The Gwendoline [Unrated]

"After years of obscurity, Just Jaeckin's erotic fantasy Gwendoline is released to the States in all its uncut glory. Newcomers on the block Severin Films comes out swinging with this packed disc taken directly from the Region 2 release, filled with interviews and special extras that do justice to the film's underrated legacy. Jaeckin provides an audio commentary with journalists Fr?d?ric Albert Levy and Tony Crawley that is a buoyant discussion that reveals the director's intent to focus not on the hardcore S&M elements of the comic source material, but on the stylish eroticism that has given the film much of its legs over the years. Even more backstory can be found in Jaeckin's interview segment of the disc, as well as the special inclusion of a vintage audio interview with comic creator John Willie culled from noted sex expert Alfred Kinsey's archive. Technical specs also impress on this disc, which includes 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital tracks for both French and English languages, which are accompanied by a stellar anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen picture. Also included is a steamy LUI magazine photo spread featuring star Tawny Kataen in the film's sleek costumes in addition to the U.S. and international trailers. Severin also released the American cut in a separate release as The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak, missing almost 18 minutes of footage and without many of the key DVD features found here. To be fair, the extra running time actually doesn't heat up the screen as much as it adds to the silly vibe of the picture's first half. An extra barbarian catfight is also reestablished in the end, though aside from the torrid packaging, do not expect much more sensual action from this restored version."