User Reviews

I love Mondo Macabro. They put out amazing releases and clean up neglected foreign films, making things a million times better than they have any right to. Just this year they've released a slew of films that have never even been put out on DVD in our country. They're one of my favorite labels.

However, they nearly got me in trouble by sending me a review copy of this film. With no warning, my wife opened it and instantly called and asked why I bought it. Thanks - I hate looking a gift horse in the mouth (and this movie does way more than look when it comes to horses).

Oh yeah - this entire review is NSFW. You've been warned.

This is the second in this series of movies to be directed by Joe D'Amoto. Whatever name he uses, you know exactly the kind of insanity that that name means.

Emanuelle - notice the missing M to denote that this has just enough legally not to do with the French film that starred Sylvia Kistel but just enough to make you think that it may - is a photojournalist out to get a great story no matter what. No matter what often means that she's getting naked and in trouble, starting with an angry virginal boyfriend of a model that wants her dead.

She's played by Laura Gemser, who has also used the name Moira Chen, and if you've seen a Bruno Mattei or D'Amoto film, you know exactly who she is. I'd recommend her star turn as a psychic who gets menaced by mutant fishmen in Endgame myself.

Here, she's on the trail of playboy Eric Van Darren, who is enslaving women and creating a harem. She also hooks up with Italian duke Alfredo Elvize (Gemser's real-life husband Gabriele Tinti who is in Enter the Devil if you'd like to descend further down the funnel of Italian scum) and his wife (Paola Senatore, Eaten Alive!).

You may be like - hey, this seems like the typical Cinemax After Dark film, albeit with much better production values and one hell of a musical score. That'd be correct until Emanuelle ends up going to an island where every fantasy can become reality. Hold the Ricardo Montalban!

That's when she discovers that some of the folks there like making love while watching films of young women dying. Yep - snuff films!

Emanuelle is disgusted and quits her job to go on a long vacation with her boyfriend. Of course, she's soon come back for Emanuelle Around the World, where she meets a guru who promises the ultimate orgasm. And that guru is, of course, played by George Eastman. Ivan Rassimov also shows up, and if you suddenly started searching for this film, you get why I spend so much time writing about movies on this site.

After that, D'Amoto and Gemser would team up for perhaps an even more insane tale than this one, Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, and one other Black Emanuelle film, 1978's Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade.

If you saw the version of this that played on Cinemax or Showtime in the 1980's, you didn't get the full uncut madness that appears on this blu ray. Honestly, outside of degenerates, I have no idea who is ready for such madness.

You can get this directly from Mondo Macabro. The colors are gorgeous, the music sounds better than ever and the extras, like a documentary entitled D'Amato Totally Uncut: The Erotic Experience, brand new audio commentary by Eurotrash aficionados Bruce Holecheck and Nathaniel Thompson and a brand new interview with author David Flint, are worth just as much as the movie.

But man - you guys gotta warn me when you send me this kinda stuff. Still, much appreciated.

These were the 1970's and free internet-porn of still science-fiction. Laura Gemser was still riding high on her "Black Emanuelle" films (playing an ever-promiscuous journalist travelling the world). However, good looks have always been a thin compensation for lack of acting skills and by 1977 the fans probably knew every line of her well-proportioned body by heart. The producers were hard-pressed to come up with ideas how to keep the moneymaking-machine "Black Emanuelle" rolling.

But as said: this were the 1970's and a "yes, we can"-spirit prevailed. Since softcore sex-scenes were no longer enough to push tickets into greasy hands, infamous sleaze director Joe D'Amato decided to add some more explicit, un-simulated sex-scenes. And, in case the "sexual aerobics" culled from unfinished porn-flicks wouldn't do the trick, D'Amato opted to include that infamous scene of a woman copulating with a stallion.

Still, D'Amato wanted to stay on the save side, knowing that un-simulated penetration, ejaculation, excessively hairy performers (and the infamous horse-scene) could only go so far. The rest of film still "only" featured Laura Gemser looking pretty as a picture, staring vacantly into the camera and holding endless, boring conversations that didn't lead the story anywhere.

