THE PRINCESS AND THE CALL GIRL

Radley Metzger, 1984

Starring: Carol Levy, Victor Bevine, Shannah Hall

In an erotic riff on Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, where two identical boys from very different worlds trade places, Metzger’s final, disappointing film has a wealthy débutante and a call girl switch lives just for kicks. Old college friends, they just happen to be identical. Audrey, the socialite, is about to get married, and Lucy, the call girl, needs someone to fill in for her at work. They trades places so Audrey can have a hedonistic, sex-filled weekend around Europe before tying the knot and Lucy can get a break from work. 

The lovely Carol Levy (The Chosen, Alone in the Dark) stars alongside TV actor Victor Bevine (Star Trek: First Contact), and Shannah Hall, all three of whom were also in Gérard Loubeau’s Les fantasmes de Miss Jones, which was scripted by Metzger. Oh wait... Surprise! That’s not a real movie, it’s just the French version of The Princess and the Call Girl. This film is actually a French-U.S. coproduction, which allows for some lovely sets and dual versions of the film, but there's not much else worth mentioning. Levy gives a decent performance as both Audrey and Lucy and overall is charming and charismatic, but she is not enough to rescue the lagging plot or silly proceedings. 

For Metzger completists, this film is mildly entertaining, but everyone else should probably avoid it. Also keep in mind that this is a softcore, not a hardcore film. It is along the same vein as French and Italian sex comedies, but fails to reach the ribald heights of the some of the best in that genre. The sex is very, very tame, despite the fact that one of the central characters is a call girl. It is also simply too low budget to compete with some of Metzger’s loveliest films, despite the amount of time spent walking around France and the Mediterranean. It also lacks Metzger’s trademark humor and wit, which is sorely missed, instead leaving us with some very sad attempts at humor. Overall, the funny moments in this film are unfortunately unintentional. 

There is a decent DVD from Image as part of their Radley Metzger series, though you would be better served checking out some of Metzger’s mid-period hardcore films like Naked Came the Stranger, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, and Barbara Broadcast, among others. It is somewhat sad that this was Metzger’s last feature film, but fortunately in the last few years he’s had a revival where a number of DVD companies like Image and Distribpix have restored and released his film on special edition DVD and Blu-ray. 

THE TALE OF TIFFANY LUST

Gérard Kikoïne, Radley Metzger, 1981

Starring: Dominique Saint Claire, Veronica Hart, Desiree Cousteau, Vanessa del Rio

Though credit is typically only given to French sex film director Gérard Kikoïne (Lady Libertine, Fire Under the Skin, Edge of Sanity, Education of the Baroness), Radley Metzger had a hand in writing and producing this film and it is also believed that he co-directed. A bored, wealthy housewife named Tiffany is tired of being lonely and sexually frustrated. She makes an appointment with a call girl named Betty. They have a brief lesbian affair, where Betty gives Tiffany a few pointers, and then Betty sends her out on a journey. She goes to meet sexy radio host Florence Nightingale. Florence allows people to have sex with her in front of a live audience. 

Starring French porn actress Dominique Saint Claire, Veronica Hart (Indecent Exposure, Private Schoolgirls, Boogie Nights), and Desiree Cousteau (Hot Lunch, The Ecstasy Girls), this film is chock full of bit parts from early ‘80s porn stars. Morgane, Vanessa del Rio (who is hilarious as Florence Nightingale), Samantha Fox (no, not the pop singer), George Payne (The Sperminator, Stray Cats, Blonde Ambition), Merle Michaels (Debbie Does Dallas, Jack n’ Jill), and even Ron Jeremy appear, among several others. 

Tiffany Lust is an entertaining, early ‘80s sex film, and combines a mix of raunchy sex and more restrained scenes of erotica. Florence is the real highlight of the film and gives her audience pointers about such things as oral sex, which she demonstrates with gusto, as well as anal, where she is partnered with Ron Jeremy. Tiffany herself is more of a frustrated observer, though she witnesses many kinky encounters as she learns to embrace the sexual side of her identity. 

Though enjoyable, this is nowhere near the best hardcore films of Radley Metzger. There are plenty of sex scenes, but the film sometime suffers from slow pacing. Metzger’s trademark humor and witty dialogue is fortunately on hand and this is enhanced by some good performances. Overall I would only recommend this to fans of late ‘70s/early ‘80s porn or Metzger completists. As far as I’m aware, this is not available on DVD, though you can find it online. 

MARASCHINO CHERRY

Radley Metzger, 1978

Starring: Gloria Leonard, Lesllie Bovee, Jenny Baxter, Annette Haven, Constance Money, C.J. Laing

Metzger’s last hardcore film, which he directed under the pseudonym Henry Paris, is a stylish but lesser effort, particularly compared to his masterpiece The Opening of Misty Beethoven. The titular Maraschino Cherry is the madame of a very fancy brothel in New York City. Her younger sister arrives and announces that she, too, wants to be part of the business, so Cherry begins to teach her everything she knows. Much of the film is made up of exchanges with clients at the brothel or reflects back on stories that have happened with some of their more interesting clients. 

High Society publisher and porn legend Gloria Leonard stars, though there are nice appearances from Lesllie Bovee (The Ecstasy Girls), Annette Haven (star of Metzger’s previous film Barbara Broadcast), C.J. Laing (Barbara Broadcast), Constance Money (star of The Opening of Misty Beethoven), Wade Nichols (Jail Bait, Barbara Broadcast), prolific porn actor Eric Edwards, and Jenny Baxter (Bloodsucking Freaks) as Cherry’s sister. Though all of these talented, experienced actors deliver good performances, they cannot overcome the incomplete script. One of the main issues with Maraschino Cherry is that many of the scenes - particularly those with Annette Haven, C.J. Laing, and Constance Money - were outtakes from some of Metzger’s previous films and were cut in to fill in the running time of Maraschino Cherry. Though a lot of these vignettes are sexy and entertaining, this doesn’t feel like a complete film, particularly considering that most of Metzger’s hardcore films have such strong narratives. Still, it’s great to see Annette Haven’s lovely piano-top scene and C.J. Laing’s final moments in a dungeon. 

I’m not sure if I should recommend Maraschino Cherry. It is certainly not among Metzger’s best films, but it is more entertaining and well-made than the bulk of ‘70s porn. It has Metzger’s trademark humor, witty dialogue, stunning visuals, and imaginative sets. It also has an abundance of blow jobs, but lacks Metzger’s typical sexual variety. There are still a few key moments, such as a man who orgasms every time he sneezes, the dungeon scene that concludes the film, and a few lesbian scenes that save this from being a total waste of time. If you've not seen any Metzger films, definitely don't start here, but Metzger fans and '70s porn completists will want to check it out. 

Distribpix has released this as part of their Platinum Elite series, which is a two-disc collection. The print has been restored from the 35mm negative and looks as good as it probably ever well. There are a number of nice extras, such as an interview with Gloria Leonard, trailers, stills, some extra scenes, and a booklet from Benson Hurst. Distribpix always does a great job with their releases, particularly of Metzger’s work. 

