the review site with a difference since 1999
the review site with a difference since 1999 |
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| 07/16/2019 | ||||||
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Synapse Films presents "You asked for it, you got it!"
DVD ReviewThe latest entry from Synapse in the 42nd Street Forever series of vintage trailer compilations highlights the adult film industry with an explicit collection of 42 coming attractions (insert porn joke here) that runs two hours and twenty minutes. This is hardcore retro old school material from the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the kind where storylines, costumes, sets and dialogue were almost as essential as the actual sex acts themselves, and while no one would ever remotely confuse the line reads with "acting", you have to give a little bit of credit that the filmmakers were actually trying to tell a story.These were X-rated adult films, not just porn. There is no apparent chronology to the trailers, and perhaps just listing the original release years of the films might have put this collection in a more proper perspective of some kind. But that's just my anal retentive nature (insert porn joke here) coming through, and what I really should be doing is just sitting back and reveling in the liberating expression of joyous exploratory sex from an era when it was considered necessary to have plots once in awhile. It's a nice cross-section here, as there's the surreal dreamy weirdness of F (with its stars dressed in doll clothes, for example) alongside more traditional costume-dramas like Scheherezade: A 1001 Erotic Nights, with these appearing with a few slightly less intricate titles, such as a couple of later entries from the Debbie Does Dallas and Devil in Miss Jones series (though oddly enough the originals are not here). If you took all of the sexual congress out of a trailer collection of modern day porn, there would probably be nothing left to look at. And that's what makes this set enjoyably strange, because a trailer for the James Bond parody For Services Rendered almost seems more concerned selling bad spy puns than it does showcasing sex. Ditto for the near epic Blonde Ambition from the Amero Brothers, with Suzy Mandel and Dory Devon as the vaudeville duo The Kane Sisters. There's choreography, singing, attempts at comedy and naturally all that sex, but the trailer almost makes the film look nearly legit. At its most simplistic level, this is two-hours-plus of explicit adult film trailers from the mid 1970s and early 1980s. The historian in you can marvel at the attempts at storytelling and costuming, while the aficionado can comment on the use of threesomes and the occasional gloryhole, as well as fondly recall the talents of Seka, Kay Parker and Lisa De Leeuw. The trailers included are: Nasty Girls Coming Together Alexandra Heart Throbs Nothing to Hide Slip Into Silk Oriental Jade Debbie Does Dallas III Debbie Does 'Em All I Want to Be Bad Sensations G-Strings For Services Rendered Blonde Heat Blonde Ambition Burlexxx Showgirls Surrender In Paradise Scheherezade: A 1001 Erotic Nights Matinee Idol Trashy Lady All American Girls The Ribald Tales of Canterbury F Naked Scents Supergirls Do the Navy Tight and Tender Passage Through Pamela Skintight Hot Blooded Desire Beyond Desire Hot Lips Aroused Fascination Scandalous Simone Girls on Fire Beverly Hills Cox Tickled Pink Making It Big Dracula Exotica Ultra Flesh Devil in Miss Jones III Devil in Miss Jones IV Supergirls Do General Hospital The Oddest Couple Rating for Style: B- Rating for Substance: B+ Image Transfer
Image Transfer Review: According to the backcover, all 42 trailers "have been digitally remastered in high-definition from original 35mm film materials", and they're presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, to boot. That's pretty regal treatment for a block of vintage porn trailers, and even with a significant amount of print damage still evident, the colors look remarkably bright and bold given their age. The quality varies somewhat from trailer to trailer, with some looking better than others, but in general the presentation has a pleasant consistency, with just some edge details seeming soft periodically (insert porn joke here). Image Transfer Grade: B Audio Transfer
Audio Transfer Review: All clips are presented in Dolby Digital mono. A little crackle in spots, and the overall tonal quality is fairly flat, but it is never an issue to understand all of the campy narration and dialogue. But let's be honest: you're not watching this for the sound quality anyhow. Audio Transfer Grade: B- Disc ExtrasFull Motion menu with musicScene Access with 42 cues and remote access Packaging: Amaray Picture Disc 1 Disc 1-Sided disc(s) Layers: dual Extras Review: A complete lack of extras is a little disappointing, because even a chronological listing of the films by year or mentions of the cast would have been something. The disc is cut into 42 chapters, which is one per trailer. Extras Grade: F Final CommentsPart of me wishes that this compilation of classic adult film trailers had some sort of extras that offered a little comparative history on the subject; something to legitimize all the sex. Instead, this is simply two hours and twenty minutes of steamy hardcore action set amidst the sometimes elaborate plots and costumes of the period. And oh, all that cheesy music...You already know if watching adult film trailers is up your alley. If so, this is a must. |
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