noose round her neck, Ilsa asks if the General wants to have sex with her.

He refuses but desires something else and hints at Ilsa what he wants by calling her The Golden Goddess she eventually twigs and ‘uncomfortably’ obliges the Genrals’ whim by pissing on him.

As the General journeys back with his entourage to make the report, the prisoners have finally hatched an escape plot.

Ilsa calls for Wolfe the next day for her service but finds Wolfe fancies a bit of rough and she ideally lets him tie her ankles and wrists, he then promptly gags her and flees.

Outside the revolt begins causing carnage galore as the prisoners upraise against their oppressors. Karla is reunited with her love Mario and oversee the onslaught taking on the roles as the avenging angels.

The main culprits are gathered up by the prisoners and shot individually despite Wolfes’ insistencies that they are left at the mercy of allied law.

Suddenly a Nazi Tank squad thunders into Camp 9 blowing up everything. Ilsa still in bondage stares in horror as Anna now a deformed, experimental mess advances towards her clutching a knife; dripping clotted, viscous goo everywhere.

Ilsa screams in gagged terror at her vulnerability at the hands of her abominate creation.

Outside the Captain informs the General that Camp 9 is no more, the allies will never know of the atrocities that were carried out there.

Wolfe keeps his initial promise to Rosemary as they look from the hillside at the camp in ruins – living testament to Ilsa and her horrific reign of ruthless torture.

I SAY FURTHER MORE…….

So there we have the plot (almost) to one of the most infamous Nasty Nazi movies ever made.

But the story doesn’t end there. Due to the tremendous success of this movie the distributors Cinepix signed Dyanne Thorne and Don Edmonds up again and dropping the Nazi motif but remaining the theory brought out ‘Ilsa – Harem Keeper to the Oil Sheiks’, the last entry in the official trilogy was ‘Ilsa-Tigress of Siberia’ which was a bit of a bore in my opinion as it tried to be more ‘adult mainstream’, Ilsas momentum had by now seemingly weakened.

Another director Jess Franco was suitably impressed with the Ilsa entry and with his Women in Prison films made ‘Greta-The Mad Butcher’, changing the locality from concentration camp WW2 to concentration camp Southa America as Dyanne Thorne plays Greta/Ilsa del Pino.

In some countries the title, as Dyanne Thorne was the lead actress, was changed to ‘Ilsa-The Wicked Warden’. This also, despite being ‘unofficial’ sequels also raked in a fair amount of cash at the movie theatres in Europe and further a field.

When the video generation introduced Ilsa to the black market she reached worldwide. Some released legitimately in full versions and some hacked mercilessly but ensuring Ilsa has survived for such a long time and seems with every new medium will re-invent herself keeping the notorious movie alive.

Although in such times we would find some of the scenes strong but not obscene there still maintains the odd moment that you really feel quite sick realising the motif behind the imagery.

What makes it also uncomfortable and conscience pricking is that it is based on real documented fact no matter how sensationalised it has become. The evil Nazi stereotype is merely made grimmer and all the more x-rated with Ilsa.

At times vaudeville, at times masochistic and at others downright cruel Ilsa-She Wolf of the S.S is a well crafted circus of horrors that owe more to theatre and Grand Guignol than one of Europe’s darkest periods in history.

At times a TV movie ‘feel’ can be sensed in Don Edmonds style whilst other pieces are examples of accomplished twisted direction influenced by a 20^th Century nightmare.

If what is represented is always represented as evil and evidence supports this to be the truth; then all mediums should be free to show the horrors of it, whatever the style, as long as good stays good and evil stays evil and justice prevails overall.

Available on an awesome Region 1 DVD courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment this is not for all tastes but any one who appreciates extreme cinema and drive-in thrills it is simply a must have, a pioneer in many respects however it is labelled..

The Film ; Ilsa – She Wolf of the S.S

( A.k.a Elza - wilczyca z SS / Ilsa la belva delle SS / Ilsa la louve / Ilsa, la perra de la SS / Ilse hun-ulven fra SS /La loba de las SS / Le Nazi était là, les 'Gretchen' aussi

The Year; 1974

The Director; Don Edmonds

The Producer; David F.Friedman

The Country; Canada / USA /West Germany

Music Song: Horst Wessel [Die Fahne hoch]

Make Up/ SFX : Joe Blasco

The Players;

Dyanne Thorne [Ilsa]

Gregory Knoph [Wolfe]

Tony Mumolo [Mario]

Maria Marx [Anna]

Nicolle Riddell [Kata

Jo Jo Deville [Ingrid]

Sandy Richman [Maigret]

C.D. Lafleuer (real name: George 'Buck' Flower) [Binz]

Rodina Keeler [Gretchen]

Wolfgang Roehm (real name: Richard Kennedy) [General]

Lance Marshall [Richter]

Follow ups’ ; Ilsa-Harem Keeper to the Oil Sheiks (1975) / Ilsa –Tigresse of Siberia (1977) / Ilsa - The Wicked Warden (Jess Franco’ homage – bit of a bore as well) (1977)

SIN AND SWASTIKA! HOLOCAUST 2 (A.K.A HOLOCAUSTE PARTE SECONDA; I RICCORDI, I DELIRI, LA VENDETTA) (1980) – REVIEW 25

2006-07-10T22:14:00.000+01:00

The Plot

The movie concentrates on a group of Jewish vigilantes formed by the original or relatives of the persecuted at a concentration camp .

Felix Oppenheimer (played by the ‘leonine’ Cameron Mitchell) is approached to kill an ex-Nazi on the coast.

Another character Lucilla is called in to deal with another more complex case. She forms a lesbian relationship with the once persecuted Dorothea (Kai Fischer).

An ex-Nazi Doctor has gone into hiding and by forming a relationship with his son Lorenzo, Lucilla - the avenging hebrew angel eventually plans to murder him. It is believed this will bring the father out of hiding for his execution.

The first ‘victory’ is taken out on Colonel Hans (William Berger) and his wife; Colonel Hans ends up with a bullet in his head. His wife is stripped naked in the house grounds by the retributors and then tied by the wrists and ankles. The rope is skilfully wound around the trees and as the four men pull tight on the ropes this causes her strangulation successfully.

The second victim is the once ex-Nazi bully (Elisabeth Tulin) who, we are told in repetitive flashback, was fond of randomly beating the prisoners up and separating mothers and daughters. Due to careful ‘rigging’ she is gassed to death as she lays in bed.

Meanwhile Lucilla successfully seduces Lorenzo and on the way back to his ‘pad’ she requests a cigarette break, he pulls over and after a small bit of heavy petting he is stabbed to death.

News reaches the Father, who we also learn from lugubrious chatter was responsible for several duff brain experiments,after being told of his sons' death by his daughter he finally comes out of hiding.

The vigilante group catch up with and kidnap him, and in one of the most ludicrous deaths filmed is taken to a room where he is strapped to a table. There a goat licks his feet until his heart packs up, this is inter-cut with con-camp gate photos’ and what appear to be ‘oven’ shots.

There is still the one oppressor Felix must deal with but fears he cannot carry it out due to his sanity (at least that’s’ what I made out of this bloody mess). Eventually Lucilla shows up, and together they execute a plan for the final revenge.

I SAY

What the purpose of the film is, came over as totally unclear. Despite the wife of Colonel Hans getting an explicit (although not particularly sexually violent) rope death the rest of the murders are cheaply staged and do very little in any ‘thrill’ department.

The editing, direction and performances are unfortunately as flat as a bottle of well shaken pop.

It seems the potential niche for this sort of film, who due to its’ late entry were possibly now nigh on extinction, have been completely overlooked.

The film opens with a montage of real atrocity photographs and Sorginis’ accompanying score really ups’ the grim stakes. But that literally is it for nasty moments.

Sorgini composes a score that combines off-cuts from Manchester Morgue (oooooo,weeee,ahhhhhh,ooooo, laaaaa to a one note organ sound) and variations on the main theme (which in itself is quite catchy) ranges from Spanish Guitar to orchestral muzak.

In one awful sequence Lucilla wanders through the crowds to a dire dirge but what lyrically is sung seems about another person entirely.

So Gestapo’s Last Orgy had the song ‘Lise’ but despite the cheese this did seem to match and blend in well with the grim milieu. Unfortunately this is abysmally executed in ‘Holocaust 2’.

The rest of the plot is mind numbingly dull and is hampered significantly by uber-bad dubbing. In one scene between Lucilla and Dorothea it is not apparent who is talking, or if they actually are, adding confusement to bewilderment.

The dialogue is as inane as the acting is non-inspirational. It just goes nowhere and for what could be classed as the final instalment of ‘Sadiconazista’ is definitely the shit cart after the parade.

The vile-thrill inspiration prompted by ‘Love Camp 7’, ‘Salo’ and the ‘Ilsa’ series of films is virtually non-existent in this lifeless piece of bland.

One ‘salvation’ of this could’ve been the image of con-camp children forced to sing as loud as they can to cover up the noise of the gun-shot executions.

This works particularly well in the first instant, Pannachio’ insists however, on using the sequence over and over and over again which critically dulls any ‘sting’ and ‘impetus’ that worked first time around.

What is presented plays as a ‘rough edit’, the plot itself could have been decent and well realised if people could’ve been bothered.It is a weak blueprint for something much, much better that never arrives.

Although the duration of the flick is a scant 80 minutes it still seemed like a lifetime after spending an evening with it.

As well as those bloody kids keep popping up singing their hearts out to a badly synchronised ‘Hitler Youth’ sounding record; another annoying and irritating way of director Pannachio are these inept close up of the eyes. These are used in the alleged ‘tense’ moments but seem randomly out of place. It's as though you know what the director is trying to do but wince at his failure.

The other sleazy bit is a ‘Night Porter-esque’ dance to a room full of Nazis, the only misfortune is the woman doing the dance is not attractive and costumes aside looks like any modern (1980 standard) living room.

If people involved had ‘bothered’ you have the premise of a decent little drama like Gestapo’s Last Orgy’ and Nazi Love Camp 27.

