eroticist

THE FLICKS: While he doesn’t have Dario Argento’s fanbase or Jess Franco’s padded resume, Italian director Lucio Fulci is not without his admirers, mostly earned during his gory glory days during the ‘80s with The Beyond, House By The Cemetary, and Zombie. But like any filmmaker of note in his native country, Fulci dabbled in almost every genre, including the giallo (mystery) format and even a sex comedy or two. Severin Films has released one of each, showcasing a less bloody side of the director not known for his restraint. Based on the title alone (not to mention the delightfully naughty artwork) The Eroticist would likely be dismissed as nothing more than subtitled T & A. But the film has much larger aspirations and a much broader canvas, ridiculing the Italian political system and all its inherent corruptive influences with equal gusto. Sure, there’s some ass-grabbing and naughty nuns, but Fulci’s emphasis is on satire and slapstick rather than soft-focus sex scenes. Candidate Gianni Puppis (played by Lando Buzzanca, whose lantern-jawed look landed him in a number of James Bond spoofs) is one step away from the presidency thanks to underground support from the Vatican, the mafia and heads of industry. So when a previously undiagnosed sexual addiction causes him to grab the ass of a visiting dignitary, a scandal recovery plan is set into motion to keep their horse in the race. Puppis meanwhile turns to the local convent for religious help with his “problem,” which presents more temptations than he can stand, resulting in politically motivated murders, theological debates and comical sexual angst. As with anything dealing with Italian politics, The Eroticist is a rather complicated affair. The ins and outs of the justice system are too much to comprehend without an 8-week history lesson. However, even though the politics may be different, politicians are the same everywhere. Puppis’ sexual addiction is so close to the Clinton / Lewinsky affair it’s almost scary and makes what should be an outrageously wild premise into a scathingly appropriate one. Fulci balances the social commentary with some broad humor and broader characterizations to keep the pace around a laugh every five minutes. But much of the immediate impact is lost in translation of over 30 years gone by. The Psychic (aka Seven Notes in Black) was the director’s last foray in the classic giallo genre before horror won him over. Jennifer O’Neill stars as a newlywed who has visions of a murder in the very house she’s moved into, prompting her to uncover a skeleton behind one of the walls. Unfortunately, her husband is implicated in the death and his only hope of freedom lies in her piecing together the snippets of clues seen only in her mind. Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti had worked previously on Cat ‘O Nine Tails, and he brings the Argento formula to work here, building from the genre’s common conceit of a witness using her own memories as the only clue to a crime. This is probably Fulci’s best looking film (in the classical sense) and definitely one of the better acted. He shows a remarkable amount of restraint and allows the story to provide the exclamation marks rather than falling back on special effects...although a poorly constructed dummy during the film’s opening sequence stands out like a sore thumb. To speak much more of the plot ruins the surprise ending that, to be honest, is more clever that it is surprising. But for giallo fans who long for a return to Perversion Story glory from Fulci, this is the closest you can get. THE FEATURES: Both films are presented uncut for the first time in the U.S. with surprisingly detailed transfers of typically soft ‘70s era Italian photography. The Eroticist includes the 45-minute A History of Censorship, a rather ambitiously titled featurette that includes interviews with actor Lando Buzzanca, cinematographer Serio D’Offizi and make-up artist Giannetto De Rossi. Most of the conversations are geared toward recollections about Fulci (who died in ’96) and some background on the politics of the film, including the fact that certain political parties offered to buy out the production so it would never get made. The Psychic features Voices from the Black, a compilation of audio interviews from co-writer Dardan Sacchetti, costumer designer Massimo Lentini and editor Bruno Micheli. Most of the dirt (i.e. comments on Fulci’s notorious temper and working relationships) comes from Sacchetti who seems to finally relish getting some credit for his work without Fulci hogging the spotlight.