Louise Bourgoin in "Blanc comme Neige" BR720 [2010 Belgium, France]

Christophe Blanc's latest film is a thriller (or should I say a comedy thriller) called "Blanc comme Neige" [Eng. Title: White Snow] with some high expectations. The film does start off nicely, but looses its way half way through. Some of the scenes are not believable at all - the plot is there, but the screenplay lets it down.
Maxine is a luxury car dealer living a contended life - a successful business, beautiful wife Michèle, loving daughter, neat little villa, and of course his sparkling new beemer. When he discovers the reason why his partner got murdered, he's shocked to know that his partner had been selling defective cars to the Finnish Mafia, and when they ask for a refund, he tells them that he doesn't have the money any more.
Now they're pursuing Maxine for that money. He asks his brothers to help get rid of the gang, but things get ridiculously complicated further.

There are two brief nude appearances in the film, first when Michèle slides off into the pool, naked, and later when Maxine has a bad dream concerning his wife at office. I've added a few extra seconds before and after to allow people to follow the scene. Michèle is played by the absolutely gorgeous Louise Bourgoin. Let's say she looks even more stunning in Blu-ray..!






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Elvira Mínguez in "Tapas" [2005 Spain]

José Corbacho & Juan Cruz's debut feature in 2005, "Tapas" is a typical example of what makes European films so magical. The gentle comedy drama is a beautiful and intimate portrait of people living in a neighbourhood of Barcelona - the part of town tourists usually don't get to see. It observes the lives of a grocer, a supermarket assistant, a tapas bar owner and an elderly couple, conjuring up a nostalgic view of the town's quarter where one of the film's directors grew up. The film deservedly won several awards including a Goya for Best New Director the following year. There is only brief nudity in a couple of scenes, but I so liked the film that this post is actually more of an excuse for writing something about it. Needless to say - Recommended Viewing.

Raquel has been separated for two years, and now has an online relationship with an Argentinian man she's not yet met. Sexual frustration initially draws her to one of her regular customer's son, but it develops into something more deep. The first few scenes are about Raquel, played by Elvira Mínguez. Even though there's very little nudity, the initial kissing scene is erotic where you have a young lad making out with a woman old enough to be his mother. The final scene is of the tapas bar owner having sex with his regular prostitute and confidante Carmela, played by Rosario Pardo. This is a gently funny scene where the guy asks her to recite player names of his favourite football team from 15 years ago. She tells him afterwards that it's his weird fantasies and behaviour that would have driven his wife away - the wife had left him unannounced at the beginning of the film. And I loved that accent of hers too!





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Annamaria Clementi in “Ishyri Dosi... Sex” [1978 Greece]

OK, this year's Oscars are upon us, and under the best foreign language film of the year, my personal favourite is the Greek nomination, "Dog Tooth" aka "Kynodontas" - a unique film in the way it explores fundamental issues relating to human identity, perception, and nature. To be fair I haven't seen the Danish and Algerian entry, so my choice may be biased, but the aforementioned film is definitely Oscar-worthy. There are a couple of blog-related scenes in that film too, which I will post when I get around to it.

Meanwhile to cheer for the Greeks, I've decided to review a film that was already in my posting-queue, which was there for an Italian actress who stars in it. Ilias Mylonakos' 1978 crime-thriller, “Ishyri Dosi... Sex” [International Title: Operation Orient] is a typical 1970's sexploitation flick using Playboy centrefolds and B-grade male actors of the time - let's just say you don't watch these films looking for virtuosity. Having said that, the film is technically sound, with decent editing, sound and cinematography. Those days, they 'cared' about what they were making - even if it was trash, the people in the studio and lab made it with professional integrity.

As far as I'm aware (and I've exhausted my search after 2 years), this film was never released on DVD, and the only copies you're likely to come across are VHS-transfers in full-screen. Some people sell them on a DVD, so make sure before committing to buy anything. There are however some awesome scenes that would have looked incredible - if only it were digitally remastered from the originals.

Alas, my review is also based on the same source! And I couldn't even enhance them significantly, simply because I'd spoil what little definition there is left. But this is certainly worth watching - films like these simply don't get made today - at least not the way they did back in the 70's.




Clip 1: Annamaria Clementi
As a babe, in my book - she's 'up there' among the finest - nothing more, nothing less. She plays the love interest of the protagonist-gangster, taking care of him when his wife is not around. She was the only reason I sat through the film, and the time was ALL worth it..! I don't need to describe the scenes as it is dubbed in English, so you'd know what's going on anyway








Clip 2: Annamaria Clementi & Rosaria della Femmina
Rosaria della Femmina plays the gangster's wife. The scene starts with her spending a sleepless night alone, and she wanders around the house, wondering what he's doing with his mistress, the very dishy Annamria Clementi, who gets liberally groped here, and even if you can see from her attitude that she's more of a 'you can only see - but not touch' kinda girl, it doesn't stop the guy from giving it a sincere try..!





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María de la Fuente & Alejandra Ambrosi in "Crímenes de Lujuria" [2011 Mexico]

Once in a while, one's likely to bump into some trash - here's one I stumbled upon recently. Walter Doehner's 2011 Mexican 'thriller', "Crímenes de Lujuria" [Eng. Title: Crimes of Passion] is just one of those. This juvenile plot is built over an appalling screenplay and inept direction, and we don't need to even mention the acting - I think I played out a more thrilling 'doctor-patient' game with my next door neighbour as a kid than what this has to offer in terms of 'thrills'. The saving grace for this film is perhaps the fact that my neighbour had yet to develop her 'tetas' at the time, bless!