I really think the only thing going for it could be its' obscurity and scarceity factor. Released in April 1980 to a jack boot weary Italian audience this is the last of its' genre and fails to deliver anything visually that made its' predecessors a success.

It kind of deals with the ‘delirium’ in the most economical way possible, by having the persecuted, generally crying, imagining their time at the camp achieved by using real photographs that flash between the sobs.

For a feature film that doesn’t seem to know where the fuck its’ going it would be recommendable to completists only.

The title of the film could be referring to the second Holocaust after the first – The Great War or to cash in on a successful television mini-series called Holocaust but in all honesty who gives a toss.

Non-Sexy, Non-Controversial and virtually a Non-entity this incoherent pot-boiler could be considered one of ‘Sadiconazistas’ last outings and as the cycle had by now, run its’ course, its’ death-nail.

The Film; Holocaust 2; The Memories, The Delirium, The Vendetta.

(A.k.a Holocaust 2 / Holocaust 2: The Memories, Delirium and the Vendetta, Part Two / Subliminal: A Splendid Day to Die In / The Experiment / Holocaust 2: The Memories, Delirium and Vengeance / Polttouhrien kosto )

The Year; 1980

The Country; Italy

The Director; Angel Jonathan (real name: Angelo Pannacciò)

The Music ; Giuliano Sorgini

The Players;

Tina Aumont [Dorothea's mother]

William Berger [Colonel Hans]

Katia Chiani (real name: Marzia Damon) [Mathilda]

Kai Fischer [Dorothea]

Michele Guaglieri [Michele]

Susan Levi [Lucilla]

Gordon Mitchell [Felix Oppenheimer]

Nino Musco [Alfonso]

Pina Pietronigro [Elisa]

Andrés Resino [Lorenzo]

Sergio Serafini [Franco]

Elisabeth Tulin [Nast Nazi Lady]

This version can be obtained in a dutch vhs to dvd transfer, region 0.

SIN AND SWASTIKA! – THE GESTAPO’S LAST ORGY (A.K.A L’ULTIMA ORGIA DEL III REICH) – REVIEW 24

2006-07-09T20:36:00.000+01:00

The Plot

We see a 1950’s car on a journey through the European rural countryside. Over this we hear a Nuremberg-esque trial. Varied voices mention the tortures and heinous acts that occurred at Camp Nalgen.

The driver is Conrad von Starker (Marc Loud) – the voices we hear are from his trial. We are also made aware that this Nazi was let off because his lawyer managed a ‘just doing his order’ excuse that paid off nicely and unjustifiably as some flashbacks will reveal.

The car stops and picks up a beautiful blonde haired younger woman named Lise (played by the stunning looking Daniela Levi).

Both characters embrace as they venture on to the remnants of what was Camp Nalgen.

As they walk amongst the debris and the Nazi slogan scrawl the flashbacks become stronger and we are taken back when the camp was in operation and how the two main characters became so entrenched with each other.

We see a truck pull up at the camp where a horde of screaming women and children are ushered out of the truck where they are separated into two factions straight for the annihilation chambers or whores for the third Reich.

Lise falls into the second category and due to her stunning looks, silent determination and sexual hardiness in a tough orgy sequence - receives the attention of Commandant von Starker.

He picks Lise as his object of sadomasochistic desire and confides to his perverted KAPPO confident, Alma that his intention will be to utterly break her.

We then witness some gruelling episodes in Lise's life as she is treated to the most abhorrent physical and psychological torment. It seems however that the more ferocious and despicable von Starker is to her the more in love with Lise he falls.

Everything then becomes terribly ‘Night Porter’ as the story plummets to the depths and scales some very dark instances of twisted sexual desire.

Finally Lise breaks down psychologically and is entrusted to be looked after by the ginger camp Doctor; he diagnoses that Lise needs love and tenderness and promptly romps with her back to health.

Now back on track Lise continues her psycho-sexual relationship with her persecutor and turns from camp whore to personal lover. Lise changes and continues the charade to save her skin however one major tragic event pushes Lise over the edge and the power to get even fuels Lise to eventually right wrongs as coldly as her persecutors at Camp Nalgen.

I SAY

Directed by Cesare Canevari (the director of the first Emmanuelle film in 1969 by the way) brings us another class slice of tough Nazi corruption but masters the cinematography so it makes quite compelling viewing.

Canevari backs out from showing the lurid gore of the experiments and due to this restraint the horrors seem all the more shocking.

Lise is whipped, threatened with a quick lime dip and even (in the ‘iconic’ poster moment) is suspended above a ‘head-cage’ full of hungry gerbils. She is lowered inch by inch but refuses to scream another well played scenario between the two main leads.

Despite this restrain this doesn’t provide an excuse to hold back on other grim parts of the movie, a newly ‘attractive’ inmate is defaced via forks so the others won’t be overlooked for any favourable treatment.

Another grim episode is the annihilation chamber sequences as the victims aren’t so much gassed but ‘flamethrowered’ and burnt alive. As they huddle together from protection of incineration the scene stops – the peak of anguish.

One of the screaming women is visibly pregnant making this instance even more uncomfortable to watch...

The other instances of darker-than-dark are the ‘last orgy’ sequence where the prime of the third Reich elite are told that the women are their enemies and therefore should be treated anyway they wish.

Prior to this they are showed projected images demonstrating how inhuman the Jews are by showing propaganda in this we see one resulting to dog-like behaviour when starved, a mother and daughter in a restrained 69 position which they were left in until they both died, is also vulgarly popped up with uncomfortable anti-Semitic commentary.

The final slide is a young woman in love with excrement and we see the results; as the army audience masturbates.

This leads to a soft-core orgy explicit only by the nudity on display; it is the hardcore violence that is liberally thrown in what makes this film such a revelation as women are forced to fellate wooden poles and are clawed, pinched, violated and aggressed in a dehumanising manner.

Canevaris’ direction is smashing too, he on rare occasions ‘pauses’ the moment and captures the moment of absolute terror in one frame. The score is also worth mentioning a really robust, Wagnerian achievement courtesy of Alberto Baldan Bembo.

This soundtrack even features a theme in homage to the lead protagonist ‘Lise’, oddly the film is sung in German – which takes an edge off of the campness , even when we first encounter the credits the movie is telling us already that its’ going to be something a little more well constructed than its’ other bed partners. We are never let down either.

Despite its’ tongue and cheek the title song isn’t all that bad but is when used in the soft core Doctor and Lisa shag sequences.

This I think is the only time I have heard true anti-Semitic dialogue being abusively used.

The Eugenics mentioned are just as twisted and demonstrate just how fanatical and twisted the Nazis’ were.

No character however seems to be as nasty as she-wolf Alma who has gloves made by baby skin, skin lanterns with tattoo and pants made with the hair of dead women.

Alma even sodomises Starker with a whip end in another sleazy mis-en-scene a further display of insanity she is an attractive woman with the interior of a monster and is played with chilling perversity.

Another piece of pure scuzz is when she selects a menstruating girl to be thrown in with starving savage Dobermann hounds as Alva fondles a guard sexually whilst watching the rip-to-bits proceedings.

This is off screen but the mind can fill in the rest – believe me. That is also why Canevaris direction works so well.

Despite the elements of exploitation ‘The Gestapo’s Last Orgy’ is an interesting piece of psychosexual shock that demonstrates the power of corruption and consequence to great effect.

Canevari also displays some exquisite locality shooting; demonstrated especially well on a boat sequence and can also be highly erotic as seen in the gun fellatio sequence.

Such direction brings a certain ‘class’ to this film saving it from the ‘trash can’ label that it could drop straight into if this had been at the hands of Garrone/Eurocine et al.

I am totally unsure about the version I have research indicates that a man is seen ‘skinned’ alive to make a lamp shade and a women is set on fire with cognac and her charred remains ‘fondled’ in an orgy sequence.

There is also a mention of where a foetus is served stewed and the Nazis triumphantly mention that Jews could be bread for food as they repulsively cannibalise what is served.

These scenes I somehow cannot recall and would definitely remember them if they appeared in the film for pure repugnancy if anything else.

I have a DVD-R version that has obviously been transferred via the pre-cert VHS but states the version to be uncut.

The print is quite decent considering the rarity of such material.

I hear on the grapevine that this and another nefarious title ‘Red Nights of the Gestapo’ (which I have never seen) is to be released soon by Exploitation digital. Until then I await to see a longer version if in existence.

The Gestapo’s Last Orgy is a worthy title to view and is similar to Nazi Love Camp 27 in style and narrative and from what I’ve seen from both films works fantastically.

Definitely one to seek out or to patiently wait for, this controversial little number is so worthy of the digital treatment.

The Film; Gestapo’s Last Orgy

(A.k.a L’Ultima Orgia Del III Reich / Caligula Reincarnated as Hitler / Des filles pour le bourreau / Last Orgy of the Third Reich))

The Director; Cesare Canevari

The Year; 1976

The Country; Italy

The Players;

Commandant Conrad von Starker played by Marc Loud

Lise Cohen played by Daniela Levy (real name Daniela Poggi)

Alma played by Maristella Greco

Supporting cast;

Fulvio Ricciardi

Antiniska Nemour

Caterina Barbero

Domenico Serengai

Vittorio Joderi

Pietro Boscio

Pietro Vial

Renato Paracchi

Maria Grazia Cisera

Tino Polenghi

Version seen -VFP pre-cert transfer.

Region 1 available titled ‘Caligula Reincarnated as Hitler’ but I haven’t seen, nor have no desire, to see this version in what could be another bargain basement representation.

I could really champion this movie and can’t wait for an ultimate edition that looks as though will surface over the next 5 months and not a moment too soon either!!

SIN AND SWASTIKA! – NAZI LOVE CAMP 27 (A.K.A LA SVASTICA NEL VENTRE) (1977) – REVIEW 23

2006-07-09T15:32:00.000+01:00

“What is the worst act a woman can be forced to commit... again and again and again...”