BARBARA BROADCAST

Radley Metzger, 1977

Starring: Annette Haven, C.J. Laing, Constance Money, Jamie Gillis

Nothing can compare to Metzger’s masterpiece, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, but his somewhat surreal follow up film, Barbara Broadcast, ranks as my second favorite Metzger work and still has plenty to surprise and delight viewers. A reporter meets up with a famous, high class prostitute at a New York restaurant to interview her. Like Misty’s character in Misty Beethoven, Barbara Broadcast enjoys sex work and has written a book on the subject. It turns out during their luncheon that food is not the only thing on the menu and the reporter gets to know herself - and Barbara - much better than she anticipated during the course of the day. 

There are some fantastically imaginative elements in Barbara Broadcast, particularly during the opening scene in the restaurant. Like Metzger’s sexual airplane service in Misty Beethoven, there are a number of unexpected things on the menu, such as lots and lots of oral sex, as well as a “special sauce” your waiter could prepare right in front of you. The restaurant scenes make the film more than worthy of your time. There is a fair amount of sex throughout, all of it pretty standard and heterosexual, except the affair between Barbara and the reporter (in a disco) at the end of the film and the concluding non-hardcore bondage scene. 

Porn legend Annette Haven is perfect in the starring role and is easily one of the most beautiful women in ‘70s porn, though C.J. Laing is also quite good (and adventurous) as the naive reporter. Constance Money and Jamie Gillis, stars of Misty Beethoven, appear again here as a pimp named Curly and his number one lady. Their erotic bondage scene at the end of Barbara Broadcast was actually a leftover shot from Misty Beethoven. This technique of including extra sex scenes shot elsewhere gives Barbara Broadcast - and Metzger’s final films in general - a choppy feel that is somewhat rescued by smooth editing techniques but fails to rise to the level of his classics like Misty Beethoven, The Image, and Naked Came the Stranger. 

Barbara Broadcast is incredibly raunchy, funny, and erotic, with a decent script, though characterization doesn’t quite reach the excellent level seen in Misty Beethoven and the plot relies mostly on a series of sexual vignettes. The cinematography and sets are beautiful, as always, giving this film more of an art house feel than most ‘70s porn. There’s a basic VCA DVD release, though I would wait for the upcoming Distribpix Blu-ray, which will be restored under the watchful eye of Metzger himself and will probably be chock full of extras. The VCA extras include a commentary track with Jamie Gillis and another porn legend, Gloria Leonard, who would star in Metzger’s next and last hardcore film, Maraschino Cherry, but does not appear in Barbara Broadcast. Mostly Gillis and Leonard give an informative talk about the adult film industry and their work with Metzger. 

THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and Interview with Distribpix

Radley Metzger, 1976

Starring: Constance Money, Jamie Gillis, Jacqueline Beudant, Gloria Leonard, Terri Hall

Though I’ve reviewed a lot of Radley Metzger films over the last month or so, his masterpiece is undoubtedly The Opening of Misty Beethoven, a hilarious, erotic take on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, which also inspired the more famous Audrey Hepburn vehicle My Fair Lady. A sexologist, Dr. Seymour Love, is picked up by a cheap prostitute in Paris and decides to challenge himself and see if he can turn her into a high class, talented mistress of sex. The titular Misty Beethoven goes through a variety of training sequences until she is ready for her first test - seducing a gay artist. During this time she realizes that she has feelings for Love, but he frequently puts her down, obsessed with his own skill as a sexologist. Her ultimate goal is to seduce a famous jet setter and become the year’s Goldenrod Girl (kind of like Playboy Playmate of the Year).  

After she successfully accomplishes this, Love again congratulates himself and insults Misty. When she leaves, he realizes that he is in love with her. Unlike the ending to Pygmalion, she returns to him, except in typical Metzger fashion, Misty is a strong female character and has to have the last word. She winds up taking over the sex school and writing the book that Love planned to write with him happily (and subserviently) at her side. 

The big budget and beautiful locations (Paris, Rome, New York) help to make this one of the most amazing porn films of all time. Despite the numerous sex scenes, this feels more like a ‘70s art house film that happens to include sex in its plot, rather than simply a sex film stretching to fill its running time with loosely constructed plot material. There is a real script and developed characters that we come to care about. This also has some of the finest moments of Metzger’s trademark humor and satire. These elements are typically absent from sex films, but definitely makes Misty Beethoven (and the work of a handful of other directors like Deep Throat’s Gerard Damiano) stand out. One scene in particular involves Misty helping out a sex-challenged man at the opera. While they have sex, the “William Tell Overture” plays to great effect. The soundtrack in general is very well done, with one track oddly sounding like one of the Goblin songs from Dario Argento’s Suspiria. 

The acting is surprisingly wonderful. The innocent-looking, beautiful Constance Money is perfect as Misty Beethoven and I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. The late, great Jamie Gillis is wonderful as Dr. Love. Shaw’s Colonel Pickering character, Henry Higgins’ associate, is transformed into Geraldine Rich, Dr. Love’s friend, played by the lovely Jacqueline Beudant. There are also some great supporting roles from porn regular Terri Hall, Ras Kean, Gloria Leonard, and Casey Donovan as the gay artist. 

There is a lot of sex in this film. Though there are some scenes that advance the plot forward, probably 75% of the film involves at least basic sex acts. This runs the gamut of heterosexual and lesbian sex, though there are almost constant blow jobs, because that is the act in particular that Misty has to master. Metzger enjoyed experimentation in his films and this was the first porn film with a major theatrical release to feature pegging (Misty fucks the jet setter with a strap on while he is having sex with his wife)! The great mix of traditional and experimental, humorous and erotic sex is one of the many things that sets this incredible film apart. 

The wonderful, dedicated Distribpix rescued Misty Beethoven for a lovely, crowd-funded Blu-ray that is probably the most impressive release of 2012. The print was taken directly from Metzger himself and lovingly restored with his supervision. Two versions of Misty Beethoven are available, the “hot” or XXX print, and the “cool” or softcore version. Distribpix has also returned the film to its original 1.85.1 aspect ratio and presented it in an AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer. Another reason this release is well worth the purchasing price is because of the amount of extras. Beginning with a very insightful commentary track from Metzger himself, there is a second track with High Society publisher Gloria Leonard that serves as a good introduction to ‘70s sex films. 

The 45 minute documentary Behind the Scenes of Misty is indispensable for fans of the film, as is the final interview with co-star Jamie Gillis before his 2010 death. There is a featurette showing the restoration process of the film, plus a “Pop Up Video” style subtitle track that shares information about Misty Beethoven while you watch it. There are also dozens of outtakes, deleted scenes, radio spots, posters, promotional material, and trailers. The 60 page booklet is also a great read and has some essays about Misty and porn chic from Benson Hurst, as well as some collectible cards. I simply cannot say enough good things about either this film or the Distribpix release and both come with the highest recommendation. 

Steven from Distribpix was kind enough to answer a few questions about how The Opening of Misty Beethoven Blu-ray release came to be. 

Satanic Pandemonium: This Misty Beethoven release is amazing. Why did you seek out crowd funding to make it possible?

Distribpix: We really sought out crowd funding to help boost the awareness of the film's restoration, as well as raise some of the money to go toward the Blu-ray process, which is so darn expensive.

SP: How did you make the incredible amount of extras happen?

DP: The amount of extras all happened because we took our time, dedicated hundreds of hours to the project and had the cooperation of some great people all over the world, like our team of language translators and historians.

SP: Was it difficult to get the rights for the film?

