While BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR had put them on the map as forces to be reckoned with in the nascent dirty movie industry, their subsequent RESURRECTION OF EVE cemented the Mitchell Brothers' reputation as ambitious adult filmmakers desperately attempting to set themselves apart from what their competition was doing by appealing to mixed - as in not strictly male - audiences. How successful they actually were at snaring this as yet uncatered for market segment has remained a hotly debated issue ever since.
Less atmospheric but considerably more plot-driven than GREEN DOOR, EVE once again tells its story from the woman's point of view, a still revolutionary concept in the very early '70s. Played as a very grown up 12-year old by one shot wonder Nancy Welch, Eve Goodman was molested in an indelible sequence that manages to walk the fine line between shocking and downright salacious by suitably scary-looking Dale Meador as a sailor friend of her dead dad, scarring the girl for life. As a young woman, she's shy and retiring but still manages to catch the eye of womanizing radio deejay Frank Paradise, impressively acted by Matthew Armon, who dumps his sexually adventurous girlfriend Kandi (the delightful Kandi Jones, who did a few more barely remembered flicks around that time with self-explanatory titles like BOTTOM BUSTERS and DENTAL NURSE and was one of Alex De Renzy's notorious LITTLE SISTERS along with Clair Dia) and asks her to move in with him. Now portrayed by Mimi Morgan, an extremely reliable second stringer until Sam Weston cast her in the lead for his unjustly overlooked MY FIRST TIME, she has been both fan and platonic friend to up 'n' coming black boxer Johnnie Keyes. But Frank wrongfully suspects more and his jealousy leads to Eve's car crash that leaves her disfigured. Extensive plastic surgery eventually turns her into superstar Marilyn Chambers, a vision of loveliness so overpowering that Frank proposes to her while still in hospital. Hardly a one woman man by nature, he quickly tires of home life however and suggests swinging to his initially reluctant spouse. Over the course of several group sex parties, she grows to enjoy the experience more than her husband had anticipated, another (welcome ?) reminder of the old adage to be very careful just what you wish for. As Eve makes love to Johnnie in a neat twist (the supposed adultery that lead to her accident now the tool of her second "resurrection" as a fully independent woman, remember this movie was made on the cusp of the '70s, with the previous decade's much heralded sexual freedom still in full swing), Frank realizes he no longer has any control over her and has indeed lost her forever as Eve's scathing last line drives home.
Sex scenes are generally short but realistically portrayed during the film's first hour, including an absence of cum shots, with progressively kinky orgy stuff taking up the final third. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot performers like Tyler Reynolds, Jon Martin, Mark Ellinger and Curt McDowell (star and director respectively of the cult favorite LUNCH), the latter two providing the fleeting to the point of - intentionally - subliminal gay coupling during the movie's climax. As on GREEN DOOR and several subsequent Mitchell masterpieces, the exquisite cinematography comes courtesy of Jon Fontana, also credited as co-director on this occasion. An original song-filled soundtrack by Richard Wynkoop runs the gamut from preachy to poignant but frequently adds to the film's effectiveness as well. The greatest attraction remains Chambers however, taken to task at the time for proving herself only a barely adequate actress (contemporary critics' words, not mine) following her silent GREEN DOOR performance. Save for the fact that critics probably liked to sharpen their knives as much then as they do know, eager to bring down a rising star, they also conveniently overlooked the evolution the character of Eve goes through. Morgan may in fact be entirely too pretty for "plain Eve" in view of the cruel comments her looks - or supposed lack thereof - beget, but her lack of confidence beautifully carries through into Chambers' acting, her bashful initial line readings perfectly synchronized with the part as conceived. It was nothing less than a full-blown stroke of genius on part of the Mitchells to cast her opposite Armon, who had extensive theatrical experience and whose assured thesping effectively intimidated the young actress who was still feeling her way as befitting her character. Chambers conspicuously lacks the professionalism here that would make her so appealing in later stages of her awesome career - spanning the likes of Cronenberg's RABID and the underestimated spy farce ANGEL OF H.E.A.T. as well as her early '80s adult classics INSATIABLE and UP 'N' COMING, both by Stu Segall a/k/a "Godfrey Daniels" - but replaces it with something she subsequently and inevitably lost along the way, namely innocence and sincerity. I find her extremely touching in this role. The orgies actually prove beneficial for Eve (more signs of the times...) as they make her face up to her newfound attractiveness and sex appeal, engendering her liberation from the dominating male force in her life as personified by the – tellingly, not unsympathetic but merely misguided – Frank who's left lost and alone while his erstwhile trophy wife flourishes. She is Woman, hear her roar !
