Grizzly (1976)

When a small little movie by the name of Jaws hit big at the box-office in 1975, Universal Pictures cinematic landmark inevitably spawned a whole slew of rip-offs, some which were shamelessly ripping it, such as Italian schlock master Bruno Mattei’s infamous 1995 TV effort Cruel Jaws , which went as far as to steel the dialogue! Others however decided to camouflage its influence somewhat, such as William Girdler’s 1976’s Grizzly. Armed with a budget of $750,000 – compared to Spielberg’s $7,000,000 – Girdler decided to set his feature inland, and his chaos causing animal of choice was a ferocious 18-foot grizzly bear, hence the loving moniker ‘Jaws with claws’ being born.

Two young hikers are mauled at a National Park, Ranger Michael Kelly (Christopher George) is shocked at the destruction caused to the surrounding areas as well as the victims bodies and fears for the worst. The corner confirms his fears, the girls died after receiving wounds inflicted by a bear. The park’s supervisor, Charley Kittridge (Joe Dorsey), pins the blame and Michael as all bears were supposed to have been cleared out before tourist season began and demands the corpse of the guilty bear. Arthur Scott (Richard Jaeckel), the parks naturalist informs that all bears were moved in time and none got by him, Michael asks Charley to close the park to allow him and Arthur time to locate the rogue bear but his request is denied.

Deaths in the park area are becoming more and more frequent, and they are starting to hit home as part of the Park Rangers are starting to perish, yet the park’s supervisor still refuses to close shop until the mauling of a mother and her child. As desperation mounts, Michael, Arthur and park guide Don Stober (Andrew Pine) launch one more ditch attempt to bring this bear down once and for all. The hunter is now the hunted, or is it?

Grizzly lives up to the name in more than one definition, what first impresses is the level of gore the film contains. It may have only a fraction of the budget the movie which inspired it has, but it sure-as-hell has more grue to offer. It doesn’t have the money to make a full animatronic bear, so opts for a real grizzly. Unfortunately for them, kinda, finding a tamed bear that big would be nigh-on impossible, so Girdler has to be creative with what he shows and which angels to shoot; some of these shots are pretty laughable in this day and age, but certain shots of the live bear raising on it’s hind legs do send shivers down the spine – the bear looks rather large, in real life it was 11-foot, and intimidating! You won’t envy the cameraman that’s for certain.

Christopher George does his best Sheriff Brody impersonation here; the character bears (tee hee) a little too much in common for it to be coincidental. In fact the whole dynamic of the three male leads is strikingly similar to that of Jaws, however the characters here aren’t as likeable and they’re lacking a Quint-like older character. Where it does excel over Jaws is in its brutality, grizzly is 2,000 tonnes of big furry anger and he sure-as-shit isn’t afraid of showing that off! Bloodily clawing peoples arms and heads off with ease and bear-crushing chumps like it ain’t no thang, Grizzly is one mean mother.

Though the film doesn’t have the same energy that drove its inspiration it does have the heart to match it. It’s a likeable little film let down by some sloppy pacing towards the final third, but small gripes aside, this is a modest classic in itself. It’s vicious, it’s funny (some times unintentionally) and it’s all entertainment! Those with a fondness, like myself, for the Jaws clones will find plenty to admire here and the films climax is truly legendary, it needs witnessing to be believed. Ignore the UK release however, there’s a lovely 2-disc edition from US company Shriek Show that’s more than worth your hard earned pennies. Overall Grizzly is certainly big, but it sure isn’t clever and it’s all the more loveable for it.

As an interesting aside, a sequel was to Grizzly was planned and actually went into production 1983. Grizzly II: The Predator was never fully completed, cast in minor roles in the movie were none other than George Clooney, Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen! After fund ran out in ’83, production restarted in ’87 and filming was completed, however now actual footage of the bear was completed and neither were all the effect shots. The film was believed to be an urban legend of sorts until a workprint for the film surfaced online in 2007! Apparently the film resolves around a rock concert in which the bear was due to come and terrorise, the title was also renamed to Predator: The Concert due to rights issues. Oh what could have been aye?