DP: The rights to the film were obtained when Distribpix entered into a license agreement with Metzger for the films.

SP: What releases are on the horizon for Distribpix?

DP: Many releases are on the horizon - mainly Metzger's next film, Barbara Broadcast, and many other films that have been recently transferred in HD.

SP: What is your dream movie to have restored on Blu-ray?

DP: When you say dream movie, I am assuming you mean 'adult film' from our archive, if so, I would say that I am looking forward to restore the 1976 classic, Through The Looking Glass, by Jonas Middleton. I have the elements and it has a grand cult following. With some kool extras and custom art, it might be a great package.

SP: What’s your favorite adult film?

DP: As for my favorite adult film, that is so hard to say. For now I will just say Misty Beethoven!! I also love Weston's Take Off and Chuck Vincent’s Roommates. 

Thanks to Steven and Distribpix for such dedication and such an amazing release! I can't wait to see what they do with Barbara Broadcast, my second favorite Metzger film after Misty Beethoven. 

THE IMAGE

Radley Metzger, 1975

Starring: Mary Mendum aka Rebecca Brooke, Carl Parker, Marilyn Roberts

Continuing with his series of excellent softcore and hardcore films that led up to Metzger’s masterpiece, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, comes The Image, one of his most beautiful and most erotic works. At a party in Paris, Jean meets up with an old acquaintance, Claire, and is smitten with her friend, the beautiful but quiet Anne. He begins spending time with Claire and Anne and learns that their friendship is not a normal one - they both enjoy S&M and Anne is Claire’s slave. Jean becomes more obsessed with Anne, who has to do whatever Claire commands. Claire kindly shares her, leading them on a number of adventures, though their threesome is not really as it seems. 

Though this is technically a hardcore film (Metzger directed it under his porn pseudonym, Henry Paris) and there’s plenty of nudity, there is little in the way of explicit sex. There are a number of scenes of unsimulated fingering and oral sex, but there is no visible vaginal penetration, though the latter is implied in two scenes towards the end of the film. Most of the erotic scenes are sadomasochistic and thus relatively unconventional fare for '70s sex films. Anne, who is not allowed to wear underwear throughout the course of the film, is pleasured with a rose and then punished with its thorns. She is forced to publicly urinate in a garden and to stand at an expensive tea house while Jean and Claire finger her from behind, among other things. She engages in a threesome with Jean and a lingerie assistant while shopping for new (crotchless) underwear. On the more extreme side, she is repeatedly tied up and whipped, and also jabbed with needles. Claire forces her to pleasure Jean and in one scene it is unclear whether or not Jean is raping her. Probably not a film for everyone. 

All three stars give good performances, though Carl Parker’s (the saucy telephone repairman from Metzger’s Score) Jean sadly narrates much of the film. This was a typical ‘60s/early ‘70s convention, but it will undoubtedly seem cheesy to modern viewers. Mary Mendum (Laura’s Toys, among others, credited here as Rebecca Brooke) is excellent as the icy, reticent, and vulnerable Anne who suffers and enjoys a number of increasingly violent and humiliating punishments. I think the real star is Marilyn Roberts (Looking for Mr. Goodbar), who becomes more beautiful and seductive as the film progresses. 

Though not everyone will enjoy The Image, I think it is one of Metzger’s most erotic and beautifully shot films with some incredible set pieces. Also known as The Punishment of Anne and The Mistress and the Slave, like so many of Metzger’s other films, this has a literary source and is based on Jean de Berg aka Catherine Robbe-Grillet’s (wife of writer and director Alain Robbe-Grillet) novel of the same name. Though there is some extreme subject matter, this is a subtle love story in the vein of Pauline Reage’s Story of O. In the beginning of the film, Claire shows Jean a series of photographs depicting Anne in a sadomasochistic sexual scenario. The titular image, a picture of a naked woman that is clearly not Anne, sparks Jean’s interest. He comes to realize it is Claire, leading to their developing interest in one another that results in a surprisingly romantic and vanilla conclusion. 

Synapse lovingly restored The Image and released it on Blu-ray. It looks amazing, though there are sadly no real special features other than some fluff and nice liner notes from Nathaniel Thompson. Hopefully Arrow or Distribpix will get ahold of this sometime soon, because I would love a commentary track from Metzger. 

DEBBIE DOES DALLAS

Jim Clark, 1978

Starring: Bambi Woods, Christie Ford, Robert Kerman, Robin Byrd

Though Debbie Does Dallas is known as one of the classic porn films of the ‘70s alongside The Opening of Misty Beethoven, The Devil in Miss Jones, Behind the Green Door, and others, it sadly does not live up to its reputation. Or its title, as Debbie does not in fact go to Dallas or have sex with any of its residents. Instead, the titular Debbie is captain of her high school cheerleading squad and is accepted to try out for the prestigious Dallas team, the Texas Cowgirls (a spoof of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders). Her parents don’t support this, so Debbie and the rest of the cheerleaders are forced to go elsewhere to raise funds for Debbie’s trip to Dallas. 

To no one’s great surprise, the girls realize they can’t raise much money in two weeks doing odd jobs, so Debbie and five of her cheerleader friends resort to exchanging sexual favors for cash from a variety of gentlemen around town. The sex honestly isn’t that exciting, particularly compared to other, more imaginative films from the period. There is a nice group sex scene in the school showers, though much of the film's action is focused on Debbie and her lecherous boss, Mr. Greenfield. He convinces her to give him some mild sexual favors in exchange for money, eventually resulting in a conclusion featuring Debbie’s only true sex scene: oral and vaginal sex with Mr. Greenfield in a few different positions. There are a few tame threesomes, lots of oral sex, a bit of masturbation, and a brief scene of anal sex with one of the other cheerleaders. The ending is sadly just a scene of Debbie having sex with Mr. Greenfield; we never learn whether or not she makes it to the audition or how many people she has sex with in Dallas. 

Part of Debbie’s fame is that the spoof of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders resulted in a law suit due to a trademark violation of the film’s cheerleaders wearing similar costumes as the Cowboys Cheerleaders in both the film and on the famous promotional poster. The case, known as The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders v. Pussycat Cinema, undoubtedly would have made a more entertaining film. The DCC even managed to get the film banned from being shown in a few New York theaters, which was helped along by some obscenity charges. 

The acting is pretty atrocious and the film unfortunately lacks a compelling central star. Debbie herself is played by the vacant-eyed Bambi Woods, who either can’t seem to remember her dialogue or intentionally gives the most boring and deadpan delivery in any porn film. She doesn’t have a whole lot of sex in the film and “disappeared” (aka retired) a few years after Debbie was made, leading to her mystifying popularity. There are some decent performances from Robert Kerman as her lecherous teacher, and porn regulars Eric Edwards, Merle Michaels, and Arcadia Lake. Though the plot is pretty fast moving, the cheerleaders aren’t memorable and it’s difficult to keep the characters straight sometimes. 

Unsurprisingly, Debbie inspired many, many sequels. There are 7 or more follow up films to Debbie Does Dallas, including the wonderfully titled Debbie Does the Devil in Dallas, and spin offs like Debbie Does New Orleans, Debbie Does Wall Street, Debbie Does Iowa, Debbie Goes to College, Debbie Does 'Em All, and many more. There was also a misguided musical version that made it to Off-Broadway, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical. Debbie itself is only worth watching if you love ‘70s camp or if you have a perpetual hard-on for cheerleaders. It is almost unforgivably cheesy and doesn’t have nearly enough sex scenes to make up for the times when we have to listen to Debbie talk. Jim Clark (Screw Magazine editor) doesn’t do a very competent job with directing, either.