"Snuff!" – The word must have hit D'Amato like a heaven-sent flash (or perhaps from somewhere a bit further south). Hence, the film would contain three rather short scenes of men torturing and eventually killing naked women in front of a camera, which eventually gave "Emanuelle in America" its notoriety. When I say notorious, I mean notorious as in the original "Snuff"-film; by today's (internet) standard they are rather obvious, yet obviously shot with dedication. Yes, we know they're bogus but the images, if not the idea alone, remain creepy, even 30 years down the road.

Need I mention that neither un-simulated sex nor fake snuff sequences make "Emanuelle in America" a good movie? Without said scenes the movies would be an extreme bore, about as entertaining as a 3rd graders school-play – containing said scenes, it remains a footnote in the film-records of gorehounds and porn-historians.

2 from 10 for the film itself, 2 more for soundtrack and creepiness of the snuff-scenes; makes 4 from 10, and more generous than that it doesn't get.

Emanuelle in America is a bizarre mishmash of a movie, starting out as soft core with some hardcore inserts, but then shifting into a rather grim exploitation film, and then going back to soft core.

The film follows the exploits of Emanuelle (no, not that Emmanuelle) as she pursues a career as a reporter. She appears to be working for your typical tabloid, though most of the photos she takes would fit in better at Hustler. Among the stories she pursues are a wealthy man's harem and a scandalous resort catering to the filthy rich.

Up to this point, we are in pretty basic soft core territory, with all the usual scenes of lesbianism one expects from the genre. There are the occasional hardcore inserts to spice things up, but nothing you haven't seen before.

Then, things get weird.

It starts with a stable scene about twenty minutes in. As Emanuelle and a group of friends watch through the window, a woman performs a sexual act on a horse. This is not simulated bestiality. Somewhere or other the director found an actress willing to molest a horse.

It starts to get truly freaky when Emanuelle stumbles upon a snuff film ring. At first, we only see very grainy 'snuff' footage. However, in the film's climax, we are treated to the filming of a snuff picture from the perspective of a woman under the influence of LSD. This distorted view only makes the footage more disturbing.

What makes the film particularly odd is that it shifts back and forth between playful soft core and disturbing exploitation. For example, the aforementioned snuff scene is followed by a tropical island frolic. The change in tone is jarring, to say the least.

The film does benefit from good production values. There is some very nice camera work, and it has a cool 70s rock soundtrack. However, the bizarre plot line makes it an odd, if memorable, film experience.

Smut King Joe D'Amato does it again!!! Smokin' hot exotic beauty, Laura Gemser, plays a globetrotting nympho journalist in this incredible installment of the Emanuelle films. This one has everything - sleazy sex and lesbianism, insanely cheesy music and dialogue, simulated snuff footage, even some beastiality for you true sickos out there - it really doesn't get much better than this. EMANUELLE IN America should be THE sleaze standard that all other exploitation films aim to match.

Emanuelle begins her adventures by going "undercover" (pun absolutely intended...) and infiltrating a harem run by a wealthy businessman. Lots of tits and ass ensue, including several soft-core lesbo scenes. The Boss is a man of pretty discriminating tastes as we're treated to the first real "shock" of the film - and a doozy it is - a voyeuristic "peep" at a chick graphically jerking off a horse named Pedro!!! Inside the harem, our heroine meets an Italian aristocrat and decides to use him as her next journalistic feature. After escaping the harem, Emanuelle goes to visit this refined gent, just to find that he too is a pervert with a pension for counterfeit artwork and orgy dinner parties. This scene gives us an opportunity to view our first "hard-core" action of the film, a pretty protracted blow-job scene. While at the party, our hardworking hottie learns of a secret brothel where women can indulge in any freakish fantasy...for a price. Of course Emanuelle smells another juicy scoop, so off to the meat-farm it is. There we get a few actual hard-core porn scenes, including a little Tarzan and Jane role-playing, and some 2-on-1 interracial action for one lucky young lady. While peeping in on the going's on at the brothel, Emanuelle comes across a room where a lady is getting boned while she's watching some snuff material on a projector. This piques our randy reporter's interest and she heads back to headquarters to consult her boss about tracking down some more snuff films for an exclusive story. Her boss gives Emanuelle a guy's name who's known to run in those circles, and our sexy scribe does what she does best - seduces this poor joker into giving her the info she wants. This scene has some pretty rough simulated snuff material in it, including: hot-tar dildo force-feeding, vaginal hook impalement, and some pretty graphic forced breast reduction. Emanuelle takes her findings back to her boss who tells her the material can never be released due to it's super-controversial nature. Peeved about the cover-up, Emanuelle heads to the jungle with her sometimes boyfriend Bill for some R&R - this scene feels pretty out of place and nothing of any real note goes on here - and that's about it.

