(1979-Switzerland/France)
Review By-Sean Patrick Dolan Director: Erwin C. Dietrich Cast: Brigitte Lahaie, Nadine Pascal, Barbara Moose, Elodie Delage, Jean Baker Source: ABCDVD (2005, PAL Region 0) Runtime: Approx. 77 minutes
Swiss producer/director Erwin C. Dietrich was a major force in the European film industry in the 70’s and 80’s who capitalized on the growing popularity of sex and sleaze films. Through his film companies Elite, Avis, and Ascot, Dietrich employed some of the biggest names in the exploitation genre, including Antonio Margheriti and Jess Franco. Dietrich is best known for his Franco directed WIP films, in particular his sadistic and depraved entry into the ILSA series, ILSA, THE WICKED WARDEN (1977) starring Franco staple Lina Romay and Dyanne Thorne in her signature title role.
THE AMOROUS SISTERS (1979), however, is much lighter fare than the women in prison films mentioned above. It concerns the sex-capades of a group of young women attending a Swiss boarding school where they are taught anatomy and human sexuality. This high-spirited class of co-eds is never satisfied with diagrams and models, but insist on living examples and "hands-on" learning experiences. When they’re not sneaking in boyfriends after lights-out or engaging in lesbian orgies in the dormitory, they spy on their head mistress, who has quite a sex life of her own. There is not a single male teacher on campus that she has not bedded, except perhaps the muscle-bound PE teacher- who, at any rate, is more concerned with bodybuilding and posing in the mirror than the multitude of erotic opportunities all around him.
The film benefits from the considerable appeal of French erotic film superstar and Jean Rollin regular Brigitte Lahaie (LES RAISINS DE LA MORT (1978), LES NUIT DES TRAQUEES (1980), LA MORTE VIVANTE (1982)), as well as that of Jess Franco regular Nadine Pascal (A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD (1973), EXORCISME (1979), ZOMBIE LAKE (1981)). Standout moments include the girls witnessing the "courtship" of a horse and his mare and a beautifully shot, fully nude butterfly hunt in the woods. Dietrich’s inventive scenarios and hilarious dialogue- in particular the classroom scenes and the encounters with the mental midget gym instructor- make this a very enjoyable, lighthearted erotic romp.
Like many films in the genre, THE AMOROUS SISTERS was released under several other titles of varying lengths with additional footage, which were in turn renamed and re-edited again for video releases in a half dozen or so countries. I reviewed the 2005 ABCDVD release of THE AMOROUS SISTERS which is, as far as I can tell after some research, closest to the content of the UK video release of SECHS SCHWEDINNEN IM PENSIONAT (SIX SWEDES ON CAMPUS). This release is presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio, letterboxed, with 1.0 Dolby Digital audio. The film is viewable in the German language or with a dubbed English track. Extras consist only of a handful of trailers; one for this film and several for other titles in Dietrich’s "Six Swedes" series of erotic films.
Story: 4/5 Bitch Slaps Extras: 1/5 Bitch Slaps Picture/Audio: 4/5 Bitch Slaps Overall DVD: 3/5 Bitch Slaps Purchase this at X-Ploited Cinema
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