Bacchanale Review

Reviewed by fu_q  on  9/6/2016

**Note – This review is based upon the web version of the film available for streaming and download at gamelink.com. As such, any bonuses haven’t been given a rating, and there could be some discrepancies between this version and other releases.**

Review:
The 1970 release from the Amero Brothers, "Bacchanale", touts itself as "the ultimate hardcore film"...it's right there on the cover. Indeed, in the opinion of this reviewer, absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. First off, this production wasn't even intended to be a hardcore flick. It was a softcore film that had hardcore inserts performed by Tina Russell, Jason Russell, and Harry Reams added in due to the burgeoning explicit market at the time. As such, there's a small dose of hardcore in the film, and--because of Ms. Russell's presence--it's honestly the only good thing about this otherwise-abysmal release. Second, even for a softcore film, it's an awful watch...top to bottom. It starts out with a young woman (Uta Erickson) who's apparently searching for a dead brother with whom she's had an "inappropriate" relationship in the past. She may well be dead, too, or at least in a dream state. (Who cares? ...though you do find out at the end...) Uta's hampered in her quest by a lame, "ominous" character in a dark cape and hat that pops up from time to time and who is far more ridiculous than he is mysterious. To make matters worse, the action bounces back and forth between a psychedelic party, a seemingly endless fire escape outside of a city apartment building, a "creepy" graveyard, and finally what appears to be "Hell". Like a cross between the worst Twilight Zone and original Star Trek episodes imaginable, this film simply goes from bad to worse (...and worse...and worse...) before it finally runs out the clock on its misery with an equally unsatisfying and perplexing ending. I suppose that this fiasco was all an attempt at "cutting edge" art or to get the audience to think... but the edge is dull and the only thoughts that are evoked are "when will it be over?". I hate to sound jaded, as I'm often the one to see (...or imagine, as the case may be...) the silver linings on otherwise-dark, pornographic clouds--and others have gotten something out of this production (read the other reviews and contrast them with this one to better educate yourself and to form your own opinion)--but for me, there simply isn't enough perfume in the world to make this turd smell like a bouquet of roses. If you want old school softcore, check out "Prison Girls", it's okay(ish). If you want hardcore, the sky is certainly the limit. If you want to rock, then I salute you. Otherwise, seriously consider a pass on this one and don't buy into any of the hype that might surround it. There's infinitely better material out there. (Oh... and there's a bit of gay make-out stuff included, as well, but that's only like the fifth or sixth thing "wrong" with it for a "straight" release... it doesn't even register by comparison.)

The opinions in this review are solely my own, and everything written above should be taken as purely opinion...which, like assholes, everyone has one and everyone pretty much is one, including myself.