PLOT

Hannah Meyer (Sirpa Lane) is engaged to her sweetheart Hans, prior to the outbreak of WW2. When the war finally does start Hans goes off to battle and becomes one of the prestigious heroes of the third Reich. Things for Hannah worsen.

One night her village is storm trooped, this is a well directed piece of action where real actors are used instead of ‘stock footage splice’.

As the Nazis burst into her parents home she shoots the first , a little behind the others demand to know who performed the deed when they enter the apartment. Hannah’s’ mother takes the blame where she is promptly put to death via machine gunning.

Hannah and her father are then deported where they are separated at the camps. This being the very last time Hannah sees her father.

Hannah arrives at a notorious Love Camp for female prisoners of war, there she is gang raped, abused, humiliated and degraded at the whims of the perverted camp commanders.

Hannah is then forced into military prostitution, where her dehumanisation reaches numbness but still she perseveres.

No matter how deplorable the torture Hannah becomes determined to survive to one day reveal the horrors she had seen in internment.

Due to her ‘feisty’ reaction to camp bully Frau Grueber, Hannah has the admiration of the head of the camp Captain Von Stein.

In order to survive Hannah forms a bizarre s/m orientated relationship with him. Von Stein falls in love with Hannah and arranges a new identity for her eliminating trace of her Jewish origins. She then becomes the head of an S.S bordello.

As climbs to the top of the fascist slagheap her sweetheart returns from the frontline and is told she is dead but eventually they meet causing a chain reaction of tragedy……

I SAY

Despite the sensationalist title and some gruelling ‘episodes’ the film avoids the raunch and depravity just for sadean entertainments sakes.

It plays as an enthralling drama which seems to ‘bother’ about detail, plot and acting ability; all suitably accomplished.

Where as it’s’ other contemporaries would focus on torture en-masse where the lead roles gets swallowed into the pool of supporting roles; this film roles out a different kettle of fish entirely.

The plot focuses on one woman’s plight and due to Sirpa Lanes’ excellent performance the viewer cannot help themselves but not to care for her character. Her versatility in the varied demanding situations is exceptionally good for a movie of this ilk.

The director manages to capture the decadent milieu of Nazi Germany without being overtly sleazy. Despite the subject matter, the potential ‘genre’ which this could be classified under and a tight budget the film works as an engrossing drama and well accomplished it is too.

One flaw I did however think was the inclusion of XXX hardcore penetration shots. Personally it didn’t worry me for any moral reason but just seemed to be unnecessary. As in the more recent Baise-Moi a penetration shot is shown, in greater length, during the gang-rape, making the whole thing even uglier.

It is well acted too making this part of the storyline really ‘brutal’ and the resulting suicidal electrocution of the other violated girl is a really exceptional well-handled piece of melodrama.

There is also a close up penetration/semi-violation of a bordello prostitute and a rhino horn this is also a vicious moment that is a bolt out the blue due to the seemingly high production values.

Another delight is de Masis’ film score, moving and powerful a match made in heaven regarding the visual coupling.

Like ‘Women’s Camp 119’ this movie doesn’t follow the ‘Sadiconazista’ whole heartedly and is all the better for it. It also has a kind-of lump in the throat ending.

Well worth seeking out but is at this moment an exceptionally rare breed to hunt down; I am also surprised that this decent piece of exploitation hasn’t been released yet on an exquisite Region 1 transfer. It would really do with a polish so that Caianos’ directional opulence could really shine through.

This is definitely not your lewdness, fetishism and profligacy for the sake of the Lira alone as we are also treated to an intriguing sub-plot with so much going for it.

It runs as both a non-syrupy tale of love and separation in war torn Europe and at times highly accomplished brutal exploitation.

Like other similar films this can be interpreted on many, many levels and is one of a kind that you will never see the like of again.

The Film; Nazi Love Camp 27

(A.k.a La Svastica nel Ventre , Living Nightmare, As Mulheres de Prazer dos Campos Nazis, Nazistdockorna, Campo Nazista 27)

The Year; 1977

The Director; Mario Caiano

The Country; Italy

The Music; Francesco de Masi

The Players;

Hannah Meyer …. (Sirpa Lane)

Klaus Von Stein ... (Giancarlo Sisti)

Hannah’s’ Mother … (Margherita Horowitz)

With; Christiana Borghi, Piero Lulli, Roberto Posse, Gianfilippo Carcano

SIN AND SWASTIKA; S.S GIRLS (A.K.A CASA PRIVATA PER LE SS) (1977) – REVIEW 22

2006-07-03T21:09:00.000+01:00

“What you’re doing is top secret; you will be highly trained into individual love machines. By the time you complete your training you’ll be able to couple with anyone and most importantly under any condition – whether its’ normal sex or abnormal it doesn’t matter. You will be ready!”

Christ on a bike my living rooms like the Nuremberg Rallies at the moment with all this goose step viewing. The show must go on however……

In complete antithesis to Matteis’ exercise in despair ‘Women’s Camp 119’ we here have a piece of vaudeville theatre with a Nazi theme; with more emphasis on soft core than medical mishappenings.

This is simply a poor mans ‘Salon Kitty’ and Matteis' attempts at trying to capture the decadence of an S.S bordello is a brave attempt but just doesn’t quite seem to have the ‘sheen’ of Tinto Brass’ movie.

One of the biggest faux-pas is the choices of actors for the main roles. The main protagonist ‘Hans Schellenberg’ (played with absolute hysterics by Gabriele Carrara (Ohlendorph in Camp 119 too?) comes over as a comical character than anything remotely disturbing.

He has a deviancy and kinkiness in the character but this falls flat due to his performance of ‘foppishness and ham’. I would love to see this movie in its’ native language as the terrible dubbing really mars this in my opinion and some of Schllenbergs' rants may have been ‘lost’ in translation diluting the potency.

S.S Girls plays as a straight forward soft-core romp with Nazi motif; the plot is neither original nor inspirational but it is never the less a bold attempt at doing something grand on the ‘cheap’.

The grimness on display is really at its’ most repugnant in the training scenes where the whores have to endure all manner of twisted perversions in preparation for the real thing.

The tone is light despite how sadistic the treatment, these are only used as intercuts anyway and could not be considered prolonged.

The whipping/bondage scenes are ‘staged’ theatrically and hark back to Grand Guignol, they aren’t on long enough to cause discomfort and also seem to ‘comic-strip’ to be taken serious.

We also get the chance to see Sal Boris in ‘ape-rape’ action again this time chasing a women round the room, he gurns whilst she laughs hysterically at the farce of it all.

All these sequences occur in ‘lab-peephole-watch’ conditions thus again reminiscent of Tinto Brass’ similar style of ‘freak on parade’.

We also get the ‘forbidden pleasures’ of a woman making it with a severely deformed man and a bit of bestiality with an Alsatian. This by the way is worse in text than in view.

Between such depravities we see the harsh exercises of the women too, such as jumping around in blue leotards for no reason at all really, the lifting of polystyrene dumb bells and the passing of a ball from one another. These scenes remind me of the ‘Wonder Women’ Amazonian exercises in the hit TV series. The girls also get to be seen using firearms and a bit of fencing all in the name of the third Reich.

The Bordello is soon opened and the S.S elite turn up to indulge in their deviant whims. Even Kurt the loon from ‘Women’s Camp 119’ shows up for a spot of flagellation.

The scenes of s/m are typical soft-core savoir-faire of this kind, genre and age; they do come across as mildly titillating but on the whole are very tame indeed.

This is Nazi-Porn at its’ most ‘safest’ as I feel ‘decent’ would not be the most appropriate term. Despite Mattei showing us the same subject matter it couldn't be as further away from his other slice of 'Sadiconazista'.

The musical score by Gianni Marchetti lifts certain moments and plumps for famous classical pieces renditioned, for example ‘Tocata and Fugue’, this is unfortunately not all the time and we do hear some excruciatingly bad Muzak trying to imitate 30’s/40’s style especially during the daft orgy sequences. This unfortunately only dates the movie and does very little else.

The Plot

Demented Corporal Hans Schellenberg is ordered to recruit the best whores in Europe as it has reached the Fuhrers ears that some of the S.S Elite have been traitors.

The objective is to run an ‘anything goes’ S.S bordello where as well as their comforts the S.S elite could volunteer their hatred of the Fuhrer and the Third Reich condemning themselves as traitors.

Hans asks the help of Madam Eva (played by Beast in Heats' Macha Magell) to scout for the best whores in Europe and to assist their trainings into becoming the ultimate ‘sex-machines’.

With the assistance of Professor.Jurgens , the obligatory creepy Nazi medic and the supersexy beauty Frau Inge - the Private House of the S.S goes into business.

The first batch indulges in wild orgies and makes the mistake of slagging of Adolph and his part in the looming downfall of the third Reich, some holding him fully responsible.

Hans goes demented and creates a kangaroo court where he plays judge, jury and executioner to the handful of S.S traitors. They all think it’s a laugh as Hans ‘drags’ up and wears an inflatable bishops hat on his head as he rants and raves over such traitorship against their supreme leader.

An execution squad appears lead by a Nazi who looks similar to ‘Odd-Bod’ in Carry on Screaming, he laughs maniacally before the Elite are wiped out.

The next group of generals are far tougher nuts to crack and consist of a ‘sewn’ eyed general, a hippy nutter with a ‘Nazi’ headband and another who looks like a rough Cossack. These three ‘despicables’ are given the same treatment as their predecessors.

As further orgies takes place and the usual double crossings and ‘romances’ occur to plod out the running time it is announced Hitler is dead and the predictable apocalyptic ending we have now become accustomed too takes place.

Some trivial highlights are on show if you can be bothered to look for them but overall this is a weak entry to be taken or left.

The Film: S.S Girls

(also known as; Casa Privata per le S.S / Private House of the S.S / Hôtel du plaisir pour le SS.)