Purchase the 30th anniversary edition here.
Those without a multi-region player can get the UK release here. (Not recommended)

The House of the Devil (2009)

In 2005, a then 24 year-old, Ti West released The Roost, a low-budget fright flick involving teenagers under attack from rabid bats who turn their victims into blood thirsty zombies. As fun as it was trashy, the film did well on the festival circuit but didn’t make much impact on the horror community generally. It's a stylish piece that employees 16mm filmstock and looks all the better for it! His break came when he was hired to direct the follow-up to Eli Roth's smash-hit gross-fest Cabin Fever in 2007.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Break was a troubled production for the young director, producer interference resulted in West wanting his name removed from the finished film and having it replaced with the now legendary Alan Smithee. Due to him not being a guild member the request was denied and his name has remained as director of that film, while all of this was going on however, West had set in motion another movie, a throwback to the good ol' 80's entitled The House of the Devil.

The House of the Devil tells the story of Samantha Hughes, a college student who is in desperate need of escaping the confides of her student accommodation. She has found the perfect apartment, the landlady (a nice little cameo from Dee Wallace) is taken by her and offers her the apartment without requesting the $300 deposit she normally would. All Samantha has to do now is find the $300 for the first months rent. Spotting an advert for a babysitter she contacts the number on the advert and registers her interest, she's asked if she can meet the man who placed the add, they agree a time and place but he doesn't turn up.

Later that night she receives a desperate call from the man asking if she is still available, she accepts and heads out to his house in the sticks with her buddy, Megan. Once there they're met by the ageing Mr. Ulman, his desperation is evident and he confesses that he doesn't require a babysitter, but someone to take care of his mother. Hesitant at first, Samantha refuses, in desperation Mr. Ulman offers her $300, Samantha agrees to do it for $400 and he agrees, half up front and half once he returns. Megan leaves Samantha and agrees to pick her back up in 4 hours, but as Samantha is about to learn, a lot can change within 4 hours.

Once again, West opts to shoot his film on 16mm and the results are fantastic. The essence of early 80's cinema is evident from the first scene, by the time the title card hits the screen you know you're in confident hands. This is a director that truly admires the era he's homaging and his ability to recapture the aura of these films is apparently effortless for him, he knows every angel and every technique from 80's horror and throws them at the audience one after another. If you admire this era of filmmaking then you'll instantly fall in love with the movie.


If the opening statement of the film is to be believed, 70% of Americans by the 80's believed in Satanic Cults and the other 30% believed this was a government conspiracy. This helps explain the rash of the satanic themed movies that hit screens through the 70's and early 80's, we've come along way since then and the demand for Satanic based movies has dropped significantly; so it's to West's credit that he's set about re-discovering an under appreciated genre for cult enthusiasts to get their teeth into, he just may also have made Rosemary's Baby for a whole new generation to admire and discover.

The biggest problem I can see the film facing, when faced with mainstream audiences, is its slow burning approach; in these days of relentlessly paced action-horror movies will the average movie goer understand the nature of the films pace? I'm hoping it doesn't hinder the films mainstream acceptance and the slow approach really does have a heart-stopping climax. Jocelin Donahue performance is also career starting material, she carries the film from the first scene the last and she moulds Samantha into a warm and likeable character that you'll find yourself attached to within the first five minutes of the film. Once the peril and jeopardy mount you'll be praying for her to make it out safe...

Ton Noonan, now a full-fledged Ti West regular, gives a great supporting performance as the unsettling Mr. Ulman. He gives us a man that is as frightening as he is likeable, he gives a performance that is oddly sympathetic; there's a sadness to it that suggests a man conflicted with the events he's setting in motion. On one hand he knows it's wrong, yet on the other he has to make this happen – it's his destiny and purpose in life. Needless to say he's a great asset to the movie, just as he was in The Roost and credit to Ti West for continuing to hire such an underrated actor.


