|
West
Germany
|
1977
Directed
by Hubert Frank
Starring
Olivia Pascal
Anton
Diffring
Uschi Zech
Color
| 92 Minutes
| Not Rated
Format: DVD (R0 - NTSC)
Severin Films
|
 |
|
|
|
Hold
your mouse pointer over an image for a pop-up caption
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
6
|
|
 |
|
6 |
|
10
= Highest Rating |
|
SNEAK
PREVIEW
|
DVD Release Date: Aug.
28, 2007 |
"This
is no place for a white woman. You'll end up like the rest of
us
wasted. The climate does strange things to women here. You'll
only start opening your legs wider like some bitch in heat..."
In the 1970s, apparently, every Westerner in Asia be they
resident or tourist was utterly obsessed with sex, the kinkier
the better. At least according to the movies. Inspired by the
worldwide success of 1974's Emmanuelle
(shot in Thailand and the Seychelles), Vanessa
was just one of a multitude of European 'erotic travelogue'
sexploitationers filmed in the Orient during the decade. It's
an above-average example of this particular subgenre made memorable
by a parade of delectable young actresses cavorting comfortably
in the buff, flatteringly photographed. Even in edited, watered-down
form the pic became a late night pay-cable favorite in the '80s;
the new disc from Severin presents Vanessa
completely uncut for the first time anywhere on DVD.
Our
titular heroine (scrumptious, pouty-lipped Olivia Pascal) is
an orphan living at a strict German convent school when she
receives word that her wealthy uncle has died, bequeathing her
substantial property holdings in his will. All of this lucrative
real estate is located in and around Hong Kong, so before long
Vanessa's jetliner is touching down in China's most exotically
cosmopolitan city. (At the time still governed by Britain.)
Here she is informed that among the properties she's inherited
are some of Hong Kong's more upscale brothels, including one
catering exclusively to women. Vanessa
apparently still a virgin but curious about sex (she totes around
a photo-book on the erotic art of ancient Pompeii, featuring
pictures of statues sporting ginormous phalluses)
is mildly shocked but also intrigued.
While waiting for
the legal formalities of the will to be sorted out Vanessa is
given a tour of the city and its sensual ways by her late uncle's
family and associates, all of them decadent sophistos. Three
of these people fall head over heels in lust with her. Adrian
(Gόnter Clemens), the uncle's illegitimate son, feels that he's
entitled to much of the legacy but can't keep his hands off
Vanessa even though his crude advances jeopardize his claim.
Major Cooper (Anton Diffring - Circus
Of Horrors, Faceless)
is a dissolute Brit who deals with his wife's flagrant infidelities
by indulging in Hong Kong's more exotic pursuits; he invites
Vanessa to sample monkey brains ("an aphrodisiac"),
smoke opium and strap herself into his bondage harness for a
good slo-mo flogging. Jackie (Uschi Zech) may be her peer in
age but is much more experienced; an unabashed exhibitionist,
she longs to introduce Vanessa to the joys of lesbian love...
Steamy and languid,
Vanessa mostly
but not completely
aims for genuine eroticism over leering sexploitation. It's
tastefully kinky without getting too trashy; only the goofy
'live sex show' sequence borders on hardcore, while the mystical
sex ritual undergone by Cooper's wife at the direction of a
suave Indian swami is the one time the film gets indefensibly
silly. (A nunsploitation scenario is tossed in somewhat unexpectedly
in the form of Vanessa's S&M
flashback to her convent days.) You get to see a great deal
of Hong Kong
too much, really*
at its most picturesque
and a lot of Olivia Pascal and Uschi Zech in all their naked
splendor (as well as a number of homegrown Asian babes, it should
be noted); the filmmakers strive to present the city and their
female cast in the best possible light and handily succeed.
The story is thin and episodic (conceived mostly on the fly,
it turns out) but that's to be expected with this type of flick.
Beautiful women and stimulating softcore sex
that's what matters. Skillful editing and judicious use of slow-motion
enhance the erotic scenes, which are a definite cut above your
typical Black Emanuelle entry.
The That's-So-'70s music score is "Porno Chic"-era
groovy (sappy title ballad excepted)... It functions as the
sticky humidity in the heatwave generated by the visuals.
|
| *
It is not recommended watching this film
as part of a double feature with Yellow
Emanuelle or Enter
The Dragon... You might never want to
see a movie set in Hong Kong ever again! |
|
|
With
its release of Vanessa Severin Films
further burnishes a well-deserved reputation for high quality
Euro-Cult DVDs. The 1.78:1 transfer, mastered from the original
negative, offers pleasingly rich colors and fine detail; note
that the softness of many scenes is inherent to the gauzy Playboy-inspired
glow intended by the filmmakers. Print damage is very minor. The
disc's English-dubbed mono audio track is strong, clear and clean-sounding.
For
supplements you get the English-language theatrical trailer and
two interesting featurettes. High Life In Hong Kong is
a 28-minute interview with director Hubert Frank and cinematographer
Franz Lederle. Their comments illustrated with movie clips and
behind-the scenes footage, the two men (speaking in subtitled
German) go into some detail about how most of the film was improvised
on the spot, working from the barest skeleton of an unfinished
script; they also discuss the look they were hoping to achieve
(straight out of the pages of Playboy), the challenges
and opportunities of location shooting, and offer a few anecdotes
about working with Pascal and Diffring. The second featurette,
Vanessa Revealed (16 min.), is a reel of silent behind-the-scenes
home movie footage, shot during production, set to music. It's
chock full of additional skin the ladies were obviously quite
at ease lounging around nude in between camera setups.
8/21/07 |
Home
| Reviews | Top
|
