Plot: What’s it about?
Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) isn’t your typical fashion photographer, as she has plans to become a top notch reporter. And in addition to her skills with a camera, she can write well and has a knack for uncovering the best stories. She loves adventure and exploration, not to mention fulfilling her massive sexual appetite. Her story involves an underground snuff movie ring, which tortures, rapes, and murders innocent women, just for the profits the videos generate, which is a large amount, given the number of twisted people in the world. Emanuelle decides to plunge into this depraved world, to learn more about the sexual perversions that exist, especially those available only to those with the kind of wealth to afford the really sick stuff. She visits a harem and goes undercover as the newest girl on the staff, all the while snapping photos. Her rolls include shots of wild orgies, shameless exploitation, and even bestiality. But that’s just one stop on her journey of sexual deviancy, as she has to stop by other locales, each one more perverse than the last. Before the end of her trek, she will encounter a stud farm, massive orgies of lust, and of course, the snuff films she began her excursion to learn about. But now that Emanuelle has been sucked into this sick world, will she be able to leave it behind?
This movie might be called Emanuelle in America, but until now, it hasn’t been available on American shores. I’ve seen countless bootlegs and imports, but Blue Underground has now given us the definitive release of this notorious shocker. And while a lot of these exploitation pictures make promises they can’t keep, Emanuelle in America lives up to its reputation and then some, especially in this uncut & uncensored version. In addition to massive amounts of naked bodies, of the male, female, and animal variety, Emanuelle in America has some intense sex scenes. Not just the usual softcore element either, though this movie does have ample simulated sex. No, Emanuelle in America has actual hardcore content as well, so if you’re offended by graphic depictions of oral sex or the like, then steer clear of this flick. If that doesn’t offend you, perhaps the handjob to a horse will or maybe the brief, but vicious “snuff” films shown will turn the trick. The storyline is basic, but decent for this kind of project, while the performances are mostly poor, though Laura Gemser (Invaders of the Gold Gold, Emanuelle and The Last Cannibals) hands in her usual terrific effort. So if you’re looking for a ton of naked flesh, tons of sex, and some sick, twisted stuff thrown in for good measure, then Emanuelle in America is well recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Emanuelle in America is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I expected this to look good, since Blue Underground has such a terrific track record, but this presentation is eons better than I anticipated. I own an imported edition of this movie on DVD and while it looks decent, this brand new transfer looks excellent. The print is quite clean, with no serious marks or nicks, though grain is evident in a number of scenes. This grain is inherent however, so you can’t fault Blue Underground’s efforts here. In fact, if they had removed the grain, the image might have lost more resolution and as such, I can deal with some minor grain. I found the visuals to be crisp, though detail isn’t as sharp as in more recent, better funded productions. The colors have a bright, natural appearance and contrast is smooth throughout as well. So Blue Underground has given us a clean, very crisp visual effort here, which should thrill fans to no end.
Audio: How does it sound?
The English language soundtrack used here is a dub of course, but the synch isn’t too bad in most sequences. On a technical basis, I found no real problems with this presentation, though it doesn’t sparkle either. The elements are in solid shape, with no hiss or other problems and in great news, the audio sounds clean and well recorded. So don’t expect a worn out, muffled soundtrack, as the included mono option is quite good. Its still mono of course, so let’s not ask for miracles, but all things considered, I have no complaints here. The dialogue is crisp also, while the excellent musical score is smooth and consistent. This disc also includes French and Italian language tracks, in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a thirteen minute interview with director Joe D’Amato, some talents files, a special retrospective look at the Emmanuelle series, and an audio interview with star Laura Gemser, not a bad selection of goodies.