There are definitely some strange continuity faults with this film - such as the fact that all of the sex scenes in the beginning of the film are pretty light and standard 70's soft-core (with the exception of the stallion hand-job...), and then towards the middle and end, all the sudden we're treated to some pretty hardcore full on penetration sex action. Also the violence at the end is totally out of place with the rest of the film - but honestly, I find these quirks kind of endearing and actually help the overall "build-up" of the film. I also liked how tips from one undercover investigation made a smooth segue into the next investigation. My only real gripe is that the insanely hot Gemser is not shown in any of the hard-core sex scenes...this would have been a true "plearsure" and would have shot this film up to an 11. Personally I loved this film and hold it at the very top of the 70's exploitation genre out of all of the films of this type that I've seen so far. A definite must-see for fans of extreme sleaze - Highly recommended - 9/10

This really seems like the directors had a bunch of ideas and then tried to work a story around it, and then after scripting and shooting the first half, they took an entirely different direction for the second. After about an hour of boring Cinemax style soft core porn with one out of left field bestiality scene, I was beginning to get bored. Then all of the sudden, the movie goes hardcore. It is quite strange because it seems all previous scenes went out of their way to keep the sex strictly Cinemax and then get as graphic as your average pornography. Ten minutes after that the movie takes another strange turn and edges ever so lightly into the world of snuff. It takes a lot to disturb me, but the images used in this part of the movie put even Ilsa to shame.

All of that is well and good for this renowned exploitation film, even with the strange contrast of the light opening half with the decidedly heavy second, HOWEVER we run into a huge problem with the story. The acting is passable for this type of flick, I didn't expect Oscar nomination worthy performances. The story, if you want to call it that, was definitely an afterthought, as Emanuelle is an undercover reporter. Just what her assignment is is never clear, it appears to be some kind of expose on sex clubs, and SPOILER SPOILER in the end is never resolved. As a matter of fact, I don't think any particular storyline here was solved. We are basically watching an excuse to see this one woman sleep with as many people as possible, and other people sleep with each other too. SPOILER END.

Overall I can't recommend this movie for exploitation fans. There are movies that manage to squeeze all of this action in with a real plot and a fun time. This movie became a chore to sit through up until the last act, and then the ending blew all the good will that came from it. Stick to your Ilsa and Pam Grier prison flicks for your fill of this type of fare.

Any director whose claim to fame is the "scummiest, sleaziest ever to peer through a camera lens" deserves further investigation. With that recommendation in mind I logged onto IMDb in search of further info on another Italian overlord of bad taste, the late 'great' Joe D'amato. Just a quick perusal of his accomplishments confirmed yet another treasure of Euro trash cinema. The titles alone promised new forays into Pasta-land chunk blowing: PORNO HOLOCAUST? EMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS? EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD!? That last one immediately conjured up mental snapshots of decaying corpses not just content to eat their prey but exploit collective states of Rigor Mortis in creative ways.... Until I'm privileged by the sight of copulating cadavers I'll have to settle with one of D'amato's more conventional movies, which isn't to say EIA isn't overflowing with enough outrageous material to put a backed up septic tank to shame. Joe was a true scuzz bag, free of pretension and willing to pump every filth encrusted cent for all it was worth. He did have some talent but like contemporary sleaze master Jess Franco, was choosy about utilizing it. EIA though remains an inspired, disturbing, breezy classic of trash cinema that admirably hoodwinks its audience, constantly alternating between arousing and repellent.

