Jaeckin, Just

The Story of O

Studio: Koch International Release Date: 10/17/2006 Run time: 98 minutes

A milestone of cinematic eroticism, The Story of O was an art house sensation in 1975, and it's still worthy of intelligent discussion. As with the controversial French novella by Pauline Réage, reactions to Just Jaeckin's sumptuous adaptation range from moral outrage to masturbatory indulgence, yet this remains one of the few sex films that stand the test of time (and a lot of academic study). Championed by practitioners of bondage and discipline and vilified by feminists, this metaphorical "love dream" (as Jaeckin has called it) follows the beautiful fashion photographer "O" (Corrine Clery) as she, like many gorgeously naked women before her, is "trained" for a seemingly satisfying life of love and discipline, her freedom sacrificed to the man (Anthony Steel) whom she willingly obeys. The debate whether Jaeckin's feminine-empowerment ending, which differs from that of the novella, justifies a story of humiliating submission is just one more reason why The Story of O endures. (Note: This DVD presents the 97-minute version of the film, edited by the director to improve pacing and not for purposes of censorship.) --Jeff Shannon

Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak)

Video vixen Tawny Kitaen made her movie debut as the virgin adventuress on a provocative odyssey to find her lost father. But even if she can endure the scorching torment of the desert and steamy hungers of the jungle will she survive her final ordeal at the hands and more of the warrior women of Yik Yak? Brent Huff and French sex kitten Zabou co-star in this erotic cult classic directed by Just Jaeckin (EMMANUELLE THE STORY OF O) now fully restored from French vault materials and featuring scenes never before seen in America!Extras Director s Commentary Featurette (20 mins) 5.1 English language track 5.1 French language track with English subtitles 2.0 English audio 2.0 French audio US Theatrical Trailer International Theatrical Trailer Dr Kinsey audio interview with Gwendoline creator John WillieFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MATURE/ADULT Rating: NR UPC: 891635001001 Manufacturer No: SEV1101

So bad it's good, the notorious Gwendoline is one of those outrageously entertaining camp classics that will be enjoyed long after thousands of "better" movies have faded into obscurity. Loosely adapted from John Willie's pioneering 1940s comic strip "The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline," and directed with good-natured humor by French softcore specialist Just Jaekin (Emmanuelle, The Story of O), this delirious dose of mainstream erotica plays like a sexy parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone. In his own audacious fashion, Jaekin was attempting an ambitious, good-looking adventure with above-average production values, but Gwendoline owes its "bad movie" cult status to its cheesy combination of globe-hopping scenery, tacky sets, hopelessly wretched dialogue, laughably awful acting, and a constant parade of beautiful women, either half-naked or scantily clad in outrageous S&M costumes. The film is also notorious for being the screen debut of Tawny Kitaen (shortly before she appeared with Tom Hanks Bachelor Party), who brings a breathtaking lack of talent (and a very hot body) to her title role as Gwendoline, a scrappy stowaway who arrives in China on a quest to find her missing father, who'd ventured into remote jungles in search of a rare and beautiful butterfly.

Joined by hunky mercenary Willard (Brent Huff) and her loopy friend Beth (played by French model/actress Zabou), Gwendoline survives a variety of absurdly amusing obstacles (including one very phony-looking alligator) until they eventually reach the land of the Yik Yak, an Amazonian slave-culture consisting entirely of slim, sexy women! Through it all, Jaekin's image of women is a source of constant fascination: When they're not kicking ass or running around topless, Kitaen and Zabou act like helpless, virginal airheads who need a man to survive, and Gwendoline plays out like an adolescent wet dream. With a climactic chariot chase that must be seen to be believed, it's all so ridiculous that you can't help but be entertained, and Jaekin's 106-minute, French-language director's cut contains several action scenes that were cut for the film's English-dubbed 88-minute American version, released (and available separately) as The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD
Jaekin's original cut has been spectacularly restored for this Severin Films DVD release, with both French and English audio tracks and a delightful commentary by Jaekin with journalist/author Tony Crawley and Frederick Levier, former contributor to Starfix, a French magazine devoted to fantastic films; their unabashed enthusiasm for the film makes this commentary an unexpected treat. Also included: a 24-minute video interview with Jaekin, in which he discusses the production history of Gwendoline; a 10-photo gallery of Tawny Kitaen from the French softcore magazine Lui; and a fascinating vintage audio interview with Sweet Gwendoline creator John Willie, from the archives of sex-research pioneer Dr. Alfred Kinsey. Kudos to Severin Films for including these high-quality bonus features with a film that many consider one of the "worst" of the 1980s! One caveat, however: Why not include the American cut Perils of Gwendoline on a second disc, instead of as a separate DVD release? --Jeff Shannon