Media Blasters released a remastered version of the film on 2-disc DVD as part of their Raincoat Theater label, though I believe it is out of print. This includes a restored, uncut hardcore print of the film, plus a shorter, softcore, edited for TV version. There are a number of trailers from other sex films from the period, as well as two audio commentaries, though both are more about the adult film industry in the ‘70s and less specifically about Debbie Does Dallas. The first commentary is from porn actress Robin Byrd, who appears here in a bit role. The second is from film historian Charles Berstene. 

BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR

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THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Jonas Middleton, 1976

Starring: Catherine Erhardt aka Catherine Burgess, Jamie Gillis, Laura Nicholson

I initially watched Through the Looking Glass with the expectation that it was a loose sequel to Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Comedy (1976), because Through the Looking-Glass was Lewis Carroll’s follow up to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. That could not be farther from the truth. Where Alice is a silly, sexploitation musical comedy about Alice’s sexual awakening and does not take itself seriously in the least, Through the Looking Glass is a surreal, horror-porn with ghosts, demons, incest, sexual trauma, and images of hell. 

A beautiful woman, Catherine, is dissatisfied with her seemingly perfect life. She becomes obsessed with an attic room in her family’s mansion and coldly ignores her husband and teenage daughter to retreat to the attic, where she masturbates in front of a floor length mirror. Her masturbatory practices are soon interrupted by a ghost, who aggressively fingers her. This ghost later turns into a three-dimensional female demon that she has sex with, and eventually into her father. It is revealed that he sexually abused her when she was a teenager, though she is excited by these encounters. When the demon tries to entice her to enter the mirror in the attic room, she begs her husband to take her away, but he won’t believe her. Unable to resist, she enters the mirror and is trapped in a desert-like hell dimension with other beings who endlessly engage in wanton sexual acts. 

This somewhat experimental sex film is incredibly jarring, particularly if you were expecting a light-hearted, sex-positive ‘70s porn romp, as I was. This is likely one of the few hardcore films from this era that deals with sexual assault (at one point the demon rapes Catherine from behind) and incest. Both taboo and somewhat tasteless, Catherine fears the demon's attempts to draw her into the mirror, but craves sexual encounters with her father. Through the Looking Glass has several flashback and fantasy sequences, including one Buñuelian scene of a garden lunch party that turns into an orgy, and another that recounts Catherine’s sexual awakening at the hands of her father. Catherine later begins to exhibit the same treatment towards her teenage daughter, fondling her and telling her that she is almost a woman. 

The beautiful Catherine Erhardt (aka Burgess) has some very ‘80s hair going on for much of the time, but is otherwise perfect in a difficult, uncomfortable role. She is better known for her starring role in Al Adamson’s enjoyable cheesy Cinderella 2000. Porn star Jamie Gillis (The Opening of Misty Beethoven, The Story of Joanna and many, many more) is excellent as the father/demon character, bringing a mix of menace and eroticism. Keep an eye out for appearances by porn actresses Ultramax (no, I did not make that up) and Terri Hall, both of whom appear in other sex films from the period, including Alice in Wonderland. Weirdly, the score was composed by Harry Manfredini, later responsible for scoring most of the Friday the 13th series and several other ‘80s and ‘90s horror films. 

I’m not sure if I can recommend this disturbing and utterly bizarre film. It is somewhat slow moving and there are some lengthy scenes between sex acts. Many viewers are also likely to be disturbed by Catherine’s main fantasy: being fucked by her father. I would say this is more of an arty, psychological horror film with sex and less an outright hardcore film, though there are a fairly wide range of sexual scenes. Catherine masturbates frequently and graphically, including one scene where the camera (standing in for the ghost) penetrates her, allowing viewers to see up into her vagina canal. A little too medical for me. There is lesbian and heterosexual sex, lots of oral sex, and only one scene that is non-fantastic or non-supernatural, where a jealous maid deep throats the chauffeur so that he stops fantasizing about Catherine. Though the sex scenes are convincing and well shot, it would be fair to classify nearly all of them as anti-erotic, due to the subject matter. 

Though it had a relatively high budget, Through the Looking Glass looks a lot like a made-for-TV movie from the early ‘80s, despite the beautiful mansion and some imaginative sets. Hopefully this gets the attention of a company like Image, because a restoration would probably go a long way. I really can’t decide whether or not to recommend Through the Looking Glass, but it is worth seeing for anyone who likes bizarre or uncomfortable sex films and it would make a very interesting double feature with The Devil in Miss Jones (for example, both films have scenes where someone gets fucked with a banana). As with other sex films from this period, there are both hardcore and softcore versions available, though if you're going to watch it, go with the uncut version, which is available on DVD from the wonderful Distribpix. 

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: AN X-RATED MUSICAL COMEDY

Bud Townsend, 1976

Starring: Kristine DeBell, Ron Nelson, Larry Gelman, Bradford Armdexter

“Who do I have to fuck to get out of this movie?”

Less than a hardcore porn film, but somewhat more than a sexploitation movie, this sort of faithful version of Alice in Wonderland contains graphic sex scenes, comedy, and a number of elaborate musical and dance numbers. Yes, if you had not heard of this before, it is a musical, pornographic version of Alice in Wonderland.

The virginal Alice angers her boyfriend when she keeps rejecting his advances. She realizes that she might have a little growing up to do and falls asleep reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. A white rabbit guides her through wonderland, full of woodland creatures, fantasy, music, and sex. If you’ve read Lewis Carroll’s original story or seen the Disney movie (or another one of the many adaptations), this is very easy to follow and sticks relatively close to the original story, but with many surreal and totally not family-friendly surprises. 

The white rabbit fortunately doesn’t engage in any sex acts, but there are a number of other Carroll characters that do. The woodland creatures fish Alice out of the water and lick her dry, putting their tongues in a number of places she doesn’t expect. Humpty Dumpty, who has fallen off a large wall, is unable to get an erection until Alice administers to him. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are male and female twins who can’t stop having sex with each other. The Mad Hatter encourages Alice to give him oral sex at his tea party and she gets caught having a tryst with the King of Hearts. The enraged Queen of Hearts declares that Alice must give her head in retribution and there is a trial to decide whether or not she is guilty. After this excitement, she decides she is ready to go back to her boyfriend and finally have sex with him. 

Playboy model Kristine DeBell stars as Alice. She’s not the greatest actress, but she brings a genuine charm to the role. She went on to appear in Meatballs, BJ and the Bear, Nightcourt, etc. I can’t imagine making a film today that requires actors to act, sing, dance, and have sex, but director Bud Townsend certainly made it happen. Though the costumes are rather silly and a lot of the dance numbers are sloppy, there is a genuine enthusiasm and tongue in cheek approach to the film that makes it well worth viewing. Alice was produced by Bill Osco, also responsible for the sexy version of Flash Gordon, the aptly titled Flesh Gordon. 

