Fantastic!

Dreadfully Boring

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Amber Newman plays Paula. "I'm a total exhibitionist," she proclaims.She certainly is a spirited young woman. After a series of striptease acts and sexual adventures, she is violently abused - not entirely unwillingly - and yet seems amused to then become the star of a bizarre hunt across the remote island where she is staying. She is bundled up in plastic whilst the camera stops to linger on the wildlife - and the hunt begins. Heading the ensemble is Lina Romay's variously coloured suedehead Mrs. Radeck. There's Aldo Sambrell's fey Kallmen, Monique Parent's Countess Irina, Alain Petit's Paul Radet and duplicitous Furia (Analia Ivars).This is the first and, I think, the best of Jess Franco's collaborations with One Shot Productions. There are moments when the dialogue is incomprehensible, and the sound quality sometimes suffers. However, there is a good cast here, a fine central performance from Newman in the first of her three roles for Franco. And the story is very tight, lingering sexual scenes notwithstanding.Amidst the titillation and violence, there is even space for some effective moments of humour, chiefly the scene involving characters indulging in a little wine tasting. What the wine actually consists of is not for me to say. And the incidental score - available to buy as 'Exoteric Tender Flesh (Boccato Di Cardinale)' - has rightly been highly praised. An REM-style set (to my ears at least), credited to Franco, Daniel White and Sexy Sadie, this all-prevalent soundtrack is so effective, the production would have a completely different feel without it. There is a dreamy piece of music featuring a female vocal (presumably Sadie) that is reminiscent of the haunting score from 'Virgin Among the Living Dead (1971)', which is sadly not available on the album.

I'm more than slightly embarrassed to admit that I'm a fan of some of Jess Franco's earlier output, but "Tender Flesh" is simply indefensible. No one watches a Franco film for great storytelling, true, but his better movies are likeable despite their flaws, and draw in aficionados of the bizarre with their surreal atmosphere, off-the-wall sets and fashions, and groovy music. "Tender Flesh" has none of these strengths; it's just a tired walk over old ground. Franco's done a version of "The Most Dangerous Game" before ("The Perverse Countess"), also with a naked Lina Romay (who looked great in the buff twenty years ago in "Female Vampire"; not here, though), but this "remake of a remake" has none of the off-kilter, loopy feel of that film. I didn't find it bizarre, shocking, or even entertaining, merely dull. Pick this up if and only if you have an unquenchable desire for Franco, no matter how loudly he scrapes the bottom of the barrel.

When it comes to sexploitation films, nobody serves 'em up like Jess Franco; and this one is no exception. It has an outstanding exotic dancing scene (forget Showgirls), lots of sex of every make and manner, gratuitous nudity, it even has Lina Romay and she still looks pretty hot, some big time S&M, and, for the sportsmen out there, the is even some hunting; albeit it people getting hunted. If you are looking for good acting and great plot, look elsewhere. If you want bare boobs, lotsa girls kissing girls, and maybe a bit of action, then check out this.

I know...Jess Franco has directed a so many trash movies, even he can't remember them all! But this one is one of his best. It's action packed, erotic and fun to watch. The acting and the script are a lot better than the average Franco film. It's Hard Target with a twist. Not just for fans: Tender Flesh is a festival of sex and action that'll blow up your mind and will make you want to see it over and over again!