|
 The
Frightened Woman (Femina Ridens - 1969)
R2 / PAL DVD
Shameless Screen Entertainment / 2008
Directed by Piero Schivazappa
Written by Piero Schivazappa & Paolo Levi
Cast: Philippe Leroy, Dagmar Lassander, Lorenza Guerrieri &
Varo Soleri
Review by Phillip Escott
A journalist, Maria (Dagmar Lassander – House by the
Cemetery) gets into way more than she bargained for when she
interviews a wealthy philanthropist by the name of Dr. Sayer
(Phillipe Leroy – Mother of Tears). You see, this twisted
doctor believes that men have been oppressed by woman for
far too long and in order to save society, something must be
done about them. When she accepts a drink from him, she soon
finds her self captive and so begins this perverted tale of
one man out to crush womankind!
Femina Ridens is a movie that could only have been made in
60’s Italy. As soon as you glimpse the décor and hear the
lounge-jazz soundtrack you’ll be swept up and engaged by the
dirty proceedings that follow. From the blatant sexist
aspect to the cunning little switch-er-roo finale, it’s a
Euro-cult fans wet dream. It may not be explicit enough for
some tastes and may be a little too trippy for others; but
those willing to take the plunge and succumb to the films
charms, there is plenty to admire here. From the brave
performances from Leroy and Euro-fave Dagmar Lassander, to
the beautiful set designs, cinematography and some funk-ass
dancing from the lovely Dagmar!
Shameless have done a great job in restoring this lost gem
of Italian sleaze and they’ve compiled the most complete
version of the movie in existence, coming with a seal of
approval by Piero Schivazappa himself; this will be a must
for fans of obscure cinema and is a no-brainer for existing
fans of the movie. It’s been sourced from various materials,
not to mention formats, so the quality will inevitably vary.
To be honest, it’s not that much of a problem and for such a
rarity, it’s easily over-looked.
Fans of Euro-cult will not want to miss this release; if you
like the material companies like Severin put out then this
will appeal to you too. It’s completely UN-PC, but what else
would you expect from a movie from the 60’s? If you aren’t
won over by all this, then maybe this will help? There’s a
midget added to the mix as well – what more could you
possibly ask for? |