I'm probably being a tad harsh because I've had a bad day at work, or may be the film is actually atrocious - judge for yourself...

Clip 1: Maria de la Fuente
Impressive name, impressive tetas, but barely shown. She's the wife of a hotel's ageing owner, and an insurance agent staying there has his eyes on her legs (or what's between them), and wants her to get them insured. She's cock-thirsty, and he's eager for a lay - and things happen. They end up murdering the old man, and someone notices it. Police are now on their trail, She thinks it's the concierge who's blackmailing them and decides to find out by inviting him for a screw. Her step daughter who also fancies the insurance agent, happens to be the silent witness.







Clip 2: Alejandra Ambrosi
Alejandra is cute - she's the hotel owner's precocious daughter, and wants to 'explore' the insurance guy - he curses himself after turning down her advances, out of loyalty to her step-mom..!





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Irina Potapenko & Ursula Strauss in "Revanche" [2008 Austria]

Götz Spielmann made this beautiful film, "Revanche" [Eng. Trans: Revenge], a thought-provoking observation in love, loss, bereavement, revenge, and guilt. The film won numerous awards and was also nominated for Oscar for best foreign language film  It is also a harmonious film where the direction, screenplay, and main cast combine to produce a deeply moving story. I was equally impressed by the breathtaking cinematography, the crisp editing, clean set design and lighting - it all looks naturally simple - and that's the beauty of it. I am also glad Artificial Eye had produced yet another excellent DVD transfer. I highly recommend this film and DVD.

Set in a sleepy Austrian village, Alex is a handyman at the brothel where Tamara works. They're in love, and desperate to get out of that industry. But they couldn't - Tamara owes her pimp money, and Alex needs some cash to set-up a new business. When the pimp tries to force Tamara into working for some exclusive 'clients', Alex decides to rob the local bank and escape with Tamara. But due to a freak accident, Tamara is killed during the escape. And the rest of the film is of Alex bereaving her death, wanting to seek revenge. Policeman Robert who shot Tamara is struck by a deep sense of guilt. Robert didn't intend to shoot her - aiming for the wheels, he apparently misses his target.



Scene Breakdown:
1)  Tamara, played by the gorgeous Irina Potapenko with Alex, making love in the shower, followed by a discussion in bed about their respective financial needs.
2) Scenes in the brothel, and Tamara is with a client who seems interested only to watch her play with her vagina.
3) Tamara calling home after making love to Alex. Later, after escaping with her belongings, they're in a hotel room and Alex wakes her up with his heist mask.
4) Robert with his wife Susanne, played by Ursula Strauss - they're childless and she wants to adopt a baby, but he has reservations.
5) Alex is seriously considering revenge for Tamara's death, and Susanne, who visits his grandfather now and again invites Alex over one night when her husband is at work - obviously for sex. After some deliberation Alex visits her and asks plainly why she wants a fuck when she's happily married with a nice home et al. He then has totally loveless sex with her in the dark.
6) Susanne and Alex are in bed - he now has to leave - Robert has arrived home early.



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Hedy Burress & Allison Smith in "Los Años Bárbaros" [1998 Spain]

What little I've seen of films by Fernando Colomo were made in the 80's - and by that yardstick, his 1998 film, "Los Años Bárbaros" [Eng. Title: Barbaric Years] has a far simpler storyline. Set in Franco-era Spain, a couple of college students are detained for writing inflammatory graffiti. They escape, thanks to two young American women, posing as their tour guides.

In the only nude scene in the film, one of the girls, Susan gets the sudden urge to go skinny-dipping in the Med early in the morning. And the rest of them including her friend Kathy follow. It is a funny scene, and most of the dialogue is in English, so you should be able to follow what's going on. Susan is played by Allison Smith, and Kathy by Hedy Burress.



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Gladiuska Acosta in "Heulepega" [2000, Venezuela]

Elia Schneider chose the topic of Caracas street children for her directorial debut, "Huelepega" [Eng. Title: Glue Sniffer]. It is a film made with a lot of passion, where street kids live in an extreme environment,  and surviving is often down to luck and sheer grit. Even though the film is set in the slums of caracas, it could be any city in the developing world.

A young boy is driven from home by his mother's lover for a misdemeanour, and now had to fend for himself on the streets. The film follows him through his struggles and fortunes, and interleaves with the parallel story of a gangster fighting tooth and nail to hold his turf.

This is the only nude scene in the film, the gangster is with his girlfriend Beatricita, played model-turned-actress, and beautifully proportioned Gladiuska Acosta. As far as I'm aware this is her only nude scene in film to date - shame really!



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Marina Pierro in "Cérémonie d'amour" [1987 France]

Among all film makers, Polish-born Walerian Borowczyk has been my favourite when it concerns eroticism. He forces you to use your own imagination with his raw material. I've been fortunate to see all his feature-length films (and a few shorts too), and couldn't but admire his passion for the subject. He had been written off by many critics - as a pornographer in an artist's garb. I think that is unfair, and he deserves a much needed reappraisal. Part of the problems with his image is that very few of his films have been digitally restored, and more importantly, even during the original production he had to compromise many times with the censors to get his films released. As a result you see flashes of brilliance among incoherent edits which bewilders a casual viewer. Apart from a few segments he'd done for the 1980's French TV series, "Série rose", I've never seen a film that he'd been totally satisfied with.

