Seven Beauties (Digitally Remastered Edition)

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Lina Wertmüller's harrowing 1976 film stars Giancarlo Giannini as a petty crook with seven unattractive sisters to support, and it features a picaresque, World War II-era journey through a prison asylum, army service, and a Nazi concentration camp. Wertmüller is more indulgent in highbrow sadomasochism than she is real profundity, but there's no denying that the film is powerful in its story of subjugation and survival. A climactic scene in which Giannini saves his skin at the camp by seducing its disgusting female commandant is unnervingly honest. Giannini became a '70s international icon partially on the basis of this work. --Tom Keogh

Description

Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Director, Seven Beauties stars Giancarlo Giannini (Swept Away) as Pasqualino Frafuso, known in Naples, Italy as "Pasqualino Seven Beauties". A petty thief who lives off of the profits of his seven sisters while claiming to protect their honor at any cost, Pasqualino kills the pimp who made his sister a prostitute, chops up his body and mails the pieces to different locations across the country. He is then arrested and later sent to fight in the army after committing sexual assault. The Germans capture him and he gets sent to a concentration camp where he plots to make his escape by attempting to seduce a German officer.

Customer Reviews:

Just what I asked for!.......2007-08-24

The movie came packaged, it was sent within the time that had been allotted, and it was a decent price. i would definitely order from this seller again.

Seven Beauties.......2007-07-04

A wildly chaotic farce by Europe's pioneering female director, Lina Wertmuller's Oscar-nominated "Beauties" begins with a montage of war footage sarcastically narrated by an unseen observer. Then we meet Giannini's macho Italian crook, a not-so-wholesome Everyman who deserts Mussolini's army only to wind up in a nightmarish concentration camp. Wertmuller's acid commentary on Italian politics and society takes us from the whorehouse to the funny farm, the penitentiary to a prisoner-of-war camp, depicting the lengths Pasqualino will go to stay alive--such as becoming the sex slave of an obese, crop-wielding Nazi commander (Shirley Stoler). Memorably perverse, "Beauties" is a surreal, sardonic look at the immorality of war.

Well Worth Adding To Your Collection.......2007-04-15

Seven Beauties was very popular upon its release in the 1970s, and the new DVD does the movie justice. The DVD has a few scenes deleted during the US release, as well as a bonus DVD which includes an interview with the director. The film itself is very funny, yet at the same time quite disturbing. The full horrors of the totalitarian state, from the execution of innocents in a field to the more organized killings in a concentration camp, are shown quite convincingly. Giancarlo Giannini is the central character. He's a not very bright bully whose half intentional killing of a man who he feels has insulted one of Giannini's prostitute sisters leads him to the concentration camp via stints in a mental hospital and the Italian army. He decides to do anything in order to survive, whether it is providing lists of prisoners to be executed (someone has to pick the names, he reasons) or seducing the camp commadant (Shirley Stoler). He does survive, but is as muddle headed as ever, thinking that only by having 25 or 30 children to protect him will he be able to avoid the horrors that are certainly coming to the post WWII generation.
Some people are offended by the movie's subject matter, or more typically, by the movie's possible moral that one should do anything to survive. I doubt that is the film's point. Paqualino (Giannini) is not bright enough to formulate much of a plan for anything. His hair brained attempts to dispose of the body of the man he accidentally shot are very funny. Ditto his attempts to cop an insanity plee by pretending he thinks he's the Duce. The cinematography is excellent, especially in the court scenes and the concentration camp scenes. Carolina (Francesca Marciano) is beautiful as the girl who always loved Pasualino. The intro (oh yeah) is very funny, with documentary shots of the horrors of war and the tyrants who glorify it (Hitler & Mussolini) along with ironic voice over descriptions of those who are half witting accomplices to tyranny or those who are too busy to notice what is going on ("to those who still support the King, oh yeah...to those who are tired of strikes, oh yeah....to those who are always in Switzerland, oh yeah..."). The juxtaposition of the images and the ironic words is just great. It's best to look at this first few minutes of the film with the dubbed narrator, then switch the DVD back to Italian with English subtitles for the rest of the film. Why only four stars? Well because four stars denotes an excellent film, and five stars a great one, and there havent been more than a few dozen of those made since movies started in the late 1890s.

