Saturday, April 13, 2024

ALL LADIES DO IT (1992) (Cult Epics 4K UHD + Blu-ray Review)

2-Disc Collector's Edition 
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Label: Cult Epics 
Duration:  96 Minutes 39 Seconds 
Region Code: Region-Free 
Rating: Unrated 
Audio: English & Italian 
DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono and Stereo with Optional English subtitles
Video: HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.85:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 
Director: Tinto Brass
Cast: Claudia Koll, Paolo Lanza , Franco Branciaroli

In the Tinto Brass directed softcore sex-comedy All Ladies Do It (1992) after five years of marriage to Paolo (Paolo Lanza, P.O. Box Tinto Brass) wife Diana (the stunning Claudia Koll) finds their sex life is a bit dull. She's madly in love with him but finds herself both seducing and being seduced by other men she encounters. To spice up her sex life she often regales her husband with her fantasies, describing how she would give herself to other men. However, when a dalliance with the ass-obsessed French poet Alphonse Donatien (Franco Branciaroli, Black Angel) leaves a visible mark on her body her naive husband finally figures out that she has actually been having sex with other men, which she defends my saying she only gave him her ass! Old fashioned Paolo won;t stand for it and kicks her out the home, leaving Diana to further explore her sexual fantasies with other men while both she and her frustrated husband contemplate life, sex, marriage and monogamy. At one point Diana's equally stunning sister Nadia (Ornella Marcucci) shows up and attempt to cheer Paolo up with some casual fornication, but after a few seconds of reverse cowgirl he's just not into it, and only wants his unfaithful wife. 

This is quite a fun and kinky softcore sex comedy from the maestro of Italian sex comedies, Brass' film is breezy and fun, chock full of gorgeous nudity, especially the lucious derriere of the film's star stunning star Claudia Koll, who is a total goddess. The way the camera playfully leers over her entire body is maybe one of the most erotic things I have ever seen. As usual Brass skirted some of the Italian censorship laws which forbade actual cock-shots with prosthetic penises that look a bit phony but do the job well enough, it looks like a cock. I remember the first time I saw this one I was a bit shocked how raunchy it gets, including some lingering shots of Koll's asshole with a finger up against it, a shot of pissing on the bidet and splashing her hibby's cock with pissy water, or a pair of kinky old men delightfully sniffing their fingers after getting a digit inside of Diana.  Somehow Brass keeps it "classy" so to speak, never feeling like porno, filmed with a pastel-colored, soft-focus veneer with playful intent, his brand of erotica is more of a turn on that any smutty old porno ever could hope to be. 

The look of the film is absolutely terrific, a soft-focus fantasy with dreamy pastel colors and gorgeous beauty-lighting lensed by both Silvano Ippoliti (Amazonia - The Catherine Miles Story) and Massimo Di Venanzo, who had previously worked with Italian greats like Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni, every scene is gorgeously lit and framed so as to accentuate every lusty curve of Koll's body. The film also features a wonderfully playful score by Pino Donaggio (Don't Look Now). There is some fun at the expense of homesexuals and transexual prostitutes which brought to mind the opening scene of French exploitation thriller Death Squad, those brief moments certainly have not aged well, I will say that, but the film is largely a light-hearted sex romp about a couples struggle with monogamy, well, half the couple is struggling, the other half is really into the "happy banging" stuff. 

Audio/Video: All Ladies Do It (1992) arrives on region-free 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Cult Epics in 2160p UHD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen with HDR color-grading This is sourced from a 4K scan and restoration of the original camera negative. Easily surpassing the previous Arrow Video Blu-ray in all respects, the source is in terrific shape or has been restored as such, with only a few stray vertical lines and specks to draw the eye away from it's otherwise perfection. The HDR-infused colors are reinvigorated, bold and vibrant, depth and clarity are quite pleasing as well, grain is well-managed, and the amply witnessed skin tones look warm and natural, plus the black levels are quite solid. This is a gorgeously shot film and it look better than ever from Cult Epics, truly a wonderful upgrade. 

Audio comes by way of both English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 in either mono or stereo options, for a total of four options with optional English subtitles. Both language are dubbed, and I think the Italian dub is slightly better, but the English is just fine, and if that's your preference you will not be disappointed. Dialogue is always crisp and clear, and the lush Pino Donaggio (Dressed To Kill) score sounds terrific. 

Extras include a New Audio Commentary by Eugenio Ercolani & Troy Howarth; a 15-min Interview with director Tinto Brass (2001); the 10-min Outtakes All Ladies Do It; and a selection of Theatrical Trailers for Brass' All Ladies Do it (3:21), Frivolous Lola (2:17), Paprika (1:12), P.O. Tinto Brass (1:05), and Istinto Brass (4:13), plus a Photo Gallery. 

The 2-disc UHD/BD arrives in a black dual-hub keepcase with a Reversible Wrap, the reverse side featuring some cheekier original Italian uncensored poster artwork, plus a 20-page Illustrated Booklet with a "From Demons To Saint: The Career of Claudia Koll" Essay by Eugenio Ercolani and Domenico Monetti. Also tucked away inside are 4 Repro Italian Lobby Card Prints, included with the First Pressing 4K UHD Only. There's also a First Pressing Only Slipcover with it's own unique and quite fetching artwork. 

Special Features: 
Disc 1: 4K UHD 
- New 4K Transfer (from original negative) & Restoration + HDR
- New DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo English & Italian
- New Audio Commentary by Eugenio Ercolani & Troy Howarth
- Theatrical Trailers: All Ladies Do it (3:21), Frivolous Lola (2:17), Paprika (1:12), P.O. Tinto Brass (1:05), Istinto Brass (4:13)
Disc 2: Blu-ray 
- New 4K Transfer (from original negative) & Restoration
- New DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo English & Italian
- New Audio Commentary by Eugenio Ercolani & Troy Howarth
- Theatrical Trailers: All Ladies Do it (3:21), Frivolous Lola (2:17), Paprika (1:12), P.O. Tinto Brass (1:05), Istinto Brass (4:13)
- Interview with director Tinto Brass (2001) (15:20) 
- Outtakes All Ladies Do It (9:57) 
- Photo Gallery

LImited Edition Contents: 
- Reversible sleeve with original Italian uncensored poster art
- 20-page illustrated booklet w/Essay by Eugenio Ercolani and Domenico Monetti
- Slipcase
- 4 Repro Italian Lobby Card Prints (First Pressing 4K UHD Only)

Cult Epics 4K restoration of Tinto Brass' All Ladies Do It (1992) is a kinky 4K beauty, this softcore sex comedy has never looked better on home video. This is truly a wonderful treat for fans of kinky erotic cinema, and a loving restoration of one of Brass' most notoriously erotic softcore flicks. 

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Screenshots from the Cult Epics Blu-ray: 

















































Extras