EDITOR’S NOTE: As the journey through Cannon continues, this week we’re exploring the films of 21st Century Film Corporation, which would be the company that Menahem Golan would take over after Cannon. Formed by Tom Ward and Art Schweitzer in 1971 (or 1976, there are some disputed expert opinions), 21st Century had a great logo and released some wild stuff.

Every time I write about a Laura Gemser movie, I always say to myself, “Just be cool. Don’t write an entire article just about how gorgeous she is and how you can’t even concentrate on the screen when she’s in a movie.”

So let me get it out of my system.

There’s an absolutely insane moment in this movie where Laura’s husband Carlo (Gabriele Tinti) demands that she pose for him in front of a desert vista filled with dead bodies and blood. As she barely remains inside her dress, she bends backward and begins a series of poses that make her seemingly take the form of Kali, all at once becoming the goddess of time, death, violence, sexuality, female empowerment and motherly love as she transcends this mortal world of warfare and sadness to become ethereal, something beyond our understanding.

Thanks, I feel a lot better.

This movie is supposed to be all about Crystal (Nieves Navarro)…

Wait a second, Nieves Navarro is in the same movie as Laura Gemser?

Why did anyone make movies after this? You have pretty much scored a perfect cast.

Anyways, I guess I should finish this review I started.

Crystal’s husband has left her, as if any man is dumb enough to run from Susan Scott, and she has moved in with her daughter Magda (Ziggy Zanger, who also in Black Cobra with Gemser and her name sounds like a Spice Girls lyric). She sleeps with their servant Ali (Tarik Ali), who is mainly teased by her daughter, and then both of them fall for a spiritualist named Horatio (Al Cliver, did I cast this movie?).

After an evening reconnecting with Laura and Carlo, as well as drinking too much with former Hollywood actor, Hal (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.), mother and daughter end up having a menage a trois while everyone watches.

Pina (Annie Belle, yes, I definitely casted this movie) soon comes to stay and falls for Laura. They end up stranding her husband in the desert after he forces Laura to pose on the top of a pile of human excrement while villagers throw feces at her. Yes, this happens, and no, this is not a Joe D’Amato movie. I am as shocked as you.

As if that’s not wild enough, Horatio later — I mean, after the obligatory visit a foreign brothel and watch ladies and then a lovemaking scene between Gemser and Belle that the foreign investors were just throwing money at — hypnotizes Laura into having convulsions and killing a goat drinking its blood because, well, that’s what you do in Italian movie parties.

So yes, Horatio ends up sleeping with Pina even though her psychic powers allow her to block his hypnosis — yes this happens — and then her mom tries to kill herself and Pina realizes that she should just let Al Cliver fight zombies and run off with Laura Gemser. After all, Al Cliver is no sex guru when you’ve seen George Eastman do the same in Emanuelle Around the World.

Sex gurus are to Black Emanuelle as stolen diamonds are to Jess Franco.

Director Brunello Rondi worked with Fellini on the scripts for 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, Juliet of the Spirits, Orchestra Rehearsal and City of Women. His first film, Violent Life, was written by Pasolini and he also directed Le tue mani sul mio corpo, Run. Psycho, Run and The Demon. He wrote this film with Ferdinando Baldi, the director of Treasure of the Four Crowns.

The alternate Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle title suggests that there is an Emanuelle or Emmanuelle cinematic universe where Black Emmanuelle (Gemser) and White Emmanuelle (Belle, whose movie Laure is also called Forever Emmanuelle and not only was directed and written by the real Emmanuelle Arsan, but co-stars her) cross over and by cross over, I mean scissor.

Also: Disco dancing.

According to Temple of Schlock, this was released by Dimension Pictures as Smooth Velvet, Raw Silk in 1978 and re-released in 1979 as Naked Paradise. VCI released it on home video as Naked Paradise before 21st Century, who bought it from Dimension, licensed it to Continental Video as Emanuelle In Egypt.