HITLER'S HARLOT COLLECTION

God bless the folk at Alternative Cinema, and in particular their offshoot After Hours Cinema - purveyors of prime classic-era smut.

In this instance, we get a dodgy (in every sense of the word) 55-minute Nazisploitation-porno hybrid from 1973 complemented with some very interesting loops ...

HITLER'S HARLOT kicks off with stock black-and-white footage of Mr Hitler having a rant and Nazis marching, while a solemn male narrator brings us up to speed with the rise of the Nazi party prior to the Second World War

Once this brief history lesson is over, we shift to a sparsely furnished room where four individuals - three women and a bespectacled male - sit twitching nervously on wooden chairs. In a bizarre way, it's not unlike the early 'waiting room' sequence in SALO. But this comparison soon disappears when German soldier Karl (Hans Lasch) enters the room and proceeds to bark at this motley quartet.

But Karl's not the main worry for this foursome. They soon realise their main concern is the female Commandant who is determined to find out which one of these prisoners is responsible for an act of sabotage on camp: "tell me what you know about the explosion at the foundry".

Cue the violation of the first suspect. Ingrid Bob (or Nancy Martin, if sources are to be trusted) is forced to suck Karl's big cock in a bid to get her to talk. She seems to enjoy this though, despite the sinister rescored music on the soundtrack, so the female Nazi has no qualms about shoving her whip handle up the waif's minge in the meantime. Which affords us the opportunity to wallow in the unfortunate's acne-ridden bottom ...

After what seems like an eternity, Karl climaxes but our cut-rate Ilsa bitch is none the wiser as to who blew up the foundry. So she strips off to reveal a cellulite-enhanced rear of her own, and forces Bob to go down on her.

Following this, the female commander summons the second of her detainees for interrogation. Karl obliges (naturally, as this results in another blowjob for him!) and after some more verbal abuse and decidedly consensual "rape", we learn that the man the Nazis are after is a resistance leader by the name of Jean Paul. But believe me, this means nothing - plot is a merely an inconvenience!

Eventually, Karl prepares the male prisoner ready for a grilling.

Arguably the dubious highlight of the film, he's coerced into a foursome that - once again - everyone seems to be pretty complacent about indulging in. There's little resistance from the prisoners; there's nary a hint of enthusiasm from the Nazi aggressors.

And so it continues, with forced sex acts (the sex is graphic, the force is clearly simulated - thankfully) all set to weirdly familiar horror-type synth strains - parts of the score aren't lifted from James C Wasson's NIGHT OF THE DEMON, are they? Surely not?! - until a brief promise of a violent finale is overruled by a wimping out that leads to a sensual lesbian tryst.

HITLER'S HARLOTS is a very cheap affair, almost devoid of production values. In fact, it's safe to say that the only cost here was the hire of a couple of Nazi uniforms and a huge flag bearing s swastika. Without being unkind, the only other expense would seem to be a little booze or "something of the other" to encourage the performers to get it on (the Ilsa character, in particular, looks doped up to the eyeballs).

Although the premise is agreeably minimal, allowing the film to get straight down to business in terms of sex, the main beef here is that the porn scenes are largely lacklustre. There is a fair array of oral, orgy and lesbianism - but its all pretty flat in execution. Even from a sadistic point of view (which I don't personally subscribe to), the beatings and verbal abuse that our prisoners receive all seem rather sedate.

Filmed with natural lighting in what appears to be a large house that was hired for the day (all the action takes place in two barely-furnished office-type rooms), this is a mediocre addition to the genre despite it's promising stance of marrying the Nazisploitation genre with hardcore porn. Those looking for an Avon-type roughie may argue that they'll find what they seek, but don't expect anything too challenging or grisly.

The film is presented uncut in a decent full-frame transfer that appears to be correctly framed. Colours are a tad washed-out throughout, while specks and vertical lines are evident and grain makes its presence felt. None of which necessarily harms the film's oeuvre, as sleazy trash such as this would feel all wrong if found in pristine condition. Having said that, the remastering of the film offers a healthy if worn playback that is arguably better than connoisseurs have ever seen this film look.

The English mono audio exhibits a couple of pops and moments of minor hiss but, by and large, I found it to be a consistent and easily audible affair.

As is the norm with these releases, there is no scene-selection menu option beyond the colourful main menu page, but the film does possess remote access via 14 chapters.

Now, on to the extras ...

Wow. We're talking two hours of vaguely related loops that, despite some liberty-taking retitling, offer a fair smattering of the good, the bad and the law troubling.

After a brief intro from sleaze God 42nd Street Pete, first up is MEIN CUNT #1. This should be rubbish due to its amateurish presentation, but is quite an enjoyable account of a female prisoner being fucked in her cell be two Nazi guards. She's stained with blood and has a talent for fellatio. Just trying to help you out here ...

Next we get MEIN CUNT #2. A rather attractive brunette is accosted by two blokes - one black, one white - before happily taking both of their loads on her face. It ties in with the main feature purely because it's set in a cell environment. Who cares? It's here, and it's pretty cool ...

