Sip the Wine (1976)

Something rare tonight, a San Francisco production who was the only film directed by Dan Caldwell, if the name sound familiar it's probably because Caldwell was a TV actor and a lead in Nightmare in Blood.

The film vanished from the face of the earth (technically speaking of course) until one of my friend shared his copy online yesterday. Enough talking, time to jump in the film...

We start at the beach with Virginia and Micheal, a young couple in love, but when Michael try to get his way with his girlfriend she refuses to let him go all the way so he left her.

Anni Long and James Whalen

Flash forward three years after at San Francisco where Virginia arrives to visit her friend Lisa. They go at a restaurant and a chain of events is started by that decision. Indeed they meet the owner and talk with him on the terrace drinking wine. While doing so they learn that he is in the film business and the trio go at the studio where one of his film is made. When they arrive the film director isn't happy since he don't want people on his set but surprise... the director is Michael and the old couple meet again after all those years.

Colin Phillips and Veronica Taylor

James Whalen and Anni Long

Without surprise they revive their ancient romantic relationship and Lisa begin one with Jeremy. Everything is perfect but not for long... Michael's film project have all kind of problem with the cast and the crew, it goes seriously over budget and the new relation doesn't help since he was in a relation with Alameda the film AD before the return of Virginia in his life.

Marion Eaton

Things aren't better for Jeremy who see his relation with Lisa shattered in pieces when an actress fired from the shot come at his house and reveal that he is always married and warn Lisa that he will use and betray her too.

Dianne Montgomery

Don't worry the film end (the one we watch not the one made in the film) on a good note, Jeremy explains to Lisa why he is always married and we go full circle with Virginia and Michael at the beach.

George S. McDonald

Often when a film is lost it's because it isn't that good, but this one was enjoyable. Just don't expect a sex filled movie, indeed the focus is more on the story than the actions (which is fine with me) and part of the sex isn't really hardcore (think early seventies softcore).

The story is simple but interesting, the film is well shot (too bad it's probably the wrong screen ratio since this is sourced from a tape), the acting is very good (most of the cast use alias and some sure look familiar) and we see that a professional crew was used for the film.

Hard to find and you won't find it at any online store, in fact it's an exclusive on the Vintage Erotica Forum, but it's a perfect example of what was made at San Francisco in the seventies.   

Mrs. Smith's Erotic Holiday (1982)

A lesser film from the golden age made by someone who didn't care enough to put his name on it and after watching I can understand why,,,

A couple who have some difficulties with their sex life decide to go on a cruise for some kind of therapy. 

Jennifer West and Tommy LaRock

The therapy consist in a lot of sex with strangers (I'm sure no one fell from their chair after that revelation) and this is pretty much all. Between the encounters we follow a discussion between the ship captain and another man inside a restaurant.

F. Powers Gireau and Ian MacGregor

I was sure happy to see Jennifer West starring in a film but after a while seeing the same two people on the same set (their room on the ship) having sex encounters with other people get old... even more when MacGregor make the clown while spying the action from the cabin porthole.

Ken Starbuck and Becky Savage

Lei Quan

Not something I'd call essential or worthy of a watch, in fact even if the film is only 1h01 long it felt endless and I was bored at times. Often the image is blurry when the captain peep the action and I don't know who was the champion who thought it was a good idea but it wasn't for sure.

If you really want to check this one go for the rent option, at least you will waste less money.

Disco Lady (1978)

A low budget production (and I really meant it since he did it for 5,000$) from Bob Chinn. But nonetheless I like the charm and vibe of this production. Don't expect nothing complicated story wise, it's about a group of people spending New Years Eve at a small club (its name is the film title) and what they do between dancing and having fun. 

Uncredited Ken Scudder as the club emcee

Basically we follow Rick and his wife on their fifth years wedding anniversary, Carla and the Candyman on a working night and a trio of friends night in town. 

Alan Colberg, Rhonda Jo Petty and Stormy Simons

Like I said there aren't much story, this is just a film you sit and enjoy...

Rick Lutze and Robin Savage

... the sex is good, the soundtrack is great (if you like disco if not you'll be annoyed by it for sure), it isn't filled with big names (Rhonda Jo Petty is but it was her first film), it's end fast (the film is just under an hour long) and it ends on a tragic note (could have been worse for sure if it wouldn't have been for the guy who was unable to enter at first).