He made this 1987 film, "Cérémonie d'amour" [Eng. Title: Love Rites] using his regular muse, Marina Pierro. I'm also certain it was this film that influenced "L'Ultimo Metro", a short produced by Tinto Brass. A man sees a woman in the subway and and is totally drawn to her. He follows and converses with her from a distance, and despite learning she's a prostitute looking for custom, is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get to know her more. She finally takes him to his place - more than half the film is taken up in this fascinating pursuit. Only later does he realise that like a moth to a lamp, he'd wished for more than he'd bargained for.

The scene here would have been sumptuous if only it had been remastered. We can see that M. Borowczyk was trying to build the scene up by adding an air of mystery around the character played by Marina Pierro, and teasing us with tantalising glimpses of her nakedness, but it all falls by the wayside due to poor transfer. I had cut this scene from the collector's edition 3-disc DVD, but there is nothing I could do to improve on the quality of this scene - fields have already been merged and contrast quite poor. I had been deliberating on whether to post it or not for several months, finally deciding to do it - at least for the sake of posterity. Despite my adjustments, this is probably the poorest clip in terms of quality in this blog, but I hope people perusing this would look beyond the quality for what Borowczyk envisioned.



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Valeria Solarino in "Vallanzasca - Gli Angeli del Male" [2011 Italy]

Michele Placido's latest film as director is his biopic of notorious Milanese gangster, Renato Vallanzasca, "Vallanzasca - Gli Angeli del Male" [Eng. Title: Angels of Evil]. On general release only last month, this big-budget crime drama is set during Renato's active years in crime -1970's and 80's - when he was in and out of prison. The film has flair, with some impressive editing and sound engineering, not to mention the actor playing the protagonist, Kim Rossi, and of course every other actor covering important roles in this star-studded line-up. Mr. Placido's done an excellent job, but it would be unfair to compare him to his more illustrious peers in the genre, Francis Ford Coppola (The God Father) or Giuseppe Tornatore (Il Camorista) .

I have updated this post with the DVD quality version, and also provided freshlnks.

In the only nude scene in the film, Renato is with his girlfriend Consuelo, played by gorgeous Valeria Solarino, as the Carabinieri come knocking at the door. I have also inserted an earlier scene when Renato first meets her - there is no nudity here but it is a sexy moment with bella ragazza Valeria - she's just got 'class' written all over her, hasn't she. Renato asks Consuelo to strip and lie down before his cigarette finishes, but she's no push-over, she demands money on the table before he could do anything, which puts him off the idea altogether. There's also a brief glimpse of the lovely Paz Vega - she needn't be in this compilation, but what the heck - I don't think many people will complain..!



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Paz Vega & Natalia Verbeke in "El Otro Lado de la Cama" [2002 Spain]

Emilio Martínez Lázaro made this comedy-musical, "El Otro Lado de la Cama" [Eng. Title: The Other Side of the Bed] in 2002, and following its success at the box office, he also went on to do a sequel with the same male leads.

Even if this is just an average film, meant for easy viewing, technically and aesthetically it is very well made, and thanks to the two lovely leading ladies, Paz Vega and Natalia Verbeke, eminently watch-able, enough to even justify my DVD purchase. Natalia particularly is so cute, funny and ridiculously sexy in the film, she lights up every scene she's in.

Now for the story. Paula, Pedro's partner of three years breaks up with him by confessing that she's now in love with another man. A shocked Pedro pours his heart out to his best friends, a couple, Javier and Sonia. Sonia visits Pedro one day to comfort him, and they both end up in bed - they however decide to keep their new relationship secret. Thanks to a private investigator, Pedro soon discovers that Paula's new boyfriend is none other than Javier, his best friend. Sonia and Paula eventually move back to their respective partners, but continue having fun with the other guy now and again - the guys also tolerate their partners' (or should I say their own) infidelity. You also have a few song and dance sequences, but for someone who loves musicals, I found them becoming tedious after a while.  Paz Vega plays Sonia, and Natalia Verbeke plays Paula.

I had originally reviewed this films many years ago, but these are new scenes freshly cut from my DVD.




Natalia Verbeke:



First half of the compilation is of Paula having fun with Sonia's partner Javier. In the second half she returns back to her Pedro, and asks if they could give it another go. They agree to take things slowly. Natalia Verbeke is absolutely adorable and sexy in these scenes.






Paz Vega



Ahh, Paz! Utterly lovely Paz! One could keep watching her all day. This is also a compilation of two halves - first is Sonia with her guilt-ridden partner, Javier. The second part is with the recently dumped Pedro.



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Scenes from Ulrich Seidl’s “Hundstage” [2001 Austria]

Ulrich Seidl made this Austrian classic, "Hundstage" [Eng. Title: Dog Days] in 2001. His second feature full-length feature, it is an exquisite observation of suburban Austria during a hot summer's weekend.

I don't know where to start - the pure genius it requires to script such a masterpiece, the profound insight into human nature - its beauty, its pain, the sympathy showered on the characters, the hilarious humour laced with serious introspection, or the deep faith Mr. Seidl has on his audience's intelligence!

