The Sins of Madame Bovary, Sex, Demons & Death, The Real Cannibal Holocaust, Exotic Malice, Sex And Black Magic, Erotic Escape, Transgression, Alien From The Deep, Chinese Kamasutra, Sexy Pirates (1969/75/76/80/82/85/88/89/93/98; One-7 DVDs)

Picture: B/C-/C-/B-/B+/D/C+/B/C-/C- Sound: C-/C/C/C+/C/C-/C/B-/C-/C Extras: C-/C/D/D/B+/D/C+/C/C-/D Films: B-/C/D/C-/C/C/C-/C+/C/C-

There's a new player in the game of bringing classic Euro-sleaze to DVD, and in a short amount of time, they've managed to give an impressive amount of titles their format debut. Their catalog mostly covers softcore erotica, but some of their more interesting offerings are genre titles like the utterly bizarre Sex, Demons and Death and the late-1980s actioner Alien from the Deep. Here, now, we'll take a look at these as well as a smattering of other titles from the company.

The Sins of Madame Bovary is a retelling of Gustave Flaubert's 1857 novel, Madame Bovary, and despite sexing it up a bit, remains true to the spirit of the novel. On top of that, there is the gorgeous Edwige Fenech in the starring role, who is quite capable here, and does more than just provide eye candy. While it isn't the greatest film ever, it isn't bad, and Ms. Fenech's legion of fans will certainly be clamoring to pick this one up, though I'm sure everyone would be in agreement that this title deserved at least a modest special edition. There is the very least a stills gallery which isn't all that bad, but even a trailer would have been a nice touch.

There are many out there that seek out cinematic wrecks so spectacularly bad that they're actually good... those folks can rejoice, because Sex, Demons and Death is one for the ages. It's the first ever film from director Salvatore Bugnatelli (an Italian Ed Wood of sorts), and it should be the stuff of legend. The print looks decent for the most part, though some sections would make you think that someone went at it with a cheese grater. Sadly, the sole extra here is an original trailer.

I've never been a big fan of mondo, and The Real Cannibal Holocaust (otherwise known as Guinea Ama) was unable impress me any more than the others I've seen. It's the typical stuff... presented as a document of day-to-day tribal life - showing rituals, piercings, tattooing, discussion of sex lives among the natives, as well as some faked scenes of cannibalism. The only real violence here is committed toward animals, and that is something I do not agree with, so such scenes are difficult to watch. This disc contains the film and the film only; no special features here, though I'm certain anything that would have been up for inclusion wouldn't vary a great deal from the type of stuff you'd find for Mondo Cane, Cannibal Holocaust or the original Faces of Death.

There are some inaccuracies with the next title that will likely throw off those genre fans who would otherwise seek it out. The main thing is the inexplicable new title that doesn't seem to have been used to promote the film prior to this release. One 7 is calling it Exotic Malice, but followers of Joe D'Amato will know it as Sesso Nero. Adding further confusion, the cover art does not actually belong to this film, but to another of D'Amato's works: Papaya, Love Goddess of Cannibals.

As for the movie itself, for a hardcore adult film, it is shot adequately well and has competent performances. Though there is a fair amount of sex in it, it is rarely as up front as your typical XXX film would be, so those looking for that will have to look elsewhere, lest they be bored waiting for something to happen here. The film thankfully appears to be fully uncut for its DVD premiere, though the only bonus feature included is a fairly raunchy deleted scene which isn't actually from this movie, but rather from D'Amato's Hard Sensation, also from 1980.

Another Joe D'Amato film from the same period, Sex and Black Magic, is about a couple taking vacation in an attempt at reviving their flagging sex life. There are a large amount of sex scenes, all of them softcore except for one shot with Mark Shannon that seems to have been borrowed from Sesso Nero. Like that film, there is some decent camerawork as well as some better acting this time around. There's enough of a script to maintain a good balance between story and plain old erotica, though don't expect to be wowed by either. The disc has the most special features of any of the discs covered here, and includes alternate scenes, unused takes, as well as hardcore inserts also filmed during Sesso Nero that feature Mark Shannon and Lucia Ramirez.

Erotic Escape isn't all that erotic, and not very exciting either. Prisoner on the run films such as this one have been done more effectively, but it isn't so bad that it will make you want to retch either, so collectors of vintage Italian cinema will probably still want to snag this one. On the downside, there are no extras, and the print is well-worn and faded, looking much like something you'd find on a dollar bin disc.

Transgression is labeled as a sex comedy, but that description doesn't seem to fit. Its story was a bit confusing and stylistically it bounced back and forth between different genres enough to make labeling it a tough endeavor. At the end of the day, I wasn't very impressed with it, and don't feel there is much of an audience for it, though those who need to see every bad movie at least once will still be compelled to check it out. On a positive note, there are deleted scenes included, as well as trailers and a photo gallery.

The sole sci-fi film of the bunch, Alien from the Deep is a late-1980s action flick that mostly takes place in and around a jungle island locale that should appear familiar enough to anyone who has watched most anything else covered here. The alien isn't seen much, most times being shown only as a giant black crab claw entering from the side of the frame. When it does make a full appearance toward the end, the heroine takes to fighting it in a scene that is reminiscent of the power loader sequence in Cameron's Aliens. The creature is bigger than a man in a suit; it's very tall and unwieldy... not to mention a wee bit off balance and a bit more stiff than any of its counterparts ever were. Despite the flaws and its inherently hokey tone, I found it to be solid enough entertainment to while away an afternoon with. The only bonus features are a gallery, as well as the original Italian credits sequences.

A pair of later Joe D'Amato films round off our overview: 1993's Chinese Kamasutra and 1998's Sexy Pirates. The first toes the line between softcore and hardcore erotica, and may be titillating enough for some, but there really isn't enough going on to give a recommendation for those looking for a sex film. Most of the movie is a plodding bore, and the sex scenes are bland and lack enthusiasm or passion, which could have been enough to sell this. As is, it's not worth the time.

The original title for Sexy Pirates was Predators of the Antilles, but it has been changed for this DVD release to play up on the kernel of sex or nudity that there is. All totaled up, there's probably not much more than 4 or 5 minutes of anything erotic going on here....just some bland action scenes and unconvincing pirate costumes that will remind you of the cheap outfits that look more like Halloween costumes. This one is a definite pass.

Sound is mediocre across the board without any standouts, but the films vary greatly in terms of video quality, and age doesn't seem to play much of a factor; the two most recent ones look worse than you'd imagine. The two best looking are hands down The Sins of Madame Bovary, presented in an anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio and Alien from the Deep, which is sadly presented in full screen. Sexy Pirates and The Real Cannibal Holocaust also have a 1.33:1 full frame presentation, and Chinese Kamasutra, though 1.66:1 is non-anamorphic. The rest of the films are thankfully presented in anamorphic widescreen, with Sex, Demons and Death as well as Erotic Escape being shown in 1.85:1, while Exotic Malice and Transgression are 1.66:1. Sex and Black Magic is the only one of the bunch to be framed in 1.78:1.

I'm happy to report that all of these discs are region free, so Italian cinephiles the world over can enjoy these obscure releases. Chances are if you're reading this, you're not too concerned with how good any of these titles actually are, and will be content enough just giving them a once over and shelving them with the rest of your collection. If you do happen to want something you may one day revisit from time to time, I'd say that the most worthwhile would be Sex, Demons and Death. It's brought me enough joy that it may soon be creeping its way back into my player for another round.

- David Milchick