What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

The Gestapo's Last Orgy (Cesare Canevari, 1977) is a film that has sparked controversy and discomfort since its release due to its graphic portrayal of violence and exploitation during the Holocaust, the content that saw it placed on the DPP's infamous 'video nasty' list and banned in the UK.

The film follows Lise Cohen, a Jewish survivor of concentration camps, and delves into the harrowing experiences of torture, sexual violence, and degradation inflicted by sadistic Nazi officers at those camps. While it purports to shed light on the horrors of World War II, the film's gratuitous and sensationalist approach has been – not unjustifiably – met with criticism.

Compared to other Italian ‘Nazisploitation’ films such as The Night Porter (Liliana Cavani, 1974), Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1976), and Salon Kitty (Tinto Brass, 1976), The Gestapo's Last Orgy falls short in terms of depth and storytelling. These films are superior because they delve into similar themes of power, control, and human degradation with more nuance and artistic integrity. The Night Porter, for instance, explores the complex dynamics between a former SS officer and a Holocaust survivor in a haunting and thought-provoking manner. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom and Salon Kitty push boundaries with their bold and provocative narratives, challenging audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature and society.

In comparison, The Gestapo's Last Orgy comes across as dull and unsubstantial. Its reliance on shock value and sensationalism diminishes its impact and fails to offer a meaningful exploration of the Holocaust and its aftermath. While some may argue that it serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during this dark period in history, others find its approach exploitative and disrespectful to those imprisoned, tortured, and/or murdered by the Nazis.

The Gestapo's Last Orgy holds a dubious distinction as a 'video nasty,' a status it still holds due to the BBFC's refusal to grant it a certificate and legal release in the UK. Its controversial status likely fuels interest, and its Blu-ray release by 88 Films can be attributed more to its notoriety than its cinematic merit. Without its contentious reputation, it's improbable that many would seek out this film, given its graphic and exploitative nature. The ban in the UK adds to its allure, drawing attention to a film that would otherwise fade into obscurity. However, its Blu-ray release serves as a testament to the enduring fascination with controversial cinema, even if the film itself is unlikely to garner much critical acclaim or widespread admiration beyond its niche audience.

Wrapping up, The Gestapo's Last Orgy is a controversial film that pales in comparison to the aforementioned films in the Nazisploitation subgenre. Its graphic content and sensationalist approach may disturb and offend audiences, while its lack of depth and artistic merit make it a forgettable entry in the category. Viewers seeking a more nuanced exploration of similar themes would be better served exploring the trio of films by Pasolini, Cavani, or Brass, filmmakers who have tackled the darkest period in 21st-century European history with greater skill and thought.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

The Gestapo's Last Orgy (Cesare Canevari, 1977) is a film that has sparked controversy and discomfort since its release due to its graphic portrayal of violence and exploitation during the Holocaust, the content that saw it placed on the DPP's infamous 'video nasty' list and banned in the UK.

The film follows Lise Cohen, a Jewish survivor of concentration camps, and delves into the harrowing experiences of torture, sexual violence, and degradation inflicted by sadistic Nazi officers at those camps. While it purports to shed light on the horrors of World War II, the film's gratuitous and sensationalist approach has been – not unjustifiably – met with criticism.

Compared to other Italian ‘Nazisploitation’ films such as The Night Porter (Liliana Cavani, 1974), Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1976), and Salon Kitty (Tinto Brass, 1976), The Gestapo's Last Orgy falls short in terms of depth and storytelling. These films are superior because they delve into similar themes of power, control, and human degradation with more nuance and artistic integrity. The Night Porter, for instance, explores the complex dynamics between a former SS officer and a Holocaust survivor in a haunting and thought-provoking manner. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom and Salon Kitty push boundaries with their bold and provocative narratives, challenging audiences to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature and society.

In comparison, The Gestapo's Last Orgy comes across as dull and unsubstantial. Its reliance on shock value and sensationalism diminishes its impact and fails to offer a meaningful exploration of the Holocaust and its aftermath. While some may argue that it serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during this dark period in history, others find its approach exploitative and disrespectful to those imprisoned, tortured, and/or murdered by the Nazis.