Robert Rose and Ming Jade

This isn't the kind of film that you'd purchased on a standalone release, but you are in luck since Vinegar Syndrome released it on Blue-ray as a second features with Hard Soap Hard Soap. There is a video on demand version available on Hot Movies but it's the Alpha Blue Archives version so don't waste your money on it like I did when I bought that triple features DVD.

This is also the last film of Renee Bond

Just to compare the quality you are free to watch the film intro I posted on my YouTube account some years ago sourced from the ABA DVD...

And no that film was never 1h16 long, this is just BS from imdb as it happens often when we talk adult film productions.

Young Harlots: Girls Dorm (2014)

Welcome to the Young Harlots Academy where young girls train in becoming women...

This is one of the many entries in the Young Harlots series from Harmony Films. The company is English which means that we got girls coming from all over Europe, so it's an accents festival. The format is simple, five different vignettes with a group of young girls learning (this is an all-girls production).  

Tiffany Doll and Ava Dalush

Most of the vignettes are enjoyable to watch, except for the fourth one who has too much anal sex for my taste. Anal isn't my cup of tea and even less when we talk of an all-girls film, seriously what's the point? Of course I know... it's lesbian fantasy from a male point of view.

Marina Visconti and Lola Taylor

Talking of accent... if you are a french speaker, as I am, you'll get the bonus of understanding Tiffany Doll when she is really in the actions as she forget that it's an English film and start talking in her native tongue.

For a film of this genre it was fine, I have seen better but it was enjoyable. You get girls in school uniform and a young Marina Visconti at her best, at least for me since I prefer her European works to her later work in the USA. Just expect a lot of toys play and, for some reasons, a lot of spiting but not much caress since it's a fantasy of lesbian sex contrary to Teenage Lesbians by example. 

It's available on Video On Demand on GameLink for a good price and if you are an unlimited member it's even better since it's one of the thousands of films you can stream freely with your subscription.

Night Hunger (1983)

A man stop at a bar for a drink and a lunch, but he will get more than this when the barman start telling him about the story of the Blair family.

Jerry Butler

The family is afflicted by a disease named satyriasis that make sex something vital for them. The first sign of the affliction appeared with Lucien Blair (Eric Edwards) at the end of the 19th century who kept a collection of young women at his manor to satisfy is lust while keeping his love for his wife (Honey Wilder).

Honey Wilder and Eric Edwards

The story of the family continue during the prohibition when Lillith Blair (Sharon Mitchell) was running a brothel at the manor to feed her lust for sex.

Sharon Mitchell

Like her father, I suppose that Lucien was her father, she have a lover but she use the brothel clientele to satisfied her sexual urges.

Joe Santini, Alan Adrian and Dan Stephens

After we get another time period jump and we reach the seventies when a musical band was renting the manor (so the affliction is related to the house and isn't a family curse after all) as a studio. 

This section start greatly since we get a musical number from Sharon Kane (seriously I love when she sings in a film) and this time we see how the curse works on a person via the discussions between the two personalities of Sharon Kane's character. This part contain a risque segment that would have been certainly cut if the film would have got a legit DVD release. 

Michael Bruce and Sharon Kane

Finally we learned that the manor is now a rest house for the nuns, since it isn't a Jesus Franco's film it won't end with a nuns orgy but the usual Damiano cameo.

Candida Royalle

The eighties was not a good decade for Gerard Damiano like many other veteran directors the transition from film to tape killed his drive, but when he was good he was more than good and this is the case with this one. Sadly it was his last great film, but this little known gem is really worthy of being rediscovered. 

I can't find any negative to this film... the story is original, the acting is excellent from Edwards great dialogues to Sharon Mitchell who got an award for her role to Sharon Kane who is great like she  always is, the decision to use diferents color tone for each different periods and the supporting cast who do a good job even if they haven't much to do since they are sex feeders for the characters afflicted by the satyriasis.

Sadly there are no legit release, so you have a choice between a GVC standalone DVD release or an ABA triple features to get the film. Both are easily findable at the usual places on DVD and Video On Demand. 

The Starmaker (1982)

Pretty much a vanity project from Ken Yontz and Ron Feilen about the big comeback of Mr. Seka...

