Color, 1997, 93 mins.
Directed by Jess Franco
Starring Amber Newman, Monique Parent, Lina Romay, Alain Petit, Analia Ivars / Seduction Cinema / WS (1.78:1)
After watching a kinky stage show audition performed by coke-snorting nymphet
Paula (Amber Newman), decadent French chef Paul Radeck (Alain Petit) and his
scary wife (Lina Romay with a buzz cut) decide to invite her along for a
mysterious, erotic island vacation. Paula and her boyfriend (who wears an array
of T-shirts for Fangoria and the Killer Barbys) hop on board along with a
successful businessman, Kallman (Aldo Sambrell) and his bossy spouse (Monique
Parent). Nestled among palm trees and wild forests, the
Radeck mansion at first promises erotic delights as Amber releases her
inhibitations in front of the guests. Even a simple dinner turns into a kinkfest
with the aid of the Radeck's slave girl, Furia (Analia Ivars). The Radecks offer
Paula the chance to engage in a treasure hunt on the island which quickly turns
into a nightmarish twist on The Most Dangerous Game, as the predatory
couple stalks their prey with bow and arrow in hand to satisfy their
cannibalistic urges.
Those who dismiss Franco as an untalented hack will find most of their
arguments confirmed here, as Tender Flesh wildly ignores such niceties as
logic and polished camerawork. The dialogue (recorded on the set in English) is
unintelligible for much of the running time, the acting is atrocious (apart from
the always fascinating Ms. Romay of course), no two characters have the same accent, and
the story is virtually nonexistent. On the other hand, as with many Franco
films, half the fun lies in tracing the evolution of his favorite characters and
storylines. The second half is basically an updated remake of Franco's excellent
The Perverse Countess (which really needs to be released in the U.S.,
pronto), while the tropical island fun and games are pulled straight from
Macumba Sexual and Eugenie (the '81 version). And of course, the
nightclub opener is a direct descendent of Succubus and Vampyros
Lesbos. Silicone doll Newman doesn't make for a very compelling leading lady
on a par with Franco's past starlets, at least until one considers that she
isn't really supposed to be an admirable or even interesting character in the
first place. Tender Flesh can be tough going for the uninitiated, but
Franco-philes will no doubt eat it up.
Seduction Cinema's DVD looks only a slight step up from the previous VHS release, and for the record, yes, the infamous kitchen urination scene is back in all its uncut glory. The mild letterboxing looks about right, and apart from the muddy, noise-ridden opening five minutes, colors and detail levels are satisfying. The surround audio shows off Franco's catchy jazz score quite well and uses the rear channels fairly often, creating a sultry listening environment spoiled only by the aforementioned poorly recorded dialogue. Side B of the DVD contains several extras, the most notable being the 51 minute Making of Tender Flesh documentary. This shot on video peek behind the scenes contains random footage of Franco running amok with his camera, interspersed with interview footage (primarily Petit). The surprisingly poor image quality of the occasional film clips used here will make any viewer grateful for the DVD presentation. Also included is a six minute look at Amber Newman's photo shoot for the film's (very Redemption-like) promotional artwork, as well as a slew of trailers for Seduction Cinema's DVD releases. This may not be the best Franco film by a long shot, but the presentation and extras should find favor with any unrepentant Eurosleaze collector.