Amor Estranho Amor Love Strange Love 1982 English Dubbed Awesome Movie Best 【HOT · 2027】

Beyond the Sensation: Why Love Strange Love (1982) is a Cinematic Fever Dream Worth Finding

If you’ve stumbled upon the title Amor Estranho Amor (or Love Strange Love), you’ve likely seen two very different reactions online: either absolute fascination or raised eyebrows. Directed by Walter Hugo Khouri, this 1982 Brazilian drama is often sensationalized for one reason (the casting of a very young Vera Fischer and a pre-fame Xuxa Meneghel).

But for those in the know—especially fans of obscure, atmospheric cinema—the real Holy Grail isn’t just the film itself. It’s the legendary, hard-to-find English dubbed version.

Let’s cut through the noise. Here is your helpful guide to why this movie is an awesome, weird, and unforgettable experience, and why hunting down that English dub is worth the effort.

The Xuxa Factor: Why This Movie Shocks and Fascinates

Any discussion of Amor Estranho Amor inevitably lands on Xuxa Meneghel. Today, Xuxa is a beloved children’s television icon—the “Maria” of Latin America, a blonde queen who sang to millions of kids. But in 1982, she played Tamara, a provocative young prostitute who seduces the underage Hugo.

The scenes between Xuxa and Marcelo Ribeiro are the reason the film was banned for decades in Brazil. They are uncomfortable, ambiguous, and artistically risky. Xuxa later tried to destroy every copy of the film, but thankfully, cult movie lovers preserved it. Watching the English dubbed version, you see Xuxa not as a children’s host, but as a serious (if controversial) actress. Her performance is chillingly effective because she looks like an angel but acts like a predator.

This contradiction is what makes Love Strange Love an awesome movie. Not awesome in the sense of feel-good fun, but awesome in the original sense: inspiring awe and terror.

3. The Controversial Shock Value

We must address the elephant. Love Strange Love is famous—and infamous—for its depiction of a child’s sexual awakening in an adult environment. This is why the film was banned in several countries upon release. Watching it today requires a mature, contextual understanding of artistic allegory (many critics read the boy as a metaphor for Brazil itself—innocent, exploited, and shaped by powerful, corrupt forces). The English dub, interestingly, softens some of the rawer Portuguese dialogue, making the film more bearable for squeamish Western audiences while retaining the core tension. Beyond the Sensation: Why Love Strange Love (1982)

2. Film Overview

Title: Amor Estranho Amor (Love Strange Love)
Year: 1982
Country: Brazil
Director: Walter Hugo Khouri
Genre: Drama / Erotic Thriller
Language: Portuguese (Original), English Dubbed versions exist.
Key Cast: Vera Fischer (Anna), Tarcísio Meira (Dr. Osmar), Xuxa Meneghel (Tamara), and Marcelo Ribeiro (Hugo, the child protagonist).

Final Verdict: An Awesome, Uncomfortable Masterpiece

So, is Amor Estranho Amor (Love Strange Love) an awesome movie? Yes. Is it the best strange love film ever made? It is certainly one of the most unforgettable.

The 1982 English dubbed version transforms a difficult Brazilian art film into a global cult phenomenon. It is a movie that will crawl under your skin and stay there. Pin it, shame it, or praise it—you cannot ignore it. For fans of the weird, the forbidden, and the visually sublime, this is gold.

Don’t watch it with your parents. Do watch it with an open mind. And remember: love is strange. Especially in 1982, especially in Brazil, and especially when it’s dubbed into English.

Have you seen the English dubbed version of Amor Estranho Amor? Share your thoughts with fellow cult movie fans below. And if you want more deep dives into forgotten VHS treasures, subscribe to our newsletter.

The film Amor Estranho Amor (known in English as Love Strange Love

), released in 1982, is a Brazilian erotic drama written and directed by Walter Hugo Khouri. It remains one of the most controversial pieces of Brazilian cinema, primarily due to its legal history and the involvement of Brazilian superstar Xuxa Meneghel. Plot Overview Title: Amor Estranho Amor (Love Strange Love) Year:

The story follows a man named Hugo who returns to a mansion from his childhood. Through a series of flashbacks set in 1937, he recalls a 48-hour period spent at the house when it served as a high-end brothel managed by his mother, Anna (Vera Fischer). The film explores Hugo's sexual awakening and the complex political atmosphere of Brazil just before significant governmental changes. Key Cast and Crew

Director: Walter Hugo Khouri, often compared to European masters like Bergman and Antonioni for his art-house approach to eroticism.

Anna (Vera Fischer): Hugo's mother and the brothel's manager. Fischer received several awards for this performance.

Tamara (Xuxa Meneghel): A young prostitute who becomes a focal point of Hugo's experiences. Hugo (Marcelo Ribeiro): The 12-year-old protagonist. Availability and English Dubbing

While originally filmed in Portuguese, an English-dubbed version does exist, largely found on older VHS releases and some DVD imports.

Quality: Reviewers on IMDb often describe the English dubbing as poor or "atrocious," suggesting the native language version is superior for preserving the film's intended mood. Final Verdict: An Awesome, Uncomfortable Masterpiece So, is

Rarity: The film was famously "forbidden" in Brazil for years because Xuxa Meneghel, who later became a beloved children's TV host, fought long legal battles to block its distribution. Critical Reception Opinion is sharply divided:

Why the 1982 English Dubbed Version is a Rare Treasure

Let’s address the elephant in the room. For many non-Portuguese speakers, subtitles can be a barrier to total immersion. The 1982 English dubbed version of Amor Estranho Amor is not merely a translation; it is a reinterpretation. During the early 80s, international distributors looking to sell Brazilian erotica to the American and European home video market produced a dub that is, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Why is it awesome? Three reasons:

The Voice Acting Quality: Unlike the flat, lifeless dubs of many foreign films, the English voice actors in Love Strange Love commit fully to the melodrama. The whispers are husky, the screams are raw, and the dialogue carries a poetic, almost theatrical weight that matches the film’s operatic visuals.
Accessibility for Cult Audiences: The English dub removes the “homework” feeling of reading subtitles, allowing you to get lost in the stunning cinematography—the sweat on skin, the mosquito nets billowing in the tropical heat, the period costumes. You can feel the story rather than read it.
Camp Value Meets Art: Let’s be honest—some of the dubbed lines are pure gold. The slight delay between lip movement and sound, the exaggerated intonations during intimate scenes, and the way English idioms clash with Brazilian sensibilities create a surreal, hypnotic effect. For fans of so-bad-it’s-good cinema, this dub delivers. But for art film lovers, it also retains the original’s tragic core.

Love Strange Love (1982): An Awesome, Unsettling Deep Dive into Brazil’s Most Forbidden Cult Film

If you’ve stumbled across the keywords “amor estranho amor love strange love 1982 english dubbed awesome movie best,” you’ve likely heard the whispers—this is not your average coming-of-age story. Directed by Walter Hugo Khouri, Love Strange Love (original title: Amor Estranho Amor) is a cinematic fever dream that has earned its status as a legendary, if deeply controversial, cult classic.