First, an introduction by way of a confession: I'm hopelessly addicted to '70s sex flicks. There's something delightfully schizoid about them; that gritty, grainy sleaziness which has become synonymous with the sound of a wah-wah pedal is tempered by a kind of innocent charm - as if the people involved were just there to have fun, and didn't know it was anything out of the ordinary to do a scene in which two women interlock with a peeled cucumber like the Marquis de Sade's Tinkertoy set. It was a more carefree time, at the pre-AIDS peak of the sexual revolution, before the age of video turned erotic cinema into little more than a series of medical exams with bad musical accompaniment.

It was during this period that hardcore flicks like DEEP THROAT were ushering in a (brief) age of "Porno Chic" and pushing the boundaries of censorship - but most countries, even in ostensibly liberal-minded Europe, still had fairly rigid controls over explicit sex on film. Before censorship begin finally to loosen its grip, softcore films - especially those made in the U.S. - still enjoyed a vigorous popularity; one of the more notable names among the so-called "Art House" genre (the term was less highbrow in those days than it is now) was American Joseph W. Sarno.

Having made a splash in more subtle eroticism throughout the less permissive '60s, Sarno made a name for himself with INGA, a provocative mega-hit in its native Sweden. The success of INGA and other Sarno sex epics caught the attention of savvy German distributor Chris Nebe, who was based in New York and had introduced American sexploitation to appreciative German audiences. It seemed fated that the two men would one day work together, and in 1972 they joined forces for a creative collaboration that spanned two years and produced three films, all shot in English (not dubbed - a cinematic first, apparently), which became modest commercial successes all around the world. These works, of course, are the subject of this impressive collection, presented on DVD by EI's Retro-Seduction Cinema.

No strangers to Sarno's erotic classics, EI has rolled out numerous titles from the prolific writer/director (including INGA and its sequel), treating them with the care and attention they richly deserve (for the most part), and GIRL MEETS GIRL earns the lion's share of this affection with this nifty package. In addition to Sarno and Nebe, a lot of the focus on this series is placed on Swedish sex kitten Marie Forsa, who stars in all three films and played a major part in their audience appeal.

Discovered by Sarno in Sweden, Forsa was the director's pick to star in the sexy gothic horror film VEIL OF BLOOD (which EI has retitled VAMPIRE ECSTASY - admittedly, a more appropriate moniker), her screen debut. Her charisma and sex appeal - not to mention her intense enthusiasm for the old bump 'n' grind - made her a lock for the second film, the unrelated romantic caper BIBI (renamed by EI as GIRL MEETS GIRL - again, pretty apropos given the sheer volume of Sapphic action), and the third and final installment, BUTTERFLIES. Forsa is by equal turns girlishly sweet and devilishly naughty, with a youthful energy that's hotter than the combined efforts of every tired, silicone-padded ream-queen working in porn today. I mean, after all, which fantasy is more inviting: having sex with a porn star, or having porn-star sex with the girl next door? If you picked the latter, then you'll positively fall in love with Forsa. If you picked the former, you will surely die alone and unloved.

VAMPIRE ECSTASY, the first teaming of Sarno, Nebe and Forsa, is like no other film in Sarno's body of work. A sexed-up gothic horror tale in the mode of Jean Rollin, Jose Larraz, Jess Franco and many of their '70s European contemporaries, ECSTASY adheres closely to the popular formula of dark, sensual lovelies slinking about crumbling castles by moonlight, seducing all mortals who stumble into their lair and draining them of blood, sexual energy, life force, etc… but mostly just fucking them.

