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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone seems to have missed several points, April 30, 2003
This review is from: Immoral Tales (DVD)
In the Lucretia Borgia short, I have noticed that several reviewers (here and on other web sites) referred to the orgy as being with a "priest." Make no mistake, Lucretia is getting it on with her DAD (the Pope) and her BROTHER, after daddy has sent her husband off to be murdered! These allegations were never proven in real life, but they make an amusing story. The baby being baptized at the end is her offspring, presumably with her own father (the baby's father AND grandfather rolled into one!) As far as the four stories tying together, one of the factors that connects them is the underwear. They make a big point of showing historically authentic underwear, which should make this film interesting to costume enthusiasts as well as perverts. Each one depicts (loosely) a real life story or series of events, each farther back in history. As a music history major in college (way back when), I can tell you the music is also authentic -- anyone basically familiar with the pre-baroque repertoire will recognize several well-known performances. The "Hayaducki" by Nikolai von Krakau was a delightful choice, as was the Machaut Mass for the papal orgy scene. This film is not for the even vaguely prudish or squeamish, but if you can dig a real life lesbian "vampire" in a bathtub of blood, and an incestuous, murderous orgy with the Pope and his two kids, this is the film for you!! Plus, Paloma Picasso has really beautiful eyes, which are prominently featured in several closeups. Those shots alone, which were truncated in the VHS copy I've enjoyed these last 20 years, were enough to make me want to get the widescreen version in DVD. Personally this is one of my all time fav's.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Immoral...no. More exploitative than anything else, July 1, 2003
With the reputation Walerian Borowczyk (boroh-chick) had, I eagerly sprang to get this video ages ago. I just saw it again and well,... anyway, this quartet of stories features tales that are more exploitative in showing copious amounts of female genitalia rather than being immoral. The Tide, based on a story by Andre Preyre de Mandiargues, is set in contemporary France (then 1975) about a twenty-year old man who seduces his sixteen year-old cousin Julie, on the beach, using his age difference to bend her to his will. He is a bit of a bossy sort, and I was surprised to see her obey him meekly. It's mostly talky, with some pompous dialogue of the using the rise of tides as analogous to his desire of her. There's a nice close-up of Julie's lips and she looks nice in the altogether. Even so... (Rating: 3 out of 5) Therese the Philosopher is about a religiously devout French girl in 1890 who is wrongfully punished and is locked in a room for three days. What happens in that room? To quote words she heard from God while at church: "Reveal yourself by showing your weakness, your sensuality, your pride, your craven, selfish indolence." And also, I'll never think of cucumbers the same way again. As for the story, so what? (Rating: 2.5 out of 5) The next two stories are significantly better. The third story, Erzebet Bathory, has the notorious Blood Countess going to a village to round up young girls for her dastardly pleasures, under the masquerade of granting eternal bliss and grace for those touching her pearl-encrusted gown. This has about twenty or so girls in the altogether, and they go into a crazed frenzy when they see Bathory in her dress. Does Bathory have a bath? Find out for yourself (Rating: 4 out of 5) The fourth story, set in 1498 Florence, would probably be considered immoral, as it involves Lucrezia Borgia having a threesome with Pope Alexander VI (her father Rodrigo) and a cardinal (her brother Cesare) while they send her impotent simp of an uptight husband, Giovanni Sforza away. Meanwhile, monk Hieronymous Savonarola rails against the immorality of the church, of priests openly displaying their sons, until he is captured and becomes Dominican barbeque. (Rating: 4 out of 5) I think this quartet tried to subtly shock given the theme in each one. It doesn't do so effectively. However, for the sake of showing several nubile girls full frontal, I suppose this is more a curio than anything. Slow moving and more sensationalistic and exploitative than shocking. (Overall rating: (3+2.5+4+4)/4=3
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
mildly erotic tales, November 21, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Immoral Tales (DVD)
This film had almost everything going for it...beautiful young women, interesting plots ect. However, it falls short of being erotic enough to satisfy purveyors of true Euro-erotic classics such as The Story of O, or even Emmanuel. There is a lot of close up shots of young women's hairy armpits and genitals but the film holds back on showing some of the violence it implies in one of the segments. The film consists of four separate story lines, each having it's own interesting outcomes. However, as I stated before, it falls short of being an outstanding erotic film. It is just a "good" one.
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