Lady Chatterley's Lover

Sylvia Kristel (Emmanuelle) is "beautiful" (The New York Times) as the lonely young wife of a wealthy aristocrat in this scintillating tale of love lust and forbidden fantasies. Adapted from D.H. Lawrence's famously erotic novel this "truly sumptuous production" captures the "splendor of the English countryside" (The Hollywood Reporter) and the torturous conflict between duty and desire.Paralyzed from the waist down due to a war injury Sir Clifford Chatterley (Shane Briant) urges his wife Constance (Kristel) to take a lover to satisfy her physical needs. But when she begins an intense affair with a man of shockingly lower class the virile and rugged gamekeeper Mellors (Nicholas Clay) the unexpected stirring of passions will rock not only the Chatterleys' marriage but all of society as well.System Requirements: Runnng Time 104 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 027616925749 Manufacturer No: 1008565

Back in the day when full-frontal nudity and soft-core eroticism were still part of the mainstream release strategy, Lady Chatterley's Lover made the rounds as a higher-toned slab of hubba-hubba. For this opus, Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch-born beauty who had bared all and gained a following in Emmanuelle, teamed up again with that film's director, Just Jaeckin,. Based on the once-scandalous D.H. Lawrence novel (and at least partly adapted by Marc Behm), Lady Chatterley casts Kristel as the wife of a paralyzed nobleman (former Hammer star Shane Briant). He can no longer make love to his sexy missus, and so gives his blessing to the idea of her having an affair--although the reality of the Lady getting it on with the manor's rough-hewn gamekeeper (Nicholas Clay) is not what he had in mind. The result is much closer to a bodice-ripping romance novel than to Lawrence (stick with Ken Russell's Women in Love for Lawrence erotica), and the sex scenes have the customary tropes of crackling fire and dancing in the rain. The sheer dullness of the production might be the price one must pay for getting to the hot parts, of which there are plenty. --Robert Horton

Emmanuelle

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak

Video vixen Tawny Kitaen (of Whitesnake videos WITCHBOARD and VH1 s THE SURREAL LIFE fame) made her motion picture debut as the sexy adventuress who hires a gruff soldier of fortune (Brent Huff) to help find her missing father. But great perils await them on their worldwide quest including depraved pirates scorching deserts steamy jungles and their own naked desires. And even if they can find the legendary lost Land Of The Yik Yak will Gwendoline survive her final ordeal against an empire of lust-crazed warrior women?French sex kitten Zabou co-stars in this kinky combination of INDIANA JONES and BARBARELLA directed by the infamous Just Jaeckin (EMMANUELLE THE STORY OF O) and based on the controversial adult comics that shocked the world!Extras Featurette (20 mins) 2.0 English audio US Theatrical Trailer International Theatrical Trailer Tawny Kitaen risqu Lui Magazine SpreadFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MATURE/ADULT UPC: 891635001018 Manufacturer No: SEV1102

For American bad-movie buffs who wish to remember The Perils of Gwendoline as they originally saw it, this 88-minute English-dubbed version of Just Jaekin's Gwendoline will offer a shamelessly entertaining trip down memory lane. Lavishly produced on a miraculously economical budget of $10 million, this tongue-in-cheek adventure plays like a softcore parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone, with sex kitten Tawny Kitaen making her dubious debut in the title role of Gwendoline (loosely based on John Willie's pioneering adult comic strip "Sweet Gwendoline"), a slim, sexy, and virginal adventuress on a globetrotting quest to find her missing father, last seen in the remote jungle seeking a rare and beautiful butterfly. As the plot hurdles toward the mysterious land of an all-female slave culture known as the Yik Yak (where cheesy sets and nudity can be found in abundance), Gwendoline recruits hunky mercenary Willard (Brent Huff) and loopy friend Beth (played by French model/actress Zabou) for a series of colorful misadventures including a climactic chariot chase that must be seen to be believed. So bad it's good, Perils boasts some of the worst acting in movie history, but the constant parade of T&A guarantees that it will be seen and enjoyed long after thousands of "better" movies have faded into obscurity. While Jaekin's unrated director's cut includes a full-length commentary and a few scenes not included here, anyone can enjoy this shorter American version without feeling like they've missed anything essential. --Jeff Shannon

The Emmanuelle Collection (Emmanuelle / Emmanuelle 2 / Good-bye Emmanuelle)

Anchor Bay gives Just Jaeckin's legendary 1974 erotic drama Emmanuelle an appropriately sumptuous DVD presentation, featuring uncut prints of the original and its two official sequels, 1975's Emmanuelle 2 and 1977's Goodbye Emmanuelle, in a three-disc set. All three films, which star Sylvia Kristel in the title role, are handsomely mounted adults-only fare, and their lush photography, exotic locations, and arousing (but not explicit) bedroom couplings not only helped to change softcore features, but also offered an alternative to XXX for mainstream audiences.

