Movie Review: The Passions of Carol (1975)

Review by Jeff

It’s just a few weeks until Christmas gets here and I still can’t help but wonder why there haven't been more Christmas themed porn films produced over the years. I know, It’s a sacred holiday to folks of the Christian faith, and the thought of Santa in an orgy with Mrs. Claus and the elves is beyond morbid, but still. Over the summer I learned from a pal that an adult film from legendary "Golden Age" director, Shaun Costello, called The Passions of Carol (based on A Christmas Carol), was discovered by a persistent archivist. As a fan of both porn and Christmas, I was overjoyed. The Passions of Carol had been released previously (by Video-X-Pix)to DVD from an inferior quality master, so the actual movie has been around, but film elements were unfortunatley thought to be lost – until now. Video-X-Pix recently added Shaun Costello’s, The Passions of Carol to their critically acclaimed line of Platinum Elite DVDs (Blonde Ambition, Maraschino Cherry and Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle all have recieved the Platinum treatment). Now, with the participation of Costello (Forced Entry, Waterpower, More than Sisters), Video-X-Pix delivers a brand-new remastered release of this tinsel covered porn oddity.

Movie Review: "The Flying Acquaintances" (1973; Vinegar Syndrome)

...back in this reviewer's good ol' early Navy days...that is, before the onset and convenience of home video, and those occasional late-night 'gathering of the buds', at one of the 'buds' conveniently located homes...those smokey & darkened back rooms, and the flickering chatter of an overheated film projector...the murmuring and the snickers and the 'woo-wooing' and the clinking of beer cans...this reviewer's fondest memories of having been 'formally' introduced to the steamy and provocative arena of sexploitation cinema, were the late-night trips we all made, to the local, albeit tucked-away-back-in-the-fields drive-in theaters, in the early eighties. Passion pits, found while stationed in Orlando, Florida...Groton, Connecticut...Great Lakes, Michigan...Norfolk, Virgina. Breaking away from our arduous pre-weekend Naval school studies, or the dust and grit of a Friday workday in the shipyard, once the sun hit the level of dusk, a dozen of us...all young, dumb and full of (...what?? Did I just hear a high pitched 'cuckoo'?? Never mind...) would pour ourselves into a couple of rickety, run-down vehicles, and do some wayward, random bar-hopping. A couple of us would occasionally 'get lucky', and that'd be the last we'd see of them, that night...a couple others, green behind the gills, being unable to hold their 'Milwaukee's Best' (...and that's after the first 12 or 15 of them; hey, you just can't beat a case of beer, for a mere three bucks and change, right??), would pass out, and a readily available taxi would pigeon the wimps back to base...

...the rest of us, beaten down by rejection, but still enjoying a respectable buzz...still, with another case or two of the ol' 'MB' to polish off, and nothing else to do...would roll on over, sometimes on mere gas fumes, to the local, though quite out in the sticks, late-night drive-in theater, which...once the midnight hour rendered a subtle cymbal strike...would covertly screen some of the best, albeit some of the most wildly outrageous softcore film classics...most of which were dated back to the golden age of '70's 'blue' movies. Edgy sex scenes, but not too explicit...wacky fantasy scenarios, which could never possibly happen in real life, save for what might be imaginatively written in 'Forum' magazine...comical interludes, to break up the monotony of the steam sex moments (...oh yeah right...they were so-o-o-o bo-o-o-oring, too...again, yeah right)...shoddy production values, and ridiculously looking cardboard sets...and some of the most ludicrous, over-the-top performances, both in character interaction, as well as during the sex scenes...and all this for the stuffed carload price of five bits...

The Billy Bagg Double Feature (The Violation of Claudia/Hot Honey) DVD

Label: Distribpix Inc / Sweetheart Theaters

Prebook: September 9, 2014 Streets: October 7, 2014 SRP: $19.99

UPC: 828320020016 Cat: 2001 Run Time: 134 Minutes Language: English

Color Widescreen 1.85:1 Dual Mono All Regions

Production year: 1977 / 1978

Genre: Adult Erotica / Drama Not Rated

Director: Bill Lustig

Stars: Jamie Gillis, Sharon Mitchell, Serena, Heather Young, Long Jeane Silvers

Before he became one of the most famous and important horror filmmakers of the 1980s, Bill Lustig(Manic Cop, Vigilante) directed these two X rated oddities. Both films have been newly restored in 2K from their original negatives and each audio commentary with Bill Lustig is moderated by Danish film director, Nicolas Winding Refn(Drive, Only God Forgives, Valhalla Rising, Bronson).

Movie Review: The Vixens of Kung-Fu / Oriental Blue (1975)

Since Vinegar Syndrome established themselves just a few months ago as one of the finer genre distributors around, they've bolstered their eclectic library with some double-feature discs that don’t make much of a dent in your pocketbook, while still delivering quality content. Their most recent release of Bob Milling’s The Vixens of Kung-Fu and Oriental Blue are no different. With the help of Golden Age and all-around stellar adult film distributor, Distripix (The Opening of Misty Beethoven, Naked Came a Stranger, Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle) Vinegar Syndrome puts forth one of their finer drive-in double features.

Both The Vixens of Kung-Fu and Oriental Blue have, as the title implies – an Asian theme. They even share many of the same actors -- Jamie Gillis, C.J Lang, Bobby Astyr and Peonies.  They are different stories completely. In The Vixens of Kung-Fu a young prostitute named Yan (Bree Anthony) is fleeing from a group of rednecks played by legends, Bobby Astyr and Jamie Gillis. She's unfortunately shot in the back by these rape-happy goons. Naturally, the boys have their way with her while she's still warm in a very sleazy foursome, which includes another actor jerking into some cloth vessel whilst Astyr and Gillis do what they do best.

