SYLVIA KRISTEL:
1970s COLLECTION (1974-1978)
Label: Cult Epics
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: Region Free
Language: French, Dutch, German, English language with Optional English subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono, LPCM 2.0 Mono, Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Alain Robbe-Grillet, Wim Verstappen, Paul de Lussanet, Sigi Rothemund
Cast: Sylvia Kristel, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anicée Alvina, Christine Boisson, Rutger Hauer, Rita Tushingham, David Rappaport
Synopsis from the Cult Epics: Released in 1975, Alain Robbe-Grillet's surreal, absurdist sado-masochistic drama Playing with Fire (Le jeu avec le feu) features Sylvia in one of her most challenging roles alongside Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anicée Alvina and her Emmanuelle co-star Christine Boisson. The set's two Dutch films are co-starring Rutger Hauer, and Sylvia at the peak of her career. Submitted for the 1978 Academy Awards — Best Foreign Film, Wim Verstappen's Pastorale 1943 is a war drama centered on the Dutch resistance during World War II, and features also the debut of Renée Soutendijk. Painter turned director Paul de Lussanet’s romantic psychological drama Mysteries, based on the world famous novel by the Norwegian nobel prize winner Knut Hamsun and shot by renowned cinematographer Robby Müller, also stars Rita Tushingham and David Rappaport. Filmed and released right after Sylvia became one of the world's biggest stars as Emmanuelle (1974), Sigi Rothemund's 1974 film Julia is a German sex comedy drama, with Sylvia as a young boy’s first love, foreshadowing her later U.S. commercial hit Private Lessons.
In connection Cult Epics will be releasing Sylvia Kristel: From Emmanuelle to Chabrol written by Jeremy Richey as a Hardcover book. 352 Pages, fully illustrated, 12x10 inches.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
(LE JEU AVEC LE JEU) (1975)
Label: Cult Epics
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 113 Minutes
Region Code: Region Free
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: French LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Alain Robbe-Grillet, Wim Verstappen, Paul de Lussanet,
Cast: Sylvia Kristel, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anicée Alvina and her Emmanuelle co-star Christine Boisson
In Alain Robbe-Grillet’s Playing with Fire (aka Le jeu avec le feu) (1975) wealthy banker Georges de Saxe (Philippe Noiret, Cinema Paradiso), a man with a wild imagination, discovers that his gorgeous daughter Carolina (Anicée Alvina) has been entangled in a kidnapping plot. In a weird turn of events the kidnappers mistakenly nab the wrong girl, but nonetheless Georges hires a mysterious man named Franz (Jean-Louis Trintignant, Death Laid An Egg) to protect her from further threat. Franz however seems to me operating in coordination with the kidnappers, and while promising to hide the daughter in a clinic he actually drops her off at a brothel run my Madame Erica von Eide (Martine Jouot). What follows is an playfully erotic and slightly surreal madcap kidnapping-comedy that mingles kidnapping plots with the imagined fantasies of Saxe, who has a worrisome incestuous leaning relationship with his daughter. The film is never played with menace even though the kidnappers threaten rape, bestiality, cannibalism and immolation, some of which we see and just might be the fantasy filled imagination of the poor girl's demented father! A weird madcap tale that benefits from gorgeous scenery and cinematpharphy, experimental arthouse editing and arousing sexual vignettes. Kristel actually only appears in a supporting role as a maid, even so she still manages to draw the eye, and I appreciate the films inclusion on the set, more so because it's my introduction to the films of Alain Robbe-Grillet who seems quite interesting and I look forward to seeking more of them out.
Audio/Video: Playing with Fire arrives on region-free Blu-ray with a new 2K scan performed by Studio Canal, sourced from the original camera negative. Its the best looking film on the set with natural looking grain, vibrant colors and natural looking skin tones throughout, a very attractive film. Audio comes by way of French LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles, with clean dialogue and no issues with hiss or distortion.
Extras for Playing with Fire start-up with a terrifically in-depth Audio Commentary by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas that gets into the director's style and themes, how the marketing focused on Kristel after the wildly successful
Emanuelle, and the bestiality scene, and much more. We also get a 5-min Interview with Catharine Robbe-Grillet, the director's widow, who talks about Trintignant comedic style, recurring themes in the director's work and a bit more. The disc is buttoned up with a Poster & Photo Gallery, plus Original Theatrical Trailers for Mysteries (3 min), Pastorale 1943 (2 min), and Julia (2 min).
