Sexy dames and plenty of them!

Speaking of erotic French films, Mondo Macabro continues to earn their seal of excellence with their upcoming DVD release of the little seen (at least by me anyway) Bruno Gantillon directed, Girl Slaves of Morgana le Fay. And I mean really, what's not to love here? You like gothic seaside castles? Check. You like sexy French broads in see through nighties? Check. You like cold musty torturous dungeons and hard nipples? Check. You like bountiful feasts and flowing dance numbers? Check. You like disturbing hunchback dwarves with a penchant for purple velvet and Maybelline? Check.

It's all here and it's all utterly fantastic!

It's a beautiful day as Francoise (Mireille Saunin) and Anna (Michele Perello) enjoy a seaside drive, taking in the scenic countryside. A quick stop off at a local pub (and a warning to turn back before it's too late from the locals) and they conveniently run out of petrol. Uh oh. What are a couple of young, nubile, longhaired, fair skinned, sex crazed.... ahem...excuse me; I got a bit carried away there. Moving along, the two decide to spend the night on a bale of hay and deal with it in the morning. Good choice. There's a bit of 'touchy feely' before bedtime and Francoise awakens to discover that Anna is nowhere to be found. Uh oh.

Francoise heads outside, only to be greeted by a mysterious mascara wearing dwarf named Gurth (Alfred Baillou). Gurth informs Francoise that she must now follow him in order to reach Anna. The two begin a minor chase, which amounts mostly to a brief skip through the woods. That is until Francoise reaches her final destination...a mysterious boat surrounded by flowers and candles. It's at this point that I realized how much I was enjoying this film. The boat (takes it upon itself, and) carries Francoise to an even more mysterious castle, where she is greeted by a bevy of beauties (all in their colorful, see through nighties) and the even more mysterious yet, leader of the pack...Morgana (Dominique Delpierre). Let's keep a long story short, shall we?

Morgana offers the lovelies of the castle a choice. Live upstairs with her and be forever youthful, or be shunned to the basement where they'll be humiliated and grow old. It would appear as if Anna has already chosen the route of the see through nightie...thank god. Francoise is a bit reluctant however, for all the right reasons. She's cleaned up and primped by the girls and quickly becomes Morgana's favorite. Oh jealousy, but not just from the other girls of the castle mind you. Gurth harbors his own jealous streak as well. In turn, Francoise has to bear witness to Gurth and his plans to possibly overthrow the kingdom of Morgana. In addition to his make shift peep shows in which he requests the girls to satisfy one another for his immediate pleasure. Francoise is not completely convinced that this is the life for her; it's unfortunate however (for her, not for us) that ultimately, she may not have a choice in the matter.

So Girl Slaves of Morgana le Fay isn't going to win any artistic achievement awards...so the fuck what? It's a fantastically moody erotic film with eye-poppingly gorgeous women and landscapes. Very reminiscent of some of the best that Jean Rollin has to offer. While predictable and laden with very few surprises, Girl Slaves is an eminently watchable film that is never boring. It's masterfully shot and very colorful, the seaside castle is devastatingly gorgeous as are the women who inhabit it.

Then there's the added enjoyment derived from the fact that aside from a velvety make up wearing dwarf, there are no men in this film. The women rule this world and also each other's bodies...oh yeah. Which brings us to the nipple licking. While the soft-core shenanigans are here, they're never too excessive or over the top - at least not to the seasoned soft-core fan. If there's one thing Gantillon knows, it's when enough is enough.

When it comes to audio and video quality, what more can I say other than the fact that Mondo Macabro has done it again. The anamorphic image is stunning, which really does this film justice. Especially when you consider the films' use of colors and (outdoor/indoor) castle locations. The fair skin on display here has most likely never looked and fairer. The Mono audio is equally as fine with nice clear dialogue, no distortion, and a chance for the subtle and unique score to shine through. No complaints here.

Extras include an extremely entertaining short film from director Gantillon entitled An Artistic Couple, also with anamorphic enhancement and a brief on camera interview with the director. Followed by three brief cut scenes, a fantastic essay on the history of the film, cast an crew bios / stills, a trailer for Girl Slaves and the usual Mondo Macabro trailer reel which just keeps getting longer and longer (I can listen to that theme music all night long).

And there you have it. It's another score for Mondo Macabro and the lovely ladies of Girl Slaves of Morgana le Fay. This one comes highly recommended. My girlfriend wasn't amused, but I sure as hell was, and that's all that matters!
Vist Mondo Macabro Online.