planktonrules Review of Four Times That Night

Four Times That Night (1971)

Sort of like a soft-core version of "Roshomon"

[4/10 · 13 November 2010]

This is the sort of movie I usually would not watch. I got the DVD because it had two films by the famed Italian director, Mario Bava--a man usually associated with horror films. To my complete surprise, it turned out to be a soft-core porno film!! I was surprised but decided to keep watching because it looked for all the world like a cheapo sexed up version of Akira Kurosawa's "Roshomon". Like "Roshomon", you see some events through three different eyes. Each time you think you are seeing exactly what occurred but the truth is still something entirely different. One account, the lady's, is of her being held prisoner and attacked by a pervert. In his version, he's attacked by a nympho who won't take 'no' for an answer! And, in a strange version, the pervo doorman explains his version which he saw with binoculars--and it involves homosexuality and drugs! In a bizarre finale, some creepy guy in a lab coat and armed with Rorschach-style ink blots explains the truth--that not much of anything happened that evening after all! So is the film worth seeing? Well, it's not entirely without charm and has some clever touches. However, the direction (despite Bava's reputation) is terrible as is some of the acting--and as a result, the film is a bit cheesy. However, compared to a more modern film, its nudity is pretty tame---though I probably wouldn't recommend you buy this for your mother-in-law! Kind of cute, kind of cheesy...and a film that won't be mistaken for "Roshomon" despite its similarities!!