Slave trader by day, sadistic theatre impresario by night, Sardu kidnaps a famous ballerina and forces her to dance in his latest production, bringing down the wrath of her superstar footballer boyfriend and a corrupt cop.
Yes, it is that bonkers - and enjoyable too.
The acting is mostly weak, but the lead performance is suitably camp. And the pace is good. Above all the humour - not a laugh a minute, but there are genuinely funny moments. Plus a rather good scene with a guillotine.
I often find this type of film dull, but they got the right balance here. The gore was campy enough not to make me turn away, and while there was plenty of nudity and s&m the film didn't have a mean bone in its body. Apart from all the torture, murder and dismemberment.
One oddity: the actor playing Sardu was murdered in the following year, which fits with the sordid atmosphere of New York in the '70s.
Yes, it is that bonkers - and enjoyable too.
The acting is mostly weak, but the lead performance is suitably camp. And the pace is good. Above all the humour - not a laugh a minute, but there are genuinely funny moments. Plus a rather good scene with a guillotine.
I often find this type of film dull, but they got the right balance here. The gore was campy enough not to make me turn away, and while there was plenty of nudity and s&m the film didn't have a mean bone in its body. Apart from all the torture, murder and dismemberment.
One oddity: the actor playing Sardu was murdered in the following year, which fits with the sordid atmosphere of New York in the '70s.