76 of 88 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost made perfectly...., December 17, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Eugenie - The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion (DVD)
Jess Franco did a fine job, considering it was 1969, being able to film this "future cult classic" at all. You would never be able to see anything close to this style of film being made today, not even in the adult film section of your video store! The sometimes campy, but decently written screenplay, had sex scenes just erotic enough to keep you awaiting the next (sexual) tension filled moments to come. However, because of the times, this movie was not as overtly sexual, as some other soft porn classics became just a few years later. The director left alot to your imagination, which isn't a bad thing necessarily. There were a few scenes I wish he could have taken a bit further, showing additional candid sexuality. The premise of the story is utterly arousing and sensual. This film is for couples and will excite any sexually open woman who watches it. Who doesn't want to be the private voyer watching over the demise of a young innocent girl? Particularly at the hands of evil adults who want to enjoy her body and then make her suffer for being so dirty? It has all the elements of a classic Euro-cult film...and therefore it is!
If watching a beautiful young Swedish actress spend a lot of time in the nude, while being abused by a middle aged couple is a turn on for you....I highly recommend this film. Another even better choice would be "The Image". Both films will soak a woman's crotch and put a rise in your pants......
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Substance Than Sleaze, Better Than Expected, April 29, 2005
I was surprised at this picture to say the least, and in several respects. While seasoned fans of sleaze are disappointed for what is a rather tame sexual exhibit, I think people looking for an interesting diversion from typical period films of the same era would actually like this. There is a solid plot, there is lush scenery and a time capsule feel for the late 60's, depiction of social degredation amongst the wealthy class, exploitation of youth, betrayal, revenge, and murder, all rolled into a cleverly filmed psychedlic dreamlike piece of art-house cinema.
Franco was on top of his profession with this picture. As I began watching, it seemed to unfold like a fluffy spy movie from the 60's, except there was no secret agent anywhere to be found. There was something more sinister about this picture though, with an introduction by Christopher Lee, which sets the tone for events later revealed, and offers a bit of gore and blood-feasting to boot, but not so much as it is overwhelming or nauseating.
The story centers around an aristocratic, incestuos brother-sister couple, who wish to sacrifice a young virgin beauty to the secret order of which they are members. Through manipulation of the more pleasurable kind, the sister is able to convince young Eugenie's father to allow Eugenie to stay with her on her private island estate for one weekend. Eugenie is ultimately drugged, and seduced. And when the members of the order arrive on the island, the plot thickens and unravels, and concludes in a twist most unexpected from what I anticipated going into this.
Franco employs some clever techniques here rarely seen in films today(red lights, lengthy out of focus shots, ambient music), and creates a world which captures images of beauty, hallucination, perversion, obsession, degredation, violence, and retribution. He also does this very tastefully considering some of what is out there today in this genre of film. The lead actors and actresses were cast perfectly, and there is little ham here which often goes along with movies of this type. The soundtrack is also mesmerizing, like a dream.
This was my first Franco film, and while I do find his other titles from this period in his career entertaining, I still feel that this one is his best overall as far as technique, casting, storyline, attention to detail, photography, atmosphere, style, and impact. While its taboos may have turned heads in '69, I think today most mainstream movie-goers of typical R-Rated fanfare would be comfortable watching this. Wrongfully catagorized as "adult", although there is a fair amount of nudity, this film is highly entertaining and enjoyable. 4.5 Stars.
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34 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, October 27, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Eugenie - The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion (DVD)
I've just seen one of the most compelling films made in Europe. The cast of the film pulled all the stops to make it really intense and erotic. The good things about that though is that Jesus Franco doesn't have to be explicit to shock or anything but leaves everything to your imagination. The only down-turn in it all, is that the film maybe finishes to quickly! Once the beautiful Eugenie gets on Long Island you don't want to see the end of the film! She's drugged and abused but to her it's still an experience that she finds intriguing and exciting! I recommend you see this film and I bet you'll go and try to find a similar as soon as it ends. Marvellous!
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