The message of the film is not what is spoken or acted between its characters - they are only part of the narrative - it is left for us to observe, absorb, and reflect on what we interpret from their actions. Some IMDB reviews have called this film bleak, depressing and focusing on decay. Quite contrary, it's an affirmation that it is possible for modern humans to communicate, to bond, and to connect - a very positive message. It is cinema of the highest calibre, upholding the greatest traditions set by masters of the classic era. All I'd say is - buy the DVD if you can - it will be money well spent - I'm so glad I did. Highly Recommended Viewing..!





Portrait 1:



One of the portraits is of an anorexic teenager in love with a ridiculously possessive maniac. After each humiliation, she keeps going back to him. But as in life, there is always a tipping point - one in which the person realises the truth, or goes under. She realises the truth. The teenager is played by a rather skinny but cute Franziska Weiss.







Portrait 2:



This is one that moved me deeply. A separated couple continue living in the same house, yet avoiding each other and doing their own things. It starts with the wife attending an orgy (funnily set inside a shopping mall) and later paying respect at her daughter's memorial - she sees her husband there too and waits for him to finish his rituals before getting out of her car. She invites home a masseuse for a full body massage session, and the husband keeps snooping around. It is plain he still has some feelings for her and starts behaving in a childish manner, as does she - I guess all grown-ups do behave childishly sometimes.  The following morning he scares the masseuse away with a handgun. I have added an additional minute or so of non-nude footage towards the end as it is crucial to look at these scenes in context - there is no point in floating another clip that otherwise makes no sense at all. The wife is played by Claudia Martini. You may also notice, that of all the the women in the orgy scene, it is Ms. Martini who 'faces-up' to the 'money shot'..!






Portrait 3:



A middle-aged teacher listens to her phone messages upon returning home - one of which is from her lover - he is coming to visit her this evening, he says he has a surprise for her, and wants her to wear something 'nice'.  So she proceeds to make elaborate preparations for that special evening. She lay in wait in the lounge, bent over on a chair knickerless, and the door ajar. Little did she know the kinky bastard would be arriving with a friend as part of the surprise. What happens next (not shown here), is unpleasant, but leads to a profound realisation by the couple. The woman is played by Christine Jirku, and I had taken the liberty in altering the contrast in some scenes, only to help you focus on the nudity - the purpose of this blog!






Portrait 4:


This is one of those scenes that one may not encounter often - elderly women displaying their sexuality. But to do justice to this blog and Mr. Seidl, it has to be included here. It is in it's own way quite touching. An elderly man watches his housekeeper, played by Gerti Lehner strip for him, the 'oriental' way. Love and sex are not confined to young people alone, you see...





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Ruth Gabriel & others in "Días Contados" [1994 Spain]

Imanol Uribe's 1994 crime drama, "Dís Contados" [Eng. Title: Numbered Days] virtually swept through the Goya Awards the following year.

The absorbing thriller is complimented by some excellent cinematography and editing, and all the main actors take this to another level - needless to say, most of them went on to become hugely successful stars, while Carmelo Gómez already was one.

Set in a seedy quarter of Madrid, Antonio (Carmelo Gómez) and his associates - members of the ETA, meticulously lay a plan to blow up the Police Headquarters. But when Antonio moves into his operational area in the guise of a photo journalist, he gets distracted by his neighbours - two prostitutes, Charo and Vanessa, and particularly Charo, a woman drawn to the industry to satiate her heroine addiction. What starts off as empathy turns into passion and love. And because of his involvement with Charo, he has put himself and his mission in jeopardy, as the police are trying to net a local drug-pusher frequenting the area. Charo is played by classical Spanish beauty Ruth Gabriel - she was only about eighteen when the film was made, and Vanessa is played by Candela Peña.

The film also has some famous nude scenes that have been floating around the Internet for a while, some of you may even recognise them from the scene graphics below. I had originally reviewed this film years ago, but have re-cut these scenes freshly from my DVD for this reappraisal. And I'm quietly assured you'll not find better quality compilations from the film than these.

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Compilation 1:



A compilation of at least three different scenes.
First, Charo lets herself into new neighbour Antonio's flat - she had forgotten her key to hers, and needs to take a leak. She uses this excuse to give herself a fix, and proceeds to have a bath as well.
Initially annoyed by her indulgence, Antonio is swiftly drawn towards Charo's physical charms. Charo caresses her breasts and asks him whether he likes them - her ass apparently is her husband's favourite part of her body. This is before they even exchange names. They do eventually, and when Antonio tells her he's a photographer for a newspaper, she asks him to take some pictures of her - in the nude of course. Unable to resist the sight of Charo's vulva when she spread her legs wide for one of her poses, Antonio touches her vagina. Charo objects - she reminds him she's after all a married woman and could not allow others to 'touch' her..!

In the second scene, Antonio pays a visit to Charo's flat, when she asks if he could put some cream on her back.

In the final scene, Charo and Vanessa negotiate the price for their next fix from the local drug dealer. Charo forgets she's knickerless and walks after him to finalise the deal - the guy has a good look at her, nevertheless sticking to his terms. Towards the end of the scene, some cops warn Antonio not to get involved with his prostitute-neighbours as they'd reached a point of no return. He doesn't heed their words, he'd already grown fond of Charo. However, when Antonio tries to take Charo into his flat for sex, she refuses - not because she didn't like him as well - she just wants their first time together to be 'different'.






