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Il labirinto dei sensi (1994)
One of Joe D'Amato's worst
How can you.destroy the power of.a good setting and decent cinematography? D'Amato has the answer. Presumably the weakest in his series of films shot in the Philippines and obviously inspired by L'amant and Indochine, this is one of the worst in the entire Joe D'Amato filmography, even counting his low-budget trash films.
The storyline is too simplistic and predictable, the characters too shallow and they do little to drive the plot. Editing is amateurish, alluding that the original reel had been butchered in a haphazard manner. The film is not in any way representative of Joe D'Amato's erotic cinema, let alone its 'Oriental' sub-set.
Tongue (1976)
LOW-BUDGET AND THEREFORE, UNINTENTIONALLY EXPERIMENTAL
Brigitte Maier was a major porn star in both Europe and America during the first half of the seventies and her presence seems to be the main attraction and apparently, the largest cost item for the film. Al Poe draws the most convincing portrait of a depressive porn stud ever on film and the film's mysterious director tries to make his/her best as well despite the poor script. It would possibly turn into a fringe and interesting experimental film if the producers' chief concern weren't to cash in on Maier's then already fading notoriety.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
A colossal crime family saga
Crime family saga is a cinematic sub-genre with more or less established conventions (mainly thanks to Godfather films) and it does not present comforable terrain to come up with original ideas. Anurag Kashyap and his crew securely overcome such obstacles and create a distinguished amalgam of particularism and universalism. The entire story is set in a very restricted locality (in and around Wasseypur and Dhanbad, except brief Varanasi sequences) and in specific periods of time but the themes it handles are thorougly universal in both time and space.
It may be argued that violence is aestheticized to an adamant degree but it is for granted that it is never gratuitous. Each depiction of violence has its own merit in progression of the story.
Traci's Fantasies (1986)
Traci Lords' porn career has become mythical and unfortunately apocryphal.
The comments in the 'review' by another user is full of possibly intentional errors and do not reflect Traci Lords' porn career and I just had the urge to deliberate.
Traci Lords was a major hit of the American porn scene almost from her first title, which made her perform with the most prominent actors of the genre such as Harry Reems, John Holmes, Hershel Savage, and Jamie Gillis, particularly in her early career. Naturally, they had notable age gap with Traci but such match-up was not purposeful. It is a simple rule of thumb that experience is the most precious asset of a male porn actor and porn directors of 'Class A' productions have recruited and still recruit actors well past their thirties. Traci's time, the so-called Golden Age was no exception.
As for the alleged ethnic 'preferences' of Traci Lords, again she was a 'Class A' porn actress and the American porn industry of the Golden Age was considerably sensitive on the racial divide. Many aspiring porn actresses dodged performing with black actors on the sole reason that such move could have them assigned to the less prestigious niche productions including interracial films. For example, Chanel Price was much older and although of particularly attractive physical traits, did not possess the qualities for prominence. Accordingly, she rather became the 'Queen of Spades'. Therefore, Traci did not have sex with any black actor (at least on camera) other than Billy Dee who was usually not considered black by many viewers and thus could not 'stain' a starlet's career. Quite racist, eh? Furthermore, regarding the statement that she had sex with Japanese actors, I assume that this refers to the film Traci Takes Tokyo. Sorry to disappoint you but Traci did not have sex with any Japanese actors in that film; they were all body-doubled by Puerto Rican porn actor Don Fernando.
Bôhachi bushidô: Sa burai (1974)
Darker & Bloodier
Takashi Harada's effort is neither a sequel nor a prequel to Teruo Ishii's but renders a nevertheless similar, sometimes parallel storyline. Although one may easily see this as an intrinsic disadvantage and possible turn-off, the film proves to be a major work since the outcome is remarkably different from Ishii's film. Goro Ibuki plays a nihilistic ronin who is bored of his life, Reiko Ike plays a Bohachi operative and nympho, Bin Amatsu plays a Bohachi boss who is ready to sacrifice everything and everyone for his own sake. Even though these main characters make the film sound more like a copy of Ishii's film, the depth characters are depicted proves just the opposite. Furthermore, whereas Ishii often resorts to 'sleaze' and gratuitous female nudity, Harada presents a coherent story without missing both simple and subtle aspects of cinema albeit it is certainly darker and bloodier. While Ishii's film may claim to be the 'porno jidaigeki' mentioned in its title, Harada's film well deserves to have the claim to being the 'film noir jidaigeki'.
Guangdong shi hu xing yi wu xi (1980)
Once upon a time in Guangdong (?)
This film is supposed to tell the story of real-life 19th century pugilists but, not surprisingly, it doesn't have the slightest concern for historical accuracy. The hairdressing is terrible, to start with. Most actors don't have their hair combed back, let alone shaved pates, and there we have lots of Bruce Lee clones wandering around and even an Elvis Presley in Lung Tien-hsiang. Another disappointment is Beggar So played by Phillip Kwok, which stands far too superficial compared to more down to earth depictions of the character. On the other hand, what gets me really going is the bad guys, Wong Lik portraying a very successful archvillain while Chan Shu-kei appears in the underrated role of a small "death on two legs". As for martial arts credits; although this film has a brilliant choreographers' portfolio, the empty hand scenes are very very average, Sun Chien being even well below it. However, the day is saved by the display of many exotic weapons (concealed, flexible, etc.) including the genuine "femme fatale" Mermaid's Tail, which you won't see much in those films. Nevertheless, I want to emphasise that the cast is magnificent, bringing a distinguished selection of Shaw Brothers martial art actors together and making this film a perfect...8!