The real reason to see Alice is because films like this simply don’t exist anymore. It’s undeniably cheesy, occasionally stupid, and has some very low production values, but is still incredibly fun and surreal. Anyone who loves bizarre movies has to see this and fans of musicals owe it to themselves to mix it up a bit and leave Rogers and Hammerstein behind for awhile. There are some serious songs about how Alice knows she has to mature and learn to follow her dreams, but there are also some great numbers like “What’s a Nice Girl Doing on a Knight Like This,” when Alice and co. encounter a knight and his paramour going to town in the middle of the woods. 

The sex is more comical than erotic, but it is a little mind blowing to see dancing, stripping nurses trying to “cheer up” Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledee and Tweedledum enthusiastically sixty-nine-ing each other. Alice doesn’t engage in too much sex (apparently a double was used during her only vaginal sex scene at the end of the film) and her scenes are particularly amusing. Make sure to check out the scene where she masturbates on top of a talking rock. 

Keep in mind that there are two versions of this film, as it was originally released as a softcore movie. The R-rated softcore version is 78 minutes, while the X-rated version is 81 minutes. Not a whole lot of difference, really. Each version has a bizarre title roll introduction that explains whether or not the hardcore footage is included. Subversive Cinema released a restored DVD that includes both versions, but the uncut film is also available online.

THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES

Gerard Damiano, 1973

Starring: Georgina Spelvin, John Clemens, Harry Reams, Marc Stevens

There once was a lady Miss Jones,

determined to jump someone’s bones.

She found her true niche 

in a cock sandwich,

but her pleasure the Devil postponed.

Why yes, I did compose a limerick in honor of The Devil in Miss Jones, one of the best porn films of all time. Gerard Damiano, director of another classic, Deep Throat, created one of the first hardcore films with a serious plot, a capable lead actress, and a surprisingly melancholic tone. It was co-produced by Harry Reems (here Reams), star of Deep Throat and one of the most popular ‘70s porn actors, partly due to his arrest for the Deep Throat-related obscenity trial. 

The untraditional but excellent Georgina Spelvin stars as the titular Miss Jones, a virtuous woman thoroughly unsatisfied with her life. After she kills herself, she learns she is going to be sent to Hell, because of her suicide. Mr. Abaca, a sort of otherworldly counselor, takes pity on her because of her dull, pleasureless life, and gives her a window of time to return and experience everything she missed out on. A teacher (Harry Reams) introduces her to oral, anal, and vaginal sex, which turns her into a nymphomaniac. She goes on to have an oiled down lesbian encounter, a few masturbatory experiences with a bowl of fruit, a python, and a shower hose, a blow job-heavy threesome with a man and another woman, and - drumroll, please - cinema’s first double penetration scene during the final MMF threesome. Then Miss Jones is sent to a No Exit-like Hell, a place where she craves pleasure, but will eternally receive none, as her only company is a man (a cameo from Damiano) more interested in flies than sex. 

Though this film stands out because of its imaginative sex scenes and depressing, melodramatic plot, star Georgina Spelvin is the real reason to see this film. Spelvin, who was 36 at the time the film was made, does not look like a conventional porn star, but is thoroughly erotic in every scene of the film and I could not imagine another actor in her place. She went on to do more porn films after this, but is utterly fearless here. 

One of the most popular porn films of all time, The Devil in Miss Jones premiered in New York and was occasionally shown as a double bill with Deep Throat and broke the box office record for a porn film. It was popular enough to require 8 sequels and a remake (with Jenna Jameson) over the years, some of which have small appearances from Spelvin. 

The film is dated, particularly if you are only used to watching contemporary, fake-looking porn, and the pre-suicide beginning should be avoided, if possible, but I cannot recommend The Devil in Miss Jones strongly enough. There’s an excellent double-disc DVD from Media Blasters/Raincoat that includes some wonderful special features. The first disc includes a great commentary from Damiano, which is worth the price of this release alone. The second disc includes the cut, TV print of the film, which lacks all direct hardcore shots. There’s a wonderful, lengthy interview with Spelvin, a handful of trailers, a photo gallery, etc.

Don’t confuse this with The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), a comedy starring Jean Arthur. 

NAKED CAME THE STRANGER

Radley Metzger, 1975

Starring: Darby Lloyd Rains, Levi Richards, Mary Stuart

After The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann, Naked Came the Stranger is Metzger’s second hardcore film, which he directed under the pseudonym Henry Paris. Naked Came the Stranger is one of Metzger’s finest films and is a great example of his wonderful use of style and humor. Married couple Gilly and Billy have their own radio show together. Gilly learns that Billy is having an affair with their assistant Phyllis. To get revenge, she begins a few affairs of their own with their friends and acquaintances. She spies on Billy and Phyllis and masturbates, then has a few other illicit (and occasionally comic) encounters. This culminates in a successful affair with Phyllis. 

Like most of Metzger’s other films, Naked Came the Stranger was inspired by a book of the same name. Allegedly thought to be written by a housewife, the novel was a hoax organized by a group of Newsday journalists intended to make fun of what they perceived as the poor quality of contemporary American literary culture. When the book became a best seller, they revealed the hoax, only making the book more popular.

Though this is a hardcore film, there is not a whole lot of explicit sex. Oral sex is maybe more prominent than it should be, far outweighing scenes of vaginal intercourse. What really makes Naked Came the Stranger stand out is the wonderful humor and strong acting from star Darby Lloyd Rains, who is probably one of the few actresses to give a really solid performance in a porn film. The humor and whimsy that developed in Metzger’s earlier films is on full display here and would continue to be a prominent element of his later hardcore and softcore films. The plot is fast moving and never dallies too far from the sex scenes. 

The ‘70s New York set is another delight and by this point in his career, Metzger’s style and camerawork is so refined that it puts other porn films from this era (or any other) to shame. There are a lot of wonderful locations, including a tap dance scene in an empty swimming pool and the mansion where The Great Gatsby was supposedly written. My favorite is probably the sex scene on the second floor of a double decker bus cruising around Manhattan during the daytime, allegedly shot without a permit. Metzger also deftly incorporates sound (and silence) into this film; one inventive scene in particular, shot in black and white, is reminiscent of the silent era of Hollywood. 

This isn’t Metzger’s best film, but it is well worth seeing and would provide a great introduction to those new to Metzger or ‘70s erotica. Smart, stylish, sexy, and funny, you could do a lot worse in terms of hardcore films. The wonderful DistribPix has restored and released a special edition version of Naked Came the Stranger, along with releases of some of Metzger’s other films: Maraschino Cherry, The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann, and one of the best releases in recent memory, a crowd-funded Blu-ray of Metzger’s masterpiece, The Opening of Misty Beethoven. Naked Came the Stranger is an all region release with a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation, English mono and Dolby Digital audio, and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. The special features make this well worth purchasing. There’s an incredible commentary from Metzger, a number of featurettes, and an impressive 40 page pamphlet with tons of information about the making of the film. Highly recommended. 

THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN

Radley Metzger, 1974

Starring: Barbara Bourbon, Sonny Landham, Darby Lloyd Rains

"She needs a cock down her throat the way another woman needs a chocolate cake down her throat."

