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Review
by
Troy Howarth
Film:6
DVD:7
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| Italian
army officer Elio (Al Cliver) returns from the Ethiopian campaign
with a slave girl (Laura Gemser) in tow — and her introduction
to the household has a devastating effect on his wife, Alessandra
(Lilli Carati), who has been carrying on a sordid affair with
his secretary, Wilma (Annie Belle)... |
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Aristide
Massaccesi (1936-1999) got his start in the film industry as a
cinematographer, shooting such noteworthy Italian genre films
as What
Have You Done to Solange? (1971) and The
Devil's Wedding Night (1973). He eventually switched to
directing and in this capacity utilized several pseudonyms, the
best known being "Joe D'Amato". One could argue that
he was never so good as a director as he was a cinematographer,
but D'Amato has attained a sizable cult following just the same.
His specialty was erotica, and he would continue to churn out
soft-and-hardcore films for the bulk of his directorial career. |
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The
Alcove
is one of D'Amato's better efforts. For one thing, it actually
has something of a plot — not that the story matters much in erotica,
but still it's nice to have a plot to follow. For another, the
sex is genuinely erotic; this is one of D'Amato's softcore ventures,
so don't expect any clinical closeups or the like, but this works
in the film's favor. Whereas some of the director's harder sex
films tend to suffer from repetition, The
Alcove varies its 'action' with a delicate touch. The pacing
is a bit slow, but the film holds one's attention and offers up
some decent cinematography (courtesy of the director, under the
nom de plume "Federico Slonisco") and solid production
values. |
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D'Amato
is well served by an attractive cast. Lilli Carati (To
Be Twenty), Annie Belle (Laure)
and Laura Gemser (Black
Emanuelle) are about as attractive a group of Euro-starlets
this side of Rosalba Neri and Edwige Fenech, and they all enter
into the spirit of the thing with ample enthusiasm. Carati is
particularly effective as the sexually dominant Alessandra, who
changes lovers with wreckless abandon. Gemser is cast in a role
bound to raise a few eyebrows — a "Negro" princess given to Elio
as a peace offering. She is therefore the subject of some tactless
and decidedly politically incorrect observations from Carati's
character, but it would be a mistake to call the film bigoted
in this regard; if anything, it is true to the sensibilities of
the characters and the time frame. In any event, the three actresses
prove themselves to be capable thespians, and they also help to
generate the requisite amount of heat. Lucio Fulci stalwart Al
Cliver (Zombie,
Devil
Hunter) does a credible job as the sleazy Elio,
whose disparate interests include sensitive love poems and pornography.
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The
overall effect is nicely complemented by a good score by Manuel
DeSica (Cemetery
Man), and D'Amato does a good job of keeping things interesting,
even if the pace lags a bit here and there. More hardened (forgive
the pun) EuroSleaze buffs may find this one a little on the soft
side, but The Alcove remains one
of its director's better films and is recommended. |
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| Severin's
release of The Alcove marks the film's
debut on R1 DVD. The 1.85/16x9 transfer looks very good. The print
is in very good shape, and while there is some grain in the image,
that is part of the film's intended look and is not a defect in
the mastering. Colors are vividly rendered, and scratches and
other defects are kept to a bare minimum. Only the dubbed English
soundtrack is included —
it is a little too soft, and the dialogue sometimes gets buried
in the mix, but DeSica's soundtrack comes through well enough. |
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Extras
include a trailer and a featurette, Talking Dirty with Joe
D'Amato, which was shot in the mid-90s. The director comes
off as a genial, unpretentious sort and he speaks heavily accented
but easy to understand English throughout. The
Alcove never comes up in conversation, but he does get
to discuss his philosophy with regards to erotica and his working
relationship with Laura Gemser. 2/25/10 |
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