The Gestapo's Last Orgy holds a dubious distinction as a 'video nasty,' a status it still holds due to the BBFC's refusal to grant it a certificate and legal release in the UK. Its controversial status likely fuels interest, and its Blu-ray release by 88 Films can be attributed more to its notoriety than its cinematic merit. Without its contentious reputation, it's improbable that many would seek out this film, given its graphic and exploitative nature. The ban in the UK adds to its allure, drawing attention to a film that would otherwise fade into obscurity. However, its Blu-ray release serves as a testament to the enduring fascination with controversial cinema, even if the film itself is unlikely to garner much critical acclaim or widespread admiration beyond its niche audience.

Wrapping up, The Gestapo's Last Orgy is a controversial film that pales in comparison to the aforementioned films in the Nazisploitation subgenre. Its graphic content and sensationalist approach may disturb and offend audiences, while its lack of depth and artistic merit make it a forgettable entry in the category. Viewers seeking a more nuanced exploration of similar themes would be better served exploring the trio of films by Pasolini, Cavani, or Brass, filmmakers who have tackled the darkest period in 21st-century European history with greater skill and thought.

Surely The Gestapo's Last Orgy can't be mentioned in the same breath as The Night Porter and Salo.

It's typical Italian rip off trash cinema exploiting viewers with more sensationalism than the original more successful films it rides on the coat tails of.

Ditto The Beast in Heat, SS Experiment Camp, Red Nights of the Gestapo and a multitude of edited and re-edited garbage from Eurocine like Special Train for Hitler and Nathalie Rescued from Hell.

No different than the cannibal films rush released on the back of Man from Deep River really.

So perhaps The Gestapo's Last Orgy would be better compared with the films around it rather than the classic cinema it rips off.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Surely The Gestapo's Last Orgy can't be mentioned in the same breath as The Night Porter and Salo.

It's typical Italian rip off trash cinema exploiting viewers with more sensationalism than the original more successful films it rides on the coat tails of.

Ditto The Beast in Heat, SS Experiment Camp, Red Nights of the Gestapo and a multitude of edited and re-edited garbage from Eurocine like Special Train for Hitler and Nathalie Rescued from Hell.

No different than the cannibal films rush released on the back of Man from Deep River really.

So perhaps The Gestapo's Last Orgy would be better compared with the films around it rather than the classic cinema it rips off.

I suppose I was trying to hold it to a high standard, the genuinely thought-provoking and powerful Nazi-inspired dramas (I could have also mentioned The Damned) rather than films like SS Experiment Camp, Love Camp 7, She Devils of the SS, or The Beast in Heat, or even Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS and its sequels.

If I was doing a like-for-like comparison and only looking at the low-budget Italian films, I still think The Gestapo's Last Orgy is quite dull. However, I don't know why it is still banned because, apart from the cannibalism aspect, the subject material and on-screen violence and depravity is any worse than that depicted in the other 'trashy' Nazisploitation films.

Even factoring in the cannibalism subplot and scenes such as the one where a young woman's naked body is soaked in cognac and burned on a dinner table, I wouldn't consider it more objectionable than the more extreme elements of Man from Deep River, The Mountain of the Cannibal God or Zombie Holocaust.

[Justin101]

The most offensive things about Gestapo (aside from it's title) is how bloody boring it is. I was offended by the waste of my time

[MrBarlow]

Night Of The Blood Beast. 1958.

Michael Emmet is the sole astronaut sent to space and then returns and crash lands and is declared legally dead. But after the air base is sealed and tests are done shows that something is growing inside him.

Roger Corman must have had some incline that this was never meant to be the best film made even though he probably had a good time making it and never realised that it would be the inspiration for another alien film 20 years later. We got 7 actors in a film, one is in a space alien outfit that looks well cheap as the movie budget is, but does give off the claustrophobic vibe. Maybe at the time it could have been taken as a serious film but now dialogue looks cheesey and daft especially with the alien finding it's voice and speaking calmly and non menacing. To be fair I actually enjoyed this one.

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[Demoncrat]

Possessed 2 (1984, David Lai)

Somewhat bonkers sequel. I may have to rewatch this one as it ... has it all ahem. Crass dialogue, practical fx up the wazoo, the whole shebang. Lawdy. Someone needs to be putting this one out in 4K as it was awfy dark in places. You could also tell what had been censored due to the quality of those clips. Lawdy. Recommended.

