Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 30, 2023

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Severin's The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle release.

Kier-la Janisse gave film fans one of the most outstanding boxed sets of the last few years with All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror, a late 2021 release that ended up making my Best of 2022 list. Janisse is back now with another gigantic boxed set, one that's even bigger than the folk horror compendium, and one that may appeal to a certain niche audience who may not have been especially interested in that earlier set. Those who may remember the rating system of days of yore will probably recall the "M" designation, which meant "for mature audiences only", and if I may be permitted an orthographic joke that is admittedly a bit arcane, some might argue that Emanuelle gave up one of her "m"'s in favor of three x's, at least with regard to some cuts of the many Black Emanuelle films. For those not conversant with the history of this perceived franchise, and who may be scratching their heads at my "joke" (what else is new?), Black Emanuelle was a pretty blatant attempt to cash in on Emmanuelle, and in order to avoid any potential legal hassles one of those original "m"'s in the title character's name got dropped. Furthermore, as supplements on many of the discs included in this set offer, there were hardcore XXX inserts (in more ways than one) that at least some of the Black Emanuelle productions offered. Joke explained, hopefully. Perhaps even more comedically than my fitful attempt at humor, the Black Emanuelle series ended up offering many more films than its perceived progenitor, and 24 of them (with additional cuts) are aggregated in this at times overwhelming collection. This is a collection where the quality of the films may be highly debatable, though it's salient to note that the supplements both overtly reference and are in and of themselves examples of perhaps unexpected critical scrutiny this franchise has engendered, and anyone interested in this kind of bizarre franchise mash up of what might be called porno, mondo and gonzo will most likely find this an amazing set to dive into.

This is one of a few titles in this set that has had a previous Blu-ray release, though in this case it was put out by Code Red and was reviewed by Svet Atanasov. Those interested can read Svet's Emmanuelle and the Deadly Black Cobra Blu-ray review for more information on the "plot" (such as it is), as well as a chance to compare screenshots. I'll only add that this film is obviously in the "mondo" world again, as many of the Emanuelle offerings could be, and that means both provocative quasi-realistic sexual antics by locals as well as some potentially more disturbing imagery.

Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Black Cobra is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Severin's almost overwhelming book The Black Emanuelle Bible included with this set offers a brief description of the transfer, as follows:

Source: 2K scan of original camera negative.

This is a very nice looking transfer for the most part, with an appealingly healthy looking palette that only very occasionally can vary, as discussed below. As with many Emanuelle outings, there's a noticeable softness to the imagery, even in close-ups, but detail levels are still surprisingly intact. A few outdoor scenes and arguably even a couple of indoor moments have a slightly purplish hue, and at other brief moments there can be a somewhat dowdy brown look to things. Grain resolves naturally throughout the presentation and helps to give a commendably organic appearance.

Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with many of the films in the Black Emanuelle set, Black Cobra features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in either Italian or English. Both tracks can show some very slight wobble in some of the music, but both provide more than adequate support for dialogue, effects and score. The Italian sounded just a bit louder and with a more full bodied midrange to my ears. Optional English subtitles are available.

Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Film Critic Samm Deighan


• From Prague to Hong Kong (HD; 12:58) is an interview with actress Michele Starck. Subtitled in English.


• Joe D'Amato at Eurofest (HD; 11:57) is an archival interview from 1995, reportedly the only time D'Amato was interviewed in English, though subtitles are included to help with a sometimes pretty thick accent. This comes with a warning about quality.


• Trailer (HD; 3:14)

Black Cobra Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with several of the other Black Emanuelle offerings, the travelogue aspect of the film may be one of its more alluring features, at least if one gets tired of watching Laura Gemser frolic with virtually everyone who passes her way. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements very enjoyable.