La Bestia in Calore
Encyclopedia
La Bestia in Calore is an Italian
exploitation film
released in 1977
. Directed by Luigi Batzella
and written by Batzella and Lorenzo Artale, it gained notoriety when it was banned in the UK as a video nasty
. This is one of many so-called video nasties about fictionalized World War II
Nazi POW
camp atrocities.
officer/doctor (Magall) creates a genetic, incubus
-like mutant human beast (half man/half beast). The beast is a rapacious, squat, mongoloid sex fiend which she uses to torture and molest female prisoners while the Nazis watch. The dwarf
ish beast is kept on a diet of mega-aphrodisiac
s. In addition to the beast, the prisoners (male and female) are stripped naked and forced to endure group interrogation
s, electric shock
s, systematic rape
, and beatings.
subgenre (particularly in Italian cinema). Macha Magall's sexy yet cruel SS dominatrix
is clearly patterned after the titular Ilsa character (played by Dyanne Thorne
in all three Ilsa movies), though Magall is less statuesque.
The film is considered a B-movie due to the poor sound quality, formulaic plot
, and low-grade special effects (amongst other things). The only set is a laboratory with a cage in the middle, with some cheap costumes, poor lighting, and inept editing. The film contains reused war footage (much of it obviously shot on different film stock) and scenes from Quando suona la campana, another film by the same director, with the lab scenes occupying around 40 minutes of the final film. Several actors from Quando suona la campana were rehired to provide a link with the new footage.
Like many films of the Nazi exploitation
subgenre, the movie features torture
, gore
and nudity
.
The film continues to be re-issued in various formats (VHS
, DVD
).
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
released in 1977
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
. Directed by Luigi Batzella
Luigi Batzella
Luigi Batzella was an Italian Z-movie director, writer and former actor who used numerous pseudonyms. Some of them were Paolo Solvay, Ivan Kathansky, A.M...
and written by Batzella and Lorenzo Artale, it gained notoriety when it was banned in the UK as a video nasty
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
. This is one of many so-called video nasties about fictionalized World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Nazi POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp atrocities.
Story
A beautiful, nefarious senior female SSSchutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
officer/doctor (Magall) creates a genetic, incubus
Incubus
An incubus is a male demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping women.Incubus may also refer to:- Film :* Incubus , a film in Esperanto starring William Shatner* Incubus , a horror film starring Tara Reid...
-like mutant human beast (half man/half beast). The beast is a rapacious, squat, mongoloid sex fiend which she uses to torture and molest female prisoners while the Nazis watch. The dwarf
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
ish beast is kept on a diet of mega-aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
s. In addition to the beast, the prisoners (male and female) are stripped naked and forced to endure group interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
s, electric shock
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
s, systematic rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, and beatings.
Genre
The film duplicates the formula of the surprise hit Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1974) and its sequels, which popularized the Nazi exploitationNazi exploitation
Nazi exploitation is a subgenre of exploitation film and sexploitation film that involves villainous Nazis committing criminal acts of a sexual nature often as camp or prison overseers in World War II settings...
subgenre (particularly in Italian cinema). Macha Magall's sexy yet cruel SS dominatrix
Dominatrix
Dominatrix or mistress is a woman or women who takes the dominant role in bondage, discipline and sadomasochism, or BDSM. A common form of address for a submissive to a dominatrix is "mistress", "ma'am", "domina" or "maîtresse"...
is clearly patterned after the titular Ilsa character (played by Dyanne Thorne
Dyanne Thorne
Dyanne Thorne is an American actress, nude model for pin-up magazines, and former Las Vegas showgirl...
in all three Ilsa movies), though Magall is less statuesque.
The film is considered a B-movie due to the poor sound quality, formulaic plot
Plot
Plot is a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, or by coincidence. One is generally interested in how well this pattern of events accomplishes some artistic or emotional effect...
, and low-grade special effects (amongst other things). The only set is a laboratory with a cage in the middle, with some cheap costumes, poor lighting, and inept editing. The film contains reused war footage (much of it obviously shot on different film stock) and scenes from Quando suona la campana, another film by the same director, with the lab scenes occupying around 40 minutes of the final film. Several actors from Quando suona la campana were rehired to provide a link with the new footage.
Like many films of the Nazi exploitation
Nazi exploitation
Nazi exploitation is a subgenre of exploitation film and sexploitation film that involves villainous Nazis committing criminal acts of a sexual nature often as camp or prison overseers in World War II settings...
subgenre, the movie features torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
, gore
Gore
-Violence:* Graphic violence visually depicted, especially the realistic depiction of serious physical injuries involving blood, flesh, bone and brain matter. This "gore effect" was first visualized in Wolfenstein 3D....
and nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
.
The film continues to be re-issued in various formats (VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
).
Cast
- Macha Magall as Dr Ellen Kratsch
- Gino Turini as Drago
- Edilio Kim as Nazi Captain
- Xiro Papas as Lupo
- Salvatore Baccaro as The Beast
- Giuseppe CastellanoGiuseppe CastellanoGiuseppe Castellano was an Italian general who negotiated the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces on September 8, 1943.-Military career:...
as German soldier - Brad HarrisBrad HarrisBradford Harris is an American actor, stuntman, and executive producer. He appeared in a variety of roles in over 50 films, mostly in European productions. He is a member of the Stuntman's Hall of Fame.- Life and career :...
as Don Lorenzo - Benito Pacifico as partisan
- Alfredo Rizzo as Moreno
- Brigitte Skay as Irene