The House of the Devil may not become the modern classic that many are suggesting it is, it's certainly going to put Ti West on Hollywood's talent map, the atmosphere is menacing and the performances are gripping, but the uneventful first hour may alienate the majority of viewers, especially those unfamiliar with the genre in which this film belongs. Those who appreciate the genre will no doubt lap this gem up, it's a modern Cult classic and is up there with Dead Girl as the best of modern American horror production. It's also Ti West's greatest achievement to date. Lets hope he has more such achievements to come in his career.

Purchase the DVD here or Blu-ray here.

'Must Buy' release...

Arrow Video has released the definitive edition of Day of the Dead on Blu-ray this week.
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of writer-director George A. Romero’s 1985 horror masterpiece, Day Of The Dead, with a special two-disc Blu-ray release that features a host of world exclusive extras, including a restored presentation of the film, a new hi-def soundtrack (the original ‘uncensored dialogue’ version, completely restored), four alternate sleeves, a double-sided poster, a 24-page collector’s booklet ‘For Every Dawn There Is A Day’, plus a very special collector’s comic – ‘Day Of The Dead: Desertion’ – featuring a brand new ‘Bub’ storyline. Also after years of ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ getting all the great documentaries, ‘Day…’ finally gets the retrospectives it deserves with the all-new ‘Joe Of The Dead’ and ‘Travelogue Of The Dead’.

Specially commissioned for this 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of Day Of The Dead, the world exclusive 24-page comic ‘Day Of The Day: Desertion’ is written by ‘Hack/Slash Meets Re-Animator’ co-writer, Barry Keating, and ‘Halloween: Nightdance’ creator, Stefan Hutchinson, with artwork by ‘Halloween: The First Death of Laurie Strode’ illustrator Jeff Zornow. The storyline recounts the dark and disturbing origins of Day Of The Dead’s iconic zombie, Bub. Only available as part of this Blu-ray release, ‘Day Of The Dead: Desertion’ is just one of the many features that makes this release the one, must-have edition of Day Of The Dead for fans and collectors worldwide.

The Day of the Dead Blu-ray was developed in conjunction with the members of Cult Labs - (www.cult-labs.com) - a forum where film distributors interested in fan opinions spend time getting their expert feedback. One of the artwork options included in the packaging - the triple layer Night/Dawn/Day of the Dead poster was their most popular alternate choice. The main artwork is an all-new oil painting commissioned from artist Rick Melton.

In this, the third instalment in Romero’s ongoing zombie saga, the living dead have now taken over the world and only small pockets of human resistance survive. One such group of desperate survivors, a motley crew of scientists and soldiers, are holed up in a 14-mile long underground missile silo. As the scientists experiment on forcibly captured zombie specimens to try and find a way to control them, the soldiers become increasingly impatient with the lack of results and are eager to wage an all-out war on the undead. Soon, the tension between the two human camps erupts into a violent situation that is only overshadowed by the vicious zombie slaughter that surrounds them.

Easily the bleakest, goriest and most chilling of Romero’s zombie movies to date, Day Of The Dead sees Tom Savini and his special effects team hitting an all-time career high with an endless succession of super-realistic flesh tearing, bone snapping, gut spilling mayhem that for some viewers will prove almost too much to endure. The setting within a seemingly endless series of underground caverns adds an unbearable tension to a movie that is still as shockingly violent and claustrophobic today as it was twenty-five years ago.