Not bad, not bad at all........2006-10-17

Seven Beauties (Lina Wertmuller, 1975)

To say that Seven Beauties is not the type of film I was expecting, given Lina Wertmuller's reputation, would be an understatement. The upside of it is that, as far as concentration camp black comedies go, Seven Beauties stands pretty much head and shoulders above the field; it's certainly miles better than Life Is Beautiful.

Pasqualino Frafuso (Giancarlo Giannini, who will, tragically, probably be best remembered by American audiences for Darkness) is known as Pasqualino Seven Beauties, because he lives with his otherwise all-female family (the term is sarcastic). As we open, Pasqualino and his friend Francesco (the late Piero di Iorio) have just deserted the Italian army during World War II; to pass the time as they trudge along, Pasqualino tells the story of his earlier life and how he got sent to the army. This takes up roughly the first half of the film, and veers between a kind of deeply black slapstick comedy and utter horror (on the part of the viewer, anyway). The latter half occurs after the two of them have been caught and sent to a German concentration camp, and here the real story begins; Pasqualino, whose entire existence is predicated on the idea that he will do anything to survive and support his family, hatches a rather insane plan to seduce the camp's commandant (well-known character actress Shirley Stoller, fresh off a role in Klute). The question at the heart of the movie: how far will Pasqualino go to survive?

What makes Seven Beauties a different breed of film than most other concentration-camp flicks is Wertmuller's unflinching attitude that, seemingly, no barbarity, no cruelty, no horror, depicted on film could ever match the real barbarity, cruelty, and horror of the concentration camps themselves. We take this as a given today, but we still usually expect the nasty bits to take place a bit to the left of the actual viewing frustum; Wertmuller hands them to us, warts and all. Perhaps more to the point, though, is Pasqualino himself-- his motives are pure, so we can't help but identify with him, but as his actions become more and more morally questionable, what does this do to our identification with him? And how does this identification make us feel about ourselves?

These are questions, obviously, that everyone will answer differently, and to attempt any sort of universal answer to them would be the height of folly. Because the film provokes such radically differing responses among its viewers, simply saying "this is a very good film, you'll like it" would be wrong. It is, however, the kind of film you should see whether you end up liking it or not; answering those questions for yourself can be a very illuminating experience, if you've the stomach for it. ***

Complex, devastating film about war and humanity..........2006-09-03

I saw this initally in a dubbed version, and it still enthralled me. Now, thanks to Koch Lorber/Fox Lorber, it's on DVD in its original Italian with subtitles. From its brilliant opening montage of war footage narrated by an acerbic narrator, to its final, horrifying scene in a concentration camp, this film goes all over the place from comedy to drama to pathos to horror. It is seamless and unforgettable. This is Lina Wertmueller's best film. It is an incredibly emotional experience.

The Lina Wertmuller Collection (Summer Night / The Nymph / Swept Away / Seven Beauties / Ferdinando and Carolina)

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My favorite Wertmuller films plus more...
Calling this set an 'Ultimate Collection' is pure hyperbole...
Kiss the Master's Hand!!!

