Sunday, July 7, 2024

SEX APOCALYPSE (1982) (Mondo Macabro Blu-ray Review)


SEX APOCALYPSE (1982) 

Label: Mondo Macabro
Region Code: Region-Free 
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 77 Minutes 45 Seconds 
Audio: Spanish PCM 2.0 Stereo with English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Carlos Aured
Cast: Ajita Wilson, Lina Rom
ay, Ricardo Diaz, Kati Ballari

Sex Apocalypse (1982) is a product of the then newly liberal post-Franco Spain, when decades long restrictions and censorship fell overnight a new breed of erotic cinema was finally able to show its face in the county. This is a hybrid film that is a kidnap/ransom thriller mashed-up with a softcore erotic sex flick. We have a kinky gang of criminals lead by Clark (Ricardo Diaz, Cut-Throats Nine) who come into illicit possession of palatial mansion, with a newly secured hideout they set about kidnapping Muriel (Kati Ballari), the virginal daughter of a wealthy businessman, with the intention of holding her ransom for one-million dollars. The horny hornswogglers find her virginity to be absolutely irresistible, perhaps even more so than the million dollar ransom, so the induct her into their gang the only way they know how, with non-stop psychosexual sex-games!  

As this is happening there's all manner of convoluted sexual weirdness happening, setting in motion a power play that sure 'nuff ends in apocalyptic sex acts, sort of. The kidnap/ransom plots proves largely to be set-up with no payoff, it's just a decent way to introduce a virginal woman into the midst of the horndog crooks, and much sex ensues. It could have been a bit more interesting if they had developed the characters a bit more, but that's just not the film that they were making. It feels very much like a Jess Franco film of this era, minus the copious zoom-ins, and perhaps including Franco's ultimate muse Lina Romay (Hot Night of Linda) and eurocult trans-icon Ajita Wilson (Contraband) also makes it feels like a Franco jointy, plus the fact that it's more a series of sex scenes than an actual narrative film, even though it sets out with the idea of a kidnap/ransom flick. I wasn't quite enamored with this one, but we get some attractive scenery and lots of sex, it's a decent slice of sleazy Spanish sexploitation flick, and the duplicitous finale is nihilistic fun, but the main draw for me here is just the fact that we have Lina Romay, she elevates it a bit just being here. Not a huge favorite of mine, but definitely a flick that should be of interest to fans of sleazy exploitation and Jess Franco adjacent eurocult. 

Audio/Video: Sex Apocalypse (1982) arrives on region-free 
Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro in 1080p HD framed in 1.66:1 widescreen, presenting a new 2k restoration sourced from the original negative. The film is in great shape, blemishes are nearly non-existent, grain is nicely refined, and colors and black levels impress consistently. Lots of vibrant colors and attractive outdoor cinematography here, the oft seen skin tones are natural looking as well with warm, supple tones. Audio comes by way of Spanish DTS-HD MA 20 dual-mono with Optional English subtitles. The track is clean and dialogue is reproduced well, it's a bit on the flat side for a from 1982, but that could just be a source limitation of the low-budget picture. 

Extras include an Audio commentary from Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson; a 31-minute Carlos Aured: Cinema As Survival -  Interview with Carlos Aured biographer Miguel Angel Plana; and the 46-min Ricard Reguant: The History of 'S' Cinema -  Interview with writer and filmmaker Richard Reguant

The single disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring a red/black monochromatic image of Lina Romay. This was previously available as a 2-disc Blu-ray set from Mondo Macabro with a longer 106-min cut of the film with hardcore inserts added, this single-disc standard release is of the 78-min softer version. 

Special Features:
- New 2k scan from original negative, fully restored.
- Carlos Aured: Cinema As Survival-  Interview with Carlos Aured biographer Miguel Angel Plana. (30:45) 
- Ricard Reguant: The History of 'S' Cinema -  Interview with writer and filmmaker Richard Reguant. (45:56) 
- Audio commentary from Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson.

Buy it!
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