Erotic Europe
The Europeans have always been free and easy with on-screen eroticism, and in the late 1960s a wave of X-rated documentaries with suspicious titles like Censorship in Denmark: A New Approach began invading US cinemas, heralded by the Supreme Court’s ruling that the sex scenes in I Am Curious (Yellow) were not obscene. Many European productions were unafraid not just of sex but also social criticism, avant-garde experimentation, and psychological exploration. But amid the art were filmmakers like Jesús Franco who had no pretentions whatsoever and preferred to focus his zoom lens on his nude female starlets.
Links take you to the IMDd. Circled titles: A Point Blank Films fav!
2069: A Sex Odyssey (1974) 3/10
Five females from Venus come to Bavaria in search of sperm samples in idiotic sex comedy typical of its era; the best things about it are the title and poster.
The Beast (1975) 6/10
Walerian Borowczyk’s outrageous erotic horror features a bride-to-be encountering a beast with an ejaculating penis; grotesque but hilarious for open-minded audiences. aka La Bête
Bibi (1974) 4/10
Overlong Joseph Sarno lezsploitation from his Swedish period – interminable sex scenes and bad acting.
Camille 2000 (1969) 7/10
Good looking Radley Metzger production about orgiastic Roman lifestyles, a little long but with much to appreciate like the Italian haute couture design and fabulous lounge music score by Piero Piccioni.
Dangerous Obsession (1991) 4/10
A woman turns a would-be robber into her sex slave in late model Joe D’Amato entry hampered by poor acting.
The Devil Came from Akasava (1971) 4/10
One of Soledad Miranda’s last Jesús Franco movies, this has an absurd plot (something about minerals and zombies) and groovy Manfred Hübler-Siegfried Schwab score.
Devil in the Flesh (1969) 6/10
Psychosexual drama risqué for its era and still quite salacious today, with outrageous ending. aka Venus in Furs
Lucio Fulci’s version of 9½ Weeks – despite the sadomasochistic elements it’s one of the director’s lighter films (with some unintentionally hilarious moments).
Dirty Love (1988) 4/10
Vapid, with a horrible soundtrack, this plays like a racy version of Flashdance, with a central character who dances (or strips) at any opportunity.
Dorian Gray (1970) 7/10
Swinging London update of the Oscar Wilde story which adds nudity, garish outfits and, with bisexual Helmut Berger in the lead role, also makes the homosexual subtext explicit. aka The Secret of Dorian Gray
Eleven Days, Eleven Nights (1987) 7/10
A hit on video tape for sleaze merchant Joe D’Amato, this is essentially a rip-off of 9½ Weeks with roles reversed; spicy fun, and well-made, with New Orleans backdrops.
Eugenie (1970) 5/10
Christopher Lee embarrasses himself in Jesús Franco’s Marquis de Sade adaptation featuring lots of whipping, red filters, good looking Spanish locales and groovy Bruno Nicolai score. aka De Sade 70; Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey Into Perversion; Philosophy in the Boudoir
Fire Under the Skin (1985) 5/10
A handsome young man insinuates himself into a wealthy family – lots of degrading sex follows in misogynistic French sexploiter. aka Flesh and Fire
Swiss sexploiter from Erwin C. Dietrich with groupies, Hells Angels, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and a little Satanism; not a bad Euro trash travelogue from a forgotten era. aka Me, a Groupie
I Am a Nymphomaniac (1971) 5/10
A young woman falls down an elevator shaft and becomes a nymphomaniac which is as good a reason as any for Max Pécas who adds a bit of class (and plenty of beautiful women) to the softcore romping. aka Libido: The Urge to Love; The Sensuous Teenager
I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) 6/10
Curious quasi-doco about a society in transition, best known for its frank depictions of sex and nudity which caused a stir and made it a huge hit – but too long, too serious and too Swedish.
I Am Frigid... Why? (1972) 4/10
Doris is molested by her family and begins a sexual odyssey in another arty Max Pécas piece featuring groovy moments, a sex party beneath a pool and highly inappropriate advice from a psychiatrist.
Immoral Tales (1974) 6/10
Four tales (five including The Beast segment), this Walerian Borowczyk epic is as close to art as sex films get and though focussed on the female anatomy it must have confused the raincoat crowd.