The Year; 1977

The Country; Italy

The Director; Bruno Mattei

The Players;

Gabriele Carrara ……………………………………………..[Hans Schellenberg]

Marina Daunia ……………………………………………......[Frau Inge]

Macha Magall ………………………………………………....[Madame Eva]

Lucic Bogoliub Benny ……………………………………….[Dirlewanger]

Alan Collins( real name: Luciano Pigozzi)……………[Professor Jürgen]

SIN AND SWASTIKA; THE BEAST IN HEAT (A.K.A LA BESTIA IN CALORE) (1977) – REVIEW 21

2006-07-03T20:33:00.000+01:00

"Horrifying Experiments of the S.S Last Days !"

‘La Bestia in Calore’, also made the video nasties list like SS Experiment Camp, SS Girls and Red Nights of the Gestapo, when released pre-VRA and is a crude, cheap entry in the 'Sadiconazista' stable of film making. All ‘offence’ caused is lost due to the unintentionally camp milieu, the cobbled direction and inept dialogue – an obvious cult classic then.

Part War film, part medi-camp horror, director Luigi Batzella (credited here as Ivan Katansky) flits between the two styles with non-inspiring ‘textbook’ direction.

The ‘action’ sequences are spliced in from Batzellas' 1970 WW2 piece of turd ‘When the Bell Tolls’. These sequences are notably inter-cut and are washed out in comparison to the rest. It really seems the last lira was used here to resort to such poor ‘padding’.

Naturally the ‘controversial’ elements are the Nazi torture episodes but because of the poor taste factor, the crude execution and the atrocious over the top burlesque performances become laughable. A woman is having her fingernails extracted ‘ouch! Stop it you’re hurting me’ she deadpanly states in a mismatched dub.

The ‘Beast’ of the title is played by exploitation stalwart Salvatore Baccaro (a.k.a Sal Boris); Baccaro often played the ‘ghoul’ as he has the physiognomy and face of a Neanderthal man. No make up is needed, so his affliction is being exploited but he looks like he’s having a wail of a time and no doubt gets paid for dong it so who cares? – He obviously doesn’t. Bacarro reprises two similar roles Tinto Brass' ‘Salon Kitty’ and Matteis’ highly inferior ‘SS Girls’.

The evil commandant is a fox-like female played by Macha Magell who also performs a similar but less ‘sadistic’ role in ‘S.S Girls’ too. She takes delight in playing ‘Dr.Katsch’ and mingles stylish sexuality and sadism equally but, at times, rather clumsily and ventures into pure vaudeville.

Brigitte Skay (Bay of Blood ) pops up as the 1940’s beauty dressed in 1970’s style and is the ‘phwoarrr!’ of this scuzzy little movie.

Luigi Batzella has made a woeful piece of cheap theatre where the direction is flat and the whole ‘feel’ bargain basement (possibly where the torture sequences take place!).

Other things to see are the reflection of the camera crew ‘shadowed’ on a big plastic red swastika on the lawn of ‘Dr.Katsch’ chateau.

If the people could act the ‘ape-rape’ sequences could have been offensive but Sal Boris’ constant gurning (shown close up in intervals) with noises that sound like a husky ‘Charlie Says’ cat raises a smile and a pops out a chuckle.

The most nefarious instance is where he tears a women’s pubic hair off and chomps on it in shameless close-up, but because of the hilarious ropey instances before all this becomes is pure exploitational bad taste in its’ basic, sensationalised, gutter form. Sal Boris also constantly guns as his munches on his furry snack and thus again takes away all potential offence.

Cute little gerbils are re-invented as fearsomely hungry rats as they are revealed from under a bowl on top of a victim’s stomach. Dr.Katsch laughs with Machiavellian pleasure, the victim looks as though she is still awaiting her cue. Fabulously ropey.

Despite the negative factors it is also highly watchable; for all the wrong reasons. Not one of the most memorable filmatic experiences but never the less a bloody good laugh and a prime demonstration of a cash-in achieved on the smallest of budgets.

The Plot

Dr. Katsch is an SS Doctor conducting some grim experiments in her Chateau. Her prime concern is creating a super being and it seems she has been making progress with her creature she keeps locked in a wobbly cage. To observe the virility of the super human beast she throws in the odd girl and witnesses her being raped to death.

Near to the chateau there appears to be a successful partisan uprising and the partisans are fighting back against the German occupation.

The main partisan ‘Drago’ successfully spearheads the blow up of a bridge imperative to the German defence against the allies.

The men, women and children are gathered for questioning and are roughed up to make them reveal the identities of the key partisans. When all attempts fail Dr.Katsch volunteers her services. Cue much torture, a willy chop and the beast doing his ‘thing’ in heat!!!

Meanwhile we get see lots of dull bickering between the partisans that seems turgidly endless and stock footage signifying a powerful Wehrmacht unit is heading back towards the village retreating from the allies.

They find a roadblock erected by the Partisans who then plan a major attack en masse; lots of shoot outs, no squibs but much ketchup.

With the shit fight is enraging; Partisans Lupo and Drago advance on Chateau Katsch, free the victims of her despicable experiments and give her a taste of her own medicine at the hands of her creation.

The allies win the war by the way.

*The movie was first available in England on the JVI label and became the most rarest of the nasties due to its’ limited release and notoriety; now in 2006 on Region 1 we have a super disc from Exploitation Digital/Kitty Media that even makes the ‘stock footage’ less hackneyed, making the movie ‘flow’ a hell of a lot better.

The Film; The Beast in Heat

(also known as; La Bestia in Calore / Horrifying Experiments of the S.S Last Days / SS Experiment Part 2 / SS Hell Camp/ La Bestia en Calor / Djaevelen fra Gestapo / Holocauste Nazi [Armes secrètes du III Reich] / Quand explose la dernière grenade. )

The Director; Luigi Batzella

The Year; 1977

The Country; Italy

The Players;

Brad Harris ……………………. [Don Lorenzo]

Sal Boris (Salvatore Baccaro)…. [The Beast]

Kim Gatti ………………………. [Drago]

Macha Magall…………………. [Dr Krast]

Alfredo Rizzo……………………[Moreno - uncredited]

Brigitte Skay…………………… [Dorina - uncredited]

SIN AND SWASTIKA; WOMANS CAMP 119 (A.K.A KZ9 - LAGER DE STERMINIO) (1977) – REVIEW 20

2006-07-02T00:05:00.000+01:00

"Lesbians! Communists ! Pig-Whores! we'll show you! You'll wipe the asses of everyone of us till you turn purple with fatigue!"

In my humblest opinion and from what I’ve seen so far of this genre, Woman’s' Camp 119 is possibly the harshest and grimmest example of its breed.

Bruno Mattei, the director, uses differing techniques in his production that makes this wholly believable than what has been reviewed on the teapot. Campness, crap dialogue and hysterical acting is thrown out completely for a more ‘visual’ document than perverted s/m fantasy.

Woman’s’ Camp 119, at times if not the majority of the time makes for uncomfortable viewing even rivalling Ilsa for medic-horror, but the reduction in morbid ‘burlesque’ makes it seems a hell of a lot worse.

The trademark ‘out of time’ Muzak stock has been sacrificed for an actual score. Alessandro Alesandroni creates a melancholic ‘doom’ beated theme that notches up the atrophied milieu and it is exquisitely orchestrated. I wish this theme was available to buy it really is haunting and lurks in the mind for several days after.

We also see actors using their native dialogue Nazis’ speak German; Dutch is spoken and French another piece of forethought that works remarkably well showing Matteis' skill as a director and his intellectuality in doing so.

The whole thing appears as if it has been filmed in a real death camp and whether lab, laundry, washroom or surgery we cannot escape the sinister, apocalyptic situation like the incarcerated.

There are also some truly disturbing sequences such as when Maria (played expertly by Lorraine de Salle) is suffering sleep depravation caused by the perpetual screaming pain of the slow deaths of the guinea pigs for which she can do nothing about.

This truly is nightmare stuff. Despair reigns supreme as seemingly endless whipping and degradation is inter-cut with suffering from the moment the women arrive at Camp Rosenhausen through to the apocalyptic ending.

Twisted and unsavoury pleasures on display are botched up uterus transplants (this time explicitly demonstrated as well as the aftermath) reflecting upon there 100% unsuccess rate the camp commander coldly rationales that it is due to using an inferior species nothing to do with the medical and operational precision nor the craftsmanship of the Nazi doctors.

Women are exposed to dangerously high levels of x-rays and gratuitous gassings (where in one instance Mattei inter-cuts with the Nazis having a gluttonous wild feast to superlative disgusting juxtaposing effect).

A Polish priest is also frozen almost to death in an altitude experiment to be revived by the warm bodies of prostitutes; this priest is used as his faith to god would be similar to the faith of Nazi pilots to the Fuhrer.

Whereas the other movies were made for the Lira and jaded thrill seeker it seems as though Mattei is doing this but not doing this exclusively. It’s as though Mattei is also trying to get to the nearest representation of actual event with liberal doses of exploitation chucked in for good measure.

Even at the premise of the film we open at Ravensbruck concentration camp (a real factual death camp) before their transfer to Rosenhausen (the fictional) so we witness a first attempt of blending factuality with ‘sadiconazista’ fable.

Mattei zooms in on icons of factory mass-death such as the crematorium chimneys silhouetted against a grey sky and in one of the most repugnant sequences Camp Commandant Weiker enjoys real atrocity footage projected in a viewing room while he smugly grins at the successes of genocide.

Even hairstyles are spot on - with two blonde Kappo officers wearing the traditional plats associated with Aryan idealism.

Mattei steers clear of short, sharp, shock tortures to long, protracted sequences of unbridled sadism. One episode features the commandant visiting his ‘experiments’ we hear a weary weeping as the Commander looks approvingly down at the victim. As the camera pans back with see a severe ‘open’ gangrenous wound that has rotted to the point that the bone is showing.

One prisoner is shot with a ‘poison’ bullet by the Commander she writhes and screams in agony, the film progresses, we return quite a time later and witness the girl in her final death throws. It is revealed it has taken her two hours to die- her body lies motionless as she apparently seems to have bled from every orifice.

