Amuck! aka Alla Ricerca Del Piacere, aka Hot Bed of Sex! (Silvio Amadio, 1972)
Starring Farley Granger, Barbara Bouchet and Rosalba Neri, Amuck! is a sexy soft-porn romp that desperately wants to be a giallo. Indeed, the poster succeeds (very giallo indeed!), but the central mystery of the story is very weak.
Granger is good in the role as the writer who lives in Venice, but it's the sex kittens Barbara Bouchet and Rosalba Neri who really shine, especially in a famous sequence where they become very friendly indeed.
So, to the story, the lovely, voluptuous Barbara Bouchet arrives at the home of Granger, and begins working for him as his secretary. Granger's former secretary, who just happens to be a friend of Bouchet's, has been missing for many months, and in Venice, anything could've happened to her. Cue lots of sex, drugs, booze and a very nice sleazy soundtrack by Teo Usuelli.
Like Bouchet, Neri was prone to losing her clothing in many of her films, and here both kittens do not disappoint. In fact, its the only reason to watch this long-lost slab of sex. The Venetian location is also beautiful, but the weak story lets the whole thing down.
As sexy entertainment for men (or women if you like 'that kind of thing'), Amuck! is saucy, funky fun. As a giallo, it's shite. It's all about the titillation, really, which is a shame given the strength of the cast. 88 films' release (in conjunction with German label Camera Obscura) is stunning in HD.
Is Amuck! worth waiting for after all these years? Yes. But only just. There also exists a shortened version titled Leather and Whips! Ha! Gotta love the Italians!
