May 18, 2011 7:15 PM PDT    Text size: 

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA Film & Television Archive in June will honor the art-house erotica and independent film pioneer, Radley Metzger, with a five-night retrospective that highlights seven of his quintessential films.

The retrospective will begin on Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Billy Wilder Theater with a screening of the extended director’s cut of Metzger’s "The Lickerish Quartet." At the film’s conclusion, Metzger will be on hand to answer questions about his films. He will also introduce the film "Camille 2000" (Friday, June 3) which begins at 8 p.m. Later that evening, Metzger will attend a party co-sponsored by Cult Epics, the Hammer Museum and the UCLA Film & Television Archive in the Hammer Museum courtyard to celebrate the June 28 release of the newly restored "Camille 2000" on Blu-ray and DVD. The screening and party on June 3 is free and open to the public.

Scheduled to run June 2-17, the retrospective will include screenings of "Carmen, Baby (1967);" "Therese And Isabelle (1968);" "Camille 2000 (1969);" "The Lickerish Quartet (1970);" "Little Mother (1973);" "Score (1974);" and "The Image (1975)."

While the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s retrospective pays tribute to Metzger’s past achievements, the director is at work on the script of "Solarium," which will be his first new film since retiring from feature filmmaking in 1984. Solarium is being produced by Cult Epics founder Nico Bruinsma. The film tells the story of five beautiful women who meet at the Wanda Solarium.

“In this relaxed setting, the women allow their primitive instincts to emerge and explore what Carl Jung refers to as the ‘shadow side,’” Metzger explained. “It’s an exciting story, and one that drew me back into theatrical storytelling.”

In August, Cult Epics will present Radley Metzger’s "Erotica Psychedelica," a boxed set that collects three of Metzger’s best – "Camille 2000," "The Lickerish Quartet" and "Score" – on Blu-ray. Each disc features a high-definition transfer of the original theatrical release along with a number of bonus features. 

Meanwhile, to celebrate its 100th release, Cult Epics will unveil a newly restored, high-definition transfer of the erotic drama "Camille 2000" on June 28. The classic was originally released in 1969.

Set in Rome amid the height of psychedelic fashion, "Camille 2000" is a modern adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel “La Dame aux Cammelias.” The story follows the tragic affair between Marguerite (Daniele Gaubert), a doomed courtesan, and Armand (Nino Castelnuovo), a naïve bachelor who falls for her. The couple drifts through a seedy world of haute couture, inflatable furniture and fetish parties as their romance unravels.

Two versions of the film will be offered June 28. The first, from CAV, is an extended version of the original that incorporates 12 minutes of additional footage compiled by Metzger. The second, from Entertainment One, features the original theatrical version and includes those additional scenes as extras.