Art house or exploitation? This is the primary question raised by the oft-sought and elusive Singapore Sling, from Greek director Nikos Nikolaidis. Singapore Sling (for me) had almost reached the status of genre film myth. Like the phantom 'spider walk sequence' that mysteriously materialized for The Exorcist - The Version You've Never Seen after years of speculation as to its actual existence. Singapore Sling was one of those movies I had often heard about but had never seen, and it was almost to the point at which I didn't even know if I believed that it really existed.

But it does exist. And up until now, only in poorly translated n'th gen bootlegs. Synapse to the rescue, with a beautifully restored and lovingly represented version of this elusive film. Whether or not the film is actually worth one's time (or dime) may be debatable, but extolling the virtues of the extraordinary job that Synapse did on this release, certainly is not.

Singapore Sling is over the top and complicated, perhaps a bit too over the top and complicated for its own good. Artistic shots of a torrential downpour along with randomly juxtaposed images of flowers and running water accompany the films opening credits. Beautiful B&W photography, complicated camera set ups and finely detailed costumes highlight the films' opening as two women brave the rain burying a body in the woods. You don't shoot something like this by accident.

The story of a mysterious man who's taken in by two even more mysterious women after he's mysteriously found laying in a ditch with a gunshot wound is simply just that...mysterious. However, this alone does not describe the absurdity that is Singapore Sling. The gratuitous (simulated?) sex, the vomiting, foodstuffs forcefully rubbed against female genitals and incest however, do.

As the perverse events of the film continue to unfold, it's evident that there are not going to be any easy answers. The man (who the women eventually dub 'Singapore Sling') is searching for a woman named Laura. The two women who eventually dominate him are presented as 'mother and daughter' - however, they engage in conversations and elicit acts, as no mother/daughter team should. They murder, torture and fornicate, which is only the beginning. They even play games in which they 're enact' the day that Laura comes looking to fill a 'secretary position.' Does Laura exist? Is the daughter Laura? Are these two women even mother and daughter?

Whether or not you'll want to invest your time in the many unanswered questions Singapore Sling presents is fully dependent on your tolerance level for all things overly artistic. Ultimately, the film itself falls weak because of this ambiguity. At times, it seems to be purposefully artistic (too much so) with its over the top performances and its constant desire to (unnecessarily) break the fourth wall. However, it's for these same reasons that I found that the film ultimately worked for me. The film is a real visual beauty, stunning at times even.

With it's elaborate sets, costumes and lush B&W photography the film is perfectly lit and staged and on an aesthetic level, it's hard not to appreciate. The performances, while at times far over the top, are still very engaging. If the film works, it's because of the fact that it strikes a fine balance of truth and sincerity amongst all the peculiarity. Everything about this film seems to be taken so seriously, it works. At times indecent and unreasonably ludicrous, I still couldn't help but fall in love with this film. However, that being said, I can fully anticipate people having a completely adverse reaction which would be completely understandable.

Something I've already touched on that there's no denying about this release, is the obvious tender love and care that Synapse has given it. Singapore Sling is a strikingly gorgeous film and I can only imagine what it's like for someone used to the aforementioned bootlegs to experience Singapore Sling as presented here. This transfer really has no faults, with a crisp clear B&W image and mind boggling clarity. Audio is solid and the film is even presented with a new batch of English subs. While the majority of the film is English spoken, there are scenes that needed to be translated. Synapse notes that the subtitles were burned into the print that they were given for this release, so there's no disabling them. However, Synapse has also re subtitled the film, noting that the original subs are often inaccurate. Therefore, we have the option of the film's original sub track, or a newly crested sub track that covers over the original with a non-intrusive gray box.

Extras are limited to a trailer and still gallery, which is just fine. I can't imagine why anyone associated with this film would even want to come forward and discuss. Nuff said. A fantastic disc, easily one of the top 10 of the year. It's either going to impress and entertain you or piss you off. But either way, spare your anger and substitute it for kudos to Synapse on a job well done for such a difficult title to produce.