Frivolous Lola

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Monella" )

directed by Tinto Brass
Italy 1998

Lola (Anna Ammirati) is a tease who lives with her mother (Serena Grandi of Brass' MIRANDA) and a decadent man who may or may not be her father (Patrick Mower) and is engaged to marry the baker's son Tomasso (Max Parodi of Brass' TRASGREDIRE) but she's not so sure she wants to get married until she's satisfied some erotic urges (her fiance wants to wait until they are married). This is of course the perfect scenario for Lola to spy on or accidentally witness the sexual peccadilloes of various respectable and not so respectable citizens of her village and become intrigued by her father/stepfather's erotic philosophy.

Like Brass' MIRANDA, Frivolous Lola is another explicit comic romp set in the Po' Valley (his other films set in his home city of Venice are populated with more philosophizing and intellectual - but no less lusty - characters). As in the post-WWII set MIRANDA, Brass once again uses the song "Mambo Italiano" in another dance sequence. This time Brass makes a cameo in the opening and closing sequences as a band leader. With the exception of Patrick Mower's excellent performance, this one plays better in Italian with subtitles as the English dubbing of Ammirati's character is irritating.

Eric Cotenas

***

We get all kinds of DVDs sent to us as screeners now. I have a couple of other Tinto Brass offerings that I'll dig up to review as well. I guess for those familiar with this soft-porn genre there really is no need for an explanation. What happens is Brass makes a film where women are continuously scantily clad and in compromising positions (physically) as well as compromising situations. It's kind of like 'Benny Hill' but less funny and more nudity. Regardless, the girls are usually very pretty and the film is titillating if not classically erotic. The plot usually revolves around simple 'couple troubles'. In this one Lola (Anna Ammirati) is engaged to Masetto (Mario Parodi), but doesn't want to commit to him until they sleep together. She has suspicions that the only reason he insists on her virginity is to ensure that she was faithful to him until their wedding day. But Lola wants some experience first and is not against flirting outrageously and flaunting her body to attract an initial lover. Let's just say its not going in the Film Preservation archive anytime soon. Still, for what it is, it achieves its goal - fun - sexy and short enough to be watch-able.

Gary W. Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 14th, 1998

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DVD Comparison:

Cult Epics (Unrated, Uncensored Version) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Intercontinental Home Video - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas and Gary Tooze for the Screen Caps!

(Cult Epics (Unrated, Uncensored Version) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Intercontinental Home Video - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers		Now on 4K UHD from Cult Epics:
Distribution	Cult Epics Region 1 - NTSC	Intercontinental Home Video Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:40:03 (4% PAL speedup)	1:39:12 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.22 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.63:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.12 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Cult Epics (Unrated, Uncensored Version)
Bitrate: Intercontinental Home Video
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo); Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo)
Subtitles	English, none	English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Cult Epics Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.66:1 Edition Details: • Tinto Brass Interview (25:47) • Tinto Brass Filmography • Photo Gallery • Trailer (2:57) • THE KEY trailer (2:51) • MIRANDA trailer (3:14) • ALL LADIES DO IT trailer (2:10) DVD Release Date: September 28, 2004 Amaray Chapters 24	Release Information: Studio: Intercontinental Home Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.63:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: Keep Case Chapters 12

Comments

The color scheme on the Cult Epics disc is paler during exteriors than the Intercontinental release and slightly brighter and washed out but its uncut (the English track is labeled as "restored" which means it was synched up to the Italian image). On the other hand, the skin tones are pleasing without the greenish tinge on the Chinese release and the colors are bolder in the studio interiors. Other scenes are sharp and colorful without the noise evident in the caps from the Chinese release. The Cult Epics release is also fully uncut including some explicit shots not present in the English export version (as is the case with several Brass titles) and is the only release to subtitle the title song "Monella" sung by star Anna Ammirati. It also feature twice as many chapter stops and has both Italian and English stereo mixes.

Purchasers should note that this is a 2004 release. Cult Epics seems to have released under-the-radar separate English Producer's Cut HERE and Italian Director's Cut (HERE) editions in 2006 but I have no definite specs on these although they may be anamorphic. Look for the 2004 release with both English and Italian audio as it is both uncut and has the English track which preserves Patrick Mower's performance.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus

(Cult Epics (Unrated, Uncensored Version) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Intercontinental Home Video - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(Cult Epics (Unrated, Uncensored Version) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Intercontinental Home Video - Region 0 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
subtitle sample