The Lina Wertmuller Collection (Summer Night / The Nymph / Swept Away / Seven Beauties / Ferdinando and Carolina)
Starring: Mariangela Melato , Michele Placido , Roberto Herlitzka , Massimo Wertmüller , and Giancarlo Giannini
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Manufacturer: Koch Lorber Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009KA8JO
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

The first woman ever nominated for the Oscar® for Best Direction gets her own DVD collection, a grab bag of five titles plus a long interview. The Oscar nod came at the end of a crowded run of provocative movies in the first half of the 1970s, during which time Lina Wertmuller became an obligatory name to drop at cocktail parties. The DVD set is anchored by two of those 1970s must-sees. Swept Away, which became one of the art-house hits of its era (lots of intellectual-political stuff, but lots of skin, too) strands prattling socialite Mariangela Melato and insolent deckhand Giancarlo Giannini on a desert island together after her yachting party goes awry. The power games between the two, and the endless socio-economic justifications for same, are fun to watch, and the beauty of the actors isn't bad, either. (Sweep away thoughts of the Madonna remake.) The DVD set uses the shortened U.S. release title for this film: it's really Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny on the Blue Sea of August.

Seven Beauties is the film that brought Wertmuller the Oscar nomination. Giannini takes the lead role again (he copped a heroically earned Oscar nomination too), as a Neapolitan ne'er-do-well who ends up in a Nazi concentration camp. Wertmuller's wild approach may be all over the place, but the movie certainly is alive. The remainder of the DVD package can't live up to these two films, although Summer Night (full title: Summer Night, with Greek Profile, Almond Eyes, and Scent of Basil) has echoes of Swept Away. Melato returns to the heroine role, but the edginess of the earlier film is replaced by a gaudy fantasia about a wealthy woman who kidnaps a sort of environmental terrorist and sexually dominates him. As hotsy-totsy as that sounds, the movie feels like something Wertmuller's done before, although it's beautifully shot and Melato is scrumptious.

The other two films are The Nymph, a sturdy-enough but minor 1996 film about a beleaguered girl whose harsh village life changes when she meets a soldier (the era is WWII); only problem is, his family expects him to marry a virgin. Stefania Sandrelli is in the cast. Distinctly less watchable is Ferdinando and Carolina, a rambunctious 1999 historical comedy set in 18th-century Naples. The subject matter gives Wertmuller a chance to dig into her favorite subjects, sex and politics, but with lesser returns. The "extras" disc is essentially a 78-minute interview with Wertmuller. It's perfectly enjoyable, if a little "inside" to the Italian cinema. The woman does know how to talk--you can see how she beguiled her way to the top of European cinema for a while. --Robert Horton

Description

The ultimate DVD collection by renowned director Lina Wertmüller. Includes Swept Away, Seven Beauties, Ferdinando and Carolina, The Nymph and Summer Nights along with a bonus disc of extras and a 16 page collector's booklet.

Swept Away

Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mediterranean, Swept Away is Lina Wertmüller's most famous and controversial film about sex, love and politics.

"…an absorbing movie…a pleasure…" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Seven Beauties

Nominated for 4 Academy Awards, Seven Beauties follows the story of a petty thief who lived off the profits of his seven sisters while claiming to protect their honor at any cost.

"intriguing…absorbing and mysterious" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Ferdinando and Carolina

A rollicking, orgiastic celebration of the senses ensues when young King Ferdinando marries Carolina, the daughter of the Empress of Austria.

The Nymph

A young woman is subjected to repeated abuse and is unable to escape the confines of her small village and the people there. Everything changes when she meets an injured soldier.

Summer Nights

A self-made tycoon interested in ecological preservation hires a former CIA agent to abduct the number one violator and demands $100 million for his return.

Customer Reviews:

My favorite Wertmuller films plus more..........2007-03-11

If you haven't seen these very funny films that are all tales of class conflict and the humor of it, these are all a real treat. I've watched them translated, but they lose a lot of the animation that hearing the Italian version gives the words.

Calling this set an 'Ultimate Collection' is pure hyperbole..........2005-09-12

First off, of the 5 films, only TWO are 16:9 enhanced-c'mon FOX-er-KOCH-LORBER-it is nearly 2006-not 1998.
Second, they leave a gaping hole in this set-two of her more well-know films here in America are missing: LOVE AND ANARCHY and THE SEDUCTION OF MIMI.
If you are going to do a collection of LW films-then DO IT RIGHT!

What a half-assed attempt.