After making a series of semi-successful softcore films, Radley Metzger adopted the pseudonym Henry Paris and churned out five of the most interesting hardcore films of the ‘70s, possibly ever made. Though The Opening of Misty Beethoven is undeniably his classic, The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann is his first and one of his best. A housewife, the titular Pamela Mann, goes on a series of adventures and her wealthy, paranoid husband sends a private investigator after her to see what (or who) she’s up to. She deep throats a random stranger on the Brooklyn Bridge, visits a hooker, distracts a conservative politician, gets kidnapped and raped by would-be revolutionaries, etc. There is a nice little twist ending that gives the whole affair a satirical note and explains away the rape fantasy sequence for those of you instantly enraged by the rape segment.  

Like Metzger’s artsy softcore film, The Lickerish Quartet, Pamela Mann is full of humor, twists, and plot complexities usually absent in hardcore porn films. As a result, it lends itself to repeat viewing and the sex is predictable enough that it would probably be safe to recommend to anyone interested in erotica but afraid of anything too hardcore. The sex scenes are fairly short (not like that doozy of a couple-swapping scene in Metzger’s Score) with a focus on oral sex, and there is nothing too transgressive at work. The movie is packed with visual and verbal jokes, including a running gag where a hippy polling girl repeatedly questions Pamela to allegedly give the film some socially redeeming value.

It is also clear that this is Metzger’s (ahem, Henry Paris) first hardcore film, so things don’t run as smoothly as in some of his later works. The sex scenes feel a little forced (not in a non-consensual way, despite that rape fantasy) or almost amateur, and the character development is rather lacking, but it is an enjoyable film regardless. The cinematography of ‘70s New York is particularly fascinating and will be a point of interest for many cinephiles, along with the film’s refreshingly self-aware tone. 

In addition to the stylish visuals and surprisingly developed plot, the film is full of familiar faces, at least for followers of ‘70s porn. The very sexy Barbara Bourbon, who stars as Pamela, sadly wasn’t in many films, though she is absolutely wonderful here. Sonny Landham (The Passions of Carol, Slippery When Wet, The Warriors, Poltergeist, Predator) makes an appearance as a politician. I have had a crush on him since Predator, where many of you will recognize him as Billy, one of the mercenaries. Darby Lloyd Rains (Naked Came the Stranger, Linda Lovelace Meets Miss Jones, Every Inch a Lady and many more) is one of the rapists and famous genre star Jamie Gillis makes an appearance as his partner in crime, though he barely appears in the cut, softcore version of the film. Prolific performer Eric Edwards (over 350 titles including Great Sexpectations and Laura’s Toys) also appears, as does one of my favorite sex film stars, Georgina Spelvin (Devil in Miss Jones), who has a part as the saucy prostitute. 

The wonderful Distribpix released the ultimate edition of Pamela Mann, a restored, two-disc delight that is chock full of special features. Though it is hard to compare anything to their stunning, crowd-funded release of The Opening of Misty Beethoven, this is definitely the best edition of Pamela Mann available and likely better than anyone could have expected. The first disc presents the remastered, uncut, hardcore version of the film, plus a wonderful commentary track with Metzger, a lengthy interview with Eric Edwards, and a Pamela Mann trailer. The second disc includes the softcore version, a substantial interview with Georgina Spelvin, and a series of featurettes focusing on the New York-based locations. Also included is a lovely booklet with a series of essays about the film. So far out of all the Metzger films I've reviewed, Pamela Mann is at the top of the list and the Distribpix release is a wonder to behold. 

DEEP THROAT

Gerard Damiano aka Jerry Gerard, 1972

Starring: Harry Reems, Linda Lovelace, Dolly Sharp

“There should be bells ringing, dams bursting, bombs going off!”

Linda, played by genre icon Linda Lovelace, has never had an orgasm. She asks one of her friends for advice and even attends a sex party, but, only winding up more frustrated, goes to a doctor that her friend recommends. The doctor (Harry Reems) discovers that Linda has a unique birth defect: her clitoris is in the back of her throat. Thus, the only way she can achieve orgasm is by performing deep throat (oral sex requiring no gag reflex, for anyone born under a rock) on the good doctor and a variety of his sexually frustrated patients, acting as a sort of literal sex therapist. 

Perhaps the most famous porn film of all time, Gerard Damiano’s Deep Throat kicked off a brief period of “porn chic,” where it was fashionable to see and talk about porn films. Deep Throat was one of the first hardcore films to have a very high budget for the time period, as well as a detailed plot, some actual character development, and a sizable dollop of humor, including such scenes as fireworks going off during Linda’s long overdue first orgasm. It was shown in some mainstream theaters and reviewed in major publications like the New York Times. 

Deep Throat has also been the source of a number of different controversies. Producer Louis Peraino helped fund the film with money from his father Anthony Peraino, a member of the Colombo mafia family in New York. The mob, known for funding porn, claimed the film made $600 million dollars at the box office, though this is likely grossly inflated. Although initially signed up for a one-third share, Damiano was paid a sum after the film’s release and then forced out of the partnership. Part of the money he was denied allegedly also came from laundering, drugs, and prostitution rackets. The FBI has estimated that the film made $100 million dollars, still a sizable sum for a ‘70s porn film. 

Beginning with growing instances of the film being banned -- at one point 23 states in the U.S., as well as a number of countries -- Deep Throat was also part of a lengthy obscenity trial. Mature Enterprises, which owned one of the theaters in New York screening the film, was taken to trial for the promotion of obscene materials. The film was ruled obscene, skyrocketing it to fame. In 1976 there were more cases charging a variety of people involved with the film, including star Harry Reems, for distributing obscenity across state lines. Well-known actors, film critics, and even a psychiatrist testified on the film’s behalf, but convictions were still upheld. Not too long after, Reems eventually got his overturned with public and Hollywood support. 

“Mind if I smoke while you’re eating?”

Linda Lovelace aka Linda Boreman was the source of yet more controversy. Despite achieving almost instant fame from her role in Deep Throat and writing a number of sex-positive biographies, she later embraced anti-porn feminism and recanted. She claimed her husband sexually and physically abused her and then forced her into porn and prostitution. She stated that watching her performance in Deep Throat akin to watching a woman’s rape. While the abuse is most likely true, and I sympathize, I call bullshit that her performance in Deep Throat was anything other than consensual and enthusiastic. She later changed her mind again and appeared in a porn magazine tribute to fans of Deep Throat. I would call her a hypocrite of the highest order, but Linda passed away in 2002 after a car crash. RIP, lady. 

Damiano, who got his start as a hair dresser, directed a number of other well-known porn films from the period, including The Devil in Miss Jones and The Story of Joanna. Like Radley Metzger, Damiano’s portrayal of female characters is generally positive and, in the case of Deep Throat’s Linda, represents a woman’s search for pleasure. Many of his films are highly recommended for fans of sex films and ‘70s cult movies. Deep Throat, in particular, is a must-see, simply for its cultural importance. Also RIP to Damiano, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 80 after a stroke. It's a shame he was never able to do a commentary track for Deep Throat, but a number of interesting interviews exist. 

Arrow Films released the movie on DVD, along with other ‘70s porn classics like Alice in Wonderland and Debbie Does Dallas as part of their fantastic cult cinema catalogue. I'm hoping that Deep Throat gets a restored version with special features sometime soon. I also highly recommend the recent documentary Inside Deep Throat. 

"The End. And Deep Throat to you all."