Two all-new documentaries were commissioned for this epic release. In ‘Joe Of The Dead’ (directed by Calum Waddell) actor Joe Pilato talks about his career in movies - from his early appearance in the little-seen Pittsburgh horror outing ‘Effects’ (which also featured Romero regulars Tom Savini and John Harrison) to his small parts in ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ and ‘Knightriders’ and, of course, his work as Captain Rhodes in Day Of The Dead. In addition, Pilato addresses the remake, where his career went following Day of The Dead's disastrous box office upon its initial release and his thoughts on the movie being rediscovered and hailed as a classic.
In ‘Travelogue of the Dead’ (directed by Naomi Holwill), we join Pilato as he travels across Dublin, Edinburgh and Glasgow in October 2009 celebrating the 25th anniversary of Day Of The Dead and witness him meeting the fans, reciting his most famous lines from the movie - live and on stage - and drinking with the best of them! 


Calum Waddell also penned the ‘For Every Dawn There Is A Day’ collector’s booklet, which is an essay on the making of the movie that collects brand new interviews with Romero, Savini, editor Pasquale Buba, assistant director/composer John Harrison and actors Joe Pilato, Lori Cardille and Gary Steele.

The two-disc 25th Anniversary Edition Day Of The Dead (cert. 18) will be released on Blu-ray (£24.99) by Arrow Video on 29th March 2010.

Special Features
Four sleeve art options; double-sided fold-out poster; ‘For Every Dawn There Is A Day’ collector’s booklet; ‘Day Of The Dead: Desertion’ – an all new exclusive 24-page collector’s comic featuring new Bub storyline; 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio and 1.0 Mono audio options.

Disc One (Blu-ray)
Theatrical feature; audio commentary with special effects team of Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Everett Burrell and Mike Deak; Joe Of The Dead – Acting In A Romero Classic; Travelogue Of The Dead.

Disc Two (DVD)
The Many Days Of The Dead; Behind the Zombies footage; Romero Zombography;Photo Album of the Dead; Souvenirs of the Dead; Night Of The Living Dead trailer; Dawn Of The Dead trailer; TV Ads of the Dead; The Audio Recollections of Richard Liberty; Wampum Mine promo.

Purchase the film here.

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

There’s always been an intriguing element to a small town in jeopardy that never fails to entertain me. It could be because I read too many Stephen King novels as a child; which has instilled that love of small town terror deep within my subconscious, or maybe it’s the fact that I live in a small-ish city in a small country within Britain (Wales) which helps add to the ‘small town America’ vibe? All I know is its infectious; even the worst of the ‘small town in terror’ films can bring a smile to my face – especially when it’s the mayor’s fault for all the ensuing carnage! Those fucking Mayors’ ruin everything!

Back in the 70’s, small towns weren’t safe from anything; sharks, bears, frogs, rabbits, bees… Worms! Anything exploitation masterminds deemed worthy would get a shot a crushing a town. Kingdom of the Spiders carries on with this tradition and gives Spidy a shot at causing some chaos – a good decade before Arachnophobia scared the pants off of us too I may add. If the thought of tarantulas ruining a small town wasn’t appetite whetting enough, they only went and cast William Shatner as the hero of the piece! Dig it.


A slight warning to lovers of the eight legged blighters, this film should probably be avoided!

Verde Valley, Arizona is a rural town that survives off of agriculture, when veterinarian ‘Rack’ Hansen (Shats) receives a call from a local farmer whose prize calf has fallen mysteriously ill. Blood samples sent to a near-by university state that the calf perished as a result of spider venom, but what spider could bring down a calf? Diane Ashley (the lovely Tiffany Bolling) is sent in to help establish what is going on and prove to everyone that a spider was behind the murder of the animal. She is met with much scepticism, until they discover a huge spider hill containing hundreds of tarantulas not too far from the farm. An annual fare is approaching and the mayor (Roy Engel) arranges for a plane full of pesticide to spray the land believing it will kill the spiders, Diane protests but she is denied and chaos inevitably ensues!