Compilation 2:



Made of six scenes:
1. Antonio's ETA associate Lourdes loves him, while he doesn't, that much is evident from this scene when she tries to win his affections back but fails. Lourdes is played by Elvira Mínguez.
2. Funny 'ENF' scene - Vanessa's nephew introduces his new girlfriend Bárbara to Antonio at a busy bar, played by Gloria Sirvent.
3. To earn some extra cash, Vanessa and Charo entertain a guy in the back of his own shop - Charo dances knickerless for him, Vanessa taking care of the real business. You can also briefly catch a glimpse of Javier Bardem who gives an awesome performance as a junkie and part-time pimp in this film.
4. Charo and Antonio's first sex turns out to be different alright, at a luxury hotel in Granada. Later on in this scene, Charo becomes aware that Antonio is a terrorist.
5. Back in Madrid, Vanessa and Charo are in the bath. Charo hears a knock on the door and walks naked to open it, hoping it was Antonio, only to see her husband, just released from prison standing at the door. We now see why Charo thinks her husband likes her ass the best.
6. Charo nursing herself during a party. Her husband is now working on Vanessa. 5 and 6 are the only scenes where the lovely Candela Peña, playing Vanessa, appears nude in the film.






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Lidia Vitale in "La Doppia Ora" [2009 Italy]

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Giuseppe Capotondi's 2009 debut feature, "La Doppia Ora" [Eng. Title: The Double Hour] is psychological-romantic thriller set in Turin. Guido, a widowed security guard isn't ready for another relationship, but resorts to speed-dating to find sexual partners, until he meets Sonia during one of the sessions. Sonia is played by the beautiful Kseniya Rappoport. Guido falls in love. One day he invites her to the art gallery where he works, and during a private moment, both get attacked by some burglars, and held captive while they cleaned up the gallery. Events from then on is one heck of a roller-coaster ride with numerous twists and turns in the plot, so I won't even bother with the rest. You may want to watch it for yourself - it is a good movie, and is available on DVD (from which this scene was cut).

The film is stylishly made, with fine performances from all the main actors and a very professional technical team. The lovely Kseniya doesn't take her kit off in this film, but we have one of the speed-daters, played by Lidia Vitale, spending time in the bed with Guido in one scene.







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Gabriela Canudas in "Otilia Rauda" [2001 Mexico]

Dana Rotberg is definitely my favourite female director from the Latin Americas, even though I've seen only two of her three feature films to date - the other being the amazing "Ángel de Fuego". Her minimal edits and theatrical-style of direction make us delve into the characters and listen to what they have to say more closely. Her breathtaking films, quite unlike the  philosophical arguments of a Catherine Breillat, have simple themes, and yet are intensely passionate. I sometimes wonder whether it is her films that has helped me understand women better.

Her 2001 film, "Otilia Rauda" aka "La Mujer del Pueblo", based on a beautiful novel, is the sensual but sad story of Otilia, a young woman with the most enviable body in the village, but as if to compensate for her extraordinary physical beauty, nature had cursed her with a hideous scar disfiguring her face.  Her father, a wealthy landlord and mayor, unable to bear the frequent taunts by village-folk, gets her married to a local police officer.

But Otilia couldn't love him, and to make matters worse, he passes on a sexually transmitted disease that renders her infertile. An angry Otilia - angry not only at her husband for lost fertility, but also her parents for forcing her into a marriage with a philanderer, refuses to have sexual congress with her husband henceforth, and seeks her revenge the only way she could - by having sexual liaisons with anyone she desired. She spends her time either at her farm, or the local brothel - Otilia, brimming with sensuality, needs a release, and the brothel made an ideal outlet. Until she meets a bandit-fugitive,  seriously wounded by the police. She hides him at her farm, nurses him back to health, and falls in love, fully aware her feelings are unlikely to be reciprocated. The tragic story leads to its logical conclusion, but not before it has given us an elegant insight into what it is to be Otilia.

Story apart, this film's screenplay is beautifully written and crafted - and Gabriela Canudas, with her heart-felt performance and the most amazing feminine body, bewitches us throughout this gem of a film. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!

I had actually reviewed this film years ago, but I've re-cut the scenes from my excellent DVD, upon request by a follower of this blog. Aquí, amigo - escenas de "Otillia Rauda" - probablemente la mejor calídad puedes encontrar en cualquier lugar ahora!




Compilation 1:



Made from seven scenes. First is when a frustrated Otilia, craving for attention, flashes at the search party looking for her - she didn't feel like returning home after getting nowhere with her servant's son - the local idiot - who loves Otilia and is worried his big member will hurt her. In the next scene, newly married Otilia endures an ordeal with her policeman husband, Isidro. After she discovers her illness and infertility, she despises him and openly has sexual contact with other men - in the next scene she is with one such lover. She later reminds Isidro that he would only be able to see, but cannot touch her. Isidro then brings her a vicious present - a basket with two holes to wear as a mask - this way she 'could be' the most beautiful woman in the world.  In the following scene, when told off by the madame of the brothel for hogging her customers - it is her birthday party after all - Otilia wears the basket and walks down the stairs fully naked before a shocked party audience. This is an awesome scene as Otilia takes her time coming down the stairs - Isidro, her hubby can now only watch, along with the other guests, in disbelief. In the final scene, Otilia protects and nurses fugitive Rubén, falling madly in love. She uses his hand while asleep to pleasure herself - even if there is no nudity here, this is a very erotic scene.