All the actors, supporting cast or not are so credible too and never let the side down long enough for it to venture into ‘ham’category.

Two other commendations are the endings handled with disturbing finesse. As Maria (Lorraine de Selle) and her male counterpart David are lead to their fate the women are already on their knees about to be executed. They all begin to sing ‘Israel’ as one by one they are executed mercilessly.

Fucking hell is this ever so harrowing but so well done, it could have completely made a mockery of the whole affair but in fact does exactly the opposite – so powerful.

Another stand out sequence is when de Salle is raped by Nazi nutcase Ohlendorffs' pet ‘imbecile’ Kurt. As Ohlendorf holds David down by boot and the violation takes place the Nazis and Alsatians form a circle of ‘approval’ around the ugly scene.

This is sickeningly iconic and really sums up what the Nasty Nazi cycle of films represented in one harrowing sequence of event.

There is also a twist offered at the end of the movie, however highly implausible, is another flawed piece of ingenuity.

This is not a movie to be approached likely and runs like an Italian ‘Man Behind the Sun’, a hidden masterpiece of its’ kind that really is one of the most finest examples of how far you can go in exploitation but still the results work remarkably well.

The version I was privileged to view is the VHS to DVD semi-legal bootleg from Network DVD. I think they also are behind two other similar titles ‘Holocaust 2’ and ‘Achtung! Desert War Tigers’..

It is very bare bones with a menu chapter and movie. I feel it would be justified for a bells and whistles release, for once extreme cinema could be released worthy of the hyperbole if this is movie.

I feel that it would be good to see the film as audiences viewed it first time around- no matter how gruelling it would be. The extras would also be an absolute bonus as much obscurity surrounds this movie and I feel it has more to offer than is currently available.

One of Matteis finest works………………………

THE PLOT

Maria Black is transferred with other prisoners of war from Ravensbruck to Rosehausen a notorious extermination camp run by Nazi sadist, Commander Wieker.

Due to Maria’s medical degree she is teamed with Dr. David Meisel to assist in the experiments carried out on the prisoners.

They meet Weiker who is clearly the quintessentially brainwashed Nazi beyond redemption who equates Mein-Kamp to the bible, but of course believing the latter to be infinitely inferior.

In one tense moment it is revealed that Maria has never read Mein-Kampf but is spared any anticipated barbarism - for the time being anyway.

The other women witness the flagellation to death of two misbehaved inmates as their welcoming package to demonstrate what would happen if they misbehave.

They live in fear too of the obligatory Nazi lesbian, Kappo Officer Marta; she is sometimes accompanied by Captain Ohlendorf where he subjects the inmates to sexual assaults courtesy of his pet retard Kurt - a lunatic, who seems the unfortunate victim of some lobotomy atrocity.

After witnessing cod-science and failing eugenics that is costing the lives of so many Maria seeks solitude in David and they form a strong bond.

As the experiments continue and become even more sadistic, Meisel meets an old friend from the forced labour camp.

They clandestinely meet and agree to bust out leaving the nightmare behind them. The Russian allies are also closing in and edging further towards Rosenhausen. David, Maria, a young girlfriend of Maria’s’ from Ravensbruck and a few of the labour camp men choose their moment and make a break for it into the surrounding woodland and lakes.

Enraged Weiker instructs Ohlendorf and a Nazi posse to pursue the escapees with Alsatians and gurning Kurt.

Unfortunately the escape plan fails and costs the lives of many. Maria and David after being severely ruffed up are lead to their destiny.

It appears all evidence is to be destroyed as the Russians are rapidly closing in. Maria and David are to be hung whilst all the inmates are to be gunned down; even this though is the not the end of the nightmare.

As the film ends real life photographs of perpetrators and architects of the holocaust are displayed with their ultimate outcome revealed in text - some are as shocking as the contents of this movie and for all the wrong reasons. Some of the bastards did get away with it after all…..

OUTSTANDING MOMENTS

I would praise Matteis' direction overall and the way he captures fascistic decay so well.

Most of the highlights have been previously discussed before but I also, rightly or wrong, must also comment on the successful way fact and fiction has been blended.

Definitely not a general masterpiece by any means but a definite masterpiece in its’ own sub genre and a definitive example of it’s' trashy kind. Very strong stuff indeed.

The Film ; Women's Camp 119 (a.k.a KZ9 - Lager di Stermino/ S.S. Extermination Love Camp / SS campo de sexo y violencia / SS campo extermination /S.S Extermination Camp)

The year; 1977

The Country; Italy

The Music; Alessandro Alessandroni

The Players;

Maria Black (Lorraine de Selle)
Commander Weiker (Ivano Staccioli)
Marta ( Ria de Simone)

with: Nello Riviè / Gabriele Carrara/ Giovanni Attanasio/ Sonia Viviani/ Marina D'Aunia

SIN AND SWASTIKA! S.S EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP (A.K.A LAGER SSADIS KASTRAT KOMMANDANTUR) (1976) / REVIEW 19

2006-06-27T20:19:00.000+01:00

“Past and present will no longer exist for you, you are going to serve a victorious cause for our third Reich and it will be a great honour for you to serve us……”

Shot back to back with S.S Camp 5 this seems the less brutal of the two but is the most notorious thanks to its U.K hiatus.

The lurid exploitation label ‘GO Video’ re-packaged the sleaze and dropped the ‘Love’ becoming notorious nasty ‘SS Experiment Camp’. It was alleged in some part of the country that a video store dressed mannequins in S.S uniforms where they loomed over scantily clad female mannequins sans clothing.

Sandwiched between the middle was the infamous video jacket featuring a crucified prisoner, breasts exposed hanging upside down whilst in the background we see concentration camp silhouette and in dominance of it all a nasty looking Nazi (he doesn’t show up in the film anywhere by the way. (Reggie Nalder (Mark of the Devil) would be my choice of casting for this phantom role-can you imagine even dear Ilsa would wobble in her goose step!!)

This pricelessly bad taste artwork complimented the other infamy ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ released at the similar time. With lurid window displays and large advert features in video trade magazines this had conservative ‘middle England’ (Daily Mail readers to you and I) frothing at the mouth. When England went through its’ darkest puritanical period in the mid 80’s with the VRA looming on the horizon this was prosecuted for obscenity and became an instant cult classic.

It is also of interest that when this was available ‘kind of’ legally in the u.k’s pre-VRA days it was a top 5 rental favourite.

What is noticeable is the print used by GO in the u.k VHS version features , a la S.S. Camp 5, credits played over real concentration camp pictures, this is not the case with the region 1 release which seems to use the original uncut original Italian source print. This is a minor note of interest and as I personally think this is a turgid piece of sensationalism doesn’t suffer for it any the less.

The print I had the joy to view is the Region 1 Exploitation Digital version – it is grade A, absolutely beautiful (thanks people!); whether this makes the content any more palatable is down to pure opinion.

Although tame to S.S. Camp 5 it doesn’t shy away from a few doses of ad nausea. One of the most gruelling, and surprisingly well filmed, sequences has the camp Sergeant (the bald-nasty-Nazi-chap again from camp 5) picking on a virgin. At a drunken orgy he targets her as she is quivering in the corner and makes her dance for him and his pissed entourage.

He then rapes her (off screen fortunately) and upon awakening finds her cherry popped. So disgusted she goes loco with a meat fork maiming the sergeant. She flees and gets wounded by gunfire. In its ‘iconic’ sequence she is then crucified upside down, where she is left to slowly bleed to death therefore providing illustrators and publicists of the film their ghoul-draw-in iconography.

This sadistic totem does provide a bit of a punch but is nowhere near as jaw droppingly executed as in ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ a few years later.

Good use of location is used with exterior shooting taking place at Mussolini Villa in Italy, apparently where the fat bastard used to go horse riding.

The contemporary dance cremations are again repeated and there seems to be a little more medical grossness on display; especially the goolie transplant which does the trick in making your legs cross. Yes we are aware its’ pigs sweetmeats but its’ the thought behind it – ‘slooowly – CUT HERE!’ (You’ll know what I mean if you watch the movie).

This movie was ‘allegedly’ to have been released recently and had been passed ‘18’ uncut by the BBFC in August 2005. There justification for its final release (source obtained via a newsgroup) was; Passed uncut when submitted in 2005 - The content of the film is in fact very mild and poorly executed. If anything, it was the title of the film and its original packaging that led to difficulties, rather than the content. The idea of the film may, of course, be offensive to some but that is not a good enough reason to cut or reject it. We would only cut or reject a film for adults if the content was illegal or harmful. SS Experiment Camp is neither illegal or harmful, just tasteless.

Despite this the Experiment Love Camp released in February 2006 was a soft core ‘Emanuelle’ porn vehicle ‘Love Camp’, so this remains in limbo at the moment. For once and to give credit where due the BBFC have summed up the movies in one paragraph and I repeat the most significant line ‘…..is neither illegal or harmful, just tasteless’ I am sure it could get a release soon with careful packaging not to offend minorities (YAWN!) and when it does I would be interested in seeing what opening credits would be used.

Out of the two I feel ‘S.S Camp 5’ is the bolder relation and infinitely more polished, this is still worth a viewing for its curiosity factor if anything else.

Oh and the way the women reacts to the eardrum experiment is a mere projection of my reaction to Country and Western and the Sunday top 40 (if that show still is still being flogged out??!!?) .

The Plot

In a squalid little cell we pan to a victim about to undergo a horrifying experiment. ‘Swear your allegiance to the Fuhrer’ is bellowed, ‘No’ wearies the reply. A nod and a wink to the bald-headed-nasty-Nazi and some vaults surge through our hyper hysterical actress.

The electrocution machine is the latest in Nazi torture chic and looks as though its been recycled from various scrap yard parts namely a metal bowl attached to a rusty coil. After several failed attempts the women is given a lethal injection. In the chair is popped another that undergoes the same after losing bladder control (I noticed this for the first time as my previous ‘SS Experiment Camp’ visit was a nth generation bootleg that seemed it had actually been filmed in WW2 and smuggled over by Partisans – in bits of course!, oh to be 16 again!), this made me ‘ugh’ a bit, the poor women is electrocuted in the same way and her screeches lead into the credits.

