Serena Grandi Movies
- 2008
A father's love for his troubled daughter may be the only thing that can save her in this drama from writer and director Pupi Avanti. It's 1938, Benito Mussolini is the fascist ruler of Italy, and Michele (Silvio Orlando) is a high school teacher living in Bologna. Michele and his wife Delia (Francesca Neri) have a teenage daughter Giovanna (Alba Rohrwacher), and Giovanna is the most important thing in Michele's life -- so much so that Delia often finds herself wishing her husband was as devoted to her as he is to their child. As much as Michele indulges her, Giovanna is an unstable and disturbed young woman, and one day in a fit of anger Giovanna murders one of her friends. Sergio (Ezio Greggio), Michele and Delia's next door neighbor, is a police officer who uses his authority to help his friends, and he's fond enough of Delia to see that her family is well cared for, but Giovanna's crime is too severe for him to be able to help, and while the courts spare the girl's life, she's sent to a mental hospital where she receives only the most minimal care. Michele stands by Giovanna and tends to her in the hospital, leaving Delia at home to look after their home with the help of Sergio. Il Papa di Giovanna (aka Giovanna's Father) was an official selection at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvio Orlando, Alba Rohrwacher, (more)
- 1998
Popular Italian rock star Luciano Ligabue made his directorial debut with this Italian drama based on Fuori e dentro il borgo, his collection of autobiographical short stories about growing up in small-town Italy of the '70s. DJ Bruno (Lucian Federico) reflects on the past, a small circle of friends, and the hopes of their generation. At the group's core is Freccia (Stefano Accorsi), a heroin user until Marzia (Patrizia Piccinini) steps in to help him kick the habit. As expected, Iena (Alessio Modica) marries and settles down, while unhappy Boris (Roberto Zibetti) is a victim of his own cynicism, and Tito (Enrico Salimbeni) is driven to violence by his dysfunctional family. An older bartender (singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini) listens to the group's woes and dreams. Along with a guitar score and a closing-credits song by Ligabue, tunes of the time include ones by Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, and David Bowie. Shown at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stefano Accorsi, Luciano Federico, (more)
- 1998
This sexy comedy from Italian director Tinto Brass stars Anna Ammirati and Mario Parodi as Lola and Masseto, a young couple about to be married. While Masseto looks forward to deflowering his bride-to-be on their wedding night, Lola is reluctant to betroth herself to him without first ensuring that he will be a good lover. The more Masseto resists her advances, the harder Lola tries to convince him to break tradition and make love before the wedding. Also starring Mario Parodi and Susanna Martinkova, Monella was released in the U.K. as Frivolous Lola. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arina Ammirati, Mario Parodi, (more)
- 1991
Originally titled Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride, this 2-part TV movie stars supermodel Carol Alt as Nancy, the ward of Mafia don Frank Latella (Eli Wallach). Part One gets off to an explosive start when Nancy witnesses her father's murder. Raised by Latella, our heroine lives for the day that she can avenge her dad's death. Little does she know that her own fiancé (Eric Roberts) was the man who pulled the trigger. Syndicated to local TV stations, Family Matter was first made available on May 13, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Carol Alt, (more)
- 1987
Gildo (Paolo Villaggio) is a moralistic magistrate who shuts down red light districts in this sex comedy. His enemies conspire to photograph him in a compromising position with sex goddess Lola (Serena Grandi). Laura Antonelli plays a wealthy woman who believes her husband has drowned. A priest is forced to put his mouth on a topless nun as the battle of morality verses misbehavior unfolds. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paolo Villaggio, Serena Grandi, (more)
- 1987
In this uninspired drama, Teresa (Serena Grandi) considers marriage to a wealthy German baron. She agrees to marry him but has reservations when she walks to the altar. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Serena Grandi, Luca Barbareschi, (more)
- 1987
In this episodic comedy, the rich are seen to be different from the rest of us: more lustful and less scrupulous, for starters. In one episode, a parish priest fresh from a pilgrimage to Lourdes is drawn into a situation (approved of by the Pope himself) where he must try to discourage the notions developed by an Italian princess, who dreamed of the priest's face and now entertains the idea of marrying him rather than the man society has destined her for. In another episode, the ever-hapless Paolo Villaggio plays an insurance agent who is drawn just a bit too deeply into one of his client's marital schemes. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lino Banfi, Laura Antonelli, (more)
- 1987
This uneven giallo thriller from Lamberto Bava stars the amazingly well-endowed Serena Grandi as Gioia, a centerfold model for Pussycat magazine. Her co-workers are murdered with pitchforks and bees, among other things, and posed in front of photos of her, which Gioia receives from the taunting killer. A solid cast including Capucine, Daria Nicolodi, and Luigi Montefiori (aka "George Eastman") goes through the motions, upstaged constantly by Ms. Grandi's imposing pulchritude. Nevertheless, Bava's stylish direction has some interesting touches, such as having the killer seeing his victims as hideously deformed monsters, and the production is slick and polished. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Serena Grandi, Daria Nicolodi, (more)
- 1987
Roger (Fabrice Josso) is a 16-year-old who seeks to lose his virginity in this softcore erotic drama. His initial efforts are unsuccessful, but World War I breaks out and men are seen marching off to battle. Roger goes overboard when he is presented with several amorous opportunities. He soon impregnates the maid, his aunt, and his sister in quick succession. Roger desperately tries to marry off the women to other men to avoid a lurid scandal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fabrice Josso, Claudine Auger, (more)
- 1985
Full frontal nudity and a wealth of softcore sex scenes combine with a serious and sometimes sensitively rendered story about Emilio (John Leysen), the scion of a wealthy family. Emilio and his clan have seen better times, and when he becomes obsessed with Giulia (Serena Grandi), a robust, sensual, sexually hyperactive woman, he gets nowhere; she is clearly unimpressed with Emilio and his background. Confused audiences might be remembering the modestly presented 1962 version of the story, Senilita, starring Anthony Franciosa as Emilio and Claudia Cardinale as the woman he loves. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Serena Grandi, Johan Leysen, (more)
- 1984
- PG
Mighty Hercules (played by muscleman Lou Ferrigno) returns in this sequel. This papa Zeus sends Herc from Olympus to Earth to find seven stolen thunderbolts. Basically the film is Saturday afternoon kiddy matinee fodder, good for passing the time, but little else. The film is also known as Adventures of Hercules. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Ferrigno, Milly Carlucci, (more)
In this Z-grade Italian "gorror" movie, an American student and her friends go on a tour of the Greek islands and find themselves victimized and eaten by a disfigured psychotic cannibal who thinks that eating the flesh of strangers will help him atone for eating his own family after they were shipwrecked. Italian shlockmeister Joe D'Amato directed this yummy bit of fun. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tisa Farrow, Saverio Vallone, (more)
