this is a pretty good soft-core sex comedy, with some pretty hot women (and a few not so hot). the 'professor' guy is pretty goofy and induces a few chuckles, and some scenes are genuinely funny. the emphasis is on sex, but the director seems to be of an indecisive mind (unless something's missing from the current DVD version of the film): some scenes are so tame, they're hardly R material, while some are more intense, including one with John Holmes that crosses over into hardcore X territory (but fleetingly, and it's all underwater)!

there's a lot more explicit nudity and sexual heat in the film than most of the current or recent soft-core films, and most of the women are naturally beautiful. on the minus side, the technical aspects are a bit shoddy, and the whole thing is (intentionally) lame-brained. but it's definitely worth checking out if you like this sort of stuff.

Directed by Richard Franklin (whom would go onto better things with "Psycho 2" and "Roadgames"),comes this tawdry number wherein Professor Jurgen Notafreud (John Bluthal from Dark City, and the Fifth Element) reveals the 'top ten womens' fantasies' in this porn mockumenty. The fantasies include, a girl lusting for her hairdresser, wife swapping at a strip poker game, strap-on, rape, sex with John Holmes, incest, prostitution, school play and religious sacrilege. This is a VERY mixed back. The doctor is supremely unfunny and cringe-inducing, some of the 'fantasies' are great, but some are awful. All of them are hard soft-core by the way. Plus you get some extremely top heavy women and of course John Holmes, that in itself is worthy enough to give this one at least a rent. It was followed by a severely lacking sequel to quickly cash-in on this film's success.

My Grade: C-

DVD Extras: Commentary by Antony Ginnane (one of the most interesting and informative ones I've heard); almost 23 minute retrospective featurette 'Fantasm Penetrated'; and theatrical trailer

Eye Candy: more full frontal and ass than you can shake a stick at (in one viewing at least) Serena, Shayne, Maria Aronoff, Rene Bond, Roxanne Brewer, Wendy Cavanaugh, Uschi Digard, Gretchen Gayle, Dee Dee Levitt, Maria Lutra, Helen O'Connell, Candy Samples, and Maria Welton all bare all; plus some girls I don't know show a lot as well

For the Ladies: a few balls and peni (plural of penis)

The recent documentary, Not Quite Hollywood, has inspired me to see every movie featured in it. Recently I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday 12 Ozploitation flicks, this being one of them. I did not go into this expecting much, and I did not get it. Although it has some genuinely funny moments, and some 'what the hell' scenes, the rest was just random and nonsensical. There is very little plot in this movie, as it is based around a Professor explaining 10 common female fantasies. Of course, these are all acted out for us, some very explicit, others not so much.

I suppose you have to be in the right mood to get into Fantasm, and although it is not overly bad, it is nothing to write home about. Richard Franklin is a competent director (he did a great job of Psycho II and the Hitchcockian thriller Roadgames) and it shows here. The film flows well and never really gets boring, just odd. Fantasm is only recommended to those who want to see every Ozploitation film or someone who is just looking for a cheap laugh.

2½/5