Yi tin to lung gei: Moh gaau gaau jue (1993)
Epic fail
This will sure make fans of grotesque children's shows like X-Men happy but it is guaranteed to be a source of disappointment if not anger to viewers familiar with the atmosphere present in Jin Yong's writing. The film's basic handicap is its effort to shrink a lengthy epic (at least partially) to a standard theatrical run. In the course of the film, you can never know what genre it strives to be in. A regular MA film, period drama or straight slapstick comedy? Sexual jokes and especially the absurd depiction of Huashan (Wah San) cult members serve nothing but to dilute the effect of the setting. The character played by Sammo Hung would fit to any grey-haired, eccentric kung fu master but when it poses to be the portrayal of a mythical Chinese sage like Zhang Sanfeng (Chang San-fung), it becomes too light even to be taken seriously. Few reasons to see this one may be the distinguished acting of Jet Li and mesmerising beauty of Sharla Cheung. In a film with a little from everything, it is doubtful that you'll find anything. Wong Jing would have done better if he kept in waters he knows well. I'd prefer a "Naked Killer" Chingmy Yau for sure.
Jin ping mei (2008)
After a humane Ximen Qing
I have seen a number of Jin Ping Mei adaptations that take great liberties for creating a protagonist much more sympathetic than Ximen Qing (or Saimun Hing as you are likely to hear in Cantonese) is actually portrayed in the novel. Frankly, being a typical social parasite who uses his material wealth and other possible means to serve his sexual appetite and to ensure the subjugation of lesser people, he is no likable fellow at all. However, "Sex & Chopsticks" move further than its predecessors did and creates a rather compassionate background to Ximen Qing's exploits. Even his cruelest act, the murder of Lotus' husband is justified with his deep romantic interest in the woman. In this sense, the film suffers from some defects not very different from those shared by most adaptations of classical literary works. On the other hand, veteran Norman Chui presents the convincing portrait of a sexual gong fu master and Japanese actresses are really worth their respective roles. The story is continued in the second film and I wonder how it is handled in the follow-up.
Joy en Afrique (1992)
Can a tourism pamphlet and a glossy men's magazine together make an erotic masterpiece?
Significant as one of the latest decent examples of erotic cinema before the genre faded away to cable TV accessories, Joy en Afrique, as it is the case with all films of the series, basically plays to the Emmanuelle caricature: a sentimental but sexually adventurous beautiful young woman in exotic lands. However, some elements never really fit in because the Senegalese riviera stands too different from the dark 1970s backwaters Emmanuelle and her clones used to frequent, danger and eeriness all ridiculed by a gigantic touristic signboard that reads "Bienvenue au Sénégal". On the other hand, it marks a delightful display of Zara Whites and her efforts to make a name in softcore erotica that only "earned" her Roberto Malone in the end.
Caught from Behind V: Blondes & Blacks (1986)
How interracial porn looked in the 80s
This film is a "special edition" of a series focusing on anal sex, which was (and still is) portrayed marginally in American pornography. The story (if there is any) is about a girl whose suppressed interest in African American members of the opposite sex are invoked by her raunchy acquaintances. Starring tasty Buffy Davis is a big bonus for the film but I tend to think that it makes little justice on the late "queen of spades" Chanel Price who had emerged as kind of a specialist in the genre. Billy Dee is destined to be the male protagonist, however restless Blackeagle gets to steal his role to the finale. I have to add that dramatic effects in the scenes are smoothly maintained for such a porn video with fairly low production values.
Poruno jidaigeki: Bôhachi bushidô (1973)
For Teruo Ishii enthusiasts
This film is so typically an effort of Teruo Ishii, adhering strictly to a range of conventions enacted by the director himself, that one may have hardships in distinguishing it from his other works. As significant drawbacks, the protagonist has rather restrained expressions of his substantial nihilism and other characters are seemingly superficial, even to the extent of being trivial. For those who search for a glimpse of the dark and wicked Bohachi universe, I would better recommend Takashi Harada's inspiring masterpiece, which gets to reveal Goro Ibuki's true potential to incarnate a surrealistically genuine nihilistic yet overtly conscious character, opposed to the one he is assigned in this film.
Ching lau sap yee fong (1994)
A neatly rendered example of the genre
Although despised by most of today's viewers, these films have something lacked very much by recent Category III films: the mark of the erstwhile grandiose HK cinema. The film gives what it promises as a costumed erotic comedy. A chain of stories bound with pivotal characters such as a petty genius, sympathetic young lovers, a strict but compassionate madame, and a perverted evil-doer (played by brilliant Elvis Tsui), all employed to embed a light-hearted atmosphere into the cruel and often melodramatic world of a brothel in fictitious Ancient China. An interesting story is the one about the visiting Middle Eastern prostitute who nevertheless looks too Occidental, displaying an awkward blend of Chinese national pride and pragmatism.