Emanuelle Around the World — XXX European Edition

This is a second release of the film already available in Severin’s fine Black Emanuelle’s Box collection. What I said about the film in that review still holds, to whit: “Emanuelle Around the World (1977) has a bit more of a storyline, though it is still very picaresque in nature. Picturesque as well. Our heroine becomes outraged by the sex traffic of women, and so travels from location to location, exposing the evildoers. D’Amato (who also directed the previous entry) here rather unconvincingly dons a pseudo-feminist stance, but there are moments actually approaching suspense. The sex scenes of both these films are, for the most part, laughable, though occasionally well shot. Any sense of eroticism is thanks to Laura Gemser, whose ethereal beauty and grace are such that she moves through the film as an almost divine presence, above and untouched by the events around her.”

This is the “XXX European Version,” which doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot of difference. The running times are essentially identical. The only scene where I noticed any real increase in explicitness is in the creepy sequence where a captured Emanuelle is forced to watch rape by snake and dog. The scene is still, I think (and devoutly hope and keep telling myself), simulated, but most unpleasant, and makes the film’s pseudo-feminist stance even harder to buy than before.

Audio

The quality of the print and transfer are the same as before. So, once again, the English and Italian voice tracks are both present, and both are post-synched and rather silly, so there’s nothing really to choose between them. The mono sound is acceptable, though the music isn’t always perfectly clear. Still, one gets by just fine.

Video

Again, the same as before. I cut and paste: “Print condition is generally very good, though there are some instances of guitar strings now and then. Pixelation is noticeable in the red-lit scenes. Generally, though, the image is sharp and the colours very attractive. The films no doubt look as good as they did upon initial release.”

Special Features

None, while the other release had an interview with the composer and a bonus CD.

Closing Thoughts

All in all, then, I would plump for the box set as by far the better value. The missing seconds aren’t ones you really want to see, trust me.