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The Lickerish Quartet – Cult Epics (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/West Germany, 1970
Director: Radley Metzger
Writer: Michael de Forrest
Cast: Silvana Venturelli, Frank Wolff, Erika Remberg, Paolo Turco

Release Date: April 26th, 2011
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 46 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"An aristocratic family becomes obsessed with a striking young blond actress (Silvano Venturelli "Camille 2000") while watching her in what appears to be a crude, silent stag film. After a visit to a local carnival they meet the girl in person and invite her back to their lavish mansion (the Castle of Balsorano in Italy's Abruzzi Mountains.) The blonde visitor takes turns seducing the family members, where she unlocks each of their fantasies, family secrets and hidden desires." – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New, Restored High-Definition Transfer".

The Lickerish Quartet comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.1 GB

Feature: 12.4 GB

The source looks great; there is still some minor debris. Flesh tones look healthy, with nicely saturated colors, strong image clarity and black levels, excellent compression, and an organic look.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English, with no subtitles. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, things are satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Score (3 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for The Lickerish Quartet (2 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Camille 2000 (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette that compares on set sound with post-synchronize titled Giving voice to the Quartet (12 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a longer version of the stag film seen in The Lickerish Quartet titled Cool version Love scenes (31 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio essay Rick Ulfik titled The Making of The Lickerish Quartet (11 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Radley Metzger and film historian Michael Bowen.

Summary:

A perverse couple and their adult son watch a stag film. Things quickly turn sour when their son becomes bored and wants to go into town to check out the circus. While watching a daredevil woman at the circus, the trio all come to the conclusion that she looks like the woman in the stag film they had watched earlier in the evening. Not wanting to let this mysterious woman get away, they invite her back to their home and show her the stag film that features a woman who could pass as her doppelgänger.

By the early 1970s, Radley Metzger had firmly established himself as one of the premier filmmakers working in soft-core erotica cinema. In 1974 he would make the transition from softcore to hardcore cinema with The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann. Once he made the move from softcore to hardcore, he would only make two films that were not in the latter: The Image and The Cat and the Canary (1978).

When discussing the cinema of Radley Metzger, one area that is consistently strong is the visuals. There is an abundance of visually arresting moments in The Lickerish Quartet. The standout moment is a sex scene between the impotent father and the daredevil circus performer in his very stylish library, and while they roll around in ecstasy on the floor, there are several vulgar words and their meanings written on the floor beneath them. When it comes to the stag film footage, these moments have a deliberately degraded look that enhances their authenticity.

The cast are mere props in the story that unfolds, and Radley Metzger’s direction is solid. The most memorable performance is Silvana Venturelli’s (Camille 2000) portrayal of a mysterious woman only known as The Visitor. The location, an Italian castle located in the Abruzzi mountains, is a character unto itself. Other notable films that used this location are Lady Frankenstein, Bloody Pit of Horror, and The Reincarnation of Isabel.

Narrative-wise, one would be hard-pressed to find a more challenging film in Radley Metzger’s filmography than The Lickerish Quartet. And yet it also stands out as one of his most fascinating films. The narrative is a meticulously laid-out labyrinth of subtext that does a superb job blurring the thin line between reality and fantasy, saving the most potent twist for the finale.

From a production standpoint, The Lickerish Quartet is a film that maximizes its resources. The narrative is not difficult to digest despite its non-linear structure. Other areas where The Lickerish Quartet excels are its editing and Stelvio Cipriani's (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) hypnotic score, which perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, The Lickerish Quartet is a highwater mark of 1960s/70s softcore erotica and one of Radley Metzger’s best films.

The Lickerish Quartet gets a first-rate release from Cult Epics that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, recommended.