Review: Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection' Offers Unholy Sex & Terror

With every popular genre comes a series of subgenres, trends, motifs and other defining characteristics. But with every distinct genre or subgenre also comes the possibility of exploitation – or rather, the exploiting of the taboos and social mores that bind people throughout life. It just so happens that nunsploitation may be the most lascivious and grossly gratifying trend of exploitation flicks to ever be released, with the subgenre's hallmarks of skewering religious fanaticism with graphic depictions of sex and violence running rampant.

Severin Films compiles four nunsploitation films from the 1970s and expands upon them beautifully with accompanying special features with "Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection." The four films included here run the gamut between higher-minded, more austere fare and egregious, plotless variations. Thus, it's a well-rounded look at a subgenre that still hasn't lost an iota of shock value. But, even more, "Nasty Habits" revives each of these nunsploitation films and attaches historical importance to them with various special features, including audio commentaries, interviews, and other featurettes.

First up in "Nasty Habits" is "Cristiana Devil Nun," a 1972 work helmed by Sergio Bergonzelli, a notable figure in Italian exploitation. The film follows a hot-blooded nymphomaniac (Toti Achilli) who swears to commit herself to a convent after her flight experiences turbulence and almost crashes. But instead of finding solace in the convent, Cristiana finds lesbianism and prostitution the likes of which she was trying to leave behind. Most interesting about "Cristiana Devil Nun" is how the more egregious sections mismatch the more muted story of a woman struggling to establish sexual and spiritual dominance around so many members of the frock.

Both the longer Italian version and the "hot" American cut of "Cristiana Devil Nun" are included here. It's worth noting that the inserts of hardcore sex don't have much bearing on the events in the film, as they just drag out certain scenes. As for the presentation, you have been forewarned that this title in particular has seen better days. Films like these not only were made on the cheap, but most of the original camera elements have either been destroyed or have degraded completely due to subpar archival conditions. That being said, I think "Cristiana Devil Nun" looks great here, considering the source used for the presentation. There's a cool video essay attached to the feature by Lindsay Hallam that positions the film within the grander Sadean themes of nunsploitation.

My personal favorite of the "Nasty Habits" set is Dominic Paolella's "Story of a Cloistered Nun." This is definitely the most traditional of the bunch, and doesn't feature the kind of explicit nastiness you see in the other films, but it hits the balance between prestige and trash so delicately that it doesn't matter. Plus, the new 2K scan from the original negative looks terrific in 1080p, although that should probably come as no surprise given the superior production values and international cast.

An aristocratic maiden named Carmela (Eleonora Giorgi) refuses the arranged marriage her parents try to force onto her in 17th-century Italy, so she's sent to a convent. Carmela's angelic presence upsets the already-delicate relationship between the stiff-lipped Mother Superior (Suzy Kendall) and lustful Sister Elizabeth (Catherine Spaak). The film revels in the stolen glances and subdued, tortured sexuality repressed by the religion these women slavishly devote themselves to. This way, when something outlandish happens, it's more deeply rooted within the story, and feels like a byproduct of these characters, rather than window dressing. As much as the acts of flogging and murder achieve the shock value they're intended for, they all feel a lot more stable under Paolella's steady direction.

"Story of a Cloistered Nun" also offers my favorite special features from the entire "Nasty Habits" set, including an interview with actress Eleonora Giorgi that goes deep on her inspiration for the role and other stories from her illustrious career. "Nasty Habits" is worthy of a purchase just for "Story of a Cloistered Nun" – not that the other features aren't important, of course.

Speaking of the other two features, both "Images in a Convent" and "The True Story of the Nun of Monza" represent the seedier side of nunsploitation, and they're both helmed by huge exploitation figures known for transgression. "Images in a Convent" concerns nuns who lust for the sins of the flesh. Since the film is directed by Italian schlock hound Joe D'Amato, you can probably guess that there's plenty of explicit sex and violence abound. But D'Amato's signature gusto within the key sequences rings truer than ever here. Attached to the Blu-ray for "Images in a Convent" is a great collection of deleted scenes with commentary by Kat Ellinger. The deleted scenes had no existing audio, so Ellinger colors in what they can ascertain from them.

The final film, "The True Story of the Nun of Monza," is probably the most egregious of the bunch. Helmed by cult favorite Bruno Mattei, the film takes a cavalcade of sexual fantasies and lets them carry the story. In classic Mattei fashion, shots from other films are spliced into certain scenes for added shock value. The presentation looks rather good, considering the heavy film grain; although this much grain has a tendency to wipe away finer textures, the presentation prioritizes clarity.

All in all, "Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection" is another terrific release from Severin Films. Although the films in the set don't always rise to the occasion of the best in nunsploitation, they're all interesting works worth exploring, especially "Story of a Cloistered Nun." If you're a fan of this side of exploitation, I can't recommend this set enough.

Other special features include:

Story of a Cloistered Nun
� "Down the Well" – Interview with actress Martine Brochard
� "Within a Cloister" – Interview with camera operator Daniele Nannuzzi

Images in a Convent
� Audio commnetary by Kat Ellinger

The True Story of the Nun of Monza
� "The Cross and the Sin" – Interview with screenwriter Claudio Fragasso
� "Sister Zora" – Interview with actress Zora Kerova

"Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection" is now available on Blu-ray from Severin Films.