Starring - Andy Nichols (Doctor Penetration, Student Affairs), Paul McGibboney, and Michelle Bauer (Demonwarp, Virgin High)
Release Date - 1982
Genre - Sci-Fi
Tagline - "THE TIME... Five years after the nuclear war. The survivors...post-nuke thrill freaks lookin' for a kick"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I started watching and collecting sexploitation flicks about 10 years ago when companies like Vinegar Syndrome, Severin Films, and Mondo Macabro started sending them my way for review. These were films that I never had an interest in watching until I was sent some for review where I fell in love with them. Since those days I've heard about the popular sexploitation flicks that many fans of the sub-genre would consider essential viewing. Films like Waterworks, Sexworld, and the infamous Cafe Flesh. I had never seen Cafe Flesh previously but when Mondo Macabro sent me the UHD for review, you bet your sweet ass I made time to finally check it out. I, once again, would like to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over.
The film takes place in a post-nuclear world where most of the people are called "negatives." These people are unable to have sex and visit clubs where those that can, called "positives," perform various shows for them. One night during the show, the host spots a couple and continuously mocks them between the various acts. As the film progresses, we learn that one of them is secretly a positive who hides her secret from her negative spouse until her sexual desires overtake her.
I was seriously excited to finally see Cafe Flesh. I had heard so many great things about this one but could only find extremely edited or cut versions of the film online. I decided to hold on until I could find a complete cut of the film. Sadly, I found myself not enjoying the film after all this time of waiting. I wanted to love it, especially for it's amazing story, but I found myself bored to tears. The acting in this one is extremely entertaining. In fact, it is one of the high points of the film for me. The characters are all colorful and full of energy for the most part. In the world of sexploitation and erotica, this is one of the most energetic casts I've seen. The film has to be seen just for the acting alone. The story for the this one is one of those films that I feel was amazing on paper but didn't translate that well to screen. A sexploitation flick set in a post-nuclear wasteland where only a small group of people can screw around while the majority is forced to watch their shows is very unique. You throw in a little character development and you have something truly unforgettable. However, the film's unique style and semi-arthouse approach might be iconic among genre fans, it did make for a slow moving film that really did nothing to hold my attention. The film, without the sex, could have been cut drastically to make the story a bit more fun. Instead, it's a long and drawn out skin flick that bored me to tears. Finally, the film has plenty of skin but if you want some blood or memorable effects then you are out of luck. Overall, Cafe Flesh has a look and style all it's own with one hell of a story but the scenes are painfully too long and the story doesn't go anywhere. I seriously wanted to like this one but it wasn't for me.
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