A truck pulls in to the Love Camp (another must for a traditional ‘Sadiconazista’) and the women are manhandled off the truck where they are told of their duties.

Amongst the women is the beautiful but dull Mirelle who, after a spot of forced prostitution, falls for Helmut a Nazi Officer. Not the most of romantic places but they say love blossoms in the oddest circumstances so here’s proof to the old chestnut.

At the laboratory works Dr. Steiner who under orders is performing ‘useless’ womb transplants. The Commandant of the camp has him by the short and curlies as Steiner is in fact Professor. Abraham - a Jewish scientist. The commandant has a problem – he has no testicles after they were ripped off when he violated a casualty of a blitzed city (serves the cunt right!).

After admiring ‘Helmut’s’ coital prowess with two con-camp cuties the commandant takes a sudden ‘shine’ to Helmut.

Amidst the sex and surgery the love affair blossoms even further between Helmut and Mirelle.

The commandant reveals that shortly there will be a change in the S.S Bordello hookers meaning Helmut would no longer be able to see his beloved Mirelle. Helmut is now desperate to spend as much time with his beloved at any price.

The Commandant has a plan to keep Helmut at the love camp longer if he’d help in an experiment vital to the third Reich. Fascistically brainwashed poor Helmut agrees, so desperate to be with Mirelle he willingly agrees to whatever it is - oblivious his balls are literally on the line.

With Steiner under the cosh that his true identity could be revealed he unwillingly performs the op. Got to hand it to the old boy who plays Steiner his last ‘guilt’ ridden moments aren’t half bad and because he looks like most kind old grandpas’ you can’t help feel sorry for the poor sod .

A night of passion is clandestinely planned with Mirelle after the operation has taken place, Helmut unaware things aren’t swinging where they should be on a man. To Helmut’s eventual horror no loins are stirring and he finds he is well and truly de-bollocked.

He goes ball (sorry!)istic and for the next 20 minutes causes a bloodbath at the Love Camp where all get their just desserts.

Most Outstanding Moments

There are some laughable effects on display where a non-cooperative prostitute gets boiled and then frozen alive in a fish tank.

The bonkings in the fish tanks, we are told they are experiments but for what purpose fuck only knows.

The terrible twosome Dr.Renke and The Sergeant(Bald-Headed-Nasty-Nazi-Chap) Grand Guignol theatrical performances owes much to vaudeville - but all the better mind.

The Film; S.S Experiment Love Camp

(A.k.a Lager SSadis Kastrat Kommandantur / S.S Experiment Camp / Captive Women II – Orgy of the Damned / Le Camp des Filles Perdues / O Campo Nazi do Amor / Horreur Nazis / Kastrat Commandantur Satirlager 23 / SS Vrouwenkamp 1)

The Year; 1976

Director: Sergio Garrone

Director of Photography: Maurizio Centini

Editor: Cesare Bianchini

Music: Roberto Pregadio, Vasili Kojucharov

The Players;

Mircha Carven as Helmut

Giorgio Cerioni as Colonel von Kleiben

Paola Corazzi as Mirelle

Attilio Dottesio as Dr. Steiner

Patrizia Melega as Dr. Renke

Serafino Profumo as The Sergeant

SIN AND SWASTIKA - S.S CAMP 5 – WOMENS’ HELL (A.K.A SS LAGER 5 L'INFERNO DELLE DONNE) (1977) REVIEW 18

2006-06-26T19:55:00.000+01:00

“You are here for science and the comfort of our soldiers. Your life as leeching parasites on the German Reich has put you high on the list of undesirables……..”

Sergio Garrone shot this grim goose stepper along with the more nefarious but inferior S.S Experiment Camp (the notoriety of this rocketed in U.K due to the 80’s video nasty farce which ironically echoed the Nazis burning books in the ‘30’s – weird that isn’t it?!). Both movies share the same sets and actors; the only differences are that Camp 5 seems more polished and seems to involve more effort by all involved.

Out of the two movies this is the grimmest with harsher tortures that seem to hark back more too medieval times than the pharmaceutical behaviour usually inflicted in such medi- camps.

We are treated to an unconvincing and unintentionally funny incinerator episode involving a few women that tried to escape the hell hole.

The wax seal of 'Sadiconazista' approval is stamped all over it with the obligatory Nazi Lesbian, masses of torture, cod eugenics and melodrama that borders on the twiddling moustached villain variety.

There are a few queasy moments where Garrone intercuts a rape scene (well I am not sure if it is a rape as the actress lays there without emotion as a fully trousered S.S officer writhes and grunts on top of her- not really sure what is going on in all honesty) with guinea-pig failures being incinerated.

This is also hilarious, the bodies are wheeled along a solemn corridor to an incinerator , chucked inside then the most cheapest flames are superimposed over the bodies and a few whiffs of smoke (probably someone off camera sucking on a Marlboro!) appear. The bodies then sprint to life and perform what could be considered a contemporary dance epileptique. So mean spirited but perfect bottom of the barrel entertainment.

Its’ difficult to believe that when this was shown in some cinemas in Portugal there was standing room only!

There is such fascination with these films that I simply adore. These are the lowest of the low and doesn’t care or desire to be anything more. Despite the negativity there are some redemptions to be spotted and even glimpses of inspiration but with Garrones' directive skills very few in this piece of gruel. Though I doubt many masterpieces have been shot that quickly and simultaneously.

Another horrible piece of holocaust trivialisation is the usage of real atrocity photographs under the titular credits (apparently excised from the Belgian release) but this happened and in a way says ‘if we have the balls to open with this then you kind of know what this pictures going to be about so leave now than whinge about immorality’.

There’s’ also a speech performed by one of the most sadistic S.S officers about how important liquefaction is to the German economy. In this chilling piece he narrates over real footage of hair piled high, briefcases containing treasured possessions, skeletons being flung into pits by bulldozer and other grim imagery that concludes right down to the cost effective way fertiliser is made from the corpses cremated.

Now for a sleazy piece of exploitation this worked extremely well as a piece of chilling drama in its own right; really hammering home and reinforcing how abhorrent we can be to one another. Then we pop back into Grand Guignol ‘comic strip’ ‘how are ze experimentssss comink along’ type of territory that dominates the running time.

Whether this speech is based on numerical fact or bullshit it is based on reality event and for all its’ sleaziness context plays as a bloody good bit of chilling dramatis. Well done bald chap nasty Nazi (not sure of the actors name who played him so will leave out but I have a picture instead-isn’t he wonderfully vaudeville, if he wasn’t incinerating or beating women up he’d be tying ‘em to the train tracks!!!!!! Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!!!!!)

The movies also tend to veer away from overt anti-Semitism preferring degrading ‘general’ expletives which is by no means ‘comfortable’ but less ‘wince-inducing’.

To view ‘SS Camp 5- Womens Hell’ in my opinion, is no different to slowing down on a motorway to stop and see a wrecked car and the possibility of a severed limb and a spot of grief - as it seems we all like to do. This film and its bed-partners are like the flames that attract the moths most would be tempted to sit down and view them but would never own up.

As long as man and women have holes in their asses this type of exploitation will always attract such moths. Good!

The Synopsis

The truck rolls into Camp 5 where the women are manhandled from the vehicle and separated into camp whores or lab fodder for the better of the third Reich.

One of the chosen ‘whores’ Alena is a gutsy Jamaican caught whilst resisting with the French partisans.

As well as a fleshpot retreat for inter-battle Nazis the camp also has the added attraction of an experimentation unit. This is run by Colonel Strasser, Dr Karl and Dr.Abraham, Abraham is a Jew forced to carry out such experiments as his daughter, Edith, is incarcerated and this ensures she is ‘overlooked’ for maltreatment.

Dr.Abrahm is also another ‘staple ingredient stereotype’ for this type of film - the Nazi with the conscience and usually declares ‘THIS IS SO WRONG!!!’ now and again throughout the film.

It seems they are working on some sort of antidote for a napalm type of burn. Girls are wheeled in, some gloop applied to the flesh and whilst her arms and head are restrained it is set on fire. This produces an ear splitting 20 seconds of hysterics and what sounds like fat sizzling on the soundtrack.

The burn is then opened and a healing balm spread over the freshly sore area but doesn’t seem to do much good as it looks like nearly every patient seems to die in every test.

This sequence happens twice with different damsels and gives plenty opportunity of graphic breast zooming; capturing nearly every ‘wobble’, exquisitely and tastelessly achieved - courtesy of dear Sergio.

Its’ not long before the girls plan an escape via a broken oven that leads out into the wooded countryside. To their horror they are sprung and as the problems fixed become its’ first cremated.

In order to find out who the other ringleaders are or who else was involved; some suspects are taken to a dungeon and in the grimmest piece of the movie are tortured in the most barbaric style.

One has her fingernails ripped out with pliers, another has her stomach split via multiple punches from a spiked knuckle duster, another her head crushed to a pulp in a tourniquet vice and the piece de resistance has one victim who refuses to give anything away voluntary losing her tongue – ripped out by its roots of course. As these effects are on the cheap they seem to be the more realistic and sheer sadism in a theatrical way.

Alena has also been dropping her panties for the Camp Commandant and has privy to ‘allied’ reports as they are heard throughout the dull soft-core sex scenes.

With the allies closes in she joins forces with Abraham, Edith and other willing volunteers. They are especially eager when they all learn the camp is to be totally destroyed including all evidence of medical horribleness – Dr.Abraham and P.O.W’s all fall into this category and decide ‘what have we to lose ?’.

The ending has some rather impressive pyrotechnics and suffices action wise. You also get to see the bald-horrible-Nazi-sadist-chap get his comeuppance – disappointingly too quickly though. Arlena is an absolute honey by the way and boy can she handle a Tommy gun!

Despite the subject matter and moral balance in question I enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to the more discerning viewer. A prime example of what pure exploitation cinema is all about - loved it.