"The Vixens Of Kung Fu" and "Oriental Blue" Drive-in Double Feature Coming July 11th From Vinegar Syndrome!

Release Date: 7/9/2013

Format: Dual Layer DVD-9
# Discs: 1
SKU: VS-011
UPC: 855011004109
SRP: $14.98

Label: VINEGAR SYNDROME

Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Frame: 23.98 Progressive Scan
Region: Region Free
Color: Color
TRT: 155 minutes
Audio: Dolby Digital Mono

Year of Production: 1975
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Sexploitation / Exploitation / Classic Erotica

Movie Review: Serena: An Adult Fairytale (1979)

Directed by Fred J. Lincoln

Movie Review by Greg Goodsell

Serena’s life really stinks. As explained by Fairy Godmother China Leigh, as soon as her mother died, her wicked stepfather sold her into slavery at the local brothel. She spends her days scrubbing floors inches away from all sorts of explicit action engaged by young women, that if you watch them too closely, aren’t that pretty, and their skid row johns. Client Mr. Thomas (reliable old hand Jamie Gillis) is planning a big orgy for his friend, Prince Charles (ditto, Paul Thomas). Will Serena, or Cindy, or Cinderella, whatever – she’s referred to all three names during the film’s 68 minutes – break away to participate in the big orgy and win the heart of Prince Charles?

Impulse Pictures Gets Into The Golden Age Groove With Two XXX Delights Starring Ron Jeremy And Jamie Gillis!

IMPULSE FILMS PRESENTS

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A surefire way to pump some blood into your Valentine's Day

SAME TIME EVERY YEAR and
SERENA: AN ADULT FAIRYTALE

Bundle up, push play, and feel the warmth flow...

IMPULSE PICTURES proudly presents two classics of skinema from the age when porn was reviewed in regular newspapers:
•Ron Jeremy• in SAME TIME EVERY YEAR and '70s superstar Serena stars in SERENA: AN ADULT FAIRYTALE, both directed by LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT star Fred Lincoln!
It’s that time of year again! Michael and a group of his male friends head off to a lawyer convention, leaving their wives home alone. Of course, these ladies aren’t stupid and they know their men are just out having a “good time” without them getting in the way. Picked up by a chauffeur (played by a younger, slimmer Ron Jeremy), the boys head out to a sex resort for the weekend. The wives, on the other hand, have some sin-sational plans of their own...

Low on plot and high on non-stop sex, SAME TIME EVERY YEAR stars many high-profile adult stars like Ron Jeremy, Loni Sanders, Paul Thomas, Tiffany Clark and Herschel Savage. Fred J. Lincoln (the psychotic ‘Weasel’ from Wes Craven’s classic, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) directs this 1981 classic adult feature.

Misty is Almost Here!!

Specs and information on the upcoming release of The Opening Of Misty Beethoven from Distribpix .



The Id is a Lonely Hunter: A Review of Shaun Costello's Midnight Desires

 “We hide our desires, even from ourselves.”

The way a person approaches their sexuality can often reveal a lot about their innermost workings, to the extent where that is often more fascinating to explore than the act itself. But how many people can honestly face their sexuality and the mental machina behind it? You are probably wondering where in the hell I'm going with all of this, but never fear, since this psycho-sexual road leads directly to Shaun Costello's mid-70's film, MIDNIGHT DESIRES.

Want A Blu-Ray Release Of "The Opening Of Misty Beethoven"?

Distribpix/435 Productions is hard at work on the 2-DVD Special Edition of "The Opening of Misty Beethoven" and aiming for a July release! But fans who wish they could be a part of bringing Misty to Blu-ray (or who would like to pick up the all-new poster, soundtrack or t-shirt to help fund the effort!) can head over to the "The Opening of Misty Beethoven Goes Blu-Ray" Kickstarter project starting today!

Get a sneak peek at the DVD's special features and take advantage of Kickstarter-exclusive pre-order bundles and discounts as we work to raise the funds needed for Blu-ray authoring, encoding, licensing and replication. If at the end of 21 days fans have pledged enough to make the Blu-ray possible, their credit cards will be charged, they'll get their cool discounted merchandise, and Misty will launch on Blu-ray as well as DVD. If not, no one pays a dime and the DVD release goes on as originally planned. It's win-win!

This is a community effort, so help us get the word out! Both the Blu-ray and the discounts ONLY happen if the project meets its funding goal! Like the project on Facebook, send links to friends, pitch it to friendly webmasters, and help Misty Go Blu!

HELP MISTY BEETHOVEN GO TO BLU RAY!

Movie Review: New York Grindhouse Avon 7 Triple Feature: Slave Of Pleasure/ My Mistress Elektra/ Prisoner Of Pleasure

To me, it really comes as no surprise when watching vintage porn, New York's Time Square was undoubtedly the Mecca of smut during the 80's. The filth historians at After Hours Cinema have been taking full advantage of the Big Apple's sleaze havens by releasing numerous film compilations highlighting 42nd Street's best. Here the famous (and infamous) Avon 7 Theater is given center stage along with porn pioneer Shaun Costello (Forced Entry, More Than Sisters, Pandora's Mirror). This particular smut palace was widely known for showing some of the nastier, cheaper, S&M themed adult cinema on the Deuce. The Avon Theater managed to become popular among many perverts - even for showing this niche