MEIN CUNT #3 is next! Here, we get the frankly mental scenario of legendary Marc Stevens (SYLVIA; THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES etc) and a hairy fat bloke entering a cell in Nazi uniform to perform rape on a couple. A gay blowjob and a cock up the woman's arse, and then it's all over with a couple of gunshots to the prisoners. It's grim but quite stylish in it's own way.

MEIN CUNT #4 finds Stevens in action again, this time as a Nazi officer who shares a taste of a female prisoner with his mates before buggering her. The girl seems very happy with the whole experience, I must say.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT begins with two girls - one brunette, one fair - eating each other out. A quartet of hirsute males turn up and punish the girls by strapping them down and giving them a good whipping. It all ends in an orgy, but not before some whip-handle masturbation and another lesbian coupling has soiled our eyes.

Next up is CAPTURED, which is violent stuff. A blowjob at gunpoint, some ugly corkscrew action, sex by truncheon ...

And it goes on!

THE RAPE OF THE WAITRESS is a two-parter that lasts for 15 minutes (relatively lengthy stuff in this environment), giving ample time for the pretty black lead to blow her two rapists before having one of them stick a banana in her snatch and eat it. A blonde arrives in the second half and, after fingering herself in approval of what she sees, events come to a climax (well, a couple of climaxes) as the quartet pair off and fuck.

IN THE NAME OF ODIN is set in some local woods, where men in Viking outfits violate women in chains. Looking like some ludicrous home movie with a cheap sacrificial stabbing thrown in for good measure, the film does at least hold the distinction of offering the hairiest men of this entire set. Which is really saying something.

ENTRAPPED finds three undercover cops duping a girl into smoking a spliff with them. When she indulges, they whip out their badges and cocks and - of course - rape her.

THE ASS RAPERS doesn't actually feature any anal violation but does feature a pump-action dildo that three men use on a hapless female before taking turns to pummel her vagina and mouth.

TRILOGY OF TERROR is a three-parter involving rough sex and nipples being clamped in tongs. This one looked familiar, but I'm not sure where from. Karen Black, alas, does not feature ...

STORY OF O is nothing to do with the attractive Udo Kier pot-boiler. Rather, it's an occasionally stylish account of two women getting it on with two rough, masked men.

It all comes to a suitably murky end with SCULLERY MAID. Here, a maid tends to party-goers until they decide to undress and perform various sexual acts on her ... and then on each other.

Throughout these shorts, as with the main feature, you can be sure to expect loads (I mean LOADS) of oral sex, plenty of rough shagging, messy facials and simulated violence. It's clear in all instances that these people are performing for the camera - thank God there are no acts of actual enforcement or unsimulated degradation. Still, a lot of it is nevertheless startling to witness in this day and age.

Each of the films is presented in 1.33:1, in grainy and soft 8mm presentations. None of them have dialogue, save for the brief introductions to each film from Pete. Clocking in at a total of two hours, these worn colour oddities last approximately 6 or 7 minutes each in length.

You can opt to watch the "Depraved Loops" as a 2-hour whole from the main menu page, or traverse through them individually by taking the extras menu route.

Also on the disc is a decent vault of trailers for other Pete-endorsed titles in the After Hours Cinema range: 42ND STREET PETE'S 8MM MADNESS; BUSTY STAG COLLECTION; BEYOND THE BUSTY STAGS COLLECTION; BUSTY SUPERSTARS OF THE 1970S; EUROTRASH COLLECTION; EXTREME SLEAZE COLLECTION; NIGHT OF PERVERTED PLEASURES and SUPER STARS OF THE 70S.

Finally there's a nice fold-out poster of the cover artwork, coupled with decent liner notes from Pete on it's reverse.

At the time of writing (early December 2009), 42nd Street Pete has recently threatened to stop releasing this type of stuff through After Hours Cinema. Even worse, he's threatened to take his undoubtedly formidable collection of original film reels and burn them. This is a direct consequence of bootleggers offering pirate copies of After Hours titles online - and, more pertinently, the people who provide these scallies with custom.

I for one would be deeply saddened if Pete followed through with his threat. I don't profess to appreciate everything they release but let's face it, who else is releasing stuff like this in such great shape and boasting the extras that After Hours proffer? Look at the DVD release of THE STORY OF PRUNELLA for example, or SYLVIA or FORCED ENTRY? Pete's recent disillusion serves as a reminder - if one were needed - that, actually, After Hours are an incredible and singular source of some very desirable content indeed. And if people keep fucking about downloading illegal copies of their product, they will cease to be.

So, although HITLER'S HARLOTS may be a rather pedestrian foray into 70s "rough" porn, I do recommend it. It has many giggle-worthy moments (some choice dialogue; Lasch's overripe performance; a wonderfully misjudged attempt at action towards the end) and a peculiar attraction in that we'll not see a film as unapologetic as this being made in this day and age. But don't expect the unflinching barbarity of THE GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY or the sexual depravity of THE TAMING OF REBECCA. It's a no-budget gimmick film at best, flirting with violent sleaze but never convincing in the way Phil Prince could.

But, given 42nd Street Pete's current misgivings and After Hours Cinema's tremendous track record - not to mention those simply sterling 8mm loop extras - I heartily recommend this DVD for anyone and everyone who shares a curious bent for the world of taste-free, naively potent 70s "roughies".

Review by Stu Willis