GIRL SLAVES OF MORGANA LE FAY (DVD)

Two French lovelies twist, turn and weave their car through a veritable labyrinth of countryside road work. Road work that would surely be better suited for a theme park rather than any point A to point B travel. This maniacal mess of pavement leads the girls straight to a castle, in fact it is soon discovered that all roads through the forest lead to this ancient, gothic manor, a fact that lends the film its first air of the supernatural.

Once at the castle, the girls are formally introduced to Gurth and Morgana. Gurth is a wretched little dwarf (the only male in the film) who wears entirely too much eyeliner, but by contrast, the striking Morgana wears entirely too much clothing. Morgana is a fiery redhead who not only heads up this medieval dwelling, but also takes little haste in letting the girls know exactly what she desires.

Morgana wants to continue her ageless life and beauty by sucking the souls of her captives and in turn awarding them the very same agelessness and allure. If one declines her divine pact then off to the dungeon with them, where they will live out eternity old and, presumably, ugly. Morgana has apparently learned this self-serving, magical trick of the trade from Merlin the magician. More mysticism and magic. Kind of a Countess Bathory story, but without the mess.

The set-up is simple, yet effective; a coterie of naked beauties bound in eerie ruins overseen by a dominant sex kitten with the only testosterone in sight being that of a hunchbacked half-pint. With that the film is packed to the hilt with heavy petting, licking, kissing and fondling. It’s dreamy and ethereal, it’s titillating and erotic but not nearly as exploitative as it could have been. The film manages to step just outside of its sleazy trappings to offer up something wispy and soft, a bit psychedelic and yet still incredibly sexy. Think Jean Rollin mixed with a modicum of the classier Jess Franco.

Mondo Macabro’s special features include: Deleted scenes, an interview with the film’s director, subtitles, trailers, extensive liner notes, a poster gallery and Bruno Gantillon’s short, “An Artistic Couple”.