It transpires that chemical pesticides have evolved the species from a cannibalistic arachnid into a carnivorous predator of men, women, children, cattle and dogs! This is where the fun comes in, watching as tarantulas lazily bumble towards their intended prey and watching as actors are covered in live spiders; that roam freely over their bodies! It’s enough to give any arachnophobe the willies. It may not be original, but god damn it’s a lot of fun! First of all, for a PG rated film, this has some pretty horrific moments on offer – one including a woman who shoots a tarantula off her hand only to have the bullet rip threw the beast and plough through her hand, taking off multiple fingers… nice!

For a low budget ‘nature amok’ film, this is quality stuff. It’s utter exploitation in execution and that’s the reason I had a warm reaction to it, it knows what it is, what it has to deliver and sets out to deliver - in spades. The acting is hammy in a 70’s soap opera kinda way which is becoming more and more endearing as these films age I find, so judging on your tolerance for ‘good’ bad acting then you may have a hoot with this element too. The biggest joy however is from the spiders, those evil, evil tarantulas that can bring down anything they apply themselves upon, even aeroplanes!
It’s hard to find a flaw in Kingdom of the Spiders when viewed through B-movie goggles, those looking for them may want to seek Xanax and mellow out. Yes it’s cheesy, yes the country singing intro sucks, yes that is library music, yes that’s William Shatner in a fetching salmon pink shirt and yes, those spiders are being run over by a police cruiser! The death of all those arachnids is deplorable, unless you have that certain phobia of course, but this was made in different times and the fun of the premise overrides the horrors of squished spiders; hell, I’m sure most viewers will be more concerned – hopefully - by the fact that children get covered in live tarantulas.

This is a mean spirited little film, made all the more remarkable for the fact it was granted a PG certificate! How far we’ve come aye? Few films truly earn ‘Cult’ status these days, but Kingdom of the Spiders makes it look effortless, it’s a one-of-a-kind film that could never be made today and for that reason alone it deserves a place on any horror, sci-fi and exploitation collectors shelving. Not sure how the film would go down with the BBFC these days, do they care about spiders getting killed onscreen? Or must the animal be fluffy and have a tail before such footage is removed? I hope we get the chance of finding out one day if a company is willing to take the risk on this fun, trashy, exceptionally entertaining little title that comes highly recommended.

Purchase the DVD here.

Stay tuned for more nature amok film reviews, coming soooon...

Anthropophagus: The Beast (1980)

Anthropophagus: The Beast
(Aka, The Grim Reaper)

Joe D’Amato remains a personal favourite of mine, so this will be somewhat biased, as I’m apparently blind to the flaws within his productions. I wouldn’t class it as blindness, more so being ‘tuned in’ with the man’s style and approach. There’s something about this man’s work ethic and execution that I admire; the soft photography, the random interludes (some call it filler), hell; even his shoddy day-for-night shots all bring a smile to my face. It would appear that he’s Jess Franco with an added ‘Marmite’ factor, but damnit do I respect him.

Anthropophagus remains something of a cult favourite because of two scenes that feature pretty tasteless violence, but for me the overall execution of the film is what makes it a ‘cult’ film. The fact it was made by a holidaying film crew adds charm to the film that serious productions cannot capture. You get a ‘wish you were here’ feeling from the film as D’Amato treats us to gratuitous travelogue episodes throughout the film’s introduction; witness the Greek guards at the palace gates seemingly breaking for lunch in rather dramatic fashion or the semi-bustling streets with passers-by not expecting to be caught on camera and quickly removing themselves form the shot!

The film starts with the murder of two German tourists, after the woman discovers an abandoned rowboat just off the beach they are visiting; she is soon dragged underwater and dispatched, shortly after her boyfriend receives a meat clever to the face; presumably for the gigantic headphones he’s wearing, or the God awful music that’s coming from them? One thing’s certain - we’ll never know for sure. I personally pin it on those headphones. Once the story starts proper we are introduced to a band of merry tourists who have come to the Greek islands for some fun in the sun, and maybe even some romance.

