Smoota

Smootaphilia: Ensemble Erotic performs an original live soundtrack on 4/29 at TV Eye to the most infamous softcore film of the 70s: 1974’s French sensation EMMANUELLE. Beautifully filmed in Thailand, Emmanuelle initially had censorship issues but went on to become one of the highest grossing French films in history, selling 9 million tickets. It played in one theater in Paris for 13 years straight! Film critic Roger Ebert wrote, “Now that hardcore porno has become passé, it's a relief to see a movie that drops the gynecology and returns to a certain amount of sexy sophistication.” Columbia Pictures released it in America as its first X- rated film, only agreeing to take the chance when they learned that most of its audience in Europe was female. Although it would be difficult to argue that Emmanuelle is a feminist statement, it broke new ground in depicting the unapologetic embrace of female sexual pleasure, something still portrayed only rarely in movies. Sylvia Kristel, who played the title role, has said, “The film became like a monument in Paris. The Japanese [tourists] were stuffed in the bus and then they were taken to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Emmanuelle…. They thought Emmanuelle was dominant, just because of this one scene where she climbs on top of her husband. That was the moment when all the Japanese women stood up and applauded." Smootaphilia features Ann Courtney (from Mother Feather) on vocals, Jerome Jordan on guitar, Jeremy Kay on bass, and Dave Smoota Smith (from TV On The Radio) on Casio & beats.