This particular scenario finds a trio of phenomenally attractive young lasses (Forsa, a Marlene Dietrich clone whose name escapes me, and the stunningly hot Ulrike Butz) seeking refuge at a cool German castle for some reason I couldn't quite decipher and falling under the spell (literally) of a coven of sorceresses led by the stern matron Wanda (Nadia Henkowa). These wicked wenches spend their evenings painting their naked bodies with occult symbols (giving their rituals a sort of "Laugh-In Goes to Hell" look) and gyrating to a bongo beat in the castle's dungeon/ritual chamber. Their incantations soon enthrall the young Helga (Forsa), who is tormented by an insatiable lust that can only be quenched if she submits to their supernatural control… but it is the tasty Monika (Butz) whom they plan on using as the vessel for the reincarnation of her ancestor, the bloodthirsty Countess Varga, a kind of "Vladette the Impaler" whose return will signal the new age of the vampire's reign on earth (or something like that… I couldn't really tell). The only one with the power to stop this resurrection is the occult expert Julia (Anke Syring), who arrives at the castle with her sleepy-eyed brother Peter (Niko Wolf) and two garlic cross amulets to ward off the evil influence.

Much of the plot involves elaborate attempts by Wanda and company to destroy the crosses, or at least get them away from Julia and her brother long enough to enact their plan. That's really all you need to know, since this film is really all about women gyrating naked to jungle music and touching each other's naughty bits. What more do you want, anyway?

Previously released by EI Cinema through their Shock-O-Rama label and bearing the British release title THE DEVIL'S PLAYTHING, this film was shorn of around 15 minutes of steamy material. This represents a more complete cut, although some scenes glimpsed in the accompanying featurette indicate that there is some even naughtier footage available… but don't pick this one up expecting hardcore action, since that was not Sarno & Nebe's intention. Still, it's sexier than anything Franco, Larraz or even Rollin ever released - mostly due to the tremendous orgiastic enthusiasm Forsa brings to the party. Seriously, this chick seems to be in a constant state of arousal - a fact to which the filmmakers can readily attest - and it shows.

It is just this sexual enthusiasm that encouraged Sarno to write the second installment, GIRL MEETS GIRL (originally titled BIBI), around Forsa's on- and off-camera sexual escapades. Seems she spent a lot of her off hours jumping in and out of the sack with virtually every cast and crew member, and this left a pretty significant impression on the plot of the second film - in which Forsa's character Bibi has wild sex with nearly everyone she meets. Seriously, by midway through the film, there is barely any time given for exposition before fresh young Bibi is ripping off her little summer dress and going down on someone.

The story - what there is of it - revolves around Bibi's arrival at the cozy cottage of her aunt Toni (Henkowa again, looking softer but still kinda creepy), and diving headlong into the crotches of each and every one of her aunt's swinging friends. No one is safe from Bibi's insatiable hunger, as her apple-cheeked girlishness (she was only eighteen at the time) cleverly masks her all-consuming sex urges. She also manages to amass a pretty impressive collection of '70s junk jewelry, as she acquires little mementos from all of her conquests. Naughty underthings come into play, as well as some bizarre S&M, a collection of dildos that would shame Doc Johnson, and the aforementioned cucumber. Again, don't expect any money shots, but that's part of the charm. Besides, you may be inclined to kick all your cold, clinical by-the-numbers porn videos to the curb after seeing the sweaty enthusiasm on display here.

Pushing things a tad further into hardcore territory is the third and final collaboration for this team, the impressive BUTTERFLIES. Cashing in on the newly "legit" appeal of hardcore throughout Europe and the States, Sarno and company deigned to acquire porn superstar Harry Reems (basically a walking cock with a mustache) as their male lead opposite Forsa, and their combined energy pays off. Again, not much plot stuff here, but the setup is similar to the previous installment, as runaway teenage farm-girl Denise (Forsa) jumps in the fancy car of American stud/leisure suit model Frank (Reems), who owns a swinging singles bar in town as well as a groovy bachelor pad. Denise's arrival causes friction with Frank's unnamed (but totally cute) live-in lover, who makes no pretenses about her jealousy and moves out shortly after picking up a quick pity-fuck from her disinterested beau. Clearly oblivious to the fact that there might as well be a revolving door installed on Frank's bedroom, Denise is delighted to play house with her hirsute pal, until the reality of his aggressively swinging lifestyle finally dawns on her.