SCORE

Radley Metzger, 1974

Starring: Claire Wilbur, Calvin Culver, Lynn Lowry, Gerald Grant, Carl Parker

"Jack, I'd hop in the sack with a porcupine if it struck my fancy."

A bisexual married couple pursues a younger, more conservative, newly married couple one night during a dinner party. Though the couple resists at first, a day and night of straight and gay sex, couple swapping, anal sex, lots of oral sex, a strap-on, amyl nitrates, role playing and costumes, drugs, and even an affair with the telephone repair man ensues. Metzger’s film is one of the first to portray bisexuality, which he does in an open and nonjudgemental manner. Score refers to the score kept between husband and wife about the number of people (presumably of the same sex) each have seduced. It is based on an off-Broadway play from 1971 by Jerry Douglas, which included a young Sylvester Stallone in a bit part as the telephone repairman. 

While Metzger changed the play very little other than the setting - moving it from Queens to an imaginary city in Europe - he made two different versions of the film, one softcore and the other hardcore in order to give the film wider potential distribution. This U.S.-Yugoslavian co-production is another of Metzger’s early ‘70s films shot in Croatia, but this looks more lush and inviting than something like Little Mother, which had the same location. The is the least stylish of Metzger’s mid-period films, but still includes some interesting camera angles and textures, namely during the often dizzying sex scenes. There is also a lot of very funny visual innuendo, not quite on the level of Austin Powers; in that neighborhood but much sexier. 

The film puts more of an emphasis on drama and dialogue than it does on sex, and while I enjoyed it, I literally fell asleep during the very long, very tame sex scene at the climax of the film. This is the first time I have ever fallen asleep watching a sex scene. Despite this, there are actually some very erotic moments and the actors are all lovely and bring a certain amount of humor and frankness. Though Lynn Lowry is perhaps the best known due to her roles in The Crazies, I Drink Your Blood, and Shivers, Claire Wilbur steals the film with the sheer amount of charm and sassiness that drives the plot forward. Calvin Culver (aka gay porn star Casey Donovan early in his career, playing a reluctantly gay husband in a straight marriage) and Gerald Grant don’t do a whole lot other than skip off in costumes and seduce each other, but they do it well. 

Arrow Video released a U.K., yet region-free Blu-ray in February as part of a Metzger trilogy with Camille 2000 and The Lickerish Quartet. Like the other two releases, Score looks absolutely lovely and is similar in print quality to the Cult Epics Blu-ray, but this print was restored with supervision from Radley Metzger himself. There is an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and it is encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and a 1080p transfer. The release includes a lossless English LPCM 2.0 audio track with optional English subtitles. The soundtrack is clear, but somewhat aged, though this will only bother absolute perfectionists. There are a number of special features included, such as On the Set of Score, with plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, Keeping Score with Lynn Rowley, an interview, trailers, new sleeve artwork, and essays on the film from Robin Bougie. 

The only way that the Arrow release is inferior to the U.S. Cult Epics Blu-ray is that, unlike the fully uncut and hardcore version on the Cult Epics disc, the Arrow disc is bafflingly softcore and censored. It's difficult for me to recommend anything censored, but the disc is lovely and does have great special features. Obviously you should go with the uncut version, but as far as Metzger films go, you wouldn't be missing out too much with the softcore version of this film. If anyone recommends you watch a softcore version of something like The Opening of Misty Beethoven, slap them, hard, and without question. 

LITTLE MOTHER

Radley Metzger, 1973

Starring: Christiane Krüger, Mark Damon, Elga Sorbas, Anton Diffring

In some ways, Metzger’s Little Mother aka Mother is an anomaly in his early ‘70s catalog, tucked in between incredibly stylish erotic exploitation films like Camille 2000, The Lickerish Quartet, and Score. Make no mistake, Little Mother does contain some erotic scenes (orgy, anyone?) and the central character is a strong woman who gains her independence through sexual means, a la Carmen, Baby and Camille 2000, among others, but it seems that Metzger was trying to do something different and a little more ambitious with this film. Little Mother is actually a loose adaptation of the life of Eva Peron, which Metzger claimed he adapted before her story became famous around the world. 

The life of Metzger’s Peron stand-in, Marina Pinares, unfolds through a series of complicated flashbacks, where we see her rise from a birth in poverty to incredible political power and a possible presidency. In addition to prostituting herself, Marina is responsible for torture, betrayal, and almost constant power plays, particularly after she learns of her limited life sentence due to a terminal illness. She crushes a variety of friends and lovers under foot, namely her friend Annette, who parallels Marina’s story of partying, sex, and eventually syphilis, tuberculosis, and a murder planned by Marina. Her people, meanwhile, worship her, thinking she is generous, motherly, and almost saintly. 

Christiane Krüger is absolutely lovely in the role, though her accent and sometimes questionable acting ability occasionally gets in the way of what should be a compelling, charismatic performance. She is more masculine than most of the actresses chosen for Metzger’s films, but this generally works in his favor and he is able to overcome her stiffness with a few very sexy scenes, including one involving a glass shower door. Metzger’s regular collaborator, Hans Jura, is in charge of cinematography and makes the absolute most of the set. The result is a film that looks far more expensive than it actually cost to make, and, as always, stylish and elegant. 

Though the script, Croatian locations (it’s a beautiful country, but not so much here, where post-war poverty still lingers), and average performances don’t do anything in the film’s favor, it is still worth watching. It is certainly his weakest of the period, but only in the sense that the surrounding films are so strong, erotic, and imaginative. This mainly comes recommended for Metzger fans. It is interesting to see him attempt a historical drama with minimal eroticism, at least compared to his other early works, but it is ultimately a bit too ambitious. There is a decent DVD from Image/First Run that looks better than I expected it would, but keep in mind that this is still a relatively low budget early ‘70s film. 

THE LICKERISH QUARTET

Radley Metzger, 1970

Starring: Frank Wolff, Erika Remberg, Paolo Turco, Silvana Venturelli

Metzger’s last softcore film before he turned to hardcore movies under the pseudonym Henry Paris, The Lickerish Quartet is one of his finest and most surreal films, effectively putting his name on the top of the roster for ‘70s erotica. In a castle somewhere in Europe, a well-off couple and their adult son watch a porn film while trying to quell their endless boredom. Later, they go to a carnival and watch a death defying motorcycle act. One of the female performers appears to be the same woman from the film, so they take her home with them for what promises to be an intriguing night. But when they finally put the film on, it becomes a different entity entirely, reflecting the foursome’s varied desires, fantasies and personal histories. Soon their guest begins to seduce them each in turn, further changing the contents of the film and their lives. 

There is some stunning cinematography from regular Metzger collaborator Hans Jura and The Lickerish Quartet has some of Metzger’s most impressive early visuals. One of the first sex scenes, which takes place inside a highly stylized library, is incredibly impressive and alone makes the film worth watching. Though technically a U.S. film, this was shot in southern Italy at the beautiful Balsorano Castle. Between the labyrinthine castle and the lush surroundings, it seems that this could, at any moment, turn into a horror film (in fact several, including Bloody Pit of Horror, were shot here). This somewhat mind-bending film feels like it was co-directed by Jean Rollin (sans vampires) and was influenced by Pasolini’s Teorema. It was understandably praised by artist-filmmakers at the time, such as Andy Warhol. There’s a decent score from Stelvio Cipriani, though I unfortunately can’t think of him without recalling his brain-melting soundtrack to Sergio Martino’s The Great Alligator. 

