Emanuelle in America
January. 05,1977 NRIn search of a good story, globe-trotting photojournalist Emanuelle meets up with an ex-prizefighter who tips her off about a rich pervert who recruits girls for his own private harem based on their astrological signs.
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In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
A good film by sleaze-master Joe D'Amato? No chance. Wait a minute, this one actually isn't too bad. Emanuelle's (notice, one "m", not Emmanuelle ©) forays into the aristocratic decay lifestyle get weirder and sleazier, culminating in the snuff footage in the end (modeled after Pasolini's "Salo", how ironical). It's not all bleak however, as Joe has a sense of humor. Case in point, Emanuelle and cohort having sex in the next room to an orchestra playing, and hysterically editing the sex with close-ups of the geek musos playing Ludwig's fifth. Or what about the ending? Emanuelle getting a vacation as a reward for her investigative journalism, only it turns to be a movie decor. It is only a movie after all. Hah.
Many many movies are labeled as "exploitation" or "Sleaze", yet only contain brief moments of nudity or violence to back up the claim. Emanuelle in America on the other hand more than lives up to the billing as one of the most notorious exploitation films ever made. The bottom line for me is this, if a movie is too sadistic and sleazy for me to show my wife, then it's an exploitation classic. One feels like they are breaking the law when watching Pedro the horse get pleasured, or the snuff film scenes. Again, the mark of a movie that not only pushes the envelope, but rips it up and burns it as well.Don't expect much from the plot, even though there is a thread that holds this movie together. Don't expect much from the acting, even though it is much better than most films of its type. Do expect sexy scene after sexy scene under the most unusual of circumstances. The much talked about hardcore scenes are just that, hardcore, and give this film the extra push into total infamy. Being a fan movies that are unafraid to go for the throat I enjoyed Emanuelle in America for the boundaries it pushes. If you are looking for quality film making with life affirming messages, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a sleazy good time and the ability to say you saw a real exploitation gem then find this and enjoy.
You have to be in the right frame of mind to sit and watch "Emmanualle in America". If you are...it can be a blast. In this film, Emmanuelle's sexual misadventures continue-and she winds up going undercover and getting herself in the middle of a underground conspiracy smuggling snuff films into the United States. There not much of plot or acting here--just mostly soft core sexual scenarios with a few hardcore scenes as well. Beastiality..... check! 3 somes........ check! Lesbianism...... check! Orgies.......... check! There's a little bit of everything here. Most of it is soft-core but there are a few sequences that are definitely X-rated.The snuff film footage is quite realistic and disturbing--but intriguing nonetheless.All in all, this movie is all about sexual "visuals". Forget about storyline or any kind of acting ability.Times sure have changed--but "Emmanuelle in America" remains a titillating piece of erotica. Worth watching for the endless nudity or if your looking to try and "shock" yourself. This reviewer spent most of the film laughing his a** off! The title of this review refers to the horse "Pedro", which was my vote for the funniest part of this trashy little movie. ;-)
At its outset, "Emanuelle in America" is like most '70s Eurotica, with naked women cavorting through every other scene, frequently having simulated sex with whichever man happens to be around, or with each other. The "plot" is just a series of scenarios meant to move the title character from one sexy situation to the next for a little less than two hours. In this case, Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) is a libidinous fashion photographer and photojournalist who travels to various locations (and not just in America, though she is New York-based), not-so-surreptitiously snapping photos of wealthy people having sex (almost no one questions why she insists on wearing that ugly pendant, even while she herself is having sex). But mixed among all this softcore humpage are scenes of bestiality, hardcore sex and very graphic (but faked) snuff film footage. Perhaps what makes these scenes so "shocking" is the casual way in which they're presented. First you're watching a half-hearted lesbian coupling in a steam room, then next thing you know you see a woman fondling an erect horse penis (surprise!). Then it's back into hard-R territory, until you suddenly see a woman performing fellatio (on a man, not a horse), presented in a decidedly triple-X fashion--particularly jarring when, up until this point, Emanuelle's America is a land where men seldom even remove their shirts to have sex, let alone their pants. There's more hard-X scenes to follow (none of which involve Gemser), but whatever prurient thrills that provides are quickly dashed by the horrific "snuff" film footage that follows. Scenes of women getting hot oil poured down their throats and getting nipples torn off are a definite mood-killer, yet they're presented matter-of-factly here, making their brutality that much more appalling.That's not to say I hated this movie. The gorgeous Laura Gemser is a compelling screen presence, though to be a sex goddess she's quite detached in her sex scenes, looking more like she's posing for a still photograph. And though it's alternately goofy, tacky and revolting, director Joe D'amato makes sure "Emanuelle in America" is never boring. Love it or hate it, you'll never forget it.