L'alcova (1985)
The Alcove (1985)
DVD5 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 4:3 (720x576) | 01:30:06 | 4,39 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | German AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: German (Forced on the English soundtracks)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sexploitation | Italy
DVD5 | VIDEO_TS | PAL 4:3 (720x576) | 01:30:06 | 4,39 Gb
Audio: English AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | German AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps
Subtitles: German (Forced on the English soundtracks)
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sexploitation | Italy
An Italian fascist officer returns from Africa with a beautiful woman in tow, Laura Gemser. He treats her as his slave and she is soon passed over to his bored wife, Lilli Carrati. As a result Carrati's ousted lesbian lover sulks and plots revenge against the intruder, whose impact on this collection of lusty aristos is to have them eating out of her hands, and everywhere else. Thus by degrees making them her slaves.
IMDB
Italian army officer Elio (Al Cliver) returns from the Ethiopian campaign with a slave girl (Laura Gemser) in tow — and her introduction to the household has a devastating effect on his wife, Alessandra (Lilli Carati), who has been carrying on a sordid affair with his secretary, Wilma (Annie Belle)… Aristide Massaccesi (1936-1999) got his start in the film industry as a cinematographer, shooting such noteworthy Italian genre films as What Have You Done to Solange? (1971) and The Devil’s Wedding Night (1973).
L'alcova (1985)
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He eventually switched to directing and in this capacity utilized several pseudonyms, the best known being “Joe D’Amato“. One could argue that he was never so good as a director as he was a cinematographer, but D’Amato has attained a sizable cult following just the same. His specialty was erotica, and he would continue to churn out soft-and-hardcore films for the bulk of his directorial career.
L'alcova (1985)
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The Alcove is one of D’Amato‘s better efforts. For one thing, it actually has something of a plot — not that the story matters much in erotica, but still it’s nice to have a plot to follow. For another, the sex is genuinely erotic; this is one of D’Amato‘s softcore ventures, so don’t expect any clinical closeups or the like, but this works in the film’s favor. Whereas some of the director’s harder sex films tend to suffer from repetition, The Alcove varies its ‘action’ with a delicate touch. The pacing is a bit slow, but the film holds one’s attention and offers up some decent cinematography (courtesy of the director, under the nom de plume “Federico Slonisco”) and solid production values.
L'alcova (1985)
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D’Amato is well served by an attractive cast. Lilli Carati (To Be Twenty), Annie Belle (Laure) and Laura Gemser (Black Emanuelle) are about as attractive a group of Euro-starlets this side of Rosalba Neri and Edwige Fenech, and they all enter into the spirit of the thing with ample enthusiasm. Carati is particularly effective as the sexually dominant Alessandra, who changes lovers with reckless abandon. Gemser is cast in a role bound to raise a few eyebrows — a “Negro” princess given to Elio as a peace offering. She is therefore the subject of some tactless and decidedly politically incorrect observations from Carati’s character, but it would be a mistake to call the film bigoted in this regard; if anything, it is true to the sensibilities of the characters and the time frame. In any event, the three actresses prove themselves to be capable thespians, and they also help to generate the requisite amount of heat. Lucio Fulci stalwart Al Cliver (Zombie, Devil Hunter) does a credible job as the sleazy Elio, whose disparate interests include sensitive love poems and pornography.
L'alcova (1985)
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The overall effect is nicely complemented by a good score by Manuel DeSica (Cemetery Man), and D’Amato does a good job of keeping things interesting, even if the pace lags a bit here and there. More hardened (forgive the pun) EuroSleaze buffs may find this one a little on the soft side, but The Alcove remains one of its director’s better films and is recommended.
L'alcova (1985)
Special Features:
- Photo gallery
- Theatrical trailer
- Bonus trailers for "Fury (1979)", "Women's Prison", "Women's Prison 2" and "Caligula 2"
L'alcova (1985)
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