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas
- Interview with Catharine Robbe-Grillet (5 min)
- Poster & Photo Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailers: Mysteries (3 min), Pastorale 1943 (2 min), Julia (2 min)
PASTORALE 1943 (1978)
Label: Cult Epics
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: Region Free
Duration: 128 Minutes
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: Dutch LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Wim Verstappen
Cast: Sylvia Kristel, Rutger Hauer, Renée Soutendijk, Frederik de Groot, Renée Soutendijk
Next up is Wim Verstappen's Pastorale 1943 (197), based on a novel by Simon Vestdijk, and set during the Nazi occupation of Holland during WWII. A war drama with comedic elements but not played for laughs, this focuses on the disorganized exploits of the Dutch resistance forces in a small village that is spearheaded by a group of self-aggrandizing intellectuals. The focus is spread out among several characters but the center-piece is the story of a schoolteacher named Johan Schults (Frederik de Groot) who is German, but has no love for the Nazis, ashamed that his brother August (Rutger Hauer, Hobo with a Shotgun), is a high-ranking Nazi officer. The drama unfolds with the resistance mostly fouling their own plans through reckless, self-interested betrayal and femme fatale double-dealings. Kristel appears in a supporting role as a school teacher who supports the resistance by striking up a romance with a Nazi, which earns her much scorn from the locals. Also be on the lookout for The Cool Lakes of Death's Renée Soutendijk as Marie, a farmer's daughter whose love life figures prominently into a key turn of events. I thought this was a quite good WWII melodrama with some great visuals and scenery, the acting is terrific, and the blend of war-time drama and comedic turns was well-balanced, though the freeze-frame ending left me a but cold, but it didn;t derail the whole film, just a bit of a disappointment.
Audio/Video: Pastorale 1943 gets a region-free Blu-ray presentation in 1080p HD widescreen (1.66:1) in 1080p HD. The images is a tad soft with anemic contrast in spots, showcasing a minor amount of scratches and speckling, but is generally well-defined and pleasing in HD. Audio comes by way of Dutch LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles, both tracks are well-balanced with only a hint of distortion in the higher ranges.
Pastorale 1943 supplemental material includes an Audio Commentary by Professor Peter W. Verstraten, a well-informed Dutch cinema historian, plus an 8-min archival Interview with Sylvia Kristel and Frederik De Groot, but more interesting is another archival piece, the 11-min Interview with Sylvia Kristel, who is not shy about reflecting on people's perception of her post-Emmanuelle, and her general dislike for those who work in film, and the sort of roles she was seeking out at the time. Extras are topped of with a brief Pastoral 1943 Promo, Poster & Photo Gallery, and the same set Original Theatrical Trailers.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Professor Peter W. Verstraten
- Interview with Sylvia Kristel and Frederik De Groot (8 min)
- Interview with Sylvia Kristel and Frederik De Groot (11 min)
- Pastoral 1943 Promo (1 min)
- Poster & Photo Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailers: Mysteries (3 min), Pastorale 1943 (2 min), Julia (2 min)
MYSTERIES (1978)
Label: Cult Epics
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 103 Minutes
Region Code: Region Free
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: Dutch LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Paul de Lussanet
Cast: Rutger Hauer, Sylvia Kristel, Rita Tushingham, David Rappaport, Fons Rademakers, Andréa Ferréol
The third film is Paul de Lussanet's Mysteries (1978), based on the novel by Knut Hamsun. It's a period melodrama dripping with seaside melancholy, starring Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as a mysterious man named Johan Nagel who arrives in a Norwegian seaside village, capturing the attention of the locals with his odd ways. He befriends the village dwarf Minute (David Rappaport, The Bride), assaults the chief constable (Fons Rademakers, Daughters of Darkness), and becomes obsessed with spoken-for beauty Dany Kielland (Sylvia Kristel), as well as the shunned village outsider Martha (Rita Tushingham, Last Night In Soho). Kristel and Hauer are both enigmatic presences that are challenging to each ither and to us as viewers, drawn to each other but also repellent in certain ways. The film has a seaside melancholy about it that I loved, the sun never shines and the morning mist never lets up, all of which is beautifully lensed by cinematographer Robby Müller (Repo Man). Nagel's weird behaviors make you question his intentions, at times he seems to be investigating the mysterious death of a the preacher's son who was seemingly driven to suicide by his unrequited love for Kielland prior to his arrival, and at other times he just seems like an desperate and amorous man with a bit of a death wish. This one has the cold but striking feel of something like The Cool Lakes of Death, which is high praise as I love that film, and it's certainly my favorite film on this set. There's is a narrative device with Minute chiming in throughout the film, filling in holes and coloring what we are viewing, and while I can sometimes find narration grating I think it's mostly well-done here, and Rappaport turns in a wonderful performance, with he and Hauer sharing many both touching and awkward scenes together.
Audio/Video: Mysteries (1978) is also region-free, presented in 1080p HD widescreen (1.66:1). The HD presentation is not without issue, the colors seem cool and slightly soft, clarity and depth fluctuate, and shadow detail is crushed in the darker scenes, but some of this might be due to the stylized lensing which utilizes a lot of natural and diffuse lighting. Audio options include both Dutch LPCM 2.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles. Some of the dialogue can sound scratchy and distorted, especially the narration, but it's discernable, just not optimal, surely owing to source related issues.
