Eva nera (1976)
"Most of the stuff I do is garbage." - Jack Palance
Though he has his defenders, bless 'em, the late director Joe D'Amato, known to his cannelloni-eating pals as Aristide Massaccesi, helmed some of the trashiest films in exploitation history. Initially a cinematographer, Massaccesi began his prolific directorial career in 1972 by riding the coattails of two popular series: the Terence Hill "Trinity" westerns (Scansati...a Trinità arriva Eldorado) and the string of low-budget films inspired by the unexpected popularity of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" films (Sollazzevoli storie di mogli gaudenti e mariti penitenti - Decameron nº 69). Further efforts included a series of cash-ins on Just Jaeckin's worldwide smash Emmanuelle (Emanuelle nera: Orient reportage), action films (Eroi all'inferno), horror pukefests (Anthropophagus), and hardcore porn (Anal Paprika, anyone?)
Though he has his defenders, bless 'em, the late director Joe D'Amato, known to his cannelloni-eating pals as Aristide Massaccesi, helmed some of the trashiest films in exploitation history. Initially a cinematographer, Massaccesi began his prolific directorial career in 1972 by riding the coattails of two popular series: the Terence Hill "Trinity" westerns (Scansati...a Trinità arriva Eldorado) and the string of low-budget films inspired by the unexpected popularity of Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Trilogy of Life" films (Sollazzevoli storie di mogli gaudenti e mariti penitenti - Decameron nº 69). Further efforts included a series of cash-ins on Just Jaeckin's worldwide smash Emmanuelle (Emanuelle nera: Orient reportage), action films (Eroi all'inferno), horror pukefests (Anthropophagus), and hardcore porn (Anal Paprika, anyone?)
Marketed over the years under a multitude of titles, the "erotic thriller" Eva Nera (1976) sets the low standard for writer/director Massaccesi's subsequent career, a benighted reign that earned him the nickname "the Evil Ed Wood." It's so rotten that viewers with low expectations just might find its pungent odor appealing.
At the nadir of his career, the late Jack Palance stars in a bottle-fed performance as Judas Carmichael, an introverted herpetologist who shares his mid-century modern apartment in Hong Kong with a variety of snakes, some of which happen to be deadly poisonous. An avowed homebody, Judas is that rare animal lover who bangs his fist against the sides of his pets' terrariums.
Judas' prodigal brother Jules (Gabriele Tinti) introduces him to Eva (Laura Gemser), an exotic dancer whose nightclub routine consists of cavorting topless with a writhing boa constrictor to a recycled Piero Umiliani track. Flush with inherited wealth but lacking in social skills, Judas invites the cash-strapped Eva to live with him, no strings attached. Apparently a boa is the one fashion accessory a lonely snake lover cannot resist.
Before long, the bisexual Eva has invited new bosom buddy Gerri (Michele Starck) to join the fun. At first, life in Judas' bachelor pad is sweet for Eva and Gerri; in a "mondo" inspired montage, they dance cheek-to-cheek in a lesbian bar, eat fresh snake meat in a Hong Kong marketplace, and take really long showers together. Their fun is interrupted by Jules, who pretends to leave town but instead creeps into Judas' apartment. I won't spoil D'Amato's twist except to note that Judas has nothing to gain, and everything to lose, from his actions.
The deranged denouement finds Jules and Eva arriving at her birthplace, a remote island where she exacts a terrible revenge for his misdeed. And by "terrible," I mean completely ridiculous. Eva nera abruptly concludes with Eva on the losing side of a dare and Judas once more having to report his snake problems to the authorities.
At the nadir of his career, the late Jack Palance stars in a bottle-fed performance as Judas Carmichael, an introverted herpetologist who shares his mid-century modern apartment in Hong Kong with a variety of snakes, some of which happen to be deadly poisonous. An avowed homebody, Judas is that rare animal lover who bangs his fist against the sides of his pets' terrariums.
Judas' prodigal brother Jules (Gabriele Tinti) introduces him to Eva (Laura Gemser), an exotic dancer whose nightclub routine consists of cavorting topless with a writhing boa constrictor to a recycled Piero Umiliani track. Flush with inherited wealth but lacking in social skills, Judas invites the cash-strapped Eva to live with him, no strings attached. Apparently a boa is the one fashion accessory a lonely snake lover cannot resist.
Before long, the bisexual Eva has invited new bosom buddy Gerri (Michele Starck) to join the fun. At first, life in Judas' bachelor pad is sweet for Eva and Gerri; in a "mondo" inspired montage, they dance cheek-to-cheek in a lesbian bar, eat fresh snake meat in a Hong Kong marketplace, and take really long showers together. Their fun is interrupted by Jules, who pretends to leave town but instead creeps into Judas' apartment. I won't spoil D'Amato's twist except to note that Judas has nothing to gain, and everything to lose, from his actions.
