Snowballin' (Après-Ski) Film Reviewed!

The wait has ended!  I found, I received, I watched, and now I will review.  You know which film I'm talking about.  The one who's amazing poster I posted, Après-Ski. The 1971 French-Canadian after dark film (that's right, AFTER DARK) was directed by Roger Cardinal.  I should have assumed that due to a certain nipple exposure on the poster, it was an AFTER DARK feature. Regardless, the bright-eyed swoomer was fooled. I mean, it is a 1971 French-Canadian film. 


Let's first look at the film's description according to NETFLIX:

"Journey back to the sexually liberal world of 1971 Canada, where hunky ski instructors find wintertime fun with a bevy of beautiful snow bunny students. Celine Lomez and future U.S. soap celeb Daniel Pilon star in this sex farce on the slopes. Filmed in the gorgeous mountains of Quebec, Snowballin’ – also know as Après-Ski – features lots of naughty humor and a hip soundtrack."


Unfortunately, the copy I watched was dubbed in English. I never prefer dubbed, even action based foreign films. I like hearing the actor voices, not the bad dubbing actors (even if the actual actors are bad).  However, I think the dubbed version is all that's available. 


The top menu is brilliant. There's a selection of film clips playing with the title track of the film, Après-Ski by Céline Lomez. Initially surprised and caught off guard, there are naked women in the clip selects. Wow. Okay, so it's that type of movie. Continuing on to play, the beginning title sequence is mostly a naked couple spooning without the title cards. Then, after 2/3 of the song, the titles begin to play. Another surprise. Wow. At this point, I official realize it's not just a sexy international flick. I forge ahead.


More unfortunate bad news. This sex farce film is lacking content, ski moments, and good dialogue. Okay, it's funny to hear the dubbing choices calling a ski instructor a "professor" but the other lame dialogue makes me hope it's the dubbing company who messed up, not the actual screenwriter. My favorite line of the film is near the end. It's by the new good-looking ski "professor" Phillip's (Daniel Pilon) last conquered ski bunny. Poor Phillip is genuinely falling in love with her, Karen, the sexy blonde model. He tries to stop her before she leaves the next morning with her photographer/soon to be husband, Bob. When he asks her why she stayed with him last night, her response is classic: "Things happen at night, but then comes another day." Poetic, ski bunny Karen. Phillip chases after them in his car, but stops when he sees 2 ladies hitchhiking on the side of the road. And that's the end of the movie. 


So Phillip, not really into Karen as much as you thought, huh? Back to your ways of keeping ski bunny score cards with the other two "professor" buddies?


A shocking moment that stood out is the 3 ski "professor's" snowmobiling with ladies and only the men are wearing helmets. There's a crash and one of the guys is carried away in an ambulance. Don't worry, his honey riding on the back sans helmet is not hurt. Another is watching Phillip throw a naked woman off a balcony into a pile of snow. Don't worry, he and the other clothed "professor's" leapt after. Ah, the seventies.


The soundtrack is highly enjoyable, and overall the film was amusing. Out of a 2 skis/2 poles rating, I give it 2 poles. Yes, you can enjoy that pun. I know I did.