Nostalgia Kinky

88 Films continue their long-running Italian Collection Series with a new 4K and Blu-ray of Joe D’Amato’s Eleven Days Eleven Nights 2. Remastered from a new 4K scan from the original negative, this release gave me the opportunity to watch a film from one of my favorite filmmakers I’d never seen before. Loaded with hours of extras, this is a must-buy for fans of D’Amato and post-peak Italian genre cinema in general.

Buried deep in the prolific filmography of the legendary Aristide Massaccesi are a small handful of films that a part of a genre ‘Joe D’Amato’ was never known for.
The genre?
Comedy.
Laugh out loud, full-blown comedy.
For the most part, D’Amato just flirted with comedic sub-genres throughout the early part of his career working on a series of DECAMERON style romps. He’d even co-direct an entry in the TRINITY comedic western franchise in 1972 but it is 1977’s Il ginecologo della mutua (LADIES DOCTOR) that finds Uncle Joe diving headfirst into the Italian comedy world. LADIES DOCTOR arrived sandwiched between two of D’Amato’s most notorious films, EMANUELLE IN AMERICA (1977) and EMANUELLE AROUND THE WORLD (1977) and made little impression upon its limited release. By the late seventies D’Amato was fully established via his work as both an erotic and horror filmmaker so his brief foray into full-blown comedy was forgotten. Imagine if the film had been a success. An astute businessman on top of being a great artist, D’Amato probably wouldn’t have missed a beat delivering another another comic work…but that wasn’t meant to be.

Undici giorni, undici notti 2 (ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2) arrived fifteen years after LADIES DOCTOR. Billed as a follow-up to D’Amato’s wonderfully sexy and stylish erotic drama Undici giorni, undici notti (1987), ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 continues (I’m not going to get into the complicated order of this series) the carnal adventures of Sarah Asproon, now played by statuesque blonde Kristine Rose taking over the rather irreplaceable Jessica Moore.

Back in 1977, my man Joe was riding high, but by the early nineties his landmark company Filmirage was severely struggling. By the mid-part of the decade Joe switched almost exclusively to hardcore work because he always had the skills to pay the bills…and was willing to use them. Before that major change, the early nineties finds D’Amato working with smaller budgets, tighter shoot times and less familiar on-screen talent, all of which caused him to do something quite unannounced and unexpected.

He made another comedy and he didn’t tell anyone.

ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in some time and it is easily the funniest Joe D’Amato film I’ve ever seen. And I’m not talking about unintentional bad movie comedy. Joe D’Amato and screenwriter Rosella Drudi were brilliant people who knew what they were doing and to my eyes with this ‘sequel’ to one of D’Amato’s most popular erotic films they set out to make this campy little film as ridiculously and delightfully daffy as possible.

As an erotic softcore title, ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 is perfectly serviceable but once you switch your attention to the film’s all-enveloping humor D’Amato’s film really takes off. Shot completely in New Orleans featuring mostly local actors (I’m kind of obsessed with driving down and finding some of these folks), this 1991 film feels as much an actual regional work rather than Italians visiting on a Visa to make a movie. D’Amato takes great and often hysterical pains to show off his historic location. There’s a lot of walking around New Orleans in ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2…a lot of walking.

Drudi’s script is one for the ages, filled with some truly memorable jaw-dropping melodramatic and pulpy dialogue throughout. The cast seems mostly clueless about the film’s very intentional humor, with the exception of the underrated Ruth Collins, who takes care of business here. Looking like she is auditioning for a John Waters film, Collins chews up every scene she appears in, clearly very in on the joke. She’s hysterical.

While the cast outside of Collins plays it straight only Rose gives signs that she might also be aware of the film’s soapy satiric slant. Kristine Rose has kind of an awkward quality that’s charming and she is a nice, if much less commanding, replacement for the still missed Jessica Moore. I was particularly taken with the local New Orleans based cast that fills out most of the film’s supporting roles, many of whom only appeared in this one film. They bring a student like eagerness to the film that’s charming and utilized so well. D’Amato surely understood their inexperience would heighten the hilarity of some of ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2’s histrionic humor, as it most certainly does.

Unlike the majority of his classic Italian titles, ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 features live sound so this odd duck of a film gives one the opportunity to hear Laura Gemser’s actual voice during her brief appearances throughout. Gemser also supplies the film’s terrific wardrobe, all of which makes the woman look suitably stunning and the men like total douches. It’s perfect. Gemser makes one of her final screen appearances, which alone makes ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 a significant if minor title in D’Amato’s filmography.

ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 is a great example of under the gun get it done low-budget filmmaking and it wears its technical flaws on its sleeve. D’Amato’s usually exceptional cinematography isn’t quite as sharp here although the film’s has its share of hypnotically beautiful shots. Of course it does, this is a Joe D’Amato film after all! ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2’s budgetary limitations are very much a part of its guerilla appeal. 88 Films new collection highlights both the film’s visual strengths as well as its weaknesses do to budget and time. As always my reviews are mostly focused on the film and extras but giving my brief opinion of the A/V here, I actually preferred the Blu-ray as the, admittedly more striking 4K disc, highlights the film’s already heavy grain more than the Blu. Personally I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see a healthy amount of natural film grain on these HD releases but but I did prefer the 1080p print here as the heavier grain isn’t quite as noticeable in a handful of scenes.

88 Films have loaded up this fun release with hours of bonus material and I really appreciate how honest everyone is about the film’s faults, while highlighting its strengths. We get a great full length commentary by Italian film experts Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti and they nicely go back and forth throughout the track dishing information. It’s an entertaining and well researched listen. The release also comes with a endearing essay from historian and filmmaker Callum Waddell, who discusses his personal memories of British television in the 80s/90s and the importance of the ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS franchise. I learned lots reading this nicely personal essay.

A slew of video interviews are also on hand, including a 20 plus minute chat with the film’s composer Piero Montanari who discusses his work with D’Amato, this film and his career. Along the same lines is another chat with the incredibly knowledgeable Italian Music historian Pierpaolo De Sanctis. Awesome stuff. The original Italian credits are also included as is a reversable sleeve and an attractive hardshell slipcover featuring some new eye-popping artwork by Sean Longmore.

My favorite extra is the disc’s longest, outside of the commentary track. The 40 minute talk with the influential Mark Thompson Ashworth is a must watch. He talks about his long career, coming up with the likes of the amazing Stephen Thrower, starting Eyeball magazine and finally his dubbing work with Filmirage. Tremendous stuff and an essential watch for fellow Eurocult enthusiasts.

On a strictly surface level it is easy to dismiss ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 as just another Zalman King wannabe titillation show but my maestro D’Amato wove some serious magic for me here. I’ve not smiled more during a film as much as this one all year. ELEVEN DAYS, ELEVEN NIGHTS 2 is a tribute to the much-missed Aristide Massaccesi’s perseverance and refusal to ever deliver the expected.

-Jeremy Richey, December 2025-

The disc can be ordered from 88 Films and MVD.