Famous T & A

My review was written in October 1983 after watching a Cultvideo video cassette.

Lurking behind its lurid title of "Famous T & A" is a valid home video concept, introducing outtakes and alternate takes of feature films into the collectibles market. Many of the film titles currently in home video circulation are domestically unreleased films (of interest to specialized audiences), and the logical extension is previously unavailable "cutting room floor" material from the vaults and labs.

This compilation program by Ken Dixon focuses on nude scenes of famous actresses, mainly culled from their less famous films. In addition, Phyllis Elizabeth Davis (costar of the "Vegas tv series) is featured in numerous alternate takes from "Terminal Island" and "Sweet Sugar", while Barbara Leigh is also seen in "Terminal Island" outtakes.

Quality of material on view varies considerably, with one highlight being a lengthy segment of young Italo star Ornella Muti in "Summer Affair", an obscure 1971 picture by Giorgio Stegani Casorati originally titled "Il sole nella pelle". Also of interest is an excerpt of Ursula Andress in Sergio Martino's 1978 "Slave of the Cannibal Gods", in which she is ceremonially painted by native girls in the same manner as ex-husband John Derek had wife Bo done upin his 1981 "Tarzan, the Ape Man".

Padding out the running time are silly segments featuring a nude California motorcyclist, a fashion model and even a music video (to the Yardbirds' 1965 hit "For Your Love") peopled by busty models. These depart from the film clips format and seem extraneous.

Sybil Danning (taped rather than filmed) hosts, rather coyly avoiding the full nudity of her many films. Reading the cue cards, her stint is diappointing, and she oddly dresses and moves in live-action imitation of the lead femme warrior animated character in Columbia's "Heavy Metal".

Library music score is effective, including repeated (uncredited) excerpts from Ennio Morricone's "One Night at Dinner" soundtrack LP. Packaging incorrectly promotes footage of Nastassja Kinski (who doesn't appear) and displays an R rating even though the compilation was not submitted to the MPAA.