THE
FOUR DIMENSIONS OF GRETA (1972)Director: Pete Walker
Salvation (U.K. - PAL Region 0)
THE
FOUR DIMENSIONS OF GRETA (1972)Known primarily for his roster of unique horror movies, Brit director Pete Walker often dabbled in U.K. sex/comedy romps including I LIKE BIRDS (1967) SCHOOL FOR SEX (1969), COOL IT CAROL (1970). FOUR DIMENSIONS OF GRETA offers the gimmick of a quartet of mischievous 3-D sequences, giving it the distinction of being the first British feature to be filmed using the celebrated process.
Hans Weimar (Tristan Rogers who later appeared on "General Hospital") is a German journalist who flies to London to investigate the disappearance of Greta (Leena Skoog), a stunning 18-year-old blond who ran off to become an au pair. Hans interviews four different individuals who all paint a rather different picture of the missing girl, and it's these scenes that constitute the 3-D sequences, roughly adding up to 20 minutes or so. We later discover that Greta has been kidnapped by an East End gangster (Alan Curtis).
Most British comedies are nothing to get excited about, and FOUR DIMENSIONS is no exception. Tristan Rogers (with painfully bad German accent) is incredibly dull, and although the title boasts "3-dimensional," the characters are almost all 1-dimensional. Only Robin Askwith (star of HORROR HOSPITAL and numerous "Confessions" and "Carry On" flicks) turns in a memorable performance as a shabby footballer romantically tied to Greta.
The film's main attraction is its tasty array of busty blond bombshells, all who flaunt their assets in the miracle of 3-D. When the 3-D scenes are about to commence, the picture dissolves into a whirlwind, prompting the viewer to put their special glasses on. Told in flashback style, these sequences allow cherries, a banana, a punching bag, a wine glass, a bra--not to forget supple breasts and rear ends--to burst out from your television screen. Well, I'm probably making it sound better than it really is, but see for yourself.
Available only in the U.K. as a Pal Region 2 disc, Salvation's release is slightly letterboxed and the colors look very nice. The picture is smooth, but there is sparse print damage and some digital artifacting is noticeable on my Odyssey all-code player, especially in dark scenes. The 3-D sequences look pretty good once you get your eyes adjusted correctly. These scenes were shot in black and white, and they take on a green tinge when viewing them with the glasses. I believe that it's intended that way because snippets from the scenes also take a greenish hue in the flat theatrical trailer.
The extras include the aforementioned trailer (apparently for the American release as it bares the R rating), a nice collection of stills and poster and video art, and one incredibly tiny pair of 3-D glasses (the ones with red and green lenses) that don't even have handles to rest on your ears, but still manage to get the job done. (George R. Reis)