Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 14, 2020

Joe D'Amato's "Emanuelle in America" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by critics Bruce Holocheck and Nathaniel Thompson; an archival program with critic David Flint; and the vintage documentary "Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut: Erotic Experience". In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.

Pay attention to the spelling: it is Emanuelle, not Emmanuelle, which was a typical Italian trick to avoid legal trouble with the folks that had the rights for Emmanuelle Arsan’s famous novel. Joe D’Amato made all kinds of different films with Laura Gemser playing this ‘new’ character and they actually sold really, really well.

All of the copycats emerged during the ‘70s, right before D’Amato transitioned to the adult business and focused exclusively on hardcore films, and they all used the same formula. The only two things that changed were the exotic locations that D’Amato and his producers picked for Gemser’s next adventure and the supporting actresses that had to participate in the mandatory erotic material. The ‘70s were the perfect decade for these types of exotic erotic films, so while it lasted D’Amato made as many of them as he could get funded.

Emanuelle in America premiered in 1977 and back in the old days was considered the most controversial of the bunch. (The old days refers to the VHS era when tracking down an uncut copy of this film was quite the adventure. In fact, in some countries one could get in some very serious legal trouble while pursuing such a copy, and as far as this writer knows this is still the case today). Why? Because early into the film there is a notorious sequence in which a few partygoers observe a young woman fondling a visibly (over)excited stallion. The sequence is long enough and graphic enough to raise many red flags, and in the old days this is precisely what it accomplished. However, it was not the only troubling material. Elsewhere in the film D’Amato spiced up the story even more with very graphic material from some ritual killings and torture games, and some of it became controversial as well. So, long before the Internet the few legit copies of Emanuelle in America that were easy to access were cut.

This recent release from Mondo Macabro appears to be fully uncut, which depending on one’s point of view can be good and bad news. It is good news because a thrill-seeker that might have been hunting for a fully uncut quality copy of the film can finally see what the fuzz was all about. (Spoiler alert: The ugly and stupid still looks ugly and stupid). The bad news is that the fully uncut film actually makes it painfully obvious that in the mid- ‘70s D’Amato was simply testing to see how far he could go before he gets in trouble with the law. Well, it is difficult to tell if the button-pushing had a positive effect on his reputation, but by the time he moved to shooting hardcore films he was already considered a cult director. So, perhaps at the end the curveball he threw with this film did produce the desired effect.

A few words about the good in this film, which isn’t much. Gemser and many of the women that are seen around her while she goes to work as a fashion photographer in New York and then during her trips look very chic. Virtually all of their dresses and costumes were designed by Luciana Marinucci, whose signature style is instantly recognizable in such cult and classic films as Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik, Marco Ferreri’s The Man with the Balloons, and Lucio Fulci’s The Eroticist. The film also benefits from an uncharacteristically dreamy, very beautiful soundtrack that was created by Nico Fidenco (Boccaccio '70).

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Emanuelle in America arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster with very strong organic qualities. I was actually quite surprised to see how consistently good large portions of it look because there is plenty of the on-location footage was clearly shot with limited budget and with single takes. Some density fluctuations remain, but they are part of the original cinematography. Colors appear natural and balance is convincing, but there are a few spots where time has left its mark and light traces of fading are beginning to sneak in. Fluidity is very good, so on a larger screen the visuals remain rather impressive. There are no distracting cuts, damage marks, debris, warped or torn frames to report. ( Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track.

The English track is preferable, but it is dubbed in that typical Italian manner that makes the Italian track just as acceptable. What does this mean? It means that even folks that uttered their lines in English were eventually overdubbed, so the entire track has a chamber quality that these types of Italian genre films were known for.

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut: Erotic Experience - this vintage documentary takes a closer look at the incredibly diverse cinematic legacy of director Joe D'Amato and his preference to bend and blend various genres. A good portion of it is also dedicated to his professional relationship with Laura Gemser. (The entire documentary is essentially one big interview with the late director). In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (63 min, 1080p).

• Documentary on the Emmanuelle Phenomenon - in this archival program, critic David Flint examines the history and popularity of the Emmanuelle/Emanuelle films and some of the more popular copycats that Emmanuelle Arsan's novel inspired. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary by critics Bruce Holocheck and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Cover - reversible cover.

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Emanuelle In America is at the very bottom of my list of films that I would recommend to someone that might be willing to explore Joe D'Amato's diverse body of work. It is a very dull provocateur that pretends to be something else but repeatedly fails and by the time its end credits roll becomes unberably obnoxious. To be honest, I can't stand it, and I actually like quite a few of D'Amato's erotic films. This recent release from Mondo Macabro, which is sourced from a very nice 4K remaster, has a lovely documentary in which D'Amato discusses in great detail the various genre films that he made over the years, including Emanuelle in America, so perhaps it is a good excuse to recommend it. But I would still urge you to take a look at the other D'Amato films that have made it to Blu-ray before you consider a purchase.