Joe D'amato's recipe for filmmaking was pretty simple: sex + violence = entertainment. It really is hard to argue with that logic, however, it has been done by thousands of other filmmakers and few of them have gained his reputation. I think much of his success in his niche comes from his commitment. With a history of nearly two hundred films, he made probably more than his fair share of clunkers, however, many of his films are eminently watchable, and some are considered classics of the 70's sex/horror hybrid genre. Severin has resurrected a little bit of both types in their catalog so far. My personal favorites are D'amato's contributions to Laura Gemser's Black Emanuelle series, available either in Black Emanuelle Vols. 1 & 2, or on their own. The first collection includes Emanuelle in Bangkok and Emanuelle Around the World, each notorious for the amount of adult action, and at least the former of which was released in a XXX edition not found in this collection. The box itself is a great little package, including a gatefold cover of Gemser, and a CD of soundtrack collections as well as lobby card reproductions and video interviews with D'amato himself and composer Nico Fidenco. The second collection includes D'amato's Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade, which is just as exploitative and entertaining as its title suggests. That disc also includes an interview with Joe D'amato, great stuff all around. Each of the Black Emanuelle titles are also available alone.
As I mentioned above, D'amato specialized in the confluence of sex and violence and Severin have released two these films to great acclaim. The Alcove also stars Laura Gemser as an African princess turned slave and made subject to the whims of a military officer. She is dragged into a world of drugs, sex, and all around deviance. D'amato's Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals, veers further into the dark with a tale of cannibalism and sex! I think this film requires no other reccomendation than the fact that it includes something referred to as the "Disco Cannibal Blood Orgy" sequence. The film also features Sirpa Lane, who is probably better known for her tryst with Bigfoot in Borowczyk's The Beast. D'amato is also the mind behind classics like Erotic Nights of the Living Dead and other similar films, but I'm glad that Severin have taken such good care of his entries in the Black Emanuelle series, first and foremost.
Walerian Borowczyk is not a name often mentioned when people talk about the great auteurs of the European new wave, and, really, I don't know that he was that influential. For me, regarding someone as influential insinuates that he has followers and people who attempt to copy his work, and Borowczyk was such a singular mind and talent, that I don't think that was really a problem, outside of a very few people. Severin have taken an interest in his work that is really only equaled by Cult Epics in this country. First up in the Severin collection is Immoral Women, a bizarrely erotic tale of women, um, being immoral. It really must be seen to be believed. Borowczyk was nothing if not an envelope pusher, and this film is only one of his more notorious works. Severin have found the original European negatives and restored the film to its full length so admirers and critics alike have the opportunity to make up their minds based upon Borowczyk's original intentions. Severin have also released one of Borowczyk's final films, Art Of Love, and the finale of his Immoral Trilogy (alongside Immoral Tales and Immoral Women). He takes a characteristically skewed look at eroticism in this film, Borowczyk's films are definitely an acquired taste, and may not be your cup of tea, but they are most certainly unforgettable.
The final, and perhaps most well-known of the trio is Jess Franco. Severin and Blue Underground share an affection for Franco and his films, however, I think Severin take the win for releasing some more obscure titles. Among Severin's current titles are Devil Hunter, Bloody Moon, Mansion of the Living Dead, and Macumba Sexual, all typically bizarre, erotic, and violent examples of Franco's oeuvre. The first two of these titles made it onto Britain's notorious Video Nasty list, making them prime fodder for slasher collectors, it didn't hurt that they both contained prime examples of everything your parents feared most. Cannibalism, sex, carnage, nothing was off the table, and here Severin have presented them uncut and restored for the first time in the USA! Mansion of the Living Dead and Macumba Sexual lean more toward the sex end of sexploitation, which is not at all foreign to Franco. Both films highlight his trademark sense of sensuality even in the midst of the darkest of subjects, and both films feature the lovely Lina Romay, Franco's longtime partner and wife. Mansion of the Living Dead combines the Blind Dead mainstays, the Templar zombies with nubile young waitresses exploring their sexuality. Again, these two films have never been made available uncut in the USA until now. All four films feature interviews with Jess Franco about the material, which is very informative, and I've gotten word that Severin was working on even more Franco titles with more interviews, still!
This trio of talents didn't always make winners, some of the films were truly just potboilers, however, they have left an inedible mark on European cinema, which filmmakers today mustn't ignore. Sure, I suppose most people would want to wipe that mark away, but there are enough of us hungry to see these films and try to imagine what evil lurks in the minds of these men that I hope Severin are able to continue their work. Lord knows, there are plenty of D'amato's and Franco's left that haven't been released!
Keep watching, next time I'll take on some of Severin's more horrifying entries...