The Alcove DVD Review from Severin Films

AKA: L'alcova, L'alcôve, Alkowa, Kuumat yöt, La retape, Lust, Sklavin für einen Sommer, Zerbal Directed by: Joe D'Amato Written by: Ugo Moretti Cinematography by: Joe D'Amato Editing by: Frank Martin Music by: Manuel De Sica Special Effects by: Robert Gold Cast: Lilli Carati, Annie Belle, Al Cliver, Roberto Caruso, Laura Gemser Year: 1984 Country: Italy Language: English Color: Color Runtime: 1 h 37 min Video: NTSC R1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Audio: Dolby Mono Distributor: Severin Films

Once again director Joe D’Amato teams up with Emanuelle regular Laura Gemser (Erotic Nights of the Living Dead, Black Emanuelle) for another eurosleaze adventure in The Alcove.

Set around the 1940’s, military officer Elio De Silveris (Al Cliver, Zombi 2) returns from war to his wife Alessandra (Lilli Carati, Escape from Women’s Prison) and his hired assistant Wilma (Annie Belle, Laure).   He brings back with him an African Princess named Zerbal (played by Gemser), a “genuine black pearl” who was a gift pawned off on him by her father.  “Oh lord a negro woman!  Why in the world would you want to bring that sort of person into your home,” reacts Alessandra, persisting that “she smells.”  Her negative reaction of Zerbal is however short-lived when Elio offers Alessandra complete ownership of Zerbal.  To make things official, and to add icing to this sleaze-filled cake, Zerbal performs an erotic ceremony of licking Alessandra all over (with special attention to her breasts and nipples.)  Thus commences the erotic eurosleaze D’amato is best known for.

The Alcove is a buffet of carnality.  Its plot is nothing more than a vehicle with decadence, voyeurism and jealousy along for the ride.  Elio has accrued debt and has been writing his war memoirs with Wilma since his return.  Elio is screwing Alessandra.  Alessandra is screwing Wilma.  Zerbal is screwing Alessandra.  Wilma wants to get with Elio.  Elio’s son wants to screw Wilma.  The gardener even wants to screw Wilma!  And to ascend the sordid delights, the plot allows Elio’s novel writing to be futile.  So what is his next plan?  He decides to become a smut peddler, concocting an Inquisition themed porno shoot with the three women.  And just when you haven’t had enough, the porno shoot turns into a rape scene with the gardener getting his ultimate wish come true.

The Alcove is not D’Amato’s finest or sleaziest hour, but for fans of eurosleaze, D’Amato and Gemser, it wholly delivers.  There’s plenty of skin and unkempt bushes flaunted about.  There’s a bunch of over-the-top scenes of possessed passion-filled sex with the actors mashing mouths, while moaning all to the beat of a cheesy sax score.  There’s even plenty of hilarious snobby racist dialog too — “I can’t stand that dark face lurking around corners.” comments an ego-threatened Wilma.  To top things off, Gemser flaunts around the garden, sans garments, before augmenting  the visuals by watering herself down with the garden hose.

You’re only hope at The Alcove prior to now was the German X Rated Kult release.  Severin Films, once again, delivers more D’amato/Gemser goodness to North Americans.

Severin Films presents The Alcove with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that has a soft ethereal quality.  Overall the video presentation is great, but around the 1:04 minute mark a faint vertical yellow line appears on the left side of the screen for a short time.  It’s nothing too distracting and the only other print blemish to be found is some slight digital noise during a scene of two.  The audio is presented Dolby Digital mono with no problematic areas.  The disc comes with a nice shot-on-video 11-minute interview with D’Amato from the ’90s, that seems to have taken place at his office.  The phones keep ringing and some background noise can be heard. The focus of the interview is Gemser and her Emanuelle films with a particular mention of the snuff scene from Emanuelle in America.  There is also a Theatrical Trailer accompanying this release.