The sweet-faced Swede plays the naïve country girl role convincingly, although it's hard to believe anyone could be so oblivious of Frank's callous ability to discard lovers like used paper towels. I guess it's good that it takes her awhile to sort that out, as it provides the opportunity for nearly two hours of wall-pounding, chandelier-swinging sex. Reems and Forsa are certainly a well-matched pair, as they share an insatiable sexual appetite and apparently inexhaustible energy - as indicated by their noisy, sweaty and acrobatic sex scenes (Nebe confirms in his interview that the sex was 100% real). Not only does this intensity make for a fitting climax (yes, that's a pun, get over it) to the trilogy, but its more explicit nature indicates that the softcore trend was indeed on its way out, even in Europe where it had enjoyed much success. Thanks to DVD, we at least have the opportunity to preserve the artistry that went into films of this long-lost era, and this trilogy is a great place to start.

On the downside, the presentation of these three features is not of consistent quality. To begin with, all three are presented in fullscreen format, despite the fact that all were shot in 35mm and the Shock-O-Rama release of the first film was presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Having not seen the other two films prior to this release, I have no idea how much screen information is lost, but it's probably not significant... still, it's an odd oversight considering the reverence shown the material overall. A far more apparent flaw is the wild variation in color timing between VAMPIRE ECSTASY and DEVIL'S PLAYTHING. The cut version, ironically, holds the superior image, with richer colors, higher contrast and very little noticeable grain outside the slightly damaged main title sequence; many scenes in the uncut version are almost too dark to follow. The mono audio is warm and fairly clear on all three films, but the original recordings are a bit fuzzy and pick up too much ambient sound: to wit, any dialogue taking place in a room with a crackling fire is all but obliterated, and the ever-present platform shoes sound like teams of Clydesdales on a cobblestone path.

Despite these drawbacks, EI does score some major points in the supplemental features, including the inclusion of producer Chris Nebe in extensive interviews and commentary on all three discs. Nebe is personable and animated, and tells some extremely funny stories about the production of each film, all the while overflowing with admiration for his creative partner (Sarno was not available for the commentary, but does appear in the interview segments accompanying each film) and his charming leading lady - whose career regrettably ground to an abrupt halt shortly after the trilogy was complete (neither Nebe nor Sarno are entirely sure what happened to her). The tracks on the first two discs are straightforward commentaries (the commentary on GIRL MEETS GIRL is rendered a bit annoying by falling ten seconds out of sync with the action onscreen), whereas the track accompanying BUTTERFLIES is just the uncut audio from the interview, and runs out shortly after the one-hour mark.

Other nifty extras include a complete library of trailers for all EI's Sarno titles (including the 2006 direct-to-DVD release LUST FOR LAURA, his first film in almost three decades), as well as naughty stuff aplenty from EI's Seduction Cinema label… in other words, lots and lots of Misty Mundae on display (this is not a bad thing, mind you). If that weren't enough, there's also a fun little cherry on top (so to speak): a CD compilation of music from all three films. Like the rest of the package, it's not a perfect collection: many of the tracks were lifted directly from the films' final mixes, thus contain many ambient sound effects from the scenes they accompany in the films... although I have to admit it's kinda fun to hear the sound of a belt buckle and zipper being undone in the middle of a sweet, pastoral flute solo. Hmm... maybe that's a metaphor for something.

Anyway, although Nebe was not too fond of the original music by Gunter Moll, apparently Sarno played a part in the writing of the lyrics, and they are admittedly kinda catchy, if a mite repetitive... for example, the tune "Baby Love" from BIBI is transformed into a remarkably similar song in BUTTERFLIES called "Baby Tramp." Considering Forsa's aggressive sexual behavior in the second film, maybe Sarno was compelled to change the lyric accordingly (although I recall the German definition of "tramp" refers to someone who hitchhikes cross-country). Anyhow, the songs are really pretty good, and have a warm, fuzzy quality that filled me with '70s nostalgia. But then, I am a psychotic freak who needs constant medication to quell the voices in my head, so don't believe anything I say. Just buy the fucking set. If you love hot sex, Euro-babes and '70s kitsch, you'll feel like you're there.