[Frankie Teardrop]

CREATURES FROM THE ABYSS – What sticks in my mind is the massive toy bear they find in one of the rooms. I like the way it’s just ‘there’. It crops up again, looming in silhouette against a moody blue backdrop. It’s probably the same room, but that bear really deserved its moment. ‘Creatures From The Abyss’ shows signs of being a movie – it has credits, scenes, and a plot about some students on a ship with mutant fish – but, even watching it, it feels like a hazy memento of the time when someone was forcibly medicated. Only ever fragments, bizarre, boring, or just awful. Or awe-full! A cyclops mermaid clock murmurs as if in mourning for the Italian trash epic that was never truly hers. A science-oriented young man tells a woman in a bikini to fry him a fish so that someone can yak up yellow puke crawling with plastic insects. One of the possibly evil scientists responsible for the fish mutants appears just long enough to make a half-muted joke about the age of consent. What else happens? An eye plops out and lands in someone’s mouth during a bout of fish sex, that’s what! And there are tendrils… ‘Creatures From The Abyss’ is stifling / enlivening. The same genius made ‘The Mummy Theme Park’. Listen to the guy in the black overcoat – you may find yourself staring into ‘Creatures From The Abyss’, but don’t stare too long. You might find that mermaid cyclops clock staring back at you.

THE SEVERED ARM – First things first – a severed arm flops on the floor – superimposed, the title in red – The Severed Arm! I love the bluntness. And I’m all for films starring sentient body parts, but this is about something else. Having figured that survival must take the form of cannibalism, some guys trapped down a mine draw lots to decide who will lose a limb for the team. They don’t quite make it to dinner, but by the time rescuers arrive there’s a man who’s a few pounds of flesh short and pissed off. ‘The Severed Arm’ was made at a time of much social conflict. You sense that playing out within the film, with drab, talky, static shots vying with a crazed synthesiser soundtrack like hippies vs the squares. It’s really jarring. The uptight cinematography looks like it might win, but then an unexpected noirishness takes hold; in some films you really feel the night falling, and ‘The Severed Arm blossoms into a lovely inky mood piece. Long shadows follow the survivors around after dark, paranoia bites down, people are reduced to huddling in their front rooms where they spout off about the lone maniac who seems unstoppable – the guy only has one arm, but it’s the hand that counts, especially if’s holding a big f*ck off axe! Is this pre-slasher really some warped riff on ‘The Fugitive’? The ending is a pure drive-in era downer and will leave you feeling hollow in that special seventies way.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

CREATURES FROM THE ABYSS – What sticks in my mind is the massive toy bear they find in one of the rooms. I like the way it’s just ‘there’. It crops up again, looming in silhouette against a moody blue backdrop. It’s probably the same room, but that bear really deserved its moment. ‘Creatures From The Abyss’ shows signs of being a movie – it has credits, scenes, and a plot about some students on a ship with mutant fish – but, even watching it, it feels like a hazy memento of the time when someone was forcibly medicated. Only ever fragments, bizarre, boring, or just awful. Or awe-full! A cyclops mermaid clock murmurs as if in mourning for the Italian trash epic that was never truly hers. A science-oriented young man tells a woman in a bikini to fry him a fish so that someone can yak up yellow puke crawling with plastic insects. One of the possibly evil scientists responsible for the fish mutants appears just long enough to make a half-muted joke about the age of consent. What else happens? An eye plops out and lands in someone’s mouth during a bout of fish sex, that’s what! And there are tendrils… ‘Creatures From The Abyss’ is stifling / enlivening. The same genius made ‘The Mummy Theme Park’. Listen to the guy in the black overcoat – you may find yourself staring into ‘Creatures From The Abyss’, but don’t stare too long. You might find that mermaid cyclops clock staring back at you.

I genuinely like Creatures from the Abyss. I'd pick up a Blu-ray (at a decent price) in a shot.

I want to watch it again now.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I genuinely like Creatures from the Abyss. I'd pick up a Blu-ray (at a decent price) in a shot.

I want to watch it again now.

Whoever said 'Dellamorte Dellamore' was the high point of nineties Italian horror hadn't seen 'Plankton'!
There are a few blu-rays out there, surprisingly. I got one of the German ones and it looked OK on my laptop, but I think you have to be careful as maybe some of them look a bit shit - hard to say, there's a dearth of reviews. Most of them are cheapish.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Whoever said 'Dellamorte Dellamore' was the high point of nineties Italian horror hadn't seen 'Plankton'!
There are a few blu-rays out there, surprisingly. I got one of the German ones and it looked OK on my laptop, but I think you have to be careful as maybe some of them look a bit shit - hard to say, there's a dearth of reviews. Most of them are cheapish.

I'll have a look at the quality of the dvd i own, see what it looks like in QLED.