NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Mondo Macabro Blu-ray (July 2024): Mondo Macabro have transferred Carlos Aured (+ Sergio Bergonzelli)'s Sex Apocalypse (aka "Apocalipsis sexual") to Blu-ray. The film was released in two versions, the “S” rated softcore original and a hardcore version for distribution in Italy. From Amazon you can only purchase the version originally produced as a strong soft-core movie, released in Spain within the “S” film classification. Towards the end of production, the film was sold to an Italian company who asked for even "stronger" sequences to be created for a version that would only be distributed in Italy. This was done after an agreement with the female cast. For the parts requiring male involvement a specialist actor was hired.

From Mondo Macabro's website HERE you can buy the two disc Blu-ray version with the composite of the original "S" rated film with the added hardcore shots (almost 1/2 hour of extra, exclusively sex scenes). This material was taken from four different VHS sources as we were unable to locate the negative of these additional shots. Mondo Macabro states "We believe that the extended version on this disc incorporates all the extra material that was shot on that busy day in Spain back in 1982." We were only sent the single-disc version and I decided to review because of the inclusion of the Howard / Thompson commentary.

The 1080P image quality looks quite decent - bordering on 'impressive'. It's clean with bright colors (many outdoor sequences) and obviously the source was in decent shape. Really quite a nice - even surprising - HD presentation considering the genre.    

NOTE: We have added 24 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Mondo Macabro use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original Spanish language. Sex Apocalypse has violence - in the initial kidnapping and with later assaults - even stabbing murders - but there is no demonstrative bass response. The film's musical director was 'Ricardo Recuero' - who has composed for many similar genre, mostly Italian, films - Arabian Sex Story, Lend Me Your Woman, The Sexual World of the Couple etc.. It sounds a bit scattered and may be a notch below the strong video presentation. Mondo Macabro offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Mondo Macabro Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Troy Howarth (Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films.) and Nathaniel Thompson (DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films.) They describe it as having some of the Euro-sex all-stars of the early 80s, almost a "Chamber Piece" (keeping the budget low), the three different cuts - that this "S" classified Spanish version is the best paced, the sexploitation element, Patty Hearst kidnapping even Manson Family timeframe influencing the plot. They discuss the cast; Ajita Wilson (being 'trans' her roles in Eva man with Eva Robins, Jess Franco's Sadomania etc.), Elisa Vela, Lina Romay (wife of Jesús Franco,) Kati Ballari (one of only two film credits) as well as quite a lot on the director / writer Carlos Aured and his foray into hardcore pornography, that Sergio Bergonzelli had nothing to do with any of the hardcore scenes - shooting or assembling. Aured directed a handful of Paul Naschy films like Curse of the Devil. Troy and Nathaniel talk about the use of the prop switchblade, Francisco Franco censorship, the leader's death and how things changed, sex comedies, how the majority of sex scenes in Sex Apocalypse are girl-on-girl, male doubles etc. and much more. It's an excellent commentary - their breadth of knowledge is always fascinating. There is also a 1/2 hour interview with Carlos Aured biographer Miguel Angel Plana. He fills in many details of the writer / director's career. Mondo also include a 3/4 hou interview with Catalan theater director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and television producer Ricard Reguant, on the history of ‘S’ films. Both interviews are in Spanish with optional English subtitles.   

Carlos Aured's Sex Apocalypse is... pretty sleazy. This is the original 'S' cut that was shown in Spain. In the commentary Troy and Nathaniel prefer this shorter cut stating that the longer, hardcore, version has repetition of, poor quality, sex scenes and can be 'hard to get through'. There is a kidnapping story that gets washed away by the excessive sexploitation. Probably the film's appeal, for some, would be that it has Ajita Wilson who was born with a white Brazilian mother and African-American father, and was assigned as 'a male' at birth. She underwent gender transition and gender reassignment surgery sometime in the 70's. I'd say I got more out of the extras of Mondo Macabro's Blu-ray of Sex Apocalypse than the film. The commentary offers a ton, and I was keen to learn more about the history of ‘S’ films and Carlos Aured's career. Definitely a "to each his own" classification. 

Gary Tooze