Loosely based on Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, the mind games, winding dialogue, and attempts at characterization are all somewhat silly, but if you can look past those things and expect no more of the film than what a standard ‘70s erotica outing would typically offer, you will be very pleasantly surprised. Metzger’s clever use of desire and erotic tension is effective and he ultimately created a compelling meditation on the nature of memory, fantasy, and desire. The acting is average, but Silvana Venturelli, the “guest,” is beautiful and absolutely captivating. It’s a shame she didn’t have many other film roles other than this, Camille 2000 and small parts in a handful of Italian films from the period. 

The Lickerish Quartet comes highly recommended, particularly for fans of unusual erotica and anyone with a special interest in cinematography. It is one of my favorite Metzger films. British company Arrow Video released The Lickerish Quartet this February as a dual format Blu-ray and DVD as part of a trilogy of Metzger releases, along with Camille 2000 and Score. Don’t worry, the discs are region-free, so you can play them on anything. The restored print, an encoded MPEG-4 AVC print with a 1.86:1 aspect ratio and a 1080p transfer is presumably taken from the same source as the U.S. Cult Epics release, looks absolutely wonderful. The print is uncut for the first time in the U.K. and includes optional English subtitles. 

The lossless audio track is particularly stand out, making a few improvements over the Cult Epics release. Wonderful special features include an audio commentary with Metzger and film historian Michael Bowen, The Making of The Lickerish Quartet with behind-the-scenes footage, examples of toned down sex scenes, Giving Voice to the Quartet about the different audio tracks, and some more Metzger trailers. As with the other Arrow releases, there is an insert with all new artwork and a booklet with essays from Cinema Sewer’s Robin Bougie. 

STORY OF O

Just Jaeckin, 1975
Starring Corinne Clery, Udo Kier, Anthony Steel

A young, beautiful woman, known only as O (Corinne Clery), allows her boyfriend Rene (Udo Kier) to take her to Roissy, a chateau where she will be trained in the exquisite art of the samurai sword. Just kidding. She's actually being trained to be a sexual submissive. She will be beaten, blindfolded, gagged, ordered around and made sexually available to anyone who wants her, anytime, anyway, anyhow. She does this to prove her undying love for Rene, who is greatly pleased with her progress. Eventually Rene, who now "owns" her, gives her away to his closest friend, Sir Stephen. O and Sir Stephen have a more challenging relationship, which O initially resents, but they come to have a much closer, more intimate bond.

Based on Pauline Reage's famous novel of the same name, Histoire d'O is a difficult film to wrap your head around. I've read the novel many times, so I'm obviously biased in favor of the text. When both were released - about twenty years apart - there was a media shit storm about women's rights, decency, etc. I don't really see why anyone would make such a big deal. Everything that happens is between consensual adults. Nothing - implied rape, torture, branding, beatings and so on - happens without O's consent and she is asked several times if she wants to stay at Roissy, if she wants to stay with Sir Stephen and if she is alright with the things being done to her. Her answer is an unconditional yes.

I really loved this book growing up. I read it when I was way too young, but the author manages to transcend the shackles of normal smut, particularly bondage smut. Pauline Reage, the pen name for journalist Anne Desclos, surprised audiences by being female. She allegedly wrote the book as a love letter to her older, married lover. It came out later that the lover in question was Jean Paulhan, her boss, member of the Académie Française, writer, critic, and editor of the famous literary magazine Nouvelle Revue Française. He was a huge fan of Sade, which explains Declos' obvious inspiration. The novel is beautifully written, compassionate and details a woman's spiritual, transcendant experience. Though she endures such things as whippings and rape, these experiences bring her to a higher level of consciousness and closer to an ecstatic erasure of identity.

Of course, the film doesn't quite reach these heights, but its still a beautiful, competent work of erotica by the same director who gave us Emmanuelle. The acting is good for erotica of this period, particularly the sassy, sexy Corinne Clery (better known as the Bond girl in Moonraker who gets mauled to death by dogs and as the female lead in Yor, Hunter from the Future), though I wish we saw more of Udo Kier. Despite the subject matter, the film isn't particularly explicit. It was initially given an X/NC-17 rating, but you don't see a whole lot of explicit sex. There is a lot of female frontal nudity and at least half the film has a naked person in frame. The violence is tame and mostly not shown, as is the sex. You honestly can't even call most of this softcore.

The DVD is available on a barebones release that looks like it was transfered from someone's shitty VHS tape. And it's fullscreen. I managed to forget about this twenty minutes into the film, so Jaeckin is obviously doing something right with lush colors, beautiful women and elaborate scenery. Story of O does come recommended, but only to fans of '70s erotica.

Porn Studies

Americans undeniably have a fascination with porn stars. Whether people are avid fans or virulently trying to get porn banned, it is obviously captivating enough that certain stars, Ron Jeremy, Jenna Jameson, and Tracy Lords, among others, have become household names. In the last few years, a number of interesting studies have come out about what it means to be a porn star. Here are two recent examples that I thought were relevant to share during Golden Age of Porn month, to hopefully challenge some preconceived notions.  

The first is from November 2012 and was published in the Journal of Sex Research, which means that it is a peer reviewed study. Titled Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis, this is concerned with examining the psychological state of female porn stars. Stereotypically, porn stars are thought to be emotionally damaged, victims of abuse, drug users and/or morally bereft. According to them:

"The present study compared the self-reports of 177 porn actresses to a sample of women matched on age, ethnicity, and marital status. Comparisons were conducted on sexual behaviors and attitudes, self-esteem, quality of life, and drug use. Porn actresses were more likely to identify as bisexual, first had sex at an earlier age, had more sexual partners, were more concerned about contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and enjoyed sex more than the matched sample, although there were no differences in incidence of CSA. In terms of psychological characteristics, porn actresses had higher levels of self-esteem, positive feelings, social support, sexual satisfaction, and spirituality compared to the matched group. Last, female performers were more likely to have ever used 10 different types of drugs compared to the comparison group."

In other words, there is nothing to the idea that porn stars are “damaged goods.” Of course psychology is a soft science, interview subjects provide their own answers and are thus able to manipulate them, and this is a relatively small sample, but it is still encouraging. Read the full study by following the above link. 

The second study was not for a peer reviewed journal, but was undertaken and recently completed by Jon Millward, who went through the entire Internet Adult Film Database and looked at 10,000 porn stars to find out “what the average performer looks like, what they do on film, and how their role has evolved over the last forty years.” Working with the premise that the average American female porn star is blonde and busty, Millward learned that she is, in fact, a brunette B-cup. He also examined other factors, like whether these ladies on average have piercings or tattoos, how tall they are, how much they weigh, skin color/race, age, what type of sex acts they perform, how long they stay in the business, common names, and more, in order to come up with a demographic profile. Though he focuses more on women, men are also included in the study.

Visit his site to view a number of graphs and visuals and to read the full, fascinating report. It would be interesting to see how this could be further developed. Studies like these two help to dispel common myths about the porn industry. The Journal of Sex Research, which I mentioned above, is another great place to read more studies like these. 

And here’s some more food for thought: an article about the 20 richest porn stars, both men and women.