FR. Spermula is a French softcore fantasy film from 1976 director by Charles Matton.
Aux États-Unis, dans les années 1930, une secte composée de libertins riches et excentriques qui rejettent toute idée d'amour, considérait la création artistique comme une forme de mal et tentait de trouver dans la liberté sexuelle totale l'extase de l'être pur. À la suite d'une conférence qu'ils ont convoquée à New York en 1937, tous les membres de la secte ont disparu. D'aucuns ont supposé qu'il s'agissait d'extraterrestres infiltrés. Des années plus tard, un journaliste les a retrouvés dans un endroit secret dans les forêts d'Amérique du Sud, mais on ne les entendit plus jamais. De la brume, un énorme vaisseau flotte dans le ciel nocturne. À l'intérieur, Spermula et ses cohortes sont en train de retourner à la civilisation pour transmettre leur message de paix et de liberté à un monde devenu fou en "spermulant" les hommes, ce qui implique de leur retirer leur essence sexuelle qui provoque l'agression, l'ambition et la jalousie. Ils s'installent dans une maison de maître, dont les voisins comprennent le maire de la ville, son épouse malheureuse et maltraitée, son assistant et une veuve. Spermula et sa compagnie rassemblent les éléments de l'intrigue qui se termine par une orgie. Les femmes sont corrompues par ce contact avec le monde extérieur et leur belle chef, Spermula, tombe amoureuse d’un jeune artiste et sacrifie son immortalité pour une nuit de passion avec lui.
EN. This refers to the original French film, "L'Amour est un fleuve en Russie" [Love is a River in Russia]- a superior film to the English dubbed "Spermula" which is more widely known. English subtitles are available that make this film more accessible. Plot: In the 1930's, a notorious secret society known as Spermula - centered around the "rapture of being" achieved through a total liberation of the senses - disappeared from "civilized society." They were rumored to have developed supernatural powers. Over time they have honed their powers, and put in motion a plan to return from the future and conquer the world that once exiled them. An elite force of commandos - in the guise of several beautiful females - are charged with the task of neutering the male population. This is to be achieved by extracting the male reproductive fluids (orally) - allowing the decadent human race to eventually die off from natural attrition. Ingrid (Dayle Haddon), leading the Spermulan assault, sets about neutralizing the leaders of the community in which they have established the invasion's beachhead ... and then plans to gobble up the rest of the male population in one lavish orgiastic party. Unfortunately, as Ingrid herself has foreseen, members of her cadre begin to succumb to the unfamiliar temptations of the flesh, and develop emotional attachments to their intended victims. Blighted by the curse of emotional love, the invaders are forced to withdraw ... for now. [Note: the English-dubbed "Spermula" was significantly re-written in the dubbing, invoking a hokey plot about the planet Spermula about to be destroyed in a giant collision, prompting the decision to invade Earth.]
Some facts.
In 1976 a German magazine featured an article, ranting in indignation about Irina Ionesco letting her then 11 year old daughter, Eva Ionesco, appear in this 'adult' film, and appearing naked at that (though evidently not in any sex scenes). This article included still shots of Eva from the set, both dressed and fully nude, as well as alongside other women who do appear in the film, so clearly she was attached to the project at one point or another. However, there are currently 3 different versions of this film floating around now-days, none of which has *any* scenes with Eva Ionesco, nor does any of them include her name in the credits. So it is highly plausible that all of her scenes were never intended to actually be included in the final version of the film, but whether the whole thing was just a publicity stunt orchestrated by her mother (one of quite a few in the mid 70's), or what other reasons there may have been is anyone's guess.
Director: Charles Matton.
Cast: Dayle Haddon, Udo Kier, François Dunoyer, Jocelyne Boisseau, Ginette Leclerc,
Eva Ionesco, Isabelle Mercanton, Georges Géret, Radiah Frye, Angela McDonald, Suzannah Djian, Myriam Mézières.
France, 1976.
Language: French, Russian.
Subtitles: English.
This is the original version 103 minutes.
Download Spermula / L'amour est un fleuve en Russie. 1976.
