Stars:
Joelle Coeur, Brigitte De Borghese, Britt Anders, Marie-France Morel, Annie
Belle, Willy Braque, Catherine Castel, Alain Bastin, and Jenny Trochu
Writer:
Lionel Wallmann
Director:
Jean Rollin (As Michel Gentil)
Feature
length: 102 minutes
Extras:
Trailers
Languages:
French Monaural Sound
Subtitles:
English Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 16
Sound:
Monaural Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1973/DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Synapse Films
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
I
am not a big fan of soft-core erotica. As far as I am concerned if you are going
to show people having sex and sell that as part of the lure to seeing this film
then you might as well go all the way, but while there is certainly more nudity
and depiction of sexuality in this film than in the standard Hollywood erotic
thriller, this film is rather tame by contemporary standards. In fact I bet this
cult film made a much larger splash during the time it was released and found
it’s audience then it would when compared to some of the various adult films
advertised for consenting adults on cable television and lest we forget the
hardcore Adult Film Industry based in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas that
has all but given up any attempts at telling a story in favor of tasteless gonzo
pornography.
Directed by Jean Rollin under the pseudonym “Michael Gentil,” I would not classify “Bacchanales Sexuelles AKA Fly Me The French Way” as porn because it attempts to tell a strange mix of comedy and sexuality where anything could happen. I would not be surprised if the film inspired some 1980s adult cinema. One scene reminded me of the classic Dark Brothers film “New Wave Hookers” and Director Gregory Dark has gone on to make music videos for various pop stars that have included Brittany Spears. In fact though it is not advertised, many filmmakers got their start writing for publications or directing films for magazines that 20 years ago might have been called smut and some still are, but some are now mainstream like “Playboy” or “Penthouse” and I am not stating a character like Kurt Vonnegut’s sci-fi writer character “Kilgore Trout” as an example. In front of the camera is a different story, but pseudonyms in any form of entertainment has become an accepted practice and a suggested one too if one hopes to keep a certain bit of privacy in their life, not to mention safety.
So French filmmaker Jean Rollin, who is known for his horror films directed this film, which up till now has never been made available on DVD uncut, but Synapse Films has rectified that for fans of this film to present the complete film with almost 30 minutes restored and presented on DVD with a frayed anamorphic widescreen (1.66:1) aspect ratio and the original Two-Channel French Monaural Soundtrack as well as newly translated optional English Language Subtitles. There are not many extra features included within this set except for an insert containing a reproduction of the original theatrical one-sheet, an essay by Writer and Reviewer Nathaniel Thompson, and scene selection information.
Bonus trailers for Jean Rollin’s zombie horror film “Les Rasins de La Mort AKA The Grapes Of Death” (3:04) and the recently released to DVD “Castle Of Blood AKA Danse Macrabre” are included as well. If you like this sort of film, “Bacchanales Sexuelles AKA Fly Me The French Way: Widescreen Edition” is available now at retailers on and offline from Synapse Films and you can also order it directly from Synapse Films by visiting their website at www.synapse-films.com. There you will find a variety of genre films including cult classic b-movies, horror films, and more.
© Copyright 2003
by Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.