That being said-the remastered SWEPT AWAY is a much better looking transfer than the VHS rot transfered to disc before now.
SUMMER NIGHTS is also a very good transfer.
Even SEVEN BEAUTIES-which is 4:3 Letterbox has been remastered and looks pretty good.
Its just that it would have looked excellent had it been 16:9 enhanced.

The rest seem to be OK, though I recall one film had much dirt and other artifacts
throughout.
I probably should rate this set just 3 stars-but being such a fan of LW-I have upped it to 4.
Looks like FOX-LORBER can change their name, but not their lackluster way of doing things.

Kiss the Master's Hand!!!.......2005-09-07

I must admit, i have only seen Swept Away... and Seven Beauties from this collection, but Wertmuller is the best Italian filmmaker i have experienced. I picked up this collection today and cannot wait to see the other films, tho why some of the films are in widescreen 4:3 and some are formatted for 16:9 is lazy.

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Just what I asked for!
Seven Beauties
Well Worth Adding To Your Collection
Not bad, not bad at all.
Complex, devastating film about war and humanity...

Seven Beauties
Starring: Giancarlo Giannini , Fernando Rey , Shirley Stoler , Elena Fiore , and Piero Di Iorio
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305069638
Release Date: 1998-11-17

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Just what I asked for!.......2007-08-24

The movie came packaged, it was sent within the time that had been allotted, and it was a decent price. i would definitely order from this seller again.

Seven Beauties.......2007-07-04

Well Worth Adding To Your Collection.......2007-04-15

Not bad, not bad at all........2006-10-17

Complex, devastating film about war and humanity..........2006-09-03

Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (Insert Hammer )

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Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (Insert Hammer )

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000M2DNLE
Release Date: 2006-12-18

Description

Seven-star mantis quan is a kind of shape-simulating boxing, which was developed and compiled by Wang Lang, a boxer at early Qing Dynasty, applying the capturing and fighting skills of the two arms when he researched the scene of mantis capturing cicada. Later, Wang Lang stayed at Shaolin Temple for 3 years, and taught mantis boxing to the monks of this temple. White Ape Offering Fruit is one of the routines in seven-star mantis boxing, which uses the temper force with grace, both long and short actions, harmonious and consistent actions of the hands and feet, forthright rhythm, integral strength and complete force, the actions of hook, grad, twining and closing, being coherent, compact and most changeful.

Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Offering Book)

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Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Offering Book)

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
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ASIN: B000M32UOY
Release Date: 2006-12-18

Description

Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Offering Fruit) _

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Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Offering Fruit) _

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
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ASIN: B000M32UOO
Release Date: 2006-12-18

Description

Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (Plum-blossom Routine)

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Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (Plum-blossom Routine)

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
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ASIN: B000M2DNM8
Release Date: 2006-12-18

Description

The Mantis Quan a pictograph boxing which created by Wang Lang, a master who research the fighting skill of cutting, chopping and twisting when the mantis catching cicadas, and then Wang Lang came into Shaolin Temple for three years and instruct the mantis boxing to monks. This routine contents both firmness and softness, uses short thing and long thing, hands and feet, compact and clear, the whole force is round, the whole body coordinates and change unstop

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Seven-star Boxing

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
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ASIN: B000LP51DU
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Description

This boxing is the most popular boxing in Shaolin Temple area .It imitates the places of the seven stars in the northern pole sky .Its posture is make of unique steps and footworks .Step type requires two feet standing on a line, called Small Compact Body .The attack of this routine is absolutely unpredictable .

Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Giving Presents to the Mother)

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Shaolin Seven-star Mantis Quan (White Ape Giving Presents to the Mother)

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
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ASIN: B000M2DNL4
Release Date: 2006-12-18

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SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS

Manufacturer: Guangzhou Beauty Culture Communication Co.Ltd
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Description

During the battle of our gurding Yan'an, the soldiers insisted on fighting for seven days and nights bravely and got success in defeating the enemy at last.

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