Soledad Miranda - Tragic Enigma
Soledad Miranda died young, like many other legends, less than a year after completing the films that would ultimately lead to her immortal fame in genre cinema. She was an actress and dancer with a short lived singing career and a few forgettable films but when she was "discovered" by Jess Franco and starred in his psychedelic classic Vampyros Lesbos giving a searingly sexy and brooding virtuoso performance, her star was born. Her other films with Jess Franco are "Eugenie De Sade", She Killed in Ecstasy, The Devil Came from Akasava and upcoming release Nightmares Come at Night. For more information on Soledad there’s a great website 'Soledad Miranda-Blood Queen' (amybrown.net/miranda/) There can never be another Soledad Miranda, if only we had a chance to know her better.
Camille Keaton - the Rape and Revenge of Jennifer Hill
Grand niece of silent comedy legend Buster Keaton, Camille ditched her job as an airline hostess to pursue a film career in Italy. Being a striking beauty who could genuinely act she quickly got her first role as the title character in the brilliant giallo What Have You Done to Solange?. Other roles followed in "Madeleine: Anatomy of a Nightmare", "Decameron 2" and "Tragic Ceremony". On return to the USA she starred in the infamous rape revenge film I Spit on Your Grave (Millennium Edition) which turned out to be one of the most controversial films ever. While book burners would like you to believe that this film is an outrage, I found it to be one of the most powerful films that I had ever seen. I have no idea what film roger Ebert saw, but the one I saw contained symbolism and feminist ideals and was the reaction of a director after his real life encounter with a rape victim. "I Spit on Your Grave" remains one of the most celebrated genre films of the 70's and Camille Keaton will forever be immortally iconic for her incredible performance. The true "rape" is how the controversy shot down Camille's career, watching this great woman in shot to video crap "Savage Vengeance" was painful, if only she got her "revenge".
Nicoletta Elmi - Child Super Star
How come the little girls all look the same in every classic Italian cult film? It's because Nicoletta Elmi is in them all. She appears in Mario Bava's Bay of Blood, Dario Argento's DEEP RED / (WS DUB SUB UNCN UNCT DOL) - DEEP RED / (WS DUB SUB UNCN UNCT DOL), Flesh for Frankenstein - Criterion Collection, Baron Blood, Who Saw Her Die?, "Night Child" and "Who Could Kill a Child?" Amazing! At this young age she played everything from murder victim to murderer, cute kid to creepy kid and even a girl possessed! Growing into a very beautiful woman in her later years appeared as the mysterious usher in Demons.
Teresa Ann Savoy - Too Hot For Britain
The fragile and baby faced Teresa Ann Savoy pretty much defines the word 'cute'. I really have only ever seen her in Caligula (Unrated Version) and Salon Kitty needless to say she made an impression on me. Perhaps her innocent look misplaces her in such risqué films. Her career was short lived which is such a shame.
Laura Gemser - Black Emanuelle
The impossibly trim and delicious Laura Gemser will always be remembered as the Black Emanuelle. If you are unfamiliar with the sexy adventures of the glob trotting heroine, may I suggest Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, Emanuelle in the Country, Emanuelle In America, The Dirty Seven, Violence in a Women's Prison and "Degradation of Emanuelle" and also "Caligula" rip off Caligula - La Storia Mai Raccontata.
Sandra Julien - Frigid Nympho
France has produced countless beautiful actresses Emmanuelle Béart, Ludivine Sagnier, Audrey Tautou and Anne Parillaud for example. However in my humble opinion the most stunning French actress ever is Sandra Julien. Check amazon.co.uk for DVD's of her classics "I am a Nymphomaniac" and "I am Frigid.....Why?". Both films are gorgeous Technicolor and silky smooth. She is also breathtaking in Shiver of the Vampires and appears in Nada.
Catriona MacColl - Favorite Fulci Heroine
Doll faced British beauty Catriona MacColl is best known for her roles in Lucio Fulci films The Beyond, City Of The Living Dead and The House By The Cemetery. While in these films she is spared the grisly demises of her co-stars, she does a lot of the typical running and screaming, but her characters also all have a kind of determination and independence. Great example of a talented scream queen.
Cinzia Monreale - Buried Alive
Cinzia Monreale has acted in many Euro films, and co-stars in "The Beyond" with Catriona MacColl as Emily the blind girl who gets her throat ripped out by her guide dog. Best known for her role of a naked corpse in Beyond the Darkness: Buio Omega , a personal favorite and an excellent cult film. She worked with Fulci in some of his lesser efforts The Sweet House of Horrors and The New Gladiators as well as appearing in Dario Argento's "The Stendhal Syndrome". Still in the business today, although I've not seen any of her current work, recent interviews on her DVD's reveal her to be just as beautiful today as she was back then.
Asia Argento - The Scarlet Diva
Daughter of director Dario and actress Daria (the couple have the masculine and feminine version of same Italian name), Asia appeared as a child in Demons 2 - The Nightmare Returns before baring her breasts at the age of 17 for her father in his film "Trauma" (nothing illegal to Europeans or us Australians) she also had many sex scenes in daddies' Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera and multiple rape scenes in his film The Stendhal Syndrome. Asia herself talks briefly on this in doco Dario Argento - An Eye for Horror. Her directorial debut Scarlet Diva was semi autobiographical and dismissed by many as being self-indulgent trash. I liked it and I like Asia.
Monica Bellucci - Malena
The current queen of European cinema, Monica Bellucci is stunning to behold. She is amazing in Malena (NOTE: Miramax censored this version, get the Korean 2-disc set or the Italian DVD if you are fluent in the language). She makes us feel her pain in the confronting Irreversible as well as appearing in Brotherhood of the Wolf. Unfortunately she appears in Mel Gibson's anti-semmetic propaganda film "Passion". Hopefully Monica will go back to making European films and soon.
Dyanne Thorne - Ilsa
Blonde bombshell Dyanne Thorne is responsible for perhaps the most notorious and revered female villain in cult movie history. Ilsa was evil yet sexy, perhaps the ultimate dominatrix. Ilsa - She Wolf of the SS was shot on the old "Hogans Heros" set and helped spawn the Nazi exploitation genre. The stacked commandant appeared in three sequels "Isla: Tigress of Siberia", Ilsa - Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks and Ilsa - The Wicked Warden. Commentary tracks on the discs reveal her to be an intelligent and charming woman. Be sure to get AnchorBay's up coming Ilsa Collection (She Wolf of the SS/Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks/The Wicked Warden).
Ran out of room in this guide, check out part 2!
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Soledad Miranda - Tragic Enigma
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Camille Keaton - the Rape and Revenge of Jennifer Hill
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Nicoletta Elmi - Child Super Star
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Teresa Ann Savoy - Too Hot For Britain
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Laura Gemser - Black Emanuelle
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Sandra Julien - Frigid Nympho
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Catriona MacColl - Favorite Fulci Heroine
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Cinzia Monreale - Buried Alive
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Asia Argento - The Scarlet Diva
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Monica Bellucci - Malena
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Dyanne Thorne - Ilsa
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