Dark Odyssey is a 1961 American erotic drama film directed by Radley Metzger.[1][2][3]

Dark Odyssey
Original film DVD cover
Directed byRadley Metzger
William Kyriakis
Screenplay byRadley Metzger
William Kyriakis
James Vlamos
Produced byRadley Metzger
William Kyriakis
James Vlamos
StarringAthan Karras
Jeanne Jerrems
David Hooks
Rosemary Torri
Edward Brazier
Nicholas Zapnoukayas
Ariadne Zapnoukayas
CinematographyPeter Erik Winkler
Edited byRadley Metzger
William Kyriakis
Music byLaurence Rosenthal
Production
company
Era KM Films
Distributed byAudubon Films
Era KM Films
First Run Features
Release date
  • 1961 (1961)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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An immigrant from Greece arrives in New York City to search for the man who mistreated his sister.

Cast

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  • Athan Karras as Yianni Martakis
  • Jeanne Jerrems as Niki Vassos
  • David Hooks as George Andros
  • Rosemary Torri as Helen Vassos
  • Edward Brazier as Jack Fields
  • Nicholas Zapnoukayas as Mr. Vassos
  • Ariadne Zapnoukayas as Mrs. Vassos

Reception

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Dark Odyssey was favorably reviewed by The New York Times.[4][5] According to film reviewer Howard Thompson, the film is a "thoughtful, unpretentious and creatively turned little drama ... a fresh, economical approach to an ancient dramaturgical formula".[4] Gary Morris, another film reviewer, describes the film as having "visual beauty and emotional power" and being a "literal Greek tragedy shot on location in New York City".[6] Film critic Dan Georgakas describes the film as the "best film featuring Greek American characters ever made".[7] Dark Odyssey has been described, by one reviewer, as having a neorealistic style similar to Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954) and Martin Ritt's Edge of the City (1957).[8]

Notes

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According to one film reviewer, Radley Metzger's films, including those made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle".[9] Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".[10] Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.[11][12][13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Bentley, Toni (August 7, 2014). "The Art Cinema Erotica of Radley Metzger". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  2. ^ Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris". Playboy. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  3. ^ Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris" (PDF). ToniBentley.com. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Thompson, Howard (June 26, 1961). "Screen: 'Dark Odyssey':Low-Cost Drama Has Premiere at Cameo". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Staff. "A Talk With Radley Metzger". Mondo-Digital.com. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  6. ^ Morris, Gary (1998). "Radley Metzger - Dark Odyssey and Little Mother". ImagesJournal.com. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  7. ^ Georgakas, Dan (1998). "Dark Odyssey". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  8. ^ Hasan, Mark R. (2011). "DVD: Dark Odyssey (1961)". KQEK.com. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  9. ^ Gallagher, Steve (August 7, 2014). ""This is Softcore": The History of Radley Metzger". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  10. ^ Simpson, Claire (October 2, 2013). "Adults Only: 5 Films By Radley Metzger". WhatCulture.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  11. ^ Slade, Joseph P. (1974). Rist, Ray C. (ed.). The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life. Transaction Publishers. p. 124. ISBN 9781412838467.
  12. ^ Lehman, Peter (2006). "Introduction". In Peter Lehman (ed.). Pornography: Film and Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780813538716.
  13. ^ "DadaBase Search Results - Radley Metzger". Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  14. ^ Giusti, Marco (March 4, 2017). "Obituary Of The Righteous - The Porn Of The Fabulous 60s And 70s Loses One Of Its Pioneers And Masters: Radley Metzger - Photographer Of War, The MOMA Presents A Retrospective: His Erotic Films Made History - Video: 'Score', On The Relationships Of Couples Of The 70s, In An Uncensored Version". DagoSpia.com (in Italian). Retrieved November 12, 2019.
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