The Camera Obscura label, known for exceptional home cinema releases, finally brought us an uncut release of the erotic adventure film classic ‘Gwendoline’ in 2022. However, the classic film did not appear until recently in strictly limited media books, cost a little more and are of course now sold out. A non-limited Ultra HD Blu-ray was released at the end of 2022, but it will of course also cost a little more. If you don’t want to dig so deep into your wallet because a simple Blu-ray is enough for you, now you have a solution. Because The normal Blu-ray will also be available in stores from January 18, 2024. Of course it can be ordered in advance.
If you want the film in the best possible quality and are willing to pay a little deeper, the regular 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is of course still available:
“Gwendoline” will be available from May 23, 2022, although the different lid variants are not available everywhere. We advise you the official webshop of the rental companywhere lid variant D is even exclusively available.
“Gwendoline”: Erotica meets Indy
When Just Jaeckin, who was mainly successful as a fashion photographer for a long time and also directed the erotic cult classic ‘Emmanuelle’, started filming the comics of bondage artist John Willie, he was clearly impressed by the success of the first Indiana Jones film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” influenced and expanded an adventure story around the erotic adventures of the title heroine.
This is played by Tawny Kitaen (“Witchboard”). Gwendoline, her initially good monastic student, is looking for her missing father – and therefore leaves for China with her maid Beth (now the award-winning director and actress Zabou Breitman at the beginning of her career). There, adventurer Willard (Brent Huff) joins their venture, soon leading the trio into the South American jungle. There, Gwen’s father searched for a legendary underground city. However, this is ruled by Amazons with a penchant for erotic torture games…
Only cut in the cinema, now uncut in the home cinema
“Gwendoline” was released in cinemas in Germany in 1984 and was seen on the big screen by almost 300,000 people. As in many countries around the world, ‘Gwendoline’ was abbreviated in this country. While in the US more than fifteen minutes were missing, in Germany they had to miss about two minutes. A complete passage from a longer storyline at the beginning of the film was simply missing. Here Gwendoline is in the power of the mafiosi in China who want to sell her. The later VHS releases were also shortened accordingly.
The Blu-rays released in 2022 were the first official uncut releases in Germany – This is partly possible thanks to an FSK 16 approval that took place in 2022.
Much more exciting, however, is the story of the indexing that was created around the film and the character of Gwendoline. Germany’s most famous band also plays a crucial role…
An index for a cover and a tribute to “The Doctors”
The film itself was never indexed, but the soundtrack release was – more precisely, the record cover. The motif with the main figures chained together was classified as inappropriate and therefore indexed from 1985 to 2010. After all, it was originally the original cinema poster, which – as you might have guessed – was also indexed. Use is now permitted again. It was also used as a variant for the 2022 limited media book release.
Music lovers may also know the character Gwendoline from “Die Ärzte”, the self-proclaimed best band in the world. After all, a Gwendoline cartoon character is something like the band’s mascot. With ‘Sweet, Sweet Gwendoline’ the musicians also made a song about the character, which is mainly influenced by the comic book. By the way, Farin Urlaub and Bela B. also got into trouble with the federal testing agency at the time. For them too, it was not the content but the packaging that became a problem. The design for the tickets for her 1987 concert tour with the character Gwendoline was indexed.
Plenty of bonus material – also on the Blu-ray
Despite the cheaper price, with the new Blu-ray release you don’t have to miss the extensive bonus material from the previous versions. According to the label’s announcement, in addition to the German dubbed version and the French original version, as well as optional German subtitles, two audio commentaries are also included here – one with Tawny Kitaen and Brent Huff, the other by Just Jaeckin. There is also the French, the German and the English trailer.
As extras on the Blu-ray also include three interviews with Just Jaeckin, an interview with producer Jean-Claude Fleury, an interview with cen concept artists Francois Schuiten and Claude Renard, an interview with production designer Francoise Deleu, promos with Tawny Kitaen and Brent Huff and an audio interview with cartoonist John Willie.