Franchise
creator Bitto Albertini returns to the series with a failed attempt
to make an erotic thriller. Severin Films USA R0 boxset.
The Film
After the global success of the the erotic French film Emmanuelle
(1974) dozens of unofficial sequels and follow-ups were produced, none
more infamous than the Black Emanuelle films starring beautiful
Indonesian actress Laura Gemser. Although most of the films under the
Black Emanuelle title were helmed by Joe D'Amato, the original Emanuelle Nera
(1975) was shot by director Bitto Albertini. Finding his leading lady
poached, he decided to make his own sequel with a different Emanuelle,
and with an all new storyline.
The ex-model Emanuelle is
recovering in a mental institution, suffering from terrible delusions
and amnesia. Dr. Paul takes her as his personal patient and tries to
unlock the secret behind her trauma, but finds that she cannot even
recognise her own father, or former husband. When Dr. Paul's niece
tries to get involved for her own mysterious reasons, it seems like Emanuelle might never recover...
The
script, co-written by director Bitto Albertini, takes a completely
different tack to the usual pornographic travelogue films -
particularly the Joe D'Amato/Laura Gemser pairings. Instead he creates
an erotic drama/thriller, about a young woman who has lost her memory. The film
starts very well with some paranoid delusions, and some clever flashback sequences that are seen very differently
when told by Emanuelle or the others who were there, however it soon
descents into a rather motiveless mix of light sex and random
characters - a big 'twist' near the end makes no sense and seems to be
forgotten moments later. Ultimately this leaves the film quite slow
paced and it drags in several places. A few moments of light comedy seem to be awkwardly stuck in.
Albertini's
direction is quite strong, and the film generally looks good
throughout, although lacking the beautiful locations shoots of many of
the other films in the series. The contemporary soundtrack is rather
generic.
The
model Sharon Lesley is cast in the lead role here, her buxom and quite
full figure a complete contrast to the very slender Laura Gemser.
Unfortunately she is simply not good enough to hold the film down, and
despite a few good performances from the male leads, the film never
shines.
Starting off with a lot of promise, Black Emanuelle 2 tries
to be a completely different movie to the popular sleazy or erotic
Laura Gemser titles but it never suceeds. Although not without a few
enjoyable scenes, it is not recommended.
In Brief
Anyone famous in it?
No-one of note.
Directed by anyone interesting?
Bitto Albertini - a lesser known Italian director who helmed the original Black Emanuelle (1975) as well as Yellow Emanuelle (1977) and a long list of trashy cinema, including Starcrash II (1981).
Any violence or gore?
A murder and rape scene, nothing too violent compared to many films of the time.
Any sex?
Many scenes of generally quite soft female nudity and simulated sex.
Who is it for?
A curiosity that fans of the Black Emanuelle movies might enjoy.
The DVD
Visuals
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colour. The
print quality is quite good, with minimal damage but some noticable grainy.
Audio
English audio, generally good.
Subtitles
None.
Extras
The disc includes:
Interview
with the well travelled actress Dagmar Lassander who has a minor role
in this film. She talks about her career, and briefly discusses working
with Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda although not in any detail. 13
minutes.
Also available with English options from Kult Video in Germany. No interview.
Cuts?
Believed to be fully uncut. The print used has English language credits.
Summary
An erotic thriller with no thrills and not much eroticism, this one can be skipped.
A
decent looking and sounding print, the interview is a bit of a missed
opportunity to hear more about working with the likes of Fulci, Bava
and Freda.
