I AM A NYMPHOMANIAC (1970) + I AM FRIGID...WHY? (1972)
I AM A NYMPHOMANIAC (1970)
Label: Mondo Macabro
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 95 minutes 2 Seconds
Audio: English and French DTS-HD MA 2.O Dual-Mono with Optional English subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Max Pecas
Cast: Sandra Jullien, Janine Raynaud, Michel Lemoine, Yves Vincent, Marie-Georges Pascal, Jean-Luc Terrade, Anne Kerylen
In the Max Pecas (Death Squad) directed I Am A Nymphomaniac (1970) Carole (Sandra Julien, The Shiver of the Vampires) is an ordinary girl dating nice guy Eric (Alain Hitier). She doesn't have much of any sex drive, and seemingly has no sexual attraction to Eric. Then one day while distracted by a love-at-first-sight encounter she falls down an elevator shaft, and bonks her head. When she wakes up from a brief coma her sexual drive has inexplicably kicked into overdrive, much to Eric's excitement, but that excitement turns to dismay when he realizes that he will not be enough to satisfy her growing sexual appetite. After she is caught sleeping with her boss she moves to Paris, taking a job selling furniture at a shop owned by Muriel (Janine Reynaud, Castle of the Creeping Flesh), a lesbian who becomes quite taken with Carole, and who brings her into a group dynamic with Hugo (Michel Lemoine, Seven Women For Satan), Carole's sex partners start adding up but she soon finds herself unhappy with this pursuit of carnal pleasure, fearing she has become a hopeless nymphomaniac, she attempts suicide but dies not die. In recovery it seems she may have finally found complete happiness with a handsome physician, Michel (Patrick Verde), but will it be enough to prevent her from slipping back into her promiscuous way? This French slice of exploitation is an interesting character study of a nice girl turned naughty after a knock to the skull, at first enjoying her newfound sexual freedom, but also suffering because she feels she's losing control and becoming addicted, unable to stop, and overcome with guilt because of it. It's actually a pretty classy picture considering the premise, the sex and nudity are not as salacious as I would have imagined going into it, though it's still certainly titillating, though the characters own guilt over her sexual cravings thwarts really works against the erotic nature of it all. The idea of nymphomania is given serious consideration for the most part, and not just a cheap excuse to slather on the sex scenes, though it is that to a certain degree as well.
Of course star Sandra Julien is quite a looker, sensual and lovely, easy on the eyes, and she gives a very strong performance as the torn young woman.
I AM FRIGID… WHY? (1972)
Label: Mondo Macabro
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 96 minutes
Audio: English and French DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mual-Mono with Optional English subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Max Pecas
Cast: Sandra Jullien, Janine Raynaud, Michel Lemoine, Yves Vincent, Marie-Georges Pascal, Jean-Luc Terrade, Anne Kerylen
Max Pécas follow-up films I Am Frigid...Why? (1972) also star Sandra Julian, this time as Doris, a young woman is traumatized after being raped by twin siblings Eric (Jean-Luc Terrade) and Carla (Marie-Georges Pascal) early in the picture. So upsetting is the attack that she drops out of the convent she's enrolled at and moves to Paris, working as a prostitute, but because of the trauma finds herself joyously engaging in sex work, unable to orgasm. Her adventures in Paris include joining up with an avant-garde theater troupe, and working at a brothel. Again, Sandra Julien is wonderful in the role with a nuanced performance, her character here sort of the opposite side of the same coin as I Am A Nymphomaniac, as woman who finds herself in many sexual encounters in myriad pairings, but finds that she is unable to orgasm, because of the past trauma she experienced from the rape. This one if fairly well-shot with plenty of 70s style, garish fashions, tacky decor, and of course, the prerequisite erotic encounters.
Audio/Video: Both films arrives on region-free Blu-ray framed in 1.66:1 widescreen, in 1080p HD. Both films looks quite good, I thought skin tones looked a tad cool, occasionally colors are washed our or slightly muted, but generally this looks quite good, very filmic with plenty of organic looking grain. Audio on both come by way of French or English-dub DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono, with optional English subtitles. Both tracks are clean and well-balanced, with the English sounding a bit muted to my ears, the French track has more resonance and clarity, and was my preferred viewing option.
Extras include a 25-min documentary about the career Max Pécas; plus 12-min of Deleted Scenes from the U.S. version of I Am Frigid...Why? The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of art featuring an illustration by Montalban.
Special Features:
- Documentary about Max Pécas.
- Deleted scenes.
If you're a fan of somewhat challenging pair of French erotic pics this Max Pécas/Sandra Julien double-feature should prove plenty titillating, and also a bit frustrating I would imagine. Both films looks terrific in HD, and the salacious content is nicely balanced with a somewhat serious exploration of female sexuality, and some surprising psychiatric opinions, with Sandra Julien giving a nicely nuanced turns in both features.
Buy it!
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