THE SEX MACHINE (1975)
aka Conviene far bene l’amore
Article 5151 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 5-9-2016
Directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile
Featuring Gigi Proietti, Agostina Belli, Eleanora Giorgi
Country: Italy
What it is: Science fiction sex comedy

In the year 2000, mankind has exhausted its energy resources and has regressed to a relatively primitive existence. However, a scientist hopes to tap into a heretofore unsuspected source of energy; that produced by the human body during sex.

Given that the director of this one was the same person who gave us the horrid WHEN WOMEN HAD TAILS, I didn’t exactly hold high hopes for this Italian exploitation comedy. Sure enough, as a sex comedy, I found it witless, though I should point out that much of the blame may go to the translation and dubbing into English; much is usually lost when this happens. Nevertheless, the movie swings into full-blown satire in the second half, and at this point the movie becomes much more interesting, as it investigates the mutability of the civic and religious authorities in coping with the discovery, and their willingness to bend, break, and rewrite the laws of morality to suit this new world. There’s enough thoughtful material in this part of the movie that I wish the whole movie had been focused on that part of the story, but let’s face it; sex is more salable than satire. Nonetheless, I’m glad there is a bit more to this movie than the leering.