Most Outstanding Moment(s)

Arlenas’ naked ‘jungle’ dance with a plastic banana to 1970’s euro groove (in 1945??!!!?!??)

Intermittent melodramatic ‘ham’ performed by bald-horrible-Nazi-sadist-chap.

Available on a beautifully transferred Region 1 disc *with comical dubbing*.

The Film;

SS Camp Women’s Hell (also known as : SS Camp 5 – Women’s Hell / SS Lager 5 l'inferno delle donne / Roses rouges pour le fuhrer )

The Year: 1977

The Director; Sergio Garrone

The Country; Italy

The Players;

Giorgio Cerioni …….. Colonel Strasser

Paola Corazzi ………. Edith

Attilio Dottesio ……… Doctor Abraham

Serafino Profumo …… Lieutenant Hans

BANNED ! LOVE CAMP 7 (1968) REVIEW 17

2006-06-25T20:56:00.000+01:00

Love Camp 7 was the brainchild of three pivotal characters in exploitation transmogrification. The film was directed by Lee Frost who had already demonstrated his fascistic talents with an s/m tinged ‘sequence’ in 1966’s Mondo Bizarro.

The film was written by Bob Cresse who was an alleged closet Nazi so therefore taking the lead role as the chief Commandment must have been a dream come true.

The couple had already collaborated together over a period of time and had had given the mack wearing brigade two pieces of other sleaze ‘The Scavengers’(1969) and ‘House on Bare Mountain (1962)’ so collaboratively they worked well enough to produce this notorious but rather flat ‘sadiconazista’ pioneer.

The third mention must be that of producer David F. Friedman who collaborated with Herschell Gordon Lewis on his gore fests ‘Blood feast’, ‘2000 Maniacs’ etc, etc. Friedman also brought one of the first ‘Hardcore’ feature films to the inquisitive ‘new sexual age’ with the eloquently titled ‘Seven into Snowy’.

For all things unthinkable that have been put onto screen we have a hell of a lot of gratitude to show for the man. Due to the success of Love Camp 7, which incidentally was still playing to drive-in audiences in the 1970’s. Mr.Friedman then went on to produce the one-step-further scandalous ‘Ilsa –She Wolf of the SS’ 6 years later which also done so well in Canada that it spawned three sequels. It’s a wonder a decent documentary about the guy hasn’t popped up on Channel 4 by now.

Another factor of this film was its correlation with the type of pornography popular in ‘Mens “Adult” Magazines’at the time, unfortunately in the 1960’s there was still a huge emphasis on misogynistic treatment on women. Crude photographs featured on the front covers of some men’s magazines featuring some buxom scantily clad women in bondage at the hands of her Gestapo persecutor. Such deviant thrills were quite commonplace and exceptionally marketable so it wasn’t long until this influenced celluloid.

These contributions created a stable of skin flick titled ‘The Roughie’, these jaded little pieces of history feature soft-core sex but with a hefty dosage, and at times, most realistic smatterings of sadomasochism and bondage. It was Mr. Friedman who had already adopted this cinematic trend previously to Love Camp 7 with ‘The Defilers (1965)’ a grubby piece smut mainly involving a girl kidnap and turned sex slave sort of crudity.

Other examples are the ‘Roberta Findlay’ ‘Flesh – Trilogy’ which feature prolonged flagellation and even sexual abuse via lobster claw and pincers, charming. I would imagine ‘Olga’s House of Shame’ and other offspring’s would feature much of the same, I have not seen these films but they make interesting reading and historical reference. Although some find women screeching and being knocked about entertaining it grates on my nerves after a while and then when the ‘talky plot’ bits happen I fall asleep. I think I may give them a miss for the time being but will not overrule their potential enjoyment and possible viewing for another time.

The only fundamental difference between these movies and Love Camp 7 was that they were contemporary and forays into corrupt 60’s psycho-sexual society and Love Camp 7 was set at a time of one of the worlds most darkest periods and therefore paved a whole new way of introducing sadomasochistic, bondage, burlesque and fascist fetishism to a whole new thrill seeking audience.

Love Camp 7 is the first but possibly one of the ‘weakest’ entries in the cycle. Although the abuse is constant we are fortunately spared the medical atrocities that unfolded in the ‘Ilsa’ films and Sadiconazista (see my article on this ages ago).

It’s very ‘grainy’ which somehow adds to the grimness throughout but the direction seems to be very basic as well as the interiors, mostly consisting of grey walled boxes with a bed chucked in for the obligatory rape sequences. Those scenes in themselves are a joke in themselves; the purpotraitor of the act keeps his trousers on at all times. If we didn’t have the grunt, groan. No, stop it, acoustics it is relegated to nothing more than dull rough soft-core sex.

There are a couple of ‘wincers’ though that sound worse than actually filmed, some inmate is straddled on a saw-horse until her crotch is lacerated. Worse sounding in print and in thought than in view -believe me. The other bit that did make me ‘ouch’ aloud was when Linda is tethered by her arms to the ceiling and ferociously whipped 360 degrees. Not only can contact be seen between the whip and the naked body but the wheal marks look most convincing as they timely appear.

But consent is consent and although the character isn’t having a ball the actors clearly are and neither looks as though they are out of their depth.

A closet Nazis fantasy comes true, a grubby little war pot-boiler or a spiteful little piece of exploitation? Whatever you decide you’re going to get from Love Camp 7, don’t expect too much.

Love Camp 7 remains banned in the United Kingdom but have noticed it popping up as a forthcoming on a rental site. Since the mass confusion on SS Experiment Camp being released in the U.K and it turned out to be a soft core Laura Gemser bit of smut I will wait until its out their in British consumer land. It’ll more than likely be cut to fuck anyway.

It could’ve reprieve from the censors and to be honest in such times it is a bit sluggish and tame for most of the part and seriously dated overall.

Despite these flaws however, it also makes a fascinating viewing and to witness something that opened up the floodgates.

Love Camp 7 – The Plot

London – The Present Day an ex Major is in congress with a potential backer. The American backer notices a military map on the wall that looks highly complex.

Another associate pipes up ‘If it wasn’t for this man we’d all be speaking German’. His thirst for more, well and truly activated prompts the ex-Major to recount how we played such a significant part in Allied victory.

In WW2 Dr.Schell was working on a jet fighter for the Nazis, he was being assisted by his Jewish accomplice Dr Martha Grossman. As long as Schell remains alive Grossman is protected. Dr Schell dies.

Without any shield of protection Grossman is accused of collaborating with the French Resistance and because of her sins against the Reich is sent to notorious ‘Love Camp 7’ (a place of total despair – tagline).

She still has vital information totally invaluable to the allied forces in order to get one over on Adolph.

Enter Grace and Linda WAC military personnel extraordinaire who volunteer to be incarcerated. Seek Martha Grossman obtain her secrets and with the help of the French resistance all bust out together.

Once arrested on enemy soil the two girls are taken to Love Camp 7 where they are informed they are whores for off duty officers and will serve the third Reich through pleasure. After being indoctrinated in the ethics of military prostitution the women are then witnesses to a catalogue of brutality against the inmates. Savage whippings, genital torture and 5 day rapes really are the day to day way of life at Love Camp 7.

Linda finds that Dr Grossman is still in the camp but is in a detention unit where prisoners are subjugated to agonising torture for disobedience. Linda kicks off and is whisked away. There she is at the mercy of the camps deranged con camp guard Klausmueller.

In a nasty piece of scuzz Linda is lashed several times until she passes out is then revived and further assault continues. After undergoing some pretty harsh suspended rope bondage she manages to find Dr.Grossman.

Unfortunately for Grace, Linda and Martha the French resistance fuck up big time and the three have to suffer further indignaties but after being severely degraded and lashed for several hours becoming a military prostitute may have a perk for our heroines.

After a severe bollocking by his Gestapo superior the Camp Commandant is instructed that orgies and ‘entertainment’ will take place in his study as the troops are currently screwing in dire conditions compared to his ‘luxury’.

It is at the orgy that the girls take up arms and plan their escape resulting in a blood soaked ending and plenty of hysterics; Cresse steals the show weeping maniacally over a heap of dead bodies as he realises he is ‘emperor of nothing - only death’ .

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

The crude straddling horse torture and that severe whipping sequence – he bloody means that he does!!!!

Look out for David F. Friedmans appearance as a nasty Nazi, whats’ more ironic is in reality Mr Friedmans’ alleged Jewish background – the things we do for art !!!……

The Film;

Love Camp 7

(a.k.a Nazi love Camp 7 (Australia) / Camp 7: lager femminile (Italy)/ Erikoisleiri no 7 (Finnish)/)

Country of Origin: USA

Year of Production: 1968

Production Company: Olympic International

Producer: Bob Cresse

Associate Producer: Wesdon Bishop

Production Manager: Paul Wilmoth

Script: Wes Bishop, Bob Cresse

Story: R.W. Cresse

Director: R.L. Frost

Assistant Director: Stefan Zema

Director of Photography: R.L. Frost

THE PLAYERS

R.W. Cresse ….. [Commandant]

Maria Lease ….. [Linda]

Kathy Williams.. [Grace]

Dave Friedman…[General]

John Riazzi

Louis Mazzarella

Larry Martinelli

Natasha Steel

Currently available as a fullframe transfer on the DVD Classics label. I believe this is a semi-bootleg but it does the trick print wise and audio. It is region 0 but I believe is scarce nowadays but I am certain a re-release will eventually take place. Exploitation Digital/Kitty could have a feast with this title and would make rather a nice guest for the other Sadiconazista movies available.

THE KING OF GIALLO - BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) - REVIEW 16

2006-06-12T21:30:00.000+01:00

There is possibly nothing I could say about this movie that hasn’t been done so already. All reviews I have come across has seemingly praised this and seems to draw conclusively this is the very first that demonstrates the style and blueprint for all future giallo movies and influenced the stalk and slash genre decades later. Though arguably I would say that Bava’s other allegory of annihilation ‘Bay of Blood’ has more ‘common’ ground with the 80’s style of stalk and slash filmmaking.

