Tarzan X -1994- Rocco Siffredi -ita-
A group of jungle explorers—usually consisting of a sleazy safari leader, his repressed female assistant, and a bumbling comic relief—crash their jeep (or boat) into the deepest, most forbidden part of Africa. They are looking for a lost city of gold.
The "X" in the title is crucial. It wasn't just Tarzan ; it was Tarzan X —the X denoting extreme, explicit, and unapologetically adult. And who better to lead such a project than Rocco Siffredi, the Hungarian-Italian actor who had become a living legend by the mid-90s?
The film's influence extends beyond the adult film industry, as well. "Tarzan X" has been referenced and parodied in popular culture, with its imagery and themes being incorporated into various forms of media, from music videos to comedy sketches. Tarzan X -1994- Rocco Siffredi -ITA-
They encounter Tarzan (Rocco), who has been raised by apes (represented by a few men in cheap gorilla suits). Tarzan has never seen a civilized woman before. The female explorer, intrigued rather than terrified, watches as Tarzan bathes in a waterfall.
In the vast, shadowy crossroads where cult cinema meets adult entertainment, there exists a subgenre that defies easy categorization: the erotic parody. While Hollywood spent millions on Disney’s animated The Lion King (also 1994) and the live-action flop The Jungle Book (1994), a different kind of jungle tale was being shot on European soundstages. That tale is , a 1994 Italian erotic film starring the undisputed king of adult cinema, Rocco Siffredi . A group of jungle explorers—usually consisting of a
. It is known for its high production values compared to standard adult fare of the era, notably being filmed on location in Blog Post: A Cinematic Footnote in Italian Exploitation
: Jane Porter travels to Africa on an expedition, where she gets lost and eventually encounters the "Ape Man" (Siffredi). It wasn't just Tarzan ; it was Tarzan
The film gained some notoriety when the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan's creator) unsuccessfully attempted to sue the production. Among fans of the genre, it is frequently cited as a "superb couples movie" due to its focus on aesthetic appeal and the chemistry between the lead actors.
While the story of the Lord of the Jungle has seen many adaptations, this 1994 production represents a specific era of Italian exploitation cinema. Directed by the prolific Joe D’Amato
Because Tarzan X uses a public domain character (the basic concept of a jungle nobleman), it avoided the lawsuits that plagued other parodies. However, it could not use the iconic "Tarzan yell" or any copyrighted music from the MGM films. Instead, the soundtrack is a glorious 90s synth score—saxophone solos mixed with tribal drum loops—that sounds like a rejected track from a Sex and the City episode.
The film was shot entirely on location in Kenya, providing authentic jungle backgrounds including elephants and monkeys that set it apart from typical studio-bound adult productions.