''Sacred Flesh'' is a 1999 British

nunsploitation Nunsploitation is a subgenre of exploitation film which had its peak in Europe in the 1970s. These films typically involve Christian nuns living in convents during the Middle Ages. Criteria The main conflict of the story is usually of a religio ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

. It is set in an indeterminate past, and consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes that depict pseudo-lesbian sexuality and some sado-masochistic activity.

Plot

Sister Elizabeth, the mother superior of a medieval convent, has visions of Mary Magdalene and a skeletal dead nun. Father Henry, the abbot, and his servant Richard are summoned by the convent's abbess to help with the hysteria spreading among the order. Elizabeth recounts the confessions and fantasies of the nuns, flagellating herself and becoming excited as she does so: Sister Sarah

masturbates Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...

; Sisters Mary and Helena flagellate one another and then have sex. Sister Catherine is violated by Fathers James and Peter. Finally, Sisters Jane, Teresa and Helen engage in three-way sex and violate Sister Ann after tying her to a cross. Elizabeth writhes violently in her cell and, as she dies, is tormented by visions of a crucified woman and Christ's beating Sacred Heart. Mother Elizabeth and an (imagined) demonic

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

(who has relapsed from sainthood, back into the sex worker the church once claimed she was) debate desire and chastity within what seems to be a heavenly antechamber. Mary remarks to Elizabeth that, as her convent is full of repressed female desire, the Mother Superior too is enveloped within this voluptuous fold. Elizabeth details four fantasy vignettes. These are interspersed with conversations between the convent's former abbess, a priest, Abbess Elizabeth, an odd dead

zombie A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...

nun and an actress

Eileen Daly Eileen Mary Theresa Daly (born 1 June 1963) is an English actress, director, film producer, writer, singer, presenter, songwriter and former adult film performer. She is also a contemporary scream queen, having starred in numerous cult horror ...

playing the spirit of Catechism.. The sex scenes conform to standard pornographic sequencing. They each start simply and culminate in erotic release at the end. There are scenes of the full

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

sexual gamut, which extends from episodes of individual nuns' self-stimulation to non-monogamous lesbian sex to a final nun-centered crucifix- bondage scene, with copious use of the whip and the rope.

Cast

* Sally Tremaine as

Abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

Elizabeth, Mother Superior * Moyna Cope as Former Abbess * Simon Hill as Abbot Henry * Kristina Bill as

* Rachel Taggart as

Catechism A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...

as Repression * Daisy Weston as Sister Brigitte * Moses Rockman as Richard *

Emily Booth Emily Katherine Booth (born 26 April 1976), also known by her stage name Emily "Bouff" Bouffante, is an English actress and television presenter. Early life Booth was born 26 April 1976 in Chester, Cheshire, growing up in Hastings, East Su ...

as Williams Girl * Willow as Herself * Laura Plair as

Succubus A succubus is a demon or supernatural entity in folklore, in female form, that appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. According to religious tradition, a succubus needs male semen to survive; repeated sexual activity ...

* Leasa Carlyon as Peasant * Louise Linehan as Marion * Mary Grant as Nun * Daisy Weston as Nun * Leasa Carlyon as Nun * Nicole Bouchet as Jailed Nun * Louise Ross as Insane Nun * Cindy Read as Dominatrix Nun *

Michelle Thorne Michelle Marie Thorne (born 2 August 1975) is an English glamour model, pornographic actress and director. Career Thorne has worked with production companies such as Bluebird Films, Extreme Associates and Union Jaxxx. She also has her own pro ...

as Sister Sarah * Marc Morris as

Inquisitor An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literal ...

* Chris Charlston as Inquisitor * Hannah Callow as Sister Helena * Amanda Dawkins as Sister Mary * Majella Shepherd as Novice Catherine *

Christopher Adamson Christopher Adamson is a British actor. He often portrays villains on film, such as in ''Judge Dredd'' (as Mean Machine Angel), '' Lighthouse'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'', ...

as Father Peter * Philip Serfaty as Father James * Nicole Bouchet as Sister Helen * Cassandra Bochsler as Sister Teresa * Anneka Svenska as Sister Ann * Sarah McLean as Sister Jane * Cindy Read as Christa

External links

* British sexploitation films 1999 films Nunsploitation films 1990s English-language films 1990s British films {{exploitation-film-stub