The Beast, directed by Walerian Borowczyy and released by Cult Epics, is an infamous movie; almost always described as "the Beauty and the Beast porno" or the "XXX version of Beauty and the Beast". I really have a different outlook on this film...
FILM- The Beast begins with Lucy, an American heiress to her fathers fortune, driving to a French mansion, embedded deep in the heart of the woods. However, her inheritance is conditional, and theses conditions have 48 hours to be met. First, she must marry Mathurin, the son of Pierre, a failing French Aristocrat. Second, the ceremony must be given by the Cardinal, who is Mathurin's uncle. These conditions make a set of problems: Mathurin is a sloven, bumbling man, who is anything buy Aristocratic, and the absence of the Cardinal, who has yet to show up, claiming he must provide "religious council" for some pour soul. After arriving, Lucy (still waiting on the Cardinal) begins to have lurid dreams about a Duchess. The Duchess follows a lamb into the forest, only to witness it being devoured by a large creature, reminiscent of a boar and a bear hybrid; this creature is The Beast, and precedes to chase the Duchess in an attempt to have sex with her. Who or what exactly is The Beast? And will these dreams affect Lucy more than she can imagine?
As I mentioned earlier, this film is infamously labeled at hardcore, which it is not. This is really unfair to the film, because it is very much an art film, not something you would see on 42nd street. This is not a porn film, nor is it a version of Beauty and the Beast. To categorize this film is nearly impossible, as it truly is one of a kind. John Waters once stated "art should mean dirty". I couldn't agree more. So drop all the rumors of this being XXX, and enjoy this erotic little art film. 8/10.
PICTURE/ AUDIO- I feel stumped when rating this one, because I don't know how the picture should look. Driller Killer and Cinema of Death all had a need for their transfers, because the quality of the picture affected the quality of the film. This film needs no grit, because this is no Joe Davian roughie; nor does it need to be crystal clear. The transfer Cult Epics delivers is as clear as can be (because a rare film like this isn't exactly kept in good condition), and really adds, or takes, nothing from the film. This time, the picture is just a way to view the film. 8/10. The English audio track on this DVD is really good. Again these prints weren't "top priority", so the clarity of the audio s pretty impressive. There are almost no pops or cracks, and (for the most part) the voices don't sound fuzzy; which is a large issue with some dubbed audio tracks on older films. 8/10.
EXTRAS- *This review is of the single disk release. There is a 3 disk limited edition, but it is OOP* Extras on this edition are minimal, and include the theatrical trailer and a gallery. It also comes with some nice liner notes. 6/10.
This is also part of the Walerian Borowczyk Boxset, which is reviewed here.
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