The deranged denouement finds Jules and Eva arriving at her birthplace, a remote island where she exacts a terrible revenge for his misdeed. And by "terrible," I mean completely ridiculous. Eva nera abruptly concludes with Eva on the losing side of a dare and Judas once more having to report his snake problems to the authorities.
As might be expected, Eva nera is flush with footage of snakes slithering over exposed female flesh. Less expected is the scene in which one character is the recipient of a living cobra suppository. Aside from this herpetological, hemorrhoidal horror highlight, Massaccesi mostly aims for the sexploitation angle. The scene in which Gemser and Starck enjoy nude rubdowns from Asian masseurs equipped with vibrators recalls the florid sexual fantasies once found in the pages of Penthouse Forum.
The ever-macho Palance, oddly miscast as a shy scientist, does his best to portray an ultimately unfathomable cipher. As his deadbeat brother Jules, Gabriele Tinti, a regular in Italian exploitation and the real-life husband of Laura Gemser, was a competent actor who appeared in everything from Mario Bava's Lisa e il diavolo (1973) to The Andy Griffith Show. His sudden transition to sadistic lout will have you wondering if you slept through the scene where he drank the potion.
Javanese-born Gemser, who attained grindhouse fame in Massaccesi's sordid Black Emanuelle series, is lithe and lovely but an inept thespian whose career apparently stemmed from her willingness to appear nude in low-budget horror and sexploitation films. She kept her clothes on for the 1983 made-for-television drama Love Is Forever, a mawkish but well-meaning tale about Laotian refugees in which she starred with Michael Landon. With a degree in fashion design, Gemser also created costumes for films by Massaccesi, Lucio Fulci, and others. She retired from acting following Tinti's untimely death from cancer in 1991.
Massaccesi's melange of pseudo-sophisticate erotica, delirious "jet set" caricatures, and risible plot developments collide in a combustible trash extravaganza which demands only of viewers that they pause their intellect before pressing the "play" button. Though it may creep out ophidiophobes or disappoint those who prefer the considerably more depraved Emanuelle in America (1977), Eva nera will likely be cinematic catnip to most fans of Massaccesi's softcore sleaze. And like Palance, the concupiscent idolators of Laura Gemser's assets will be handling their own snakes before the main menu reappears.
Eva nera is available on DVD under the retitle Black Cobra Woman from BCI in what appears to be the same mangled print used for the Video Gems VHS release as Black Cobra. A PAL, Region 2 DVD under the original title - and reportedly in 16:9 format, without subtitles - is available from Amazon.it. This reviewer has not seen that version, so caveat emptor!
The ever-macho Palance, oddly miscast as a shy scientist, does his best to portray an ultimately unfathomable cipher. As his deadbeat brother Jules, Gabriele Tinti, a regular in Italian exploitation and the real-life husband of Laura Gemser, was a competent actor who appeared in everything from Mario Bava's Lisa e il diavolo (1973) to The Andy Griffith Show. His sudden transition to sadistic lout will have you wondering if you slept through the scene where he drank the potion.
Javanese-born Gemser, who attained grindhouse fame in Massaccesi's sordid Black Emanuelle series, is lithe and lovely but an inept thespian whose career apparently stemmed from her willingness to appear nude in low-budget horror and sexploitation films. She kept her clothes on for the 1983 made-for-television drama Love Is Forever, a mawkish but well-meaning tale about Laotian refugees in which she starred with Michael Landon. With a degree in fashion design, Gemser also created costumes for films by Massaccesi, Lucio Fulci, and others. She retired from acting following Tinti's untimely death from cancer in 1991.
Massaccesi's melange of pseudo-sophisticate erotica, delirious "jet set" caricatures, and risible plot developments collide in a combustible trash extravaganza which demands only of viewers that they pause their intellect before pressing the "play" button. Though it may creep out ophidiophobes or disappoint those who prefer the considerably more depraved Emanuelle in America (1977), Eva nera will likely be cinematic catnip to most fans of Massaccesi's softcore sleaze. And like Palance, the concupiscent idolators of Laura Gemser's assets will be handling their own snakes before the main menu reappears.
Eva nera is available on DVD under the retitle Black Cobra Woman from BCI in what appears to be the same mangled print used for the Video Gems VHS release as Black Cobra. A PAL, Region 2 DVD under the original title - and reportedly in 16:9 format, without subtitles - is available from Amazon.it. This reviewer has not seen that version, so caveat emptor!
[This review originally appeared, in different form, in ecco, the world of bizarre video, Volume One, Number Two.]