Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		1.5

Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 14, 2018

It can be hard differentiating between target audiences for some niche imprints, and while MVD’s newish MVD Classics line has brought out two Jess Franco films simultaneously, my hunch is even some diehard Franco aficionados would be hard pressed to call either of the releases “classics”, and as such both of these outings might fit just as comfortably in the often kind of cheesy genre confines that have typified another MVD Visual imprint, MVD Rewind. Both Diamonds of Kilimandjaro (which exists under several titles, include a slight variation of this very title in the credits of this very release) and Golden Temple Amazons share a number of similarities, not the least of which is a bevy of naked (or at least topless) women cavorting around in various jungles. Both films also offer what might be thought of as a “gender switch” take on certain elements of venerable enterprises like Tarzan (the character, not necessarily the linked version), with females raised in the wild and growing up to have relationships with chimps and/or frolic by swinging on vines between trees.

Golden Temple Amazons begins with a vignette that, like the plane crash shown in the opening of Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, may not immediately be clear is linked to the rest of the story. A horde of horse riding topless women is shown descending on a weirdly Swiss chalet looking building where a man and woman come out and are promptly killed with bows and arrows. A little girl is then seen coming around the corner to find her dead parents. The film then segues to a young woman named Liana (Joan Virly, also known as Analia Ivars), who herself is topless, though evidently not much of a horse rider, choosing instead to play in the jungle with the likes of monkeys and elephants. Liana of course turns out to be the grown version of the little girl seen in the opening.

When a strange man shows up and befriends Liana, he discovers she can’t read, and so he details entries from her father’s diary, at which point Liana is educated about her past and decides to embark on a quest for revenge against the dastardly Amazonian tribe. It’s here that the film gets really weird, with a fetishistic cult headed by Rena (Eva Leon), who seems positively Aryan (one almost expects her to be sporting a swastika armband) and her cohort Uruck (William Berger). Liana and other characters, including a shaman named Koukou (Stanley Capoul) who is evidently on hand to provide some questionable comedy relief, get taken prisoner, but the outcome of this pretty lamentable enterprise is never seriously in doubt.

This is another entry that, like Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, may not be “real” Franco films, in terms of his actual total involvement, and as such may be an outlier in an already gonzo filmography. This film is arguably a tad more coherent than Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, and it seems like Virly is actually interacting with several animals, with not much or indeed no stock footage inserted, but even the camp value of Golden Temple Amazons may not be enough to convince some fans it’s worth watching.

Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Golden Temple Amazons is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Visual's MVD Classics imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. While I'm scoring this at the same 3.0 level that I did with regard to Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, in part so that no one has any undue expecatations, this is probably an overall more pleasing viewing experience for a number of reasons. While there's still more than evident damage on display, it's not quite at the level seen in the other Franco film being offered by MVD, which is not to say there's a lack of age related wear and tear, since little flecks and nicks do show up with fair regularity. As mentioned above, though, this film has either very little or actually no stock footage (I'm a little iffy on a couple of shots, and so am hedging my bets), which gives the overall presentation a much more homogeneous appearance. Grain can still look fairly chunky at some junctures, but it's obvious no digital scrubbing has been employed. Contrast is generally more consistent than in the other Franco film, but there are still variations, with some scenes offering slightly milky blacks and a somewhat hazy look. The palette is generally pretty nice looking throughout this presentation, and some brightly lit outdoor material actually pops rather well, with vividly saturated blue skies. My score is 3.25.

Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Golden Temple Amazons features LPCM 2.0 mono mixes in both English and French. Dialogue can occasionally sound a bit louder in the French mix, but overall mix levels are pretty similar if not absolutely identical. This is a better sounding track than the one featured on Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, with less hiss, and a noticeably fuller bodied sound that helps to support the synth drenched score. Dialogue can occasionally sound a bit boxy on both languages, which I'm attributing to the dubbing process, and once again, as with the other Franco film, lip movements rarely match up in either language.

Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers includes Golden Temple Amazons (480i; 1:51), which is anamorphically stretched, leading to some very weird looking topless women. A handful of trailers for other MVD releases is also included.

Golden Temple Amazons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Golden Temple Amazons is arguably marginally more coherent than Diamonds of Kilimandjaro, but it's also arguably more gonzo as well, something that may actually recommend it to some fans with tastes for totally bizarre genre fare. One way or the other, technical merits on this release are at least somewhat more consistent than on the other Franco release MVD is also bringing out, for those who are considering a purchase.