removable Japanese subtitles), making the original release the preferred choice. As a result, the rare laserdisc pressing continues to fetch high prices on eBay. That said, we would still recom- mend the DVD for those with no other way to see this film, which is far more deserving than many more lavishly treated Eurocult titles we can think of. We cur- rently know of no domestic source for this release.
GEFANGENE FRAUEN (CAGED WOMEN)
“Caught Women” aka ISLAND WOMEN 1979, ABCDVD #0004/Poker Industries, DD-1.0/MA/16:9/LB/+, $34.99, 88m 23s, PAL DVD-0 By John Charles
Italy (where the California-born Del Monte has worked exclu- sively) and exploring the mallea- bility of time, specifically the replaying of past events. The only one of Del Monte’s films to make its way to DVD in the US thus far is his drama TRAVELLING COMPANION [Compagna di viaggio, 1996], whose awards included a David di Donatlleo Best Actress win for Asia Argento, but we hope some enterprising company will correct this over- sight sooner rather than later. In Japan, Etoile has been released three times, initially as a widescreen Dolby Stereo Sur- round VHS and laserdisc (all cop- ies of which seem to suffer from
68
varying degrees of speckling) and, now, as a 16:9 enhanced DVD. While the DVD offers a slightly sharper presentation of the 1.85:1 image—the better to appreciate 17-year old Connelly’s porcelain beauty and the faded opulence of the world envelop- ing her—the image is equally drab and further compromised by being mastered from a PAL source; JULIA AND JULIA also suffered on video, the UK PAL rental release of what was the first feature film shot on high-defini- tion video being one of the worst- looking pre-records we’ve ever seen. Even more problematical, the DVD offers only an Italian- dubbed language track (with
After enjoying big boxoffice and robust international sales from several Jess Franco women- in-prison films, producer/distribu- tor Erwin C. Dietrich directed his own, using his familiar “Michael Thomas” pseudonym. Informed that a United Nations investiga- tion team will soon be searching local brothels for missing Euro- pean girls, the president of an unnamed South African country orders them to be removed. At the suggestion of his lover, Carla (VOODOO PASSION’s Karine Gambier), the women are ar- rested and shipped to dilapidated Tago Mago Prison (named for a magician who specialized in dar- ing escapes!) on remote Rat Is- land (!!) for safekeeping until the inspectors have departed. There, they happily satisfy the sexual urges of both the guards and Carla, who struts around in a black PVC fetish uniform with lace-up boots. Carla plans to leave the prisoners (including erotic superstar Brigitte Lahaie) to rot even after the threat has passed. However, three of the girls have found a gap under the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