Mysteries gets two commentaries, first up in another studied Audio Commentary by Peter W. Verstraten, followed by an Audio Commentary by Sylvia Kristel biographer Jeremy Richey. We also get the 6-min Interviews With Cast And Director featuring Paul de Lussanet, Sylvia Kristel, Andréa Ferréol, Rutger Hauer, and then onto the Poster & Photo Gallery, and the same set of Original Theatrical Trailers.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Peter W. Verstraten
- Audio Commentary by Sylvia Kristel biographer Jeremy Richey
- Interviews With Cast And Director (Paul de Lussanet, Sylvia Kristel, Andréa Ferréol , Hauer) (6 min)
- Poster & Photo Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailers: Mysteries (3 min), Pastorale 1943 (2 min), Julia (2 min)
JULIA (1974)
Label: Cult Epics
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 85 Minutes
Region Code: Region Free
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English and German LPCM 2.0 Mono, German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Sigi Rothemund
Cast: Sylvia Kristel, Jean-Claude Bouillon, Teri Tordai, Gisela Hahn, Ekkehardt Belle
In Sigi Rothemund's coming-of-age sex comedy Julia (1978) we have teenager Pauli (Ekkehardt Belle) returning home from boarding school on a train, where he spots a gorgeous older woman by herself in a sleep car. He attempts to engage with her in an awkward sexual manner but is interrupted by the arrival of a man who quickly seduces her out from under Paul, with the pair hooking-up in the train bathroom much to the chagrin of the would-be teen lover. Arriving at his destination Pauli is met by his handsome father Ralph (Jean-Claude Bouillon, Hot Pants) who is keen to introduce his son to his new girlfriend, whom he says is also on the train. Surprise, surprise it's the woman from the train, Yvonne (Teri Tordai), but Pauli keeps the brief train tryst he witnessed to himself. Arriving at home Pauli is keen to rekindle his friendship with the girl next door, a childhood pal named Andrea (Sylvia Kristel) who seems keen to lose her virginity this summer. Paul, however, seems too sexually frustrated and hung up on his own inadequacy to make it happen, instead blaming his deflowering hesitation on not wanting to turn her frigid by fouling-up her first-time. Paul's extended family includes a portly opera-composer uncle named Alex (Peter Berling, Aguirre, the Wrath of God) who bangs away on the keys of piano composing an opera titled "Lesbos Surf" while his lesbian-leaning wife Miriam (Giesla Hahn, Contamination) gets it on with sexy-maid (Dominique Delpierre). The briskly paced coming-of-age sex comedy is briefly interrupted by a tragedy, the drowning death of Paul's friend Gerhard (Alois Mittermaier), which sets up a weekend getaway to Verona where Paul's father hopes to bring his son and Andrea together, but much like his girlfriend the father is also prone to sexual dalliances, which might put a damper on Paul's deflowering of the girl next door. Truly a fun sexy comedy with some weird interludes, including the opera composer uncles exaggerated sex acts and a strange gluttonous scenes involving foods either being stuffed into one's face at a strange dinner gathering or Paul and his dad's girlfriend fucking atop a bed full of breakfast food. Briskly paced and well-made this is a fun romp and it's a great capper to the set as it's the most erotic and fun film on the set, plus it's briskly paced at just 85 minutes. Kristel is front and center throughout, often nude, and has a fresh-faced youthful charm that suits the role quite nicely.
Audio/Video: Julia (1974) is presented region-free in 1080p HD framed in 1.66:1 widescreen, while there are some instances of print damage it looks quite pleasing with nicely saturated color and crisp vibrant highlights throughout, with good depth and clarity. This is the only film on the set to include and English-dub option, offering both English and German LPCM 2.0 Mono, German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles
Extras commence with another solid Audio Commentary by Sylvia Kristel biographer Jeremy Richey, a Poster & Photo Gallery, and the same set of trailers as the three other discs in the set.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Sylvia Kristel biographer Jeremy Richey
- Poster & Photo Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailers: Mysteries (3 min), Pastorale 1943 (2 min), Julia (2 min)
This 4-disc Blu-ray set from Cult Epics is a limited numbered edition of 2500 copies, arriving in an attractive slipbox featuring a Gilles Vranckx illustration of Kristel on the front. It's not a rigid slipbox but features a sturdy cardboard construction. Inside the four films are presented on four dedicated discs housed in an flipper keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork, each Blu-ray disc featuring an image of Kristel from the films. There's also a 40-page square bound illustrated booklet written by Jeremy Richey, these are excerpts from his book Sylvia Kristel: From Emmanuelle to Chabroil, which is also available from Cult Epics. Also included inside the slipbox is a 20"x16" fold-out poster with the same Gilles Vranckx artwork that adorns the slipbox.
I'll admit that I'd previously own seen four Sylvia Kristel films prior to opening this set - I'd seen Frank & Eva (1974), the first two Emmanuelle films, and the sleazy women-in-prison flick Red Heat (1985), so I am appreciative of Cult Epics for actually doubling my appreciation of her output. While she might never escape the erotic entrapments of the Emmanuelle films success this 4-film set deepened my appreciation of her talents with some great in-depth extras and fine-looking packaging to accompany the four films.