Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Emanuelle in America 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.

Somewhat hilariously, both commentaries offered on this disc have a rather pointedly humorous reaction to the Black Emanuelle series as a whole and Joe D'Amato in general, and this film in particular. Kat Ellinger begins by laughing about the film now bearing a StudioCanal masthead, and then almost instantly mentions the "absolute filth" that will be on display, but then further laughs as she goes on to mention that if you're into buying a huge Severin box set, you probably know what you're in for. On the other hand, Bruce Holecheck and Nathaniel Thompson offer a summary that states that there are three telltale signs you're watching a Joe D'Amato movie, namely "the copious use of masturbating females, guys with big dicks, and scurrilous sexual situations". As Holecheck and Thompson jokingly concur, that "hat trick" is covered quite handily in a film that sees Emanuelle once again taking to her globetrotting ways, though in this particular outing, the plot tends to virtually explode in a number of different directions, including Emanuelle supposedly "investigating" a quasi-harem.

As with Emanuelle in Bangkok, there are some "mondo" aspects, including a sex club scene that involves bestiality and then later a supposed visit to the set of a snuff film (that part was evidently staged, thankfully). The film ends on a completely gonzo "meta" note that even Holecheck and Thompson seem understandably gobsmacked by.

Emanuelle in America received a previous release on Blu-ray from Mondo Macabre, and those interested may find Svet Atanasov's Emanuelle in America Blu-ray review of that version helpful in offering more plot points as well as a chance to compare screenshots. I'm evidently a considerably more tolerant fan of this film than Svet, judging by our different scores.

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Emanuelle in America 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 from StudioCanal with additional restoration and color work by Severin Films.

This presentation is often quite similar to the Mondo Macabre offering, though it does appear that some of that "additional restoration and color work" has helped to ameliorate a just slightly greenish quality that attended some of the Mondo Macabre version. This is a somewhat dark and gritty looking affair quite a bit of the time, despite a glut of outdoor material. The palette looks healthy and natural, and detail levels are generally quite appealing throughout. Grain is kind of thick, as mentioned, but resolves without any major issues.

Emanuelle in America Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with many of the films in the Black Emanuelle set, Emanuelle in America features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in either English or Italian. The English track in this case is noticeably louder and arguably has a more fulsome midrange, which I'd say helps to support this film's enjoyable scores, which includes one of the nicer themes in the series, a kind of Moody Blues-esque piece. Dialogue in both versions is presented cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

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

• Audio Commentary with Film Historian Kat Ellinger


• Archival Audio Commentary with Film Historians Bruce Holecheck and Nathaniel Thompson


• The Danish Man (HD; 10:39) is an interview with actor Lars Bloch. Subtitled in English.


• The Confessions of Diana Smith (HD; 16:21) is an interview with actress Maria Piera Regoli. Subtitled in English.


• The Art of Sexy & Gore (HD; 25:14) is an interview with Art Director Marco Dentici. Subtitled in English.


• The Cutting of the Flesh (HD; 10:35) is an interview with FX Artist Giannetto de Rossi. Subtitled in English.


• The Devil's Trick (HD; 8:29) is an interview with Makeup Artist Maurizio Trani. Subtitled in English.


• The Journalist (HD; 13:23) features screenwriters Maria Pia Fusco and Piero Vivarelli on the origins of Emanuelle. Subtitled in English.


• The Naked City: Emanuelle in New York (HD; 26:15) is a fun tour of locations hosted by Michael Gingold.


• Trailer (HD; 3:30)

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

Emanuelle in America has long been considered one of the more notorious films in the Black Emanuelle cycle, and in some ways that's not hard to understand, but in other ways, it seems almost provincially quaint considering what "mainstream" movies offer these days. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements are very enjoyable.