Zelluloid42 Special presents CORRUPTION (1983) x THE IMAGE (1975)

If you’ve ever wondered what a Lynchian porn film might look like, or just how sexy BDSM could be on screen in 1970s Paris — Zelluloid42 has got you covered! In collaboration with Muscle Distribution, we’re seeing out the summer with two very special gems from the Golden Age of Porn, presented in stunning new 2K/4K restorations!

In CORRUPTION (1983, 78 min, OV), we follow porn legend Jamie Gillis on a tour de force through guilt and moral dead ends, unfolding in dark, psychedelic vignettes that are as chilling as they are mesmerizing. Visually and atmospherically, the film frequently brings to mind the aforementioned master of American nightmare cinema, David Lynch. Director Roger Watkins (best known for his legendary horror film Last House on Dead End Street) crams not only plenty of genitalia but also so many grotesquely beautiful images into barely 80 minutes that it’s enough to make your head spin. Highly recommended!

Things get a little more down-to-earth - but all the more whip-heavy - in THE IMAGE (1975, 94 min, OV). Based on the novel of the same name by Catherine Robbe-Grillet, at the time France’s most famous dominatrix, the film by erotic-cinema jack-of-all-trades Radley Metzger (The Opening of Misty Beethoven, Score) draws us into the irresistible pull of a BDSM ménage à trois: When Jean (Carl Parker), a writer living in Paris, unexpectedly runs into his old friend Claire (Marilyn Roberts) at a party, he becomes fascinated by the uncompromising relationship she has with the younger, submissive Anne (Mary Mendum). Initially shocked but increasingly curious, he soon finds himself drawn into their sadomasochistic maelstrom…

Both restorations — produced by Vinegar Syndrome and Distribpix/The Rialto Report — will be screening in Berlin for the very first time!

Tickets available here