Is this deserved? Oh yes, every praise is deserved for not only do we have the prototype for the future but under the watchful eye of Bava it is executed perfectly, and I mean that as a sincere perfectly.

Blood and Black Lace has influenced a whole gamut of contemporary horror film makers and was the spark that lighted the fuse for the other Italian giallo maestro ‘Dario Argento’. Despite the echo of momentum in our modern creations that can still be traced back to Blood and Black Lace what influenced this?

I would say ‘Psycho’ and ‘Les Diaboliques’ (especially the bathroom sequence) influenced some of Bavas plot but the majority is down to the genius of this director that I feel is as important as Hitchcock but does not get the iconic status - but then again Bava wasn’t an American.

Add to this the Edgar Wallace vehicles that were a favourite of European cinema goers back in the early 60’s, more on that later. Add that to the giallo history of Italy as featured in my earlier articles and we may see some trends and favourable nods via Bavas’ artistry.

Where Hitchcock utilised monochrome to it’s’ zenith milking all its black and whiteness for maximum impact Bava does the same but utilises candy coloured vibrancy.

The murders depicted throughout the duration are the first examples of collected sado-eroticised vignettes that do not shy away from explicit detail at the beginning, during and at the aftermath of the brutal homicide.

Forget all the crap we have acclimatised too, when viewing this imagine, if you will, as the audience must have reacted to this in 1964. Wipe the taint of modernity and go back in time and view the film with unbridled ‘freshness’. Remind yourself too that this is the first film of its’ kind you have ever had the fortune to stumble upon, this can only marginally eclipse how the original audiences must have reacted.

This was the very first time they were exposed to the staple motifs of what successful giallo is all about, executed so damn well. Importance’s as the black clad assassin, the fetishistic black leather glove, the razor wielding fiend, the beautiful victim, comic book sadism, the misogynistic representation of the murder weapon, corruption, vice and for the ghoul in the crowd - instances of cold, calculated and (prolonged!) sadistic murder.

This was not brought to them by an ‘underground’ entrepreneur with style but not necessarily directional skill nor a ‘one-off’ who wows then fades into obscurity and leaves a legacy. It was brought to them by one of the most influential, pioneering and enviably skilled directors of the 20^th Century.

Having already displayed his talents to a monochrome weary audience with the previous years ‘Black Sabbath’ which was very well received, and setting the precedent for future pasta gothic with another exemplary flick ‘The Mask of Satan’ in 1960, Bava was given complete creative control of ‘Blood and Black Lace’.

The backers were an Italian-West German co-production and no doubt expected from Bava something similar to the Edgar Wallace fayre. In early 60’s European cinema approximately 25+ films, mainly West German, were made based on this formula.

The crimes in the novels that translated to screen were vicious enough but not sadistic, they also took second fiddle to plots focussing more on the ‘mystery’ and police procedures than much else. Bava tones this right down and reverses the whole concept making the murders equally important if not more so.

The slayings are an intense focus unlike anything witnessed previously and provides Bava with the opportunity to demonstrate this beauty, although savage, in film as a designer would demonstrate such beauty on a catwalk model.

THE PLOT

In the grounds of a prestigious fashion house ‘Christian Couture’ a beautiful model, Isabella (Francesca Ungaro) is being stalked by a ‘faceless’ assailant. She is chased through the wooded undergrowth until the killer attacks and she becomes his first victim.

Isabella’s body is discovered by the recently widowed Madam Cristina Como (Eva Bartok) stuffed in a wardrobe.

The police are contacted and Inspector Sylvester (Thomas Reinher) spearheads the investigation. Max Marian (Cameron Mitchell), the manager of the Fashion House, is interviewed and agrees he will do all he can to see justice done.

Another model Nicole (Ariana Garini) discovers Isabella’s diary and says she will give it to the Inspector. Everyone begins to behave in a nervy manner, suggesting the content could be highly controversial.

Peggy (Mary Arden) manages to abscond with the little red book.

Nicole drives to meet her sleazy boyfriend Frank (Dante di Paolo) at his antiques shop. He isn’t there but the killer is and makes an attack on her.

She nearly escapes but in her last attempt is wrestled by the killer; her struggles are cut short as a spiked glove is smashed into her face, fatally piercing the eye and brain. The killer lets Nicole’s corpse drop to the floor and frantically searches for the incriminating evidence in her bag but finds nothing.

Peggy meanwhile has read some shocking revelation in the diary and consequently burns the book. The killer arrives shortly after and beats the shit out of Peggy. He investigates the fire but as he goes to do so Peggy attempts to ring for help. In a complete hissy fit the killer intervenes and bashes Peggy unconscious. Alarmed by the police arriving he absconds taking Peggy with him.

When she rouses she is in bondage, the killer appears and begins slapping her, she repeats she hasn’t the diary. Unsatisfied he forces her hand onto a red hot stove. Still not revealing anything apart from screams of agony Peggy pleads for mercy. The killer responds by bashing her face onto the hot stuff resulting in a further agonising death.

Meanwhile the Inspector places the models and employees whom he suspects under arrest. Despite the custody and legal ‘threat’ the killer manages to strike again. This time it is model Tao-Li played by the scrumptious looking Claude Dante. After he drowns her in the bath the killer pulls out a trusty cut throat and slits the wrists inferring suicide.

During this frantic slaying and to observe the job well done more clearly, the killer removes their facial bandages to reveal a small glimpse of the face of……………… best stop their eh?

RETROSPECT

So important is this film, it should be seen by as many people that want to view it. This has to be an absolute milestone in Italian cinema and to the cinematic horror evolution in general. The director is equivalent to if not surpasses Hitchcock and it is such a shame that it is not fully rewarded as such.

The first thing I would bring to the fore is Bavas intricate, almost obsessive, use of colour to assist in the impact and atmosphere. The build up to Nicole’s demise is a perfect example of such maestro. The interior of the antiques shop is given a heartbeat due to the timed luminance of the neon sign outside.

Tension builds and as the climax to death the artificial light pulsates in deep, rich, crimson a harbinger of what is to happen to the victim. This instant is one of several examples of the highest calibre that a director of Bavas finesse could possibly demonstrate.

Blood and Black Lace is a canvas where the emerald greens, azure blues, blood reds and muted golds are added and the result is an overwhelming display of living, pulsing, and sadean sophistication as important to the life of the picture as blood is to the victims of the killer.

Exquisite style is one of the main themes of this movie and such style can be seen reflected in every frame and in nearly every situation. For further credibility on this skill check out the way Bava uses the hues to accomplished effect in the actors’ introductory poses – and these are only the credits!

The fashion house itself is a matrix of deviancy where all concerned are hiding something. The ‘secrets’ are also surprisingly ‘adult’ for their time featuring cocaine addiction, abortion and sexual intrigue giving the movie a further ‘edge’ than just relying on the shocks on display.

The killer himself is truly sinister, featureless and clad in black he truly is the grim reaper amongst the colour and ‘liveliness’ of the fashion house, a total antithesis. The way in which Bava makes him appear than disappear gives an ethereal almost inhuman quality to the character.

The mannequins bathed in reds and blue hue also emphasises the mannequin lifestyle of the employees. Something one can dress and glam up but underneath is emptiness, as shallow as the staff it seems but without their selfishness fortunately.

Fashion and glamour are their lives and ultimately will be their fate. This is such a clever juxtaposition and works really well for me in allegorical terms. Such allegories can be found elsewhere but because these instances seem unimportant in Bavas mis-en-scene can be overlooked e.g. the hanging sign of the fashion house leads full circle to the red telephone hanging in a similar manner at the end, thus we have come full circle.

Another strong highlight of the movie has to be the bath-tub sequence, when her wrists are slit by the razor, the models blood forms an elegant pattern that ‘smokes’ through the water. Death is beauty, beauty is death. This is truly, albeit brief, an aesthetic delight that you don’t have to be homicidal to appreciate.

Finally we must not overlook Carlo Rustichellis divine score that works so well with the visuals. The fusion of jazz and easy listening symphonies really are the dollops of whip cream with the ultimate chocolate gateaux.

Fortunately the film didn’t suffer considerable mutilation by the censors. The only dominant ‘change’ when released stateside was the change in the opening credits. Bavas’ original had a smashing opening sequence featuring the characters alongside mannequins, naturally exquisitely lit under Bavas guidance. In the alternative sequence this has been replaced by an inferior ‘animation’ sequence, featuring mannequins with skeletal faces and bullet holes.

Lou Moss’ new sequence is actually not that bad as it seems to be in keeping with Bavas atmosphere but is infinitely inferior to the original in style.

If you get any opportunity to view this – do so. VCI have bought out a 2 disc special edition which is sufficient but I feel that an anamorphic enhancement could’ve been better for such a gem.

I am annoyed that this movie still does not get the just attention it so rightly deserves. Especially when we realise the huge legacy it left behind. When one considers the ‘hype’ Psycho gets, and deservedly so, in comparison to Blood and Black Lace it is frustrating that something so equal is so sadly overlooked.

MOST OUTSTANDING MOMENT

The Bag Sequence

The bag containing the diary is left unattended as Nicole does her catwalk turn. The camera remains static as the ‘suspects’ walk by the handbag and everyone seems to be watching everyone else – it builds up a crescendo of breathtaking paranoia and guilt without any vocalisation. Excellent, absolutely bloody excellent.

Starring: Mary Arden, Eva Bartok, Claude Dantes, Arianna Gorini, Cameron Mitchell, Luciano Pigozzi, Thomas Reiner

Directed by: Mario Bava

A.K.A ; Atelier de la peur, L' (France)
Blood and Black Lace (USA)
Blutige Seide (West Germany)
Fashion House of Death
Six Women for the Murderer (International: English title) (literal title)
Six femmes pour l'assassin (France)

Country; Italy / West Germany / Monaco / France

Availability ; Region 1 & Region 2 (German- 'Blutige Seide')