The Ribald Tales of Canterbury - Lilith Likes to Watch Mystery Month
Title: The Ribald Tales of Canterbury
Year: 1985
Starring: Hyapatia Lee, Mike Horner, Bud Lee
Director: Bud Lee
Synopsis: On their way to Canterbury, a group of noblemen and women play a game to see who can tell the best erotic story. - Via Letterboxd.com
Lilith's Notes: I actually know nothing of Canterbury Tales. I am uneducated swine.
Buy: Amazon | Adult Empire
"I was jealous of your horse."
Ladies. Gentlemen. However you identify. Are you prepared for culture? For today, Mystery Month grants us with quite a mystery indeed. The Ribald Tales of Canterbury.
You might have heard the title Canterbury Tales before. An old collection of fanciful tales told while on a journey. It’s some of the earliest dirt you can find.
So, how does 80’s pornographer Bob Lee translate olde English tales for the VHS crowd? Pretty well, actually.
I mean, it’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever watched, but it’s interesting. The sets and costumes are a highlight of the film. Yeah, it starts off looking cheap but as the film goes on, the quality strengthens. Another quirk of the film is that it feels strangely soft-core. There are daisy chains, and cumshots, and threesomes, but it all feels so soft for some reason. It all results in an interesting anomaly of a film.
Take, for example, the tale of a lady dressed as an abbot (played by Deborah Lynn). Mz. Lynn has terrible line delivery and she doesn't seem to want to be here. This is a problem. I don't like it when the performers don't seem to be having a good time. That's what we are all here for, right?
That's fairly early on in the film, though. As the travelers move on, the stories grow in both scope and quality. By the time the closing credits roll around, several gems have played before us.
One such story featured a woman (played by Beverly Bliss) who, well, nowadays the word we would call her is considered a slur so let's just call her a traveling dancer. Anyway she can't choose between two lovers (played by Tony Martino and Marc Wallice) so magically wishes to bed both of them. It's a good story and fairly hot, given the subject matter. Bliss seems to be genuinely enjoying herself and that just makes it all that much sexier.
Another enjoyable fable tells of a pair of young men seducing a mother-daughter duo (plyed by Stevie Taylor and Page Turner).
But without a doubt, the hottest scene is where the hostess (played by Hyapatia Lee) and the Lady of Bath (played by Colleen Brennan) sneak out for some alone time only to be spied on by the men in their convoy. Highlight of the film, no contest.
Finally, we watch the the hostess once again get fucked by the knight (played by Mike Horner).
Unfortunately we are given toneal whiplash thanks to the background music. One moment we will be watching Hyapatia beautifully enjoying a healthy helping of cock, backed by a track of strings then it will switch to the Lady of Bath getting dicked down by the carpenter to the tune of weirdly flatulent tuba music. It's like sitting in a car that constantly hits the breaks every few meters.
I know it may sound strange, but part of the reason I maintain Lilith Likes to Watch is for the slivers of education. You and I, reader? We're not just watching porn, we are absorbing culture. Together, we have discovered history and the human condition.
We are learning.
It is in that spirit that I say that Canterbury Tales has a legacy spanning over 600 years. It is beyond classic. Is The Ribald Tales of Canterbury a worthy adaptation? Probably not, but it could be a good gateway to the source material.
And that counts for a lot.
Best Moment: The intimate scene between the hostess and the Lady of Bath. It helped there was some added voyeurism to the scene.
Worst Moment: The fucking music. There's a theme song that is sung throughout. It's one verse long. I hate the word libations.
LILITH'S SCORE: 3/5
Until next time, my voracious voyeurs. I’m Lilith, and I’m always watching.
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