Cheeky – Cult Epics (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 2000
Director: Tinto Brass
Writers: Tinto Brass, Carla Cipriani, Nicolaj Pennestri, Silvia Rossi, Massimiliano Zanin
Cast: Yuliya Mayarchuk, Jarno Berardi, Francesca Nunzi, Max Parodi, Mauro Lorenz

Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, DTS-HD Stereo Italian, DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Will you be able to endure the sexy hilarity as Carla visits London? She's a big hit with everyone - except her boyfriend Matteo, who seethes with jealousy when she meets the horny lesbian real estate agent Moira." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 4K Transfer (from the original negative) & Restoration with HDR."

Cheeky comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 61.6 GB

Feature: 56.8 GB

This transfer looks exceptional. Flesh tones look healthy; colors are vibrant; image clarity and black levels are solid; compression is very good; and the image looks organic. That said, there are two things I considered when coming up with a score for this transfer. How does it compare to this film’s previous home video releases, and does it look any better than this transfer? It looks exceptional.

Cheeky comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.6 GB

Feature: 27.5 GB 

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, DTS-HD Stereo Italian, DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English)

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Quality-wise, you can’t go wrong with any of these audio tracks; they are all in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, they all sound great. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English subtitles for Italian text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer for Cheeky (3 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical teaser for Cheeky (1 minute 20 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for All Ladies Do It (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Frivolous Lola (2 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Nathaniel Thompson.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer for Cheeky (3 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical teaser for Cheeky (1 minute 20 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for All Ladies Do It (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Italian and English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Frivolous Lola (2 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Paprika (1 minute 11 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for P.O. Box Tinto Brass (1 minute 15 seconds, LPCM stereo with Italian with text, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Istintobrass (4 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a photo gallery for Cheeky (21 images), an option to listen to Pino Donaggio’s score (4 minutes 17 seconds), an archival featurette titled Backstage with Tinto Brass (8 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Massimo Di Venanzo (37 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Nathaniel Thompson.

Other extras include reversible cover art, four repro Italian lobby card prints (first pressing exclusive), slipcover (first pressing exclusive) and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled The Cheeks of Controversy: Yuliya Mayarchuk and Tinto Brass written by Eugenio Ercolani and Domenico Monetti.

Summary:

Tinto Brass, whose notable films include Deadly Sweet, Salon Kitty, The Key, Snack Bar Budapest, and All Ladies Do It, directed Cheeky.

The narrative revolves around a woman looking for an apartment so her boyfriend can join her in London. Constantly bombarded by sexual advances, she tries to remain faithful to her boyfriend.

“Pornography is there to give you an erection. Erotica is there to give you emotions.” - Tinto Brass

This above quote perfectly sums up Tinto Brass’ cinema. When compared to other filmmakers who worked in softcore erotica, Tinto Brass is in a class all of his own. Outside of two exceptions, Salon Kitty and Caligula, Tinto Brass’ erotica cinema is overflowing with beauty; it never becomes vulgar like most erotica films.

A playful sequence opens Cheeky, the protagonist, Carla, walks through a park where everyone around her is fornicating. This sequence climaxes with a man exposing himself to her, and she returns the favor by exposing his ass to him. This sequence perfectly sets the tone for what follows, and with a few words, it makes crystal clear who Carla is.

Anyone who's familiar with the cinema knows they can expect two things: beautiful women and lingering shots of women’s asses. A standout moment that exemplifies this: women bend over a couch at a party, offering men the opportunity to choose which one they desire. This moment features a breathtaking tracking shot that shows Tinto Brass’ knack for photographing asses. Another standout moment is a flashback on a beach with Carla and a former lover; this sequence is by far the most erotic moment in Cheeky.

Most of Tinto Brass’ films rely heavily on relatively unknown actresses who serve as his muse. Case in point: Yuliya Mayarchuk's captivating portrayal of Carla, a flirtatious young woman who makes no apologies for being a sexual being. Her character Carla is significant; for the first time, Tinto Brass explored a lesbian relationship between two main characters.

From a production standpoint, Tinto Brass shows that he still has the Midas touch when it comes to crafting well-crafted erotica. Cheeky’s exemplary production design, and every inch of every frame is exquisitely photographed, prove once again that Tinto Brass’ eye for detail is second to none. Composer Pino Donaggio delivers another exceptional score that does a phenomenal job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Cheeky is a well-made exploration about how absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Cheeky gets an exceptional release from Cult Epics that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer