Reviews & Ratings for
Suor Emanuelle More at IMDbPro »

9 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
One of the better Gemser films, 8 August 2000

Author: rewolf_2001 from Florida, USA

If you are like me, you love the whole school girl fantasy coupled with the strict nuns. This movie has a little of it all. Plus, the lesbian scenes are wonderful. If anything, they are too short. But there is one with a banana that words just can not do justice to. Highly recommend this one, but only get the Euro uncut version.

8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Emanuelle Answers Our Prayers, 10 December 2005

Author: Drunken Master from Ottawa, Canada

Everyone's favorite nymphet has renounced her deviant sexual past and has become a nun. Emanuelle travels to Venice to meet with a wealthy Baron. The Baron has become enraged with his daughter (Monika) who was caught having an affair with her stepmother. He asks Emanuelle to bring his perverse teenage daughter back to her convent. Doesn't this already sound like the greatest film ever made? It's definitely one of the best Emanuelle films ever made. What a perfect place for the Emanuelle character to end up in - a convent. And what a great direction for this series to take - Emanuelle turns to God. But Emanuelle isn't sure if she wants God in her heart; Emanuelle becomes seduced by the teenage girl. On top of all this sexual tension, Emanuelle and Monika take in an escaped murderer; they both fall in love with him and hide him out inside the convent. This also has to be one of the funniest Emanuelle films in the series. For example: one of the nuns in the convent has a bladder problem. One-night Emanuelle showers and runs threw the halls of the convent; however when Sister Superior finds water all over the floors she blames the sister with the bladder problem – ha ha! On a final note: Laura Gemser is as beautiful as ever. Gemser is to the Emanuelle series what Sean Connery is to the James Bond series – "simply the best!"

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Bad Habits, 8 May 2009

Author: Dirtymoviedevotee (dries.vermeulen@hotmail.be) from Brugge, Belgium

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In its entirety, as far as such can be ascertained, the BLACK EMANUELLE series certainly shapes up as an odd collection of sorts. Its "official" entries, and remember that we're already dealing with an Italian rip-off of a French film franchise, have been generously supplemented by tangentially tied-in trifles where the mere presence of Indonesian leading lady Laura Gemser gave rise to an impromptu affiliation, often through adversely affixing the EMANUELLE moniker regardless of narrative consistency. Henceforth, Enzio D'Ambrosio's sedate LA SPIAGGIA DEL DESIDERIO was widely released as EMANUELLE ON TABOO ISLAND, Mario Bianchi's genteel COUNTRY NURSE got far more play dates as EMANUELLE IN THE COUNTRY and German Christian Anders' severely twisted LOVE CAMP became DIVINE EMANUELLE. No mean feat considering Gemser's character isn't actually called Emanuelle in any of these !

Whilst a bit of a mongrel, at least SUOR EMANUELLE remains relatively close to the trajectory mapped out by Bitto Albertini in the initial installment and, especially, the shameless Joe D'Amato in its bona fide sequels. Turning her back on a wicked past, which seasoned viewers will automatically associate with her globe-trotting, absolutely anything for a scoop wanton ways as the intrepid photo journalist, Emanuelle has entered the convent, doling out spiritual succor to the wayward young girls in her charge. She definitely has her work cut out for her with feisty Monica Catsabriaga (Monica Zanchi) who was caught in flagrante with her hot new step mom (delectable D'Amato regular Dirce Funari, who was in both PORNO HOLOCAUST and EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD) by her elderly businessman father, played by Spaghetti western veteran Rik Battaglia. Poor Em's vow of chastity barely survives the train ride back to the nunnery when a very nude Monica slips between her sheets to seek solace from the raging thunderstorm outside !

Somewhat surprising for such an exploitative type of cinema, the good sister's devotion is actually handled with a degree of seriousness. She only reluctantly surrenders to escaped convict René (adequately portrayed by her then real life husband Gabriele Tinti) when the mischievous Monica tricks her into believing that he will otherwise forcefully take the maidenhead of her pious roommate Anna. Once she learns of this betrayal, Emanuelle literally lets her hair down and, well, kicks the habit, reverting back to the sign of the crotch in a last ditch attempt to straighten out the incorrigible teen seductress. With Gemser's sensational slender frame (predating the present day supermodel ideal) perversely covered up until the final act, most of the film's ample nudity's supplied by succulent Swiss starlet Zanchi, a memorable presence in both D'Amato's over the top EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS and Mario Gariazzo's saucy space opera THE COMING OF ALIENS. Her temptation of Anna (lovely one shot Vinja Locatelli), who assumes she's a mere obstacle on the road to sainthood, provides an effective combination of heat and humor, indicative of the narrative tone's gradual shift from semi-serious to fully fledged fun.

The lightness of touch, which precludes anything really nasty happening to anyone, makes for a welcome change of pace from Emanuelle's past adventures, too frequently interrupted by rape and assorted violent outbursts for comfort. One reason for this is that the late Giuseppe Vari a/k/a "Joseph Warren" was hardly a sex flick regular and therefore perhaps less jaded than the dyed in the wool D'Amato. He was rather a workmanlike if dependable dispenser of varied genre fare like ROME AGAINST ROME a/k/a WAR OF THE ZOMBIES and DJANGO THE LAST KILLER, whose only other foray into risqué territory was his frothy RIBALD DECAMERON with the magnificent Malisa Longo. Further explanation for the film's idiosyncratic flavor amid the EMANUELLE canon comes from the man responsible for its commendably coherent screenplay, Marino Onorati, whose stock in trade is all sweetness and light as evidenced by his scripts for most of the major Italian sex comedy superstars like Edwige Fenech on various SCHOOLTEACHER and POLICEWOMAN projects and Gloria Guida as LA LICEALE. Hazy soft focus photography by Guglielmo Mancori, who shot Umberto Lenzi's underrated giallo SPASMO as well as Lucio Fulci's badly bungled MANHATTAN BABY, elevate this effort to a loftier level of cinematic carnality. Stelvio Cipriani's infuriatingly infectious score, practically screaming Seventies Euro sleaze at the top of its lungs, provides the icing on the cake for any none too self-respecting old school skin flick aficionado.

5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Recommended, 25 July 2007
Author: lazarillo from Denver, Colorado and Santiago, Chile

In a real change of pace for the "Black Emanuelle" series Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) has become a nun(!), and has been put in charge of a naughty teenage vixen (Swiss miss Monica Zanchi) who is being escorted to a convent school after her father catches her in bed with her young stepmother! While Emanuelle tries to morally straighten out the girl, the girl tries to immorally straighten out every guy she meets (including a dangerous escaped convict played my Gabriel Tinti)and to corrupt the nun. You can pretty much guess who wins this contest, especially since "Sister Emanuelle" turns out to be much more corrupt than the girl to begin with.

This movie was not directed by Joe D'Mato, but fits right in with the transgressive films he directed in the series in that it manages to combine "nunsploitation" (politically incorrect by today's standards) with schoolgirl exploitation (VERY politically incorrect by today's standards). I might point out though that the voluptuous Monica Zanchi is not especially believable as a schoolgirl, and the svelte and sexy Laura Gemser is not even remotely believable as a nun, so I think we're pretty safely ensconced in the world of fantasy here. The two actresses are a pretty incendiary combination, and downright explosive when you add in Italian sex bomb Dirce Funari as the stepmother.

Along with "Emanuelle, the Queen" this probably has the strongest plot of any film in the series, and unlike that one doesn't fall apart in the end. It does fall back on a hoary old cliché in the finale, but it actually works here because it leaves it pretty ambiguous whether all the degradation we've witnessed really exists in the heart of the girl or the nun. It's also pretty well made--for instance, there's a memorable scene where the girl talks in voice over about having been "raped" by three guys on the beach while the visual flashback shows what REALLY happened. (Some 15 years later I remember mainstream movie reviewers practically wetting themselves when overrated "film genius" Steven Soderberg did the exact same thing in "Sex, Lies, and Videotape"). The music is pretty good too. Recommended.

2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Schoolgirl & Nun fantasies rolled into one!, 21 August 2008

Author: lastliberal from United States

Monica (Mónica Zanchi) is a very naughty girl. She gets caught with her young stepmother (Dirce Funari) - "But, dad, you told me to be friends with her!" - and is sent off to boarding school run by nuns. One nun in particular is Sister Emanuelle (Laura Gemser, a veteran of many "Emanuelle" films).

Monica proceeds to seduce her roommate(Vinja Locatelli), sets up an escaped criminal (Gabriele Tinti) in the tower, and tricks Sister Emanuelle into breaking her vowels as she lies and schemes.

The sex is hot and heavy - schoolgirl on schoolgirl, criminal on schoolgirl, and criminal on nun. There isn't much to distract from the sex as there is little else going on.

It's a good story with a really funny twist at the end.

Emanuelle, surprise surprise, isn't cut out for celibacy, 27 April 2009

Author: jaibo from England

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The unlikely premise of this black Emanuelle entry is that our tawny heroine needs to join a convent in order to "realise" that celibacy is not for her. The set-up has Emanuelle a nun who is sent (with a older sister) to collect rebellious teenager Monica and bring her back to the convent which operates as a home for wayward girls. Emanuelle, a supposedly reformed sexaholic, sees the girl sharing a rather Sapphic kiss with her nubile young mother-in-law, then a plot ensues which has the girl wreaking mischief and encourages sexual mania at the convent.

Thrown into the blender, we get incontinence, violent criminals, teenage lesbianism, rough fabric bloomers and a haughty Mother Superior. The film does have a fairly linear plot, with the teenage temptress wearing down Emanuelle's vow of chastity; Emanuelle finally throws off her habit and leaps into the arms of the criminal, turning into a vengeful fury to threatens to burn out the nymphet teenager's bush! But then it is revealed that the entire film is a dream that Emanuelle has on the train on the way to the convent with Monica, and that dream has told her that the life of the cloisters is not for her, and heads back to her more usual life of vice.

The dream scenario is nicely developed, with Monica operating as a kind of erotic anima in Emanuelle's psyche, continually pushing her towards rejecting celibacy and embracing sexual liberation. The dynamic of the film is pretty simplistic, simply promiscuity (which is seen as pretty harmless) versus abstinence. None of the dark areas which D'Amato uncovered in his black Emanuelle films are explored, so the film feels a little less striking than them. It is, however, never less than immaculately made and is enlivened by a genuinely funny sense of cheeky, camp humour, which is often laugh-out-loud. Some of the minor characters, like the cystitis-suffering old nun and the crapulent, dumb gardener, are delightfully entertaining.

The film is unusual as well in that it actually shows that Laura Gemser could act – she gives a nuanced and nicely drawn performance, constantly modulating her reactions to events, other characters and the temptations of the flesh. D'Amato deliberately kept his black Emanuelle affectless, the more to emphasise her compulsive, consumerist behaviour; it's nice that this film exists to show that Gemser could work with a wider range if the script or director required it.

The Emanuelle Series: Sister Emanuelle, 27 February 2009

Author: Miyagis_Sweaty_wifebeater (sirjosephu@aol.com) from Sacramento, CA

Sister Emanuelle (1977) follows the exploits of Emanuelle as she tries to find God and cleanse herself of sin by being a nun in a convent. Her devotion to God and not her old hedonistic lifestyle is challenged by a wild new convert. Can Emauelle resist temptation and cling to her new found love of religion or will the wild and carefree Emauelle reemerge and embrace her old lifestyle?

I was disappointed by this movie. It's okay but I was expecting a whole lot more because it's Emanuelle mixed in with nunsploitation. This could have been an instant classic, but it fails on some levels but not all. A must for die hard Emanuelle fans.

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Sister Emanuelle, 3 June 2009

Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Soft-core satire on the Catholic church(..one of the nuns has a bladder problem)with the hilarious premise of Gemser's Emanuelle attempting to bury her sinful past by joining a convent. But, her convent's recent "acquisition" of a girl, sent there by her father for "cleansing of her wicked sexual ways", Monica(Mónica Zanchi, delicious, other than her arm pit hair), has Emanuelle re-evaluating her decision. Soon, a con on the lam, Rene(Gabriele Tinti)induces an affair with Monica(..who stumbles on his hiding place, a barn), raising the ire of Emanuelle, who herself begins a torrid relationship with him. Also established is Monica's tryst with her roommate who was a very bright student working on possible sainthood before being introduced to lesbianism.

The movie features a series of steamy encounters between Monica and a number of characters, those that come in contact with her, most often than not she's the catalyst who motivates the sexual acts. Monica's seduction of her roommate during a thunderstorm is particularly sensually satisfying. Monica's flashback to Emanuelle regarding a sexual encounter with her stepmother is another rather stimulating lesbian sequence. I suggest those who rent the DVD to check out the special features for it has a deleted "bondage" scene where Emanuelle ties up Monica and ravages her body. Sister Emanuelle is well shot by director Giuseppe Vari, who captures the sordid shenanigans with visual brio. Gemser heats up the screen, shown disrobing from her nun outfit on several occasions, a very beautiful woman with an incredible body. The film is essentially a naughty comic nunsploitation effort poking fun at the idea of remaining abstinent when it just isn't some's nature. Mónica Zanchi relishes her role as a lustful sex kittenish nymphomaniac who is willing to seduce just about anyone she finds remotely enticing.

1 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Black Emanuelle becomes a Blue Nun., 15 September 2010

Author: BA_Harrison from Hampshire, England

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Quite what has driven once insatiable nympho Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) to renounce her sinful past and don wimple and habit to become a nun is never revealed, but that is how we find her at the start of Sister Emanuelle; together with fellow nun Cecile, she has travelled to Venice to escort Monica (Mónica Zanchi), the teenage daughter of a rich Baron, to the convent for schooling.

Monica turns out to be far from the 'sweet little girl' that her father describes her as, however, doing her utmost to subvert both her new room-mate, Anna (Vinja Locatelli) and poor Emanuelle, who finds her resolve weakening when faced with temptation from the sexy, free-spirited, bi-sexual schoolgirl.

Sister Emanuelle might not be as nasty or shocking as some of the other titles in the Black Emanuelle series (there's nothing in it as sensational or sleazy as the pseudo snuff, animal action or hardcore coupling of Emanuelle in America, for example), but it still manages to be one of the more enjoyable adventures for the sultry sexpot thanks to its surprisingly well written screenplay by Marino Onorati, competent direction from Giuseppe Vari, and perhaps most importantly, an outstanding performance from Zanchi: whether it be fellating a total stranger on a train, cuddling up naked next to Emanuelle or Anna on a stormy night, or sneaking wanted criminal Rene (Gabriele Tinti) to the convent tower for a spot of rumpy pumpy, gorgeous Zanchi plays her role as deviant minx Monica to perfection.

Strangely, the film ends with one of those 'it was all a dream endings' of the type that usually make me livid, but which in this case only serves to make the whole affair a more memorable experience, pushing my already high rating of 7.5 up to a bona fide 8.

2 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Emanuelle meets nunsploitation!, 5 June 2008

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

There is a lot of variety in the Emanuelle series, and as such; a lot of strange and rather silly ideas; but having Laura Gemser dressed up as a nun and living in a convent is surely one of the silliest! I'd even go as far as to say that this plot could be considered blasphemous! Clearly, this film is just an attempt by director Giuseppe Vari to cash in on both the Emanuelle series and the nunsploitation wave in one fell swoop, and as is the case with a lot of the Emanuelle flicks; the only thing that really ties this film to the rest of the series is the lovely leading lady, Laura Gemser. Apparently, Emanuelle has decided to renounce her shady past and has taken up residency inside a convent. She is given the task of looking after the young and beautiful Monica; a girl who was dropped off at the convent by her wealthy father. However, it's not long before the young girl's outlook on life begins to rub off on the previously promiscuous "nun" and Emanuelle begins to question whether or not being a woman of God is actually a suitable career path...

In the context of the rest of the series, and considering that there is no explanation for Emanuelle's sudden change of attitude, it has to be said that the plot line featured in this film is absurdly ridiculous. However, the film clearly isn't meant to be looked at that way and as a stand alone nunsploitation flick; Sister Emanuelle is excellent, and by far my favourite of the ten or so Emanuelle flicks that I've seen. The film does represent a real change of pace for the series as for most of the film; Emanuelle is retracted to a nun's habit and doesn't feature in as many sex scenes as we're used to. That isn't a big problem, however, as this time Laura Gemser is joined by the beautiful Swiss actress Mónica Zanchi, who pretty much takes up the lead role. Unlike most Emanuelle films also, this one actually has a couple of themes going on; namely, the corruption of innocence, and judging by the ambiguous ending, there also seems to be something in there about how a person like Emanuelle is not going to be able to abandon what it is she stands for. Overall, this is a very good little film and comes highly recommended to both Emanuelle fans and exploitation fans in general!

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