Based on a memoir by the wife of a delegate to Thailand, Emmanuelle focuses on the sexual awakening of a naive French diplomat's spouse at the hands of an experienced older man (Alain Cuny). First-time director Jaeckin and producer Yves Rousset-Rouard eschewed going the pornographic route with the story, and instead concentrated on the natural beauty of the Thailand setting and their star, 20-year-old Dutch model Kristel. The film was a runaway success in Europe and America, where it was successfully promoted as an erotic film devoid of porn's misogynistic tendencies. In addition to its box-office impact, Emmanuelle encouraged other softcore filmmakers to showcase travelogue-style locations and less sniggering storylines.

Emmanuelle's success naturally precipitated sequels, and two more adventures followed: Emmanuelle 2 (subtitled The Joys of a Woman in the States), which moved the action to Hong Kong; and Goodbye Emmanuelle, which sent the libertine to the Seychelles in search of a meaningful relationship. Respective directors Francis Giacobetti and Francois Leterrier's efforts were appropriately spicy, but Rousset-Rouard wisely decided to quit while he was ahead after the third picture. The series' worldwide appeal prompted a string of cheap and strange ripoffs, many featuring Indonesian actress Laura Gemser, who appears in Emmanuelle 2. But for cult movie fans, Anchor Bay's set offers the real Emmanuelle in all of her undraped glory. --Paul Gaita

Her name evokes visions of lush sensual discovery and the extremes of forbidden ecstasy. She is Emmanuelle, and these are the films that changed the look and feel of erotic cinema forever. The incomparably beautiful Sylvia Kristel stars in this landmark adult trilogy that begins with the sumptuous "Emmanuelle," continues with the explosive "Emmanuelle 2," and climaxes in the daring final chapter "Good-Bye Emmanuelle," which is only available in this collection.

Private Collections

For legendary producer Pierre Braunberger (Shoot the Piano Player) it was the most enticing of challenges: Invite the three most controversial directors in modern erotic cinema to indulge their fantasies in one daring film. The result remains one of the most uniquely sensual motion pictures of our time.In the first story from director Just Jaeckin a castaway sailor is rescued by a tribe of succulent native women led by the stunning Laura Gemser of Black Emmanuelle fame who soon reveal their most unusual appetites. Then director Shuji Terayama explores the haunting tale of a Japanese boy seduced by the riddle song of a village madwoman. And in the bold adaptation of a short story by De Maupassant director Walerian Borowczyk reveals the torrid liaison between a Parisian gentleman a Follie Bergere prostitute and an unexpected surprise that hides in the night.System Requirements:Run Time: 103 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MATURE/ADULT Rating: NR UPC: 891635001117 Manufacturer No: 1107

Emmanuelle

The Story of O

A milestone of cinematic eroticism, The Story of O was an art house sensation in 1975, and it's still worthy of intelligent discussion. As with the controversial French novella by Pauline Réage, reactions to Just Jaeckin's sumptuous adaptation range from moral outrage to masturbatory indulgence, yet this remains one of the few sex films that stand the test of time (and a lot of academic study). Championed by practitioners of bondage and discipline and vilified by feminists, this metaphorical "love dream" (as Jaeckin has called it) follows the beautiful fashion photographer "O" (Corrine Clery) as she, like many gorgeously naked women before her, is "trained" for a seemingly satisfying life of love and discipline, her freedom sacrificed to the man (Anthony Steel) whom she willingly obeys. The debate whether Jaeckin's feminine-empowerment ending, which differs from that of the novella, justifies a story of humiliating submission is just one more reason why The Story of O endures. (Note: This DVD presents the 97-minute version of the film, edited by the director to improve pacing and not for purposes of censorship.) --Jeff Shannon

The Story of O [Region 2]

A milestone of cinematic eroticism, The Story of O was an art house sensation in 1975, and it's still worthy of intelligent discussion. As with the controversial French novella by Pauline Réage, reactions to Just Jaeckin's sumptuous adaptation range from moral outrage to masturbatory indulgence, yet this remains one of the few sex films that stand the test of time (and a lot of academic study). Championed by practitioners of bondage and discipline and vilified by feminists, this metaphorical "love dream" (as Jaeckin has called it) follows the beautiful fashion photographer "O" (Corrine Clery) as she, like many gorgeously naked women before her, is "trained" for a seemingly satisfying life of love and discipline, her freedom sacrificed to the man (Anthony Steel) whom she willingly obeys. The debate whether Jaeckin's feminine-empowerment ending, which differs from that of the novella, justifies a story of humiliating submission is just one more reason why The Story of O endures. (Note: This DVD presents the 97-minute version of the film, edited by the director to improve pacing and not for purposes of censorship.) --Jeff Shannon