What they do find when they arrive at their destination is a deserted island. No inhabitants, vacant property after vacant property. Upon investigation of house they find a blind girl hidden in a huge vat of wine, brandishing a large kitchen knife and clearly afraid for her life. Once calm she explains to the group that it was a man, a man who smells of blood, who did this to the island. It’s little too late though, as he’s found them first and proceeds to pick ‘em off one by one by one…
I have to admit, the premise of deserted island retreats really appeals to me. There’s something about the ‘holiday from hell’ set-up that really grabs hold of my attention and continuously intrigues me. Add in the beautiful, sun-drenched, coastal setting and you have me hooked for however long you want me, I’m like brainwashed infant for material like this. Meeting horror in paradise is hardly an original staple in the horror genre, but it remains underused in my opinion; last years A Perfect Getaway is a more recent example of an average movie made better by horrible shit happening in a beautiful part of the world.

The writer and co-star of the movie, George Eastman (Luigi Montefori), has gone on record and said this was a money making excursion; as was most of his work with D’Amato, but whatever the reasons behind the films genesis it doesn’t stop the film from being fun. All involved are clearly enjoying themselves, and who can blame them, which rubs off on the viewer; just so long as they don’t suffer from jealousy. As lazy as the production feels at times - new drinking game: spot the visible camera equipment - this never takes away from my enjoyment of the film, if anything it makes it endearing. I’m sure many will find these same elements infuriating or even mundane; but that’s beauty of Joe D’Amato, if movies are somehow beyond criticism in the traditional sense. He’s openly making product for the monetary gain and didn’t view himself as an artist, he’s a businessman at heart and what he’s done is incorporate all the staples he believes will create an entertaining horror film and bundled them together, as such, if you don’t find his effort bearable, it wasn’t marketed towards you. Just like Marmite.

And then there’s the controversy. Here in Britain the film was no stranger to the general public, footage appeared on news reports, its cover in newspapers and eventually earned itself a ‘Video Nasty’ credential for a scene in which Eastman’s character strangles a pregnant character and removes her foetus and proceeds to eat it raw. The scene is certainly in poor taste, that’s undeniable, but the lengths in which the moral brigade went to prove the film obscene is just as offensive, they believed that the filmmakers actually films the extraction of the foetus and claimed as such in their outcries to the media. I’m no surgeon, but with my limited knowledge of biology can tell that a developed human embryo does not look like a skinned rabbit covered in acrylic-red fake blood! The fact that politicians and government officials believed this is a truly depressing realisation of life in Britain during the 80’s.

As much as I want to hate the people who rallied for the films demise, I really need to be thankful for them. Had they not have created such furore over a small-time independent film from Italy, regardless if they genuinely thought that it threatened the minds and lives of the British public or not, would I be aware of its existence? If anything, all their hard work as cemented that the film lives on forever; waiting to be found by future cult film enthusiasts like myself for decades to come. The film may not be available uncut on British shores still, it’s been 30 years people; can we at least attempt to get his on retailers shelves once again… please? The world is aware that movies are movies and not demonic entities created by soulless devils with nothing but corruption of youth and general decency in their hearts, it was made by a couple of Italians out to make a buck, now who can begrudge that?

Purchase the DVD: Here

Black Emanuelle: Beautiful Decadence

The seventies would not have been the same had the exploits of one globe-trotting, not to mention bed-hopping, journalist Emanuelle not had taken place. Imagine it, if you dare. It's like trying to imagine a world where the Germans won World War II and Elvis hadn't got fat. There’s something timeless, not unlike fat-period Elvis, which brings legions of sleaze-hounds back to the lovely image of Laura Gemser's exquisite breas… looks, time and time again... And lets us not forget D'Amato's fine cinematography, of course.

