Victim Appeal:
The flick features two Hungarian sexpots by the stage names of Hillary Frank and Rose Sardy. Their acting is atrocious and the dialogue delivered in a flatly droning manner, but it only matters during the brief exposition. Here is what we get in terms of story: the girls visit an Army Colonel's office because they want their loved ones to return home (boyfriend and brother, respectively). After initial reluctance ("This is not in my hands"), the Colonel offers to help them in exchange for a perverse favour. He reveals himself as a member of a secret club where young women are tortured for pleasure, and if they are willing to submit to that, he will heed their pleas. Shockingly enough, the girls agree!

Both young ladies are red-haired, slender and pretty to behold. Once the need for acting is removed, they turn in a fine (i.e. resilient) performance. Rose Sardy, in particular, is stunningly gorgeous, and I can't seem to get enough of her lovely, whimpering reactions. So while the appeal is superficial, it is definitely there. Quite a lot of it, actually.

Gratuitous Sadism:
The Elite Club series has a stronger "BDSM emphasis" than the average traditional CP movie. Canings and whippings (severe ones!) remain the center of attention, but we are also treated to various additional forms of abuse. While still in his office, the Colonel forces Hillary to give him a blowjob. I can do without hardcore sex in kinky films, but it was a brief scene and fits with the exploitation motif. In the club segments, we have some bastinado with a crop and a bit of genital piercing. Yikes!

Not quite my line, all of this, so let's move on to the nice old-fashioned butt lashings. The welcome news is that "Special Case" features several good scenes, including one that is truly outstanding. Rose Sardy gets 32 strokes of the cane while tied up on all fours, over a bench. Hillary Frank gets 20 in the diaper position. Afterwards, it is Rose's turn again. She is whipped with a single tail, on the X-Cross, 30 hits in total to both her front and back. For the finale, the girls are tied together, back to back, and given 60 with the single tail, "package style". Marks, howls and pleas for mercy abound. In the sum of its parts, a lighthearted feel-good romp.

Best Reactions:
The first CP segment with Rose Sardy. For me, that is the whole reason to see the movie. It is as perfect a caning scene as I have ever watched, and simply because of these few minutes, I count "Special Case" among my top five favourite videos of all time. Where to start? The girl is drop-dead beautiful. She gets some 30 strokes, not excessive by Hungarian standards, but each one is severe. Fine classical position, bent over and tied up. Her tormentor, the Colonel, wears a monk's robe! The rhythm he applies is exemplary - slow and spacious, savouring each lash, but just quick enough to keep the scene from fizzling out. Rose gets vivid, gorgeous welts on her ass, one angry red stripe developing after the other until she is thoroughly covered. The whole sequence is photographed nicely, with good lighting, camerawork and angles.

As if all of this wasn't enough, Miss Sardy's reactions are simply stunning. She may be forgettable as an actress, but her natural behaviour here is nothing short of ideal. If I had to pick a textbook example of what excites me as a sadist, for spanking models to watch, I would choose this scene. Of course, there is no point - reactions need to be genuine! In this case, they are both genuine and awesome. Rose is in a lot of pain, and she makes it known, but she doesn't scream her head off. I find excessive volume irritating. No, she cries and whimpers and yowls, loud and heart-wrenching, but always somewhat suppressed. She's neither too stoic nor too hysterical, and the result is a wonderful blend of vocal distress and struggle for composure. A struggle which she only loses towards the very end, with the last few strokes. Great crescendo, great finish. A classic, intense, highly arousing scene.

Best Line:
If you haven't guessed it by now, there is no intricate story here, no humour or psychological drama, and no memorable dialogue, either. Rose Sardy screams "Don't! I'm begging you!" during her caning. Several times, at the top of her lungs. So that would have to be the main line, I guess.

Nice Psychological Touch:
I liked how they tied the two girls together for the final single tail whipping. There is a German proverb saying: "Shared suffering is only half the suffering." Judging by their agonizing unisono cries, though, I am not sure that it is true.

How Good Is It Really?
You've read my rave review of That Perfect Caning. Personally, I rate it among the best ever filmed. The rest of "Special Case" is okay, but unremarkable. No story worth the name, wooden acting, and while the other CP scenes are good, they are not brilliant, either. Not nearly as much as Miss Sardy's heart-rending howls. So it comes down to the question, is the video worth checking out for that segment alone? For me, it is, but prepare to be less impressed by the remainder.

What You Learned:
Sometimes, five and a half minutes out of 45 are enough to create a classic spanking movie. And I really want to go to Budapest. On foot, wearing a monk's robe.