Yes this is the first image of him on the screen

After getting dump by Seka it's time for Yontz to get back in the game and since he is a suitcase pimp he needs a new girl to leech on, so we start with a cast session to find his next big star for his upcoming film. This is pretty much a low rent version of what you can see in those casting film by Pierre Woodman. It's long and nothing special until Jamie Gillies shows up with Copper Penny (too bad she won't stay for the film).

Copper Penny

 They don't find someone for the film, but the show must go on so it's time for a recording session of the movie soundtrack. Yep it's time to listen and watch Kenny Dino singing a very bad song while Tish and Dave Ambrose and Mike and Brandy Lawrence have sex to have background noises for the song.

Tish Ambrose, Mike Lawrence and Dave Ambrose

Now it's time to use a trick used in the teen romantic comedy, they had their new star from the beginning... it's Miss Thorndyke their secretary, but how would they know with those glasses?

Lisa Cintrice version 1

Lisa Cintrice version 2

To celebrate the end of the star search it's time to go on a boat trip and I wonder how Sharon Mitchell did to not laugh when she say "If anybody can do it Ken can" about Lisa Cintrice becoming a star.

Bobbie Burns and Ron Feilen

Now it's time to work and it begins with a photo-shot of Lisa Cintrice done by Yontz followed by a visit at Robert Kerman and Lisa B appartment.

Lisa B

The last twenty or so minutes of the film is an orgy at Plato's Retreat who end with Yontz showing the next actress he will exploit (and no that didn't happen since Lisa Cintrice like Seka dump him after this film). 

Larry Levenson The King of Swing

Honestly it's been a while I have seen something so bad... complete waste of time like most vanity projects usually are. Yontz is the definition of a suitcase pimp, even more than Chuck Traynor was, and there isn't one single alternate universe where he could be called a star maker.

Not available on DVD or VOD for good reasons, Bob Kirk and Leonard Kirtman are great filmmakers compare to Mr. Seka (and we all know that filmmaker isn't a name we can say when we talk about Kirk and Kirtman).

Dragon Art Theatre #10

Time for a visit to the Dragon Art Theater and I've picked a double features who is a perfect example of what would have played in a second rate adult theater in 1972.

Of course a visit to the theater wouldn't be one without Donn Davison welcoming us...

Now it's time to sit, watch and enjoy...

The title say pretty much all you need to know about the film... Kim (Rene Bond) comes to visit her long time friend Barbara who is now a working girl (why not be paid for it if you do it free anyway).

This is a cheap one with some known people (Rene Bond, Rick Lutze and Adam Ward) but the cast is mostly unknown people and thank God they stayed unknown (the girl who play Barbara have a nice face as long as she keeps her mouth closed).

It's mostly ugly people having sex (here I talk about Barbara's clients) with some funny dialogue and a ton of awful instrumental version of known songs (The Sounds of Silence, Hey Jude!, What a Wonderful World, etc.).

An average production but with a young Rene Bond before her surgery so I can't say that it was a waste of time.

This one have more ambitions, at least they tried to do a movie with a narrative. It's about a woman named Julie who works at a low rent strip club until she meets a guy who brings her at Vegas to live the good life.

It doesn't take long for her to see that this guy isn't a nice man when he brings her at one of his friend home. He wants to have sex in front of his friend and the girl with him to give them a show like they do, she refuses and he just say fuck it and go for a threesome.

After a week without seeing him she decides to find him to leave him for good. She finds him at a restaurant with an Asian girl. The girl calls Julie later to meet her to talk about the guy, in fact she asks Julie to kill him and she accept... now be ready to laugh because the Asian girl talks like a text to speech software and believe me it's hard to take that discussion seriously as it should be.

Julie is unable to complete the mission but the guy show up dead anyway (the story is a series of flashback told by Julie and she said how the man was killed even if she can't know it). After hearing all the story the detectives, at least I think they are, tell her that she is free to go. 

Even if I said that they tried to make a real film it doesn't mean that it isn't a cheap one. There are a lot things that happen with no reasons and aren't that clear, maybe in place of padding the running time with the couple watching a film at a porn theater they could have used that time to fill the holes in the story. The acting is in the pitiful category but the actress who play Julie isn't too bad compare to everybody else in that film. It was a little bit better than Kim Comes Home but don't expect any known people on the screen.

You can get this one on DVD-R from Something Weird Video.