We hope you enjoyed Justin from Filmbar70’s ribald feature on Italian Sex Comedies, because we are proud to present the previously mentioned companion piece on the sexy screen siren Edwige Fenech by Jonny from Lovelockandload. Selecting six essential Fenech movies, this is an indispensible guide to the incredible Euro-cult icon. So a massive thanks to both Justin and Jonny for providing us with two fantastic NSFW features!

Here’s a special Fenech vid from Filmbar70 to get you in the mood!

Take it away Jonny!

Top Sensation

One of her earliest films, made in 1969 when she was just 21, remains unreleased on home video; bar a couple of extremely rare German and Spanish language VHS releases and a grey market release in the US. A simple tale involving some questionable characters who sail around on their boat sunbathing, have sex with each other and lure an innocent island dwelling country girl into sweaty lesbian romps. Despite its scarcity it has a fevered reputation among euro cult fans because of its mind blowing scenes featuring a topless Edwige and Rosalba Neri rubbing suntan lotion on each other and touching each other’s boobs, with each other’s boobs.

5 Dolls for an August Moon

Directed by the legendary Maestro Mario Bava, we see her take the role of one of the titular dolls and without doubt the best looking of them too. Playing the swinging wife of an equally swinging Maurice Poli, she lets it all hang out when invited to an isolated beach house with two other couples. Setting the screen alight with a funky dance solo in gold lame flares and serving up some choice dialogue (see below) it’s a worthy take on the old ‘Ten Little Indians’ murder mystery plot, available on DVD from Anchor Bay USA as part of the Bava Box 2.

Nick Chaney : So what was I telling you?
Marie Chaney: That I’m a dirty whore. That’s why I’m taking a shower…at least now I’ll be a clean whore.

The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh

This is where it all starts to get interesting. Prior to this, Edwige, though memorable in her small roles, was in the background for the most part. Finding her calling thanks to Director Sergio Martino and his Producer brother Luciano it was this film that set the ball rolling. She gets the title role of Julie Wardh and is hardly off screen for the films duration and what a duration! This top tier giallo not only has a convoluted murder mystery plot but also manages to pack in a sub-plot where her character finds herself harassed by her ex-boyfriend (Ivan Rassimov). The same ex-boyfriend that knows how to satisfy her strange vice. When that strange vice turns out to be a penchant for rough sex with the inclusion of shattered glass on her bare beasts it’s almost too much to take on board. It almost blew my mind when I first saw it, it’s a must see film.
The first English language DVD from NoShame films is now out of print though a release has surfaced on the MYA label under the title Blade of the Ripper. A special edition is due soon from UK label Shameless Films.

All the Colors of the Dark

Back with the same directing/producing team and most of the same cast of Mrs Wardh – though this time filming almost exclusively in London locations – we see a slightly off kilter take on the giallo with a more psychological leaning and a dip into the realms of Black Magic. Fragile of mind since surviving a car crash that took the life of her unborn child she suffers nightmarish dreams, some of which may be happening during her waking hours. Trips to the psychiatrist, prescription pills and long showers fully clothed are the order of the day. Knocking the ball out of the park director Martino plays a psychedelic trump card when he has her inducted into a black magic cult to the sounds of Bruno Nicolai’s sitars and bombastic choral chants. Animal sacrifice, naked breasts and ritualistic orgy style shenanigans ensue. Plus Ivan Rassimov as a mysterious icy blue eyed stalker. Another winner.
Out on DVD in the US from Media Blasters/Shriek Show.

The Case of the Bloody Iris

Moving away temporarily from the Martino team, but still co-starred by George Hilton, we land firmly in traditional giallo territory with beautiful young girls finding themselves murdered by a deranged rubber gloved assassin. Set in an apartment block we find our ever-so-lovely heroine working as a photographic model where she wears nothing but a shirt and neck scarf made out of body paint. A suitably jazzy soundtrack accompanies the tacky 70s décor and gory set pieces and although screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi slacks off here, when compared to his work on Mrs Wardh and All the Colors, it’s still a solid example of Italian giallo. Classy looking, with a great cast of fine 70s euro babes, throw in a small aside about a sex cult that Edwige’s character used to be involved with (cue flashbacks of naked orgies…) and you have something that sets itself above other films of its ilk.
Currently available on DVD from US company Blue Underground.

Your Vice is a Locked Door and Only I Have the Key

We’re back with Sergio and Luciano Martino for this one; it’s like putting on your favourite pair of slippers, all snugly and warm knowing that you’re in for a treat. Even Ivan Rassimov is back to join in the fun and games!  Although her character Floriana doesn’t arrive in this film until roughly half an hour in, there’s still plenty to enjoy with the ever lovely Anita Strindberg taking centre stage. Strindberg takes the role of a down trodden wife humiliated by her pissed up husband, a struggling writer who stays up all night writing and partying with his mistresses. Enter stage right his niece Floriana a sexed up timebomb sporting a killer pixie cut hairdo. This Poe inspired giallo takes on a few twists and turns, as is the norm, but it’s the addition of the pixie cut nymph that gets things really rolling. For once playing a bitch rather than an innocent kitten she sleeps her way around the house playing everyone for all they’re worth. Naturally the sex scenes with Luigi Pistilli take a back seat when  you have Strindberg’s fascinating, tanned, gravity defying implants juxtaposed with Fenech’s gloriously fully formed milky white teats in the same bed at once.
Currently only available on DVD via the out of print release from NoShame Films.