Inga (1968) 5/10
Though its salaciousness has faded, this Swedish Sarno sexploiter was such a hit that the name Inga became synonymous with softcore porn; notable soundtrack by Benny and Björn from ABBA!
Corrine Clery is stranded at a rundown hotel and spies on her revolutionary neighbour, Bruce Robinson, in badly dubbed but mildly interesting sex drama.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1981) 5/10
D. H. Lawrence’s trashy novel is given straightforward treatment by Globus and Golan and the director of Emmanuelle; drawn-out and dull despite the salacious subject matter.
Last Tango in Paris (1972) 5/10
Much censored drama expertly directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and performed by Marlon Brando, but deeply unlikeable.
The Lickerish Quartet (1970) 6/10
Seduction in a decadent castle – this is an adventurous outing featuring many of Radley Metzger’s tropes such as his arty design, cinematography, score, sense of humour and unabashed sensuality.
Christina Lindberg travels to swinging Stockholm to visit her liberated sister; great for fans of 70s décor, this sexploiter achieved mainstream success but has understandably faded with time.
Mandinga (1976) 3/10
Mandingo knock-off that is just an endless parade of sexual shenanigans down on the plantation with an anti-slave statement tacked on the end.
The Margin (1976) 7/10
Joe Dallesandro becomes obsessed with prostitute Sylvia Kristel in this downbeat, dreamlike and fascinating Walerian Borowczyk sex drama with a notable 70s soundtrack. aka La Marge; The Streetwalker
Marquis de Sade’s Justine (1969) 5/10
Klaus Kinski plays the Marquis de Sade but doesn't go full tilt, and neither does Jesús Franco - in other words, it doesn't do what it says on the tin; great Bruno Nicolai score, though. aka Deadly Sanctuary; Justine
The New Adventures of Snow White (1969) 3/10
Perverse retelling of Grimms’ Fairy Tales with a guy in a bear suit, Cinderella’s sisters cutting off pieces of their feet, and Snow White sucking off a cow; an inexplicable hit in North America. aka Grimm’s Fairy Tales for Adults
The Sex Adventures of the Three Musketeers (1971) 2/10
The Three Musketeers tell bawdy stories in Erwin C. Dietrich sex comedy with bad sex and even worse comedy – leaving behind a series of bushy disrobing that is quite the endurance test.
She Killed in Ecstasy (1971) 5/10
Jesús Franco nonsense, but Soledad Miranda shines, the locations are pleasant, and the Manfred Hübler-Siegfried Schwab score is kitsch par excellence.
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac (1973) 4/10
A slightly better plot than usual doesn’t lead to a decent Jesús Franco sex film – mind-numbing stuff, with beautiful women but ugly men, and little to remember once it’s over. aka Diary of a Nymphomaniac
Six Swedes at a Pump (1980) 4/10
Six frequently nude petrol station attendants make love to their customers (when they’re not pleasuring themselves) in mildly amusing, thinly plotted sexploiter with one thing on its mind. aka High Test Girls
Six Swedish Girls in a Boarding School (1979) 3/10
First in a silly trilogy that sets the scene for the rest – nude frolics in the countryside, softcore action bordering on something more explicit, and camera squarely focussed on the vaginal region.
Six Swedish Girls in the Alps (1983) 2/10
Flaccid frolics in the Alps with zero plot – just an endless barrage of vaginas; if that doesn’t float your boat, you’ll want to yodel your way out of this one.
Skin Deep (1979) 7/10
Sunny Italian nudist comedy set in the Aeolian Islands from a more liberated time, with joie de vivre and likeable characters that make it work.
Arty sadomasochistic nonsense, with tons of female nudity, soft lighting, whipping, lesbianism and Udo Keir playing a convincing straight man; an interesting finale makes it worthwhile. aka Histoire d’O; Story of O
‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (1971) 6/10
A brother and sister fall in love and all hell breaks loose in lavish adaptation of a 17th century play which could have used more sleaze.
Top Model (1988) 5/10
Joe D’Amato returns to New Orleans for soft but sleazy bisexual love story. aka Eleven Days, Eleven Nights, Part 2