Emanuelle and co. explore the land of the Pharaohs. One of the numerous well composed images in VELUTTO NERO, the original Italian title of BLACK EMMANUELLE, WHITE EMMANUELLE [why is her name spelled with two M's on the cover art?]. Can you name the all the actors in this composition?
The arid North African locations are artfully captured by director Brunello Rondi and his crew in this superior non-Joe D'Amato entry into the series.
Thanks to Eric Cotenas for the screengrabs. We've been discussing how we both consider this to be on the best, perhaps the ultimate, Black Emanuelle titles due to the striking cinematography, multi dimensional characters, excellent cast and outstanding score. One of the three Black Emanuelle titles getting their R1 DVD debut on Severin Film's new Limited Collector's Edition-BLACK EMANUELLE'S BOX: Volume 2.
We'll be back with some more screenshots.
I wonder if the Italian credits of the films identify Gemser as "Emanuelle Nera" in the official films as they do here. BLACK EMANUELLE 2 credits "EMANUELLE NERA in" and then credits Sharon Leslie after Angelo Infanti after the title. The French credits for EMANUELLE IN AMERICA says "Laura Gemser est Emanuelle dans."
ReplyDeleteThe film makes me wonder how good other films Rondi directed look. IL DEMONIO (with Daliah Lavi and Frank Wolff) and UNA VITA VIOLENTA are on DVD in Italy.
ReplyDeleteI think the selling point of these was the EMANUELLE or EMANUELLE NERA character name rather than Gemser. And, at this point, they might not have settled on Gemser for the rest of the series. Sharon Leslie is certainly inadequate and I'm sure #2 was a failure in comparison to the original BE, which still needs a good R1 DVD transfer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen DEMONIO, but would like to now.
According to the booklet in the Japan Shock LAST CANNIBALS DVD box the copyright holders of the character have an injunction agains spelling the name with two M's as it is on the DVD box.
ReplyDeleteThere's a rather insulting and nonsensical review at Mondo Digital for the set (http://www.mondo-digital.com/emanuelle.html). It refers to Susan Scott as "breast implant queen" and makes hash of the plot. It also suggests plot incoherence in WHITE SLAVE TRADE that really isn't there if one is even remotely paying attention. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the reviewer is a little easier on BLACK EMANUELLE 2. Whatever.
ReplyDelete"According to the booklet in the Japan Shock LAST CANNIBALS DVD box the copyright holders of the character have an injunction agains spelling the name with two M's as it is on the DVD box."
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen an actual poster with the BE,WE title or did Severin add that title to the artwork (that image is also used for the Italian poster with the VELUTTO NERO title).
I haven't seen any internet reviews on this yet and I can't access that page right now for some reason. I really will watch anything with Susan Scott just for her. She's very sexy in a elegant, mature fashion. She's not young or old but approaching middle age and still very hot. She's not full figured or thin, but really almost a figure out of a painting or sculpture. I don't know about implants, I don't think she needed them. I remember her from the big gundown, first time I saw her, and THE LAST CANNIBALS. I'm preparing a blog on her once I get some more screengrabs.
ReplyDeleteI think the BE< WE title comes from the old 90s era video I used to see in old stores, doesn't it. I seem to remember that image and spelling and font on the cover.
I think the 90s era video was actually the other BLACK EMANUELLE WHITE EMANUELLE with Malisa Longo. The US tape titles for VELUTTO NERO were NAKED PARADISE (apparently the most complete and hardest to find), SMOOTH VELVET RAW SILK, and EMANUELLE IN EGYPT (the most cut) but I think VN did go under the BE WE title as well.
ReplyDeleteIt was over 15 years ago but I remember seeing that cover design on an VHS with that title. And I do seem to remember seeing part of one with Malisa Longo in it. Don't remember the title. I also remember an old VHS entitled Emanuelle in Egypt but never rented it out. But I do remember renting a BE WE video from this store, I just can't remember if it was VELLUTO NERO or the Malisa Longo one.
ReplyDeleteI think the other BE WE was set on a plantation and may have also been a video retitling for EMANUELLE BIANCA E NERA (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0074471/).
ReplyDeleteThat's the one I saw, it was set on a plantation. It even might have had that artwork on the cover, mistakenly. I remember this store had a bunch of Emanuelle/BE films like EIB, YELLOW EMANUELLE, and this.
ReplyDelete