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| Nude For Satan 1974 82 min |
| aka Nuda per Satana |
| This bizarre little gem almost never got to see the light of day. It was reportedly seen by only about 500 people in its initial Italian release; but now, thanks to the folks at Redemption we get a great looking widescreen transfer! It's quite fortunate that they took the time to give this film a repectable release; its surprisingly very good. Filled with stylish camera work, atmospheric lighting, and a great score, fans of vintage Eurosleaze should find plenty to love about this one. |
| Forget about any semblance of a coherent linear narrative, this film is more of an experience than a story. What little story there is begins in a very typical manner: A Doctor is driving to a house that he is warned to avoid. On his way there he has a car accident, as does a young girl right after him (the stunning Rita Calderoni). He takes her to a spooky castle to get help. Already in the story I was caught off guard by how remarkably well the film was shot. Every image was haunting and technically well composed and executed. Not only that, but every shot was intriguing and bizarre. Well, I hadn't seen anything yet! They go to the castle, and from here on in the film is a scattered nightmare of surreal visions. As to what exactly is going on, that's anybody's guess. It's not really important though, the dialogue is by far the film weakest attribute. The actual lines are silly and the dubbing just makes it unintentionally laughable. My suggestion would be to watch the film in its original Italian soundtrack with the English subs. It almost gets to the point where you could even forget about the subs as the dialoge is really that minor of a part. The music is much more important to setting the mood. The classic 70s Eurosleaze score lends itself nicely to the strange happenings. |
| What little is left to the story involves the two people searching for each other in the castle, only to find identical twins running around. Each thinks that the other is crazy, only to begin doubting their own sanity shortly. Like I said though, the story only functions to keep the sleazy nightmares coming one after another. Calderoni monopolizes whatever screentime she has as she is just impossible not to stare at. Easily one of the most beautiful women of the era (which is no small accomplishment!). |
| Far more important that the story are the individual set pieces. Since this movie is so rarely seen I will try not to spoil anything, but still wet your appetite. All of the memorable scenes are created through moody, well executed lighting and relatively simple optical camera tricks. One that immediately springs to mind comes early on, when a nude Calderoni is layered on top of a staring eyeball. Somehow this avoids being silly and is a completely striking image. Of course, the most notorious scene in the film seems to be the on involving the perverted little spider. This one is probably one of te sillier scenes as this arachnid makes that bug from Phantasm look realistic! Not that they were aiming for realism in any way here, but that scene still breaks the mood a little with its all arounf hokiness. If this description sounds like something you might be considering I'll try to encourage you a little more with the promise of lesbianism, whippings, and a magical haunted painting! Not only that but the climax is one of the strangest things I've ever seen. I'll probably never be able to get that weird, weird, weird image out of my mind as long as I live... |
| The movie was directed by Luigi Batzella under the name Paolo Solvay. Batzella is probably best known for the infamous Video Nasty, The Beast in Heat. While Beast is admittadly a fun (in a very, very sick way - Nazis shooting babies and creating mongoloid rape monsters?!) movie, it is decidedly void of style. Nude For Satan is sleazy to be sure, but the violence is sparing. Did I already mention that the style makes for a fascinating watch? |
| Oddly enough, Redemptions release was actually the first legitimate release in the world, coming 25 years after its completion! This is too bad, as I think this is one of the best of the incoherent sleazefests. All of the necessary elements are included but (for me atleast) the film never felt tired or generic. Of course this movie will never be a mainstream hit but I hope to see it find a home among fans of this subgenre. This is a shining example of the forgotten art of arthouse trash. |
| While this release isn't brimming with extras, Redemption should be given credit for putting together the best package possible. How much can be included for a movie that never got released? There is a trailer included and a short still gallery. The best part of this release though, is the amazing picture quality! Fans should really be great that companies like Redemption are willing to go the extra mile to ensure quality fare for an often overlooked era of film art. My only gripe about the release is a small one, the redemption introduction is a stark reminder that stylized sleaze will never be as cool as it was in the 70s. I wish the introduction was included before the menu or on another part of the DVD...It just doesn't look right attached to the movie. |
| I give this one 4 horny spiders out of 5! |
| review by Joe Canistro 03/07/2002 |
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