Felicity
(1978/Umbrella Entertainment Region Zero/0/PAL DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C Extras: C+ Film: C+
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/PAL format
software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
Of all
the softcore exploitation films made to cut into the XXX cycle of the 1970s,
some of the films made are so interesting, especially when they come from
overseas and John D. Lamond’s Felicity
(1978) from Australia is a sex comedy that actually works. The title character (Glory Annen) discovers
sex and when she does, she cannot stop having it. Instead of being the usual nymphomaniac, she
just comically takes advantage of any place she can have sex with men she likes
and it is no big deal.
In that
respect, it is a throwback to less explicit, pre-Deep Throat XXX fare like The
Stewardesses (both covered elsewhere on this site) while still being very
much a product of its era and holding up very well to the point that a word
like charming can apply. Annen is sexy
and the film takes the comparative high road with the material for what you can
do with a softcore story. Still, it is
formulaic sometimes, but it is the surprises and the way it is handled that
make it worth going out of your way for.
In addition, Bond Girl Joni Flynn (who would be in Octopussy five years later) is also here, so that’s a plus.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is a little soft, which is expected considering the
low-budget and age of this independent production, but color can be good and
the image consistent. The Dolby Digital
2.0 Mono is a bit more worn and dated, again an issue with the budget and there
is some compression here that might be the Dolby and not the film. Still, beware of volume jumps when switching
to another source just in case. Extras
include a stills section, original trailer, trailers for other Umbrella
releases, an interview with Lamond and feature length audio commentary by
Lamond and Annen.
As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import
exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
