The Eroticist

Aka All'onorevele piacciono le donne

The Senator Likes Women

Severin Films

Web: http://www.severin-films.com

The Eroticist was made between two of Lucio Fulci’s most famous giallo films A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin and Don’t Torture a Duckling. It is an unusual film for Fulci, it is a political satire with a strong social commentary mixed with a sex comedy.

Senator Gianni Puppis (Lando Buzzanca) has spent his whole life dedicated to politics, he believes politics is like the priesthood and under guidance from the Church has forgone any relations with the opposite sex. However, sexual suppression being what it is, Puppis finds himself plagued by dreams of sexual conquest and becomes obsessed with the uncontrollable urge to grab women’s backsides.

This may seem like a minor problem, however, during a civic reception he grabs a dignitaries rear and it is caught on film by a blackmailer. Under pressure, Puppus retires to a monastery for psychotherapy to treatment his obsessions. However, things only get worse, the monastery includes a larger number of nuns and in freeing himself from his obsession he beds them all in one marathon night.

The Eroticist is a witty and amusing film, the dialogue is fast paced and explores the corruption of the government (with its various warring departments), the Church, the Mafia and politics in general. It is beautifully filmed with extremely entertaining dream sequences and a cool seventines music score by Fred Bongusto. especially like the twist on the idea of “canonization”, here people are made saints (literally) as a mafia way to hide bodies for the Church.

This is an outrageous comedy which has a shot at everyone, it certainly would have offended a few people in the Seventies and even today still works as a fast paced and entertaining political and religious satire.

The print is superb, colours are solid and the clarity of the film is surprising for one of this age. It is quite outstanding, even in the dream sequences it is clear and there is no problem whatsoever. The soundtrack is fantastic and really carries the film along with musical cues when the senator is about to grab a behind and in the dream sequences, it has that Seventies sound which makes it distinctive, nostalgic and memorable.

Also included is an excellent documentary called “A History of Censorship - Interview with actor Lando Buzzanca, Cinematographer Sergio D’Offizi and Make-up Artist Giannetto De Rossi” which goes for some 45 minutes.