I'm going to shoot-the-shit over two of the harsher entries in the Black Emanuelle franchise, Emanuelle Around the World and the infamous Emanuelle in America! So, lock the missus/fella under the stairs (or don't), close the curtains and get ready for pubic hair, I mean, exploitation overload!Emanuelle Around the World:
Emanuelle's back to take you places you've never been before!
D'Amato wastes no time in getting Gemser in the buff, in fact the opening shot sees our spunky lass doing a trucker (porn legend Paul Thomas) in the back of his wagon; a little 'thank you' for the lift – lucky, lucky man! Moving swiftly on, Emanuelle is wooed by the suave Dr. Malcolm Robertson (Ivan Rassimov) who, unlike Emanuelle, won't jump into the sack with any ol' skank and before she has time to set her hooks in she is whisked away on assignment too India to interview a 'love guru' by the name of Shanti (George Eastman).

While in India she learns of an 'out of sight' ring that specializes in white slaves. The young lady who whets Emanuelle's whistle talks of a near fatal rape by the hands of five goons, upon hearing this Emanuelle takes it upon herself to smash this ring... that is until she learns of the fellow journalist Cora Norman (porn queen Karin Shubert) is following the same leads and shares the same goal. Joining forces they set out to bring these filthy pigs down. One sex scene at a time.

Although not on the levels of depravity as the film discussed later, Emanuelle Around the World contains some thoroughly questionable material. The XXX European version will have many sleaze-hounds trying to pick their jaws up from off the floor as Joe D'Amato serves up one shock piece after another. Scenes such as the disfigured crime boss (sporting a ugly-ass fake yellow, eye!) raping a poor woman who, you guessed it, starts to enjoy the experience halfway through really pushes the limits of taste and decency... and D'Amato is just getting started! What follows can only be described as sick, wrong, perverted and something your parents should never know you've witnessed.
When we aren't graced with obscenity, the film still remains engaging and very entertaining. Nico Fidenco has created one of the finest soundtracks in the Black Emanuelle canon, each track is a guilty pleasure for fans of Italian exploitation and will have your head continuously bobbing. It also remains the most ambitious of all Emanuelle films, with filming taking place on location in the US, Rome, India, Tehran and Hong Kong, it's a film that really does live up to its title. It may also feature the biggest T&A count out of all the Emanuelle films – which is no small feat, I can assure you.

As shocking, entertaining and funktastic as Emanuelle Around the World is, it still remains an intriguing runner-up to exploitations Holy-grail – Emanuelle in America. A film that reviles and attracts as many unsuspecting fans now as it did way back when. Just when you had thought you'd seen it all, along comes...

Emanuelle in America:
No one is ever the same after . . . Emanuelle.

This is the one you've read about over and over, heard all the rumors about the graphic material contained within it, but is it really as down and dirty as you've heard? Well... Yes, it is. Very much so. This is the film that dares to go where only D'Amato would dare to go; which means pretty much anywhere he wants to... and he's dragging you with him. Whether or not you’ll be kicking and screaming is strictly down to your threshold for the wrong, vile and perverted.

The film starts off innocently enough, with the attempted rape of our heroine by some bible bashing nut-job! Once Emanuelle has turned him on to the ways of free love, he flees with a new found appreciation of ‘loose’ women; whom he previously held in contempt. Once the story starts proper, Emanuelle is investigating a hot lead regarding a possible harem of women which turns out is funded by a gun smuggling operation which in turn has connections to a ring in the Caribbean that offers rich women the chance to live out sexual fantasies with buff men, which finally leads our journalist to stumble upon a brutal South American snuff ring with connections to high-powered diplomats! Phew, all in a days work aye?
So, is Emanuelle in America the ‘ultimate’ exploitation movie? It’s certainly a contender and depending on your acceptance levels for bad taste then this might very well top the list. The hardcore sex won’t shock anyone, its standard 70’s smut; so be prepared for plenty of body hair and flabby bellies! Come to think of it, that might be shocking enough for some viewers, but the real meat and veg of the shocks is found in the final third of the movie, once Emanuelle has stumbled onto the evil South American snuff cartel.
To say the material is shocking, even by today’s hardened standards, is an insult to the legacy of Joe D’Amato. Without this film it’s impossible to imagine what the general consensus on the snuff ‘look’ would be. Here we have grainy 8mm footage, no sound, and lots of horrible, horrible acts being performed in front of the camera. It’s revolting in its depiction, but it’s also extremely realistic in its execution. I won’t go into details as to the content, but for those who believe they’ve ‘seen it all’ and haven’t witnessed this cinematic atrocity may want to track this down and prepare to feel violated.
These ambitious little adventures are two down and dirty movies that are required viewing for anyone interested in furthering their exploitation knowledge, or even thinking of treading that dangerous ground that is 70’s Grindhouse roughies. They’re grimy and skuzzy, but also oddly gripping and engaging: mostly down to Gemser and her willingness to un-robe at every given chance and/or requests from D’Amato; who clearly enjoys seeing his lead in next to nothing – constantly! Another reason why these films are so endearing is their soundtracks, Nico Fidenco has done stellar work on the franchise and these two classicks contain some of his catchiest music. Those with a fondness for 70’s funk will no doubt want to purchase both Black Emanuelle boxsets available from Severin Films as they come with the music contained within the films.