Compilation 2:



Focusing mainly on three scenes. The first is when Otilia bathes a recovering Rubén and also masturbates him. The second scene is the more interesting - Isidro sends the local priest to spy on Otilia - now that he is banned from her farm. Otilia asks the priest why he has suddenly made this 'courtesy' visit when he never bothered to drop in even for her parents' funeral. Since he had come specifically to see her, it must be for her body, she proclaims, and flashes her voluptuous nakedness to the priest and dares him to touch her. The priest almost does..! The final scene is of Rubén bidding goodbye to Otilia, they have sex for the final time.




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Rie Rasmussen in "Human Zoo" [2009 France]

Danish born model-turned-actress Rie Rasmussen made her directorial debut in this 2009 French production, "Human Zoo". For a debut, this film is an awesome achievement, and it only underlines her creative credentials as one of the rising talents in world cinema today. Not only did she write the script and direct, she edited the film herself, and to boot, also played the lead role of Adria, a Kosovar-Albanian illegal immigrant in Marseille, trying to put behind her torrid past in war-torn Kosovo and later in Belgrade.

It is a gritty drama of fury and anger, made from a female perspective, and to say the film is action-packed would be an understatement. Violence and passion are depicted naturally, as they would in real life. A lot of heart had gone into this production, and even if there is plenty of room for improvement, it is a noble achievement, and I wish her all the luck in her future projects, including what appears to be sequel of sorts to this film that is yet to be finished.

The scenes below were cut straight from DVD.



Compilation 1:
This is the full set of 'notable' scenes of the very watchable Rie Rasmussen, not just for her hot looks but also her acting. First is when Adria takes Shawn, an American drifter into her apartment and has sex. This is an unblievable scene where the actor playing Shawn is actually performing cunnilungus on Adria after spreading her legs wide (one could also notice Shawn's 'excitement' halfway through the scene). I would call it explicit, but it is made in a tasteful way (no pun intended). The next scene in the compilation is of Adria and Shawn having sex outdoors at night - even though there's not much nudity in this scene, it is outrageously erotic. The final part oif the scene is also sexy, where Shawn and Adria get to know each other bettr back at the apartment - some nice white panty upskirts here (and me have a fondness for them since childhood).







Compilation 2:
Now for the rest of the pack, of which I know the name of only the first two - strippers Danijela Marinkovic and Katarina Micunovic who party at Srdjan's place - he is a deserter from the Yugoslav army, who becomes a gun-running gangster in lawless Belgrade. As a soldier, he rescues innocent Adria when she is about to get raped by one of his colleagues. She follows him back to Belgrade, first by becoming his girl Friday, and later his lover. Next we have a furious Adria barging into the room where Srdjan is having sex with a hooker and beats the living daylights out of the poor woman. This scene is actually hilarious in a macabre way - she bites off one of Srdjan's fingers during the fight, after blinding the hooker first - and Srdjan desperately tries to punch the missing finger out of Adria. Things are happening all around and we have this hooker stumbling across naked, understandably pissed off.  In the final scene, we have a gun-totting Adria rescuing a young woman from a 'massage parlour'.






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Valeria Solarino & Isabella Ragonese in "Viola di Mare" [2009 Italy]

Donatella Maiorca has constructed a beautiful love story in her 2009 drama, "Viola di Mare" [Eng. Title: The Sea Purple]. Apparently inspired by a true story, the film is set in late 19th century Sicily, where childhood friends-turned-lovers Angela and Sara face insurmountable resistance within their conservative community.

When Angela gets betrothed to a local lad without her approval, she declares to her father her love for Sara. The angry father punishes by locking her in the cellar for several weeks until the mother finally intervenes. Since he always wanted a boy, she suggests turning Angela into a man - the vicar of the village after all owes them a favour - his earlier affair with Angela's aunt had resulted in an abortion. So we have this bizarre scenario where the people in the village are forced to accept Angela as 'Angelo' forthwith, with the excuse that the vicar made a mistake while christening her as a child. During the early minutes of the film, I wondered if this was going to be another one of those mushy lesbian melodramas, but it actually is a beautiful film, with a strong storyline and sensitive portrayal of the main characters. I started as a cynic, but am so glad to have been proved wrong.

The gorgeous Valeria Solarino plays Angela (Angelo), and the beautiful-as-ever Isabella Ragonese plays Sara. I especially loved the seduction and courting scenes in the film. Recommended Viewing!



Compilation 1:
A combination of several scenes. At the beginning, we have Sara bathing her mistress - a baroness, played by sexy MILF Lucrezia Lante della Rovere. She sure seems quite fond of the innocent Sara. Then we have Angela being washed by her mum after being locked up for several days in the cellar. Her father barges in to tell her that she can stay free if she decides to become a man, failing which she would end up back in the cellar - Angela relents, and from henceforth is called 'Angelo'. The final part of the scene is when 'Angelo' and Sara get 'married', and make love for the first time. It is a beautiful scene, tastefully done.







Compilation 2:
Another combo of scenes. First we have 'Angelo' being examined by the doctor - every man must serve in the army - the doctor knows very well that 'Angelo' is a woman, but wants to humiliate her by asking her to strip naked, before rejecting her conscription .

