Woodyanders
A hippie love cult led by the stern, yet charismatic the Divine One (perfectly embodied by the delicious Laura Gemser) lures young innocents for their money and corrupts them in the name of their cause. The blithely passive and brainwashed cult members fornicate like bunnies, frolic about in their birthday suits, prostitute themselves for cash, engage in ritualistic chants, and get brutally whipped when they disobey the stern rules. Complications ensue when loyal recruiter and disciple Dorian (blonde doofus Christian Anders) falls for the fetching Patricia (lovely and voluptuous Simone Brahmann), who's the wealthy daughter of a powerful American senator. Writer/director Anders offers an enjoyably oddball cross between "Hair" (the incredibly dippy disco theme song and a couple of crazy song and dance numbers are both totally sidesplitting, albeit unintentionally so) and the infamous Jim Jones religious cult that certainly doesn't skimp on either the plentiful tasty nudity or the equally abundant sizzling soft-core sex (we've got straight, lesbian, and interracial couplings served up hot and spicy for the viewer's delight). The heightened erotic atmosphere and Gemser's smoldering sensuous presence ensure that this film never becomes dull. Better still, Anders treats all the wild and raw carnality with complete seriousness, which in turn greatly enhances the picture's considerable campy charm (a twisted ceremony involving the deflowering of the virginal youngest cult member rates as a definite loopy highlight). A delectably daft and decadent doozy.
Thorsten_B
What a funny ride! Written, directed, produced by and starring Christian Anders, then one of Germanys foremost "Schlager" singers ("Schlager" being a low-brow chanson-like musical style popular with the elderly and nowadays fondly paid tribute to by "remember the 70s" disco-night revivals), it's main attraction undoubtedly is Laura Gemser in the role of a love cults' divine goddess destined to bring love to the people – or else, if that won't work. Anders, who is of course also responsible for the half-cheesy, half-stolen soundtrack, later, under the influence of eastern religious philosophy, wrote a book on "The Sense of Life", claiming that 30ft high apes once made love to other monkeys, and out came – mankind. His aims looked different back in 1981 (good picture quality on the DVD, by the way; I'm referring to the full uncut release), for "The Death Goddess of the Love Camp" (literal translation) resembles everything you would expect from a cheap, exploitative soft-sex movie out there to do nothing else than make money. The story looks a bit as if the Jim Jones tragedy meets early 70s porn, complete with some musical numbers (badly dubbed) and lots of nudity, and there are even a few torture-like scenes. Direction is terrible, but the film has it's entertaining moments, has Laura Gemser, and is weird enough to be watched at least once.
Mattydee74
If a quasi-mythical, strange odyssey into a distorted matriarchal society marked by strange hippy ceremonies and sexual torture of all and sundry sounds like your desire for the night this might just be your choice viewing material. Its an intriguing oddity marketed in some countries as porn (Divine Emanuelle), in others as some sort of crime/action film. Its reminiscent of the "cult" films like Guyana and the real events on which they were based like the Jonestown cult: ie, kooky dnacing, chanting and solemn ceremonial garb soon ripped or torn like some Greek melodrama/historical play with bouts of murder and violence mixed with sexual power games. It is an undeniably luscious cheap film in terms of design and location with kinky indulgence in various fetishes from whipping to stalking plus generous doses of nudity both male and female. Its a quirky flick starring the Nubian-like Queen of exploitation (Black Emmanuelle) Laura Gemser wielding her power generously upon a vast array of dutiful and punishable subjects as she seeks further power and wealth. A film for exploitation/film-porn junkies with a sense of humour.
floyd-27
Yes she does! Well Laura Gemser does, in this rather enjoyable little slice of soft-core sleaze.This plays along the lines of a "Jim Jones"/"Raj-Neesh" sex cult, with Gemser as the conspicuous Sex Goddess of the group. Giving orders from from her luxurious setting (Complete with man servant in gladiator gear?!?!). She gives orders to enlist people of magnitude and wealth, so as to extend her own wealth and not much more.If you get into this sort of exploitation, I recommend you give it a whack. The settings and photography are well done and the "Love" song continuously played throughout is REALLY annoying. Though it gets used by the actors at times, which is quite funny.
AD
