ONCE UPON A GIRL

ONCE UPON A GIRL

Sick, satirical, and satisfying, Once Upon A Girl is nothing less than a slap-your-knee, laugh-out-loud 'jerk-fest' (not that way, you pervert!), and an occasion worth celebrating for devotees of adult and exotic cartoons. Courtesy of those warped, wonderful lunatics at Severin Films comes the Grand-Dad of dirty -- make that filthy! -- animation. Definitely not one for the kiddies, or anyone with a conscience, this sleazy catalogue of carnality celebrates the joy of smut, wrapping it in the loving embrace of child-like animation. Don Jurwich, artist and producer for such classic Saturday morning kiddy fare as The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, forever earned the hate of parents the world over for this affront to good taste. Flinging caution to the wind, tired of the restrictions and hypocritical moral codes of the time (and not adverse to making some money), Jurwich gathered Jack Conrad, Mark Mcclure, Richard Johnson and others to introduce animation to the joys of oral fixation and Doggy style sex. The result? Animated stories that pack a wallop even today, making you feel like a kid sneaking a peek at a skin magazine, hoping no one walks in the room.

Once upon a time . . . There was no sex in Faerie Land. The three pigs were sterile, Goldilocks was frigid, and the only thing hard in a children's rhyme was Jack's beanstalk. Oh, the boredom of children's stories! But then, little Red Riding Hood discovered the wolf was more interested in her cherry than her basket, and the land of Enchantment caught up with the real world, full of grinding hips and muff-munching. In a plot delightfully rude and irreverent, Once Upon A Girl promises that everyone gets a 'happy ending!' A mix of live action and classic animation, a dirty old woman named Mother Goose (Hal Smith in drag) is put on trial for obscenity. She soon introduces a series of nasty fairy tales -- not the smartest thing to do for her defense perhaps but fun nevertheless -- including nympho princesses, bestiality (yipes!), and such stalwarts of the magical kingdom getting it on as Cinderella, Jack, and the seven dwarves. A riot of raunch ensues!

Depicting adult themed, filthy cartoon characters engaged in various acts of penetration, oral sex, and organ fondling, Once Upon A Girl isn't only unique in its animated depiction of sleaze but also in its very mode of presentation. This rude, crude assemblage of cartoon favorites fucking was strong enough stuff in its heyday to lift heads (and no doubt, some penises), earning critical abuse form the status quo. Today the wickedly funny coupling of filthy sexual situations with childish cartoon imagery retains its power to both entice and disturb. The light-hearted approach and simplistic honesty of this film's presentation in no way diminishes the shocks one still gets from seeing animated vaginas being pleasured by frog's tongues . . . While the cartoon's subject matter is admittedly scandalous, deliciously raunchy, the true mark of this film's genius, and the major reason it invites discomfort right alongside admiration, is the ability of the cartoons to inspire both eroticism and child-like innocence. In short, the style of animation and innocence of both characters and their cultural associations, once ravished by sex, triggers a unique sense of discomfort and humor. You'll feel naughty and perhaps a little ashamed, having so much fun watching your childhood idols do things even you may not do in the light of day! Yogi Bear never had it this good!

Severin is quickly becoming a fan favorite, unearthing rare cult film favorites and restoring them with precision and care. Respecting the integrity of even the strangest titles, so far their releases have emphasized quality transfers. Once Upon A Girl is no exception. The visual quality is impressive, especially given the rarity of the material. Featured in widescreen 1.85:1, the picture is mostly clean and without blemish, suffering no noticeable grain of softness of image. Audio is clean and without muffling, offered in both Mono and Dolby Digital. Extras, while not plentiful, are worthwhile. Not as interesting as the Jess Franco interview in their last release, the featurette with executive producer William Silberkleit weaves a cultural context for the film that makes it even easier to appreciate. A theatrical trailer rounds out this impressive package of a remarkably arousing, taboo-breaking animation experience.

Review by William P. Simmons


 
Released by Severin Films
Region 1 - NTSC
Not Rated
Extras :
see main review
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