'Angelo' is still expected to 'prove' her manliness - by fathering a child. She turns to another childhood friend, who had always fancied Sara, and he obliges. But I was pleased to find the director's attempt at establishing their fidelity, she beautifully depicts Angela's anguish as her wife is made love to by someone else. Equally, Sara also establishes her faithfulness by going through this 'ordeal'.

The last part of the compilation is however the most erotic, when the Baroness attempts to seduce Angela, and Sara's jealousy after detecting the scent of a woman on Angela. She complains, "...now that you're dressed as a man, you've also started behaving like one".









Bonus Scene:
This is from the DVD extras - the extended version of the love-making scene between Angela and Sara - nice, but I'd recommend the scene from the main film over this in terms of quality.









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Giovanna Zacarías in "Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo" [2009 Mexico]

Julián Hernández is a fine young director from Mexico, and most of his films relate to gay-themes. His 2009 film, "Rabioso Sol, Rabioso Cielo" [Eng. Title: Raging Sun, Raging Sky] is for the most part in black and white, and colour is gradually added through the film until the end, just as the protagonists' love matures. It is excellently done and I can see the director had sought inspiration from some classic filmmakers, notably Pier Paolo Pasolini (Edipo Re), Michelangelo Antonioni (Zabriskie Point), even Godard (2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle), and above all, Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo). But unfortunately for me, some passages in the film were a bit tedious - perhaps because of the abundance of overtly gay sex scenes which is not really my cup of tea. But a very good film nevertheless.

The only heterosexual scene in the film happens at the beginning, when Tatei meets up with her boyfriend and has passionate sex. It is beautifully shot - and the characters portray true affection for one another. Tatei is played by the lovely Giovanna Zacarías.






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Elsa Pataky in "Ninette" [2005 Spain]

José Luis Garci adapted his 2005 film, "Ninette" from a play, and it shows. Barring one shot - being spied on from the army quarters opposite, the rest of the film is shot indoors. But it works, and one doesn't remotely feel claustrophobic, as if one would if someone like Elsa Pataky were to grace the screen every other minute.

It is a mild comedy set in the late 50's. Andrés, a conservative lad from Murcia travels to Paris hoping to have some fun, but never gets to 'see' Paris itself - he spends the whole two weeks at the home his friend puts him in. Reason - Ninette - the landlord's daughter.

This is where the film stutters. The prospect of the gorgeous Parisian Ninette falling headlong in love with smalltown Andrés at first sight seems a bit far fetched. Like this, most of the story is not believable at all - it reads like some escapist fantasy. It is nevertheless charming to see - even if it left me with an aftertaste of saccharin. This is a mild comedy, and apart from Enrique Villén who plays the character Armando - Andrés' friend in Paris, there's not too much of comedy either. Half of the film takes place back in Spain when Andrés gets married to Ninette and becomes the envy of his poker friends. Everybody lives happily ever after.

The reason for buying this DVD , of course, is not for the comedy but the enticing legs of Elsa Pataky, who plays Ninette. She is quite adorable in this film, especially with that cute French accent.



Scene 1:
First part of the scene is when Andrés watches through an open door Ninette changing into something comfortable. She later even invites Andrés to kiss her. Then straight to bed. Later when Andrés tries to sneak out of the house to catch up with some sightseeing, Ninette pulls him back. A shower scene later, we now have a married Ninette blissfully tanning herself on the balcony while being spied on by the Captain of an army barracks opposite,







Scene 2:
Maruja is Andrés' assistant in his bric-a-brac shop. After Armando mentions his interest in her, Andrés starts seeing her in a very different light. Now why would a bloke married to someone as stunning and loving as Ninette even think of having an affair - another huge credibility gap. What's more, we have Ninette even tacitly allowing him to flirt or perhaps even have an affair with Maruja in the following scene. Whatever the case, we shouldn't complain too much, as boner-inducing Mar Regueras who plays Maruja gets to show us her rather impressive tetotas - twice..!






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Jean-Claude Brisseau's "Les Anges Exterminateurs" BR720 [2006 France]

Jean-Claude Brisseau made this personal film "Les Anges Exterminateurs" [Eng. Title: The Exterminating Angels] as some kind of repost against charges and subsequent conviction he faced following his previous film, "Choses Secretes" - for apparently forcing two actresses auditioning for that film to masturbate on camera. Perhaps the women who placed the charges were peeved they didn't land a part.

Whatever the case, we should be grateful to M. Brisseau for making this rather unique (if intentionally silly) film in this day and age. Some of you may of course be already familiar with these scenes and seen them in one form or another. But these are cut from Blu-ray, and includes the complete set of erotic/nude scenes with additional footage preceeding and after them, so people watching it might get a better idea of the premise. The film itself is beautifully done, outrageously mimicking calendar-shoot poses, lighting and decor. Brisseau wants us (and the authorities) to see clearly what he's shooting - that much is obvious.

Now for the story - film director François auditions some aspiring actresses for a new project he has in mind – capturing female orgasm in all its essence as it occurs. He goes through various auditions, and reviews them with his wife (?), finally choosing three to star in his project. Just as events in Brisseau's case, he gets jailed, and his wife leaves him too. There is plenty of nudity and erotic situations, but those looking for some degree of sophistication in the erotic scenes will be disappointed, the pleasant exception being the restaurant scene. Add to this, all of the chosen actresses appear to fancy middle aged François for no discernable reason - well hello M. Brisseau..!



