Starring - David Hemmings (Deep Red, Eye of the Devil), Alida Valli (Suspiria, The Killer Nun), and Francisco Rabal (Moonfish, Devil's Hill)
Release Date - 1974
Genre - Drama/Thriller
Tagline - "The climax is only the beginning."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I respect the hell out of Mondo Macabro and what they've been releasing over the years. Even if they release a film that I necessarily cared for I was still excited to add these strange and unusual films to my collection. I never really got into MM when they were primarily releasing DVD but when they migrated to blu I found myself drawn to their titles. I've been fortunate enough to review most of these releases over the last few years and it's been an amazing journey. Several weeks ago CAV sent over a couple Mondo Macabro release for me to check out. The first that I decided to check out was the 1974 film Beyond Erotica. The film was released under the alternate title It's Nothing Mama, Just a Game. I was very interested in the release and I want to thank CAV and Mondo Macabro for sending this one my way to review!
The film follows a wealthy young man who lives with his mother on a plantation that has come under hardships in recent years. He's a troubled man that is known for playing macabre games with the females that his mother employs on their property. He falls for a young woman from the village and brings her on to the property where he plays his sadistic games with her. Before long he convinces her to marry him but things take a surprising turn and she becomes the owner of a small fortune when her husband kills his uncle.
I didn't know what I was getting into when I tossed in Beyond Erotica which is typical for most of the Mondo Macabro releases. The original poster and the blu release artwork both referenced David Hemmings and how this is his most controversial role which only stirred my imagination. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of movie this was and once I had finished watching it I would have to say that this may be in the running for one of my favorite MM releases. The acting in this one is great. Hemmings and Andrea Rau are fantastic together. Hemmings emotionless character and Rau's abused character are fucking fantastic together. They are written damn near perfectly and they both slowly change over the course of the film. Their performance perfectly shows these changes and makes the film as fun as it is. The remainder of the film is filled with great characters and the cast does a phenomenal job bringing those characters to life. The story for this one is a little erotic, a little disturbing, and a lot of drama. Beyond Erotica makes the viewer think they are getting their hands on a sexploitation film with a lot of sex and nudity while the title It's Nothing Mama, Just a Game makes you think the film is more centered on the demented character and his perverse games but it's a little of both. The film is not as perverse as you would expect and the games are not as big a part of the story as you would led to believe. I really enjoyed it. It has great pacing, well written characters, and the story itself very entertaining. It's a well put together exploitation film with some great growth and changes throughout. It's not predictable and has some great replay value. Finally, the film has some nudity and a little blood but don't expect a bloody flick. It's not a gory mess but if you want some skin and some blood then you are in the right spot. Overall, Beyond Erotica is one of my favorite Mondo Macabro releases to date. It's a great cast and a great story. I feel that the title's are a little misleading but still very enjoyable. I highly recommend snagging this release especially if you are fans of early 70s exploitation.
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