The Black Emanuelle series is a true classic for the Exploitation genre and remains a treasure trove for enthusiasts; those who haven’t taken the plunge yet really owe it to themselves to check out a truly legendary series of movies. D’Amato may not have started the franchise, but sure-as-shit claimed it for himself!
The Black Emanuelle films are:

Black Emanuelle (aka, Emanuelle Nera, dir: Bitto Albertini, 1975)

Black Emanuelle 2 (aka, Emanuelle Nera No. 2, dir: Bitto Albertini 1976)

Emanuelle in Bangkok (aka, Emanuelle nera: Orient reportage, dir: Joe D’Amato, 1976)

Emanuelle in America (dir: Joe D’Amato, 1977)

Emanuelle Around the World (aka, Emanuelle - Perché violenza alle donne? dir: Joe D’Amato, 1977)

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (aka, Emanuelle e gli ultimi cannibali, dir: Joe D’Amato, 1977)

Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade (aka, La via della prostituzione, dir: Joe D’Amato, 1978)

Other films have been released in English speaking territories with Gemser playing the Emanuelle character, which was added to the dub and was not intended to be part of the series, these films are:

Emmanuelle on Taboo Island (aka. La Spiaggia del desiderio, dir: Enzo D'Ambrosio & Humberto Morales, 1976)

Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle (aka. Velluto nero, dir: Brunello Rondi, 1976)

Sister Emanuelle (dir: Giuseppe Vari, 1977)

Emanuelle and the Porno Nights (aka. Emanuelle, Erotic Nights, aka, Emanuelle E Le Porno Notti, aka, Emanuelle E Le Pornonotti Nel Mondo, aka, Emmanuelle the Seductress, aka, Porno Exotic Love, aka, Sexy Night Report, aka, Emanuelle e le porno Notti Nel Mondo no. 2. dir: Joe D’Amato & Bruno Mattei, 1977)

Emanuelle in the Country (aka. L'Infermiera di campagna, dir: Mario Bianchi, 1978)

Emanuelle: Queen of Sados (aka. Mavri Emmanouella, dir: Elia Milonakos, 1979)

Divine Emanuelle (aka. Die Todesgöttin des Liebescamps, dir: Christian Anders, 1981)

Emanuelle: Queen of the Desert (aka. La Belva dalle calda pelle, dir: Bruno Fontana, 1982)

Emanuelle Escapes from Hell (aka. Emanuelle fuga dall'inferno, dir: Bruno Mattei, 1983)

Violence in a Women's Prison (aka. Violenza in un carcere femminile, aka, Caged Women, aka. Violence in a Women's Prison, aka. Emanuelle in Hell, aka. Emanuelle Reports from a Women's Prison, dir: Bruno Mattei, 1982)

Severin Films have released two great boxsets that any cult film fan should own: Here and Here.