Less atmospheric but considerably more plot-driven than GREEN DOOR, EVE once again tells its story from the woman's point of view, a still revolutionary concept in the very early '70s. Played as a very grown up 12-year old by one shot wonder Nancy Welch, Eve Goodman was molested in an indelible sequence that manages to walk the fine line between shocking and downright salacious by suitably scary-looking Dale Meador as a sailor friend of her dead dad, scarring the girl for life. As a young woman, she's shy and retiring but still manages to catch the eye of womanizing radio deejay Frank Paradise, impressively acted by Matthew Armon, who dumps his sexually adventurous girlfriend Kandi (the delightful Kandi Jones, who did a few more barely remembered flicks around that time with self-explanatory titles like BOTTOM BUSTERS and DENTAL NURSE and was one of Alex De Renzy's notorious LITTLE SISTERS along with Clair Dia) and asks her to move in with him. Now portrayed by Mimi Morgan, an extremely reliable second stringer until Sam Weston cast her in the lead for his unjustly overlooked MY FIRST TIME, she has been both fan and platonic friend to up 'n' coming black boxer Johnnie Keyes. But Frank wrongfully suspects more and his jealousy leads to Eve's car crash that leaves her disfigured. Extensive plastic surgery eventually turns her into superstar Marilyn Chambers, a vision of loveliness so overpowering that Frank proposes to her while still in hospital. Hardly a one woman man by nature, he quickly tires of home life however and suggests swinging to his initially reluctant spouse. Over the course of several group sex parties, she grows to enjoy the experience more than her husband had anticipated, another (welcome ?) reminder of the old adage to be very careful just what you wish for. As Eve makes love to Johnnie in a neat twist (the supposed adultery that lead to her accident now the tool of her second "resurrection" as a fully independent woman, remember this movie was made on the cusp of the '70s, with the previous decade's much heralded sexual freedom still in full swing), Frank realizes he no longer has any control over her and has indeed lost her forever as Eve's scathing last line drives home.
Sex scenes are generally short but realistically portrayed during the film's first hour, including an absence of cum shots, with progressively kinky orgy stuff taking up the final third. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot performers like Tyler Reynolds, Jon Martin, Mark Ellinger and Curt McDowell (star and director respectively of the cult favorite LUNCH), the latter two providing the fleeting to the point of - intentionally - subliminal gay coupling during the movie's climax. As on GREEN DOOR and several subsequent Mitchell masterpieces, the exquisite cinematography comes courtesy of Jon Fontana, also credited as co-director on this occasion. An original song-filled soundtrack by Richard Wynkoop runs the gamut from preachy to poignant but frequently adds to the film's effectiveness as well. The greatest attraction remains Chambers however, taken to task at the time for proving herself only a barely adequate actress (contemporary critics' words, not mine) following her silent GREEN DOOR performance. Save for the fact that critics probably liked to sharpen their knives as much then as they do know, eager to bring down a rising star, they also conveniently overlooked the evolution the character of Eve goes through. Morgan may in fact be entirely too pretty for "plain Eve" in view of the cruel comments her looks - or supposed lack thereof - beget, but her lack of confidence beautifully carries through into Chambers' acting, her bashful initial line readings perfectly synchronized with the part as conceived. It was nothing less than a full-blown stroke of genius on part of the Mitchells to cast her opposite Armon, who had extensive theatrical experience and whose assured thesping effectively intimidated the young actress who was still feeling her way as befitting her character. Chambers conspicuously lacks the professionalism here that would make her so appealing in later stages of her awesome career - spanning the likes of Cronenberg's RABID and the underestimated spy farce ANGEL OF H.E.A.T. as well as her early '80s adult classics INSATIABLE and UP 'N' COMING, both by Stu Segall a/k/a "Godfrey Daniels" - but replaces it with something she subsequently and inevitably lost along the way, namely innocence and sincerity. I find her extremely touching in this role. The orgies actually prove beneficial for Eve (more signs of the times...) as they make her face up to her newfound attractiveness and sex appeal, engendering her liberation from the dominating male force in her life as personified by the – tellingly, not unsympathetic but merely misguided – Frank who's left lost and alone while his erstwhile trophy wife flourishes. She is Woman, hear her roar !