Mr. Moviegame

Those of you unlucky enough not to own a laserdisc copy of this video calendar are missing one of the best Playboy videos in terms of beauty and production values. Two Texas gals and one Canadian gal set the pace early, and establish the high standard for sensuous presentation throughout the video. Ms. Bockrath is one of the loveliest blondes to ever grace the pages of Playboy. Here she is at her most beautiful, prancing around a house, and sponging her body in a tub. The other Texan, Karen Foster, would later be featured in her own Video release, with Deborah Driggs. Suffice it to say, you have never met a blonde baton twirler with the physical assets of Karen. In between is Canadian superwoman Peggy McIntaggart. She looks like a Greek goddess, really. The blue-lit sequence with her in bed is more erotic than anything you will see out of Hollywood. The remaining playmates are all wonderful, too. Lisa Matthews would go on to become playmate of the year. Renee Tennison was the reigning pmoy. The video closes with a delightful sequence involving Jacqueline Sheen. Wearing a derby and a black vest, she is disrobed by men(?) wearing white gloves, each attempting to touch her supple, warm body. You have never seen a cabaret number like this, and you probably never will in a film. But Playboy videos are another matter. The best are in a class by themselves. You don't need to watch them because of their power to arouse; you watch them to appreciate female beauty in visually stunning, mood-inspiring settings. L'art de la femme, 10+++.

Two well-to-do Athenians journey by ship to a small village. Pavlos (Dimitris Horn) is a writer, and Antoni (Notis Peryalis) is an architect and older friend. A native convinces the two to stay at the residence of a widow (Eleni Zafirou), rather than book a room at the hotel. The first woman they meet on the island is the widow's daughter, Marina (Ellie Lambeti), who wears a black dress throughout the film, as though in mourning. As Pavlos learns the history of her family, he starts to care emotionally for this sad-eyed woman.

Her mother was widowed years ago. Her looks fading, she (the widow) still longs for men, and has become an object of ridicule on this small island. Her son Mitso (Anestis Vlahos) is strong-headed in defense of his mother's virtue, but he lacks the physical strength to face down her detractors. In addition to her mother's woes, daughter Marina is tormented by her own memories. Marina's sister was not attractive, and, unfortunately, loved an egotistical braggard, Christos (George Foundas). He attempted to use the homely sister to get to the attractive one. His unwanted attentions toward Marina, and his unkind remarks about the sister led to the tragic suicide by drowning (of the sister).

The arrival of Pavlos intensifies Christos' desire/jealousy, and he attempts to play a practical joke on Pavlos. An unintended consequence of this prank is a horrible event, something so jarring that no one (including the audience) could have foreseen or imagined such an outcome.

This early film by Cacoyannis is photographed in b&w, with a very sharply focused foreground/background. Absolutely authentic in its setting, the movie is a landmark in Greek cinema. Ellie Lambeti (Marina) is natural looking, lovely in sad, unspoken ways, and very empathetic. Pavlos, so much more worldly, allows himself to be deeply touched by this simple, yet emotionally complex woman.