If a film embodied the exploitation ethic, this is it; an amalgamation of plot threads, taboos & genres, EIA seems to go everywhere and nowhere. Really a series colourful vignettes as opposed to a plot, an anthology of loosely connected perversions with our heroine starring in each(the better to cover so much base territory in 110 minutes.) It begins on a perfect note with Manhattan pin-ups parading around nude for the benefit of shutterbug Gemser. And then its off from one bizarre encounter to the next: snuff films, personal harems, stud mills- Emmanuel is there for all of it, ready to bed down at a moment's notice like the liberated woman she thinks she is, starting with a gun-toting Fundy out to save the world from uninhibited sexuality ("The cause of all the disasters of this century!"). E thinks quickly, and in perfect example of grind house logic, unzips her assailant's pants to show him what he's been missing (hilarious, but perfectly reasonable from the vacuum of porn rationale). After fellating herself to freedom she's off on her first assignment, infiltrating the private harem of a reclusive millionaire (there should've included titles for each segment) extending her thighs-wide-open policy to the other gals (including a nicely lensed underwater interlude replete with a wealth of gynaecological shots and sapphic gropings a 'plenty) before witnessing the wealthy libertine's illegal source of income (firearms) & one woman's seduction of a horse.

Truly a jaw-dropping spectacle, even I can't dispute uncle Joe reaches a pinnacle of ultra-bad taste here, inducting us into the annals of bestiality with a scene so disgusting and campy, its almost funny in that John Waters sorta way("Yes Pedro, I'm coming, I heard you call....").WTF

It all comes to a grinding, puzzling halt by the time of E's snuff coverage and other hardcore frivolity. The graphic but unobtrusive style is refreshing. It recalls the golden age of smut and not the video wasteland of today. He captures the hi-jinx with verve, the polar opposite of today's wham-bam thank you ma'am approach. I wrote halt and not 'end' because that is exactly what it feels like, a dead, screeching halt. EIA has starting pt. and stopping pt. but no true beginning or end. Since it doesn't work itself up to a full-fledged plot I suppose this approach is appropriate. It's a slice of X-rated life which doesn't feature tidy resolutions or pat denouements. The topic of each tangent, sexual gratification and the increasing lengths characters go for it is simply paraded in the film's rambling method. The snuff sequence is just the natural endpoint really to this slippery 70's slope of 'anything goes' and this sequence alone qualifies EIA for chunk blower status. It's similar to the POV shots from SALO(another cheerful look into what gets the ruling class off) events recorded on once-removed, 8mm silent film that just emphasize it's brutal verisimilitude. It's uncomfortable and eerie how fast & skillfully the film mutates into something far thornier. Sneakily, Joe starts out mildly cheesecake then takes the sexual liberation rhetoric to its logical extreme (cheesecake>orgies>bestiality>snuff) indicting the entire shallow 'Free'Love movement for the self serving hedonism it became. The hallucinatory set-up, E being shown the unsavoury snuff ropes by a prominent US senator touring a banana republic is something out of a horror film. We've traipsed into an entirely different movie by this point. Here, the super-elite allow Emmanuel the commoner a glimpse behind the curtain into their preferred brand of R & R: Little girl, you ain't seen nuthin yet. The rotten core beneath the sunny outer front, just as fast drawing the blinds back with a wolfish smile- witnessing the depravity of bankers and suits almost daily now, snuff doesn't exactly seem far fetched.

D'amato wasn't known for pacing so the episodic structure frees him from traditional narrative constraints (which might account for his uncharacteristic energy as he rushes from one outlandish sequence to the next). Some will still find it plodding no doubt but compared to something like EMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS this wad of sleaze is practically bouncing off the wall with horn-dog enthusiasm. As a capsule of the bygone era of grind house gold, EIA deserves a look-see for adventurous viewers on the look out for forgotten works of the Italian exploitation renaissance. It's a boundary ignorant piece of provocation that only could've been excreted during the 70's. And check out that soundtrack!