Scene 1:
After François auditions Julie at a café, she agrees to do an audition of her masturbating, and also decides to throw in a particular trick for the camera with a ball. Julie is played by Lise Bellynck.









Scene 2:
Possibly the most erotic scene in the film. François interviews the pretty but dangerously insecure Charlotte, played by Maroussia Dubreuil, and invites her for dinner at an exclusive restaurant. Julie joins them, at which point François asks Charlotte to take off her knickers and start masturbating then and there. Julie gives her a helping hand, as an exasperated waitress notices. They arrive at the hotel room and continue what they were doing, in the nude, by leaving the door ajar.









Scene 3:
This is an outrageous scene, much like a spotty teenage boy's wet dream. Stéphanie, the waitress from the restaurant seeks François and asks to be auditioned as well. He then invites Julie and Charlotte to come over to the hotel as they have a friend waiting. The girls enthusiastically join in, and we now have a full-blown lesbian threesome. And yes, the actresses are masturbating one another for real. Sexy Marie Allan plays waitress Stéphanie.









Scene 4:
After one of Charlotte's tantrums during the film shoot gets out of hand, François auditions Céline for a possible replacement, and she proves equal to the task. Céline is played by Apolline Louis.






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Martina Gedeck, Nina Hoss in "Elementarteilchen" BR720 [2006 Germany]

Oskar Roehler's awesome 2006 black comedy, "Elementarteilchen" [Eng. Title: The Elementary Particles] is a study of two half-brothers, each with a completely different character and outlook. Michael, the younger one is a successful scientist-chemist, while the elder Bruno, played by the brilliant Moritz Bleibtreu, is interested in nothing much apart from sex. He's shallow, bigoted, and incapable of hanging on to a relationship, until he meets Christiane, a married woman going through separation, played by one of the finest actresses in Germany today, the lovely Martina Gedeck. He meets her for the first time at the nudist camp while she's having sex with a boyfriend by the pool - and they instantly hit it off.

Mr. Bleibtreu won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for this film. But I was also impressed by the screenplay and direction - the way it succeeds in connecting us with all the main characters - it's a shame the film didn't win a Golden Bear as well. The scenes below were cut from Blu-ray.



Scene 1:
This is a twisted but hilarious scene. Bruno recollects events from his youth to the exasperated psychiatrist - about how he got to see his hippy mum only during the summer holidays, her lifestyle, and how he got into the habit of jerking off thinking of his mum! Nina Hoss plays Bruno's hot mum.







Scenes 2 & 3:
Bruno decides to take a vacation at a nudist camp. In the first clip, he's awestruck by the nakedness in the camp, and makes some rather funny remarks along the way. The second clip is equally hilarious when he attends a massage workshop. They are both 'visual' scenes and don't need any help with translation.







Scenes 4 & 5:
Christiane introduces Bruno to the swinging scene, and they get totally addicted. The first scene has not much nudity but erotic as they meet a couple for the first time by the bar. The second is when Christiane suffers a seizure right in the middle of an orgy.







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Valentina Forte in "Inferno in Diretta" [1985 Italy]

Following on his earlier successes in 'Cannibal Holocaust' and 'La Casa Sperduta nel Parco', Ruggero Deodato made his next jungle-cannibalism thriller, "Inferno in Diretta" [Eng. Title: Cut and Run] in 1985, by casting his then girlfriend, the absolutely gorgeous Valentina Forte in a prominent role. Genre-wise, this film doesn't quite reach the exhalted heights of Cannibal Holocaust. It is still a decent film with sharp edits (only in some places - the version I saw had a disjointed storyline) and a haunting soundtrack, but the only reason anyone would even want to keep this in their collection must be bella ragazza, signorina Forte, with the sweetest ass eyes can behold. She plays Ana who gets blackmailed into working for the druglords - all because she wants to save her boyfriend.

The first scene is when the ringleader treats his gangster-friend to a hapless Ana. The second scene has no explicit nudiy, but a nice tit-slip as she stumbles upon some corpses in the dark while looking for her Tommy.



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Daniela Valentine in "Lake Tahoe" [2008 Mexico]

Fernando Eimbcke is a prodigiously talented director making waves in World cinema. His 2008 film, "Lake Tahoe" is in one word, mesmerising. Give this movie a chance for the first 15 minutes, and you'll be so glad that you did. Sit back, and let the film take you where it wants. There are no cunning twists in the plot, nothing surreal or avant-garde, nothing to pay close attention to in that vast azure canvas - it is just plain and simple, like looking at a naturally beautiful woman, devoid of any makeup. Like a slow cooked gormet meal. Well, you get the idea.
The cinematography, the direction, and the location make the movie what it is - a modern day gem. The film is about loss, about accepting and coping with loss. I wouldn't like to elaborate this time - it is for the viewer to make their own little journey through the film, just as young Juan does. That is part of the joy in watching. A little patience at the beginning, and you'll find this as absorbing as a well-written novel. Highly Recommended Viewing..!
In the only nude scene in the film, Juan is talked into babysitting the child of a shop assistant, Lucia. He unexpectedly finds himself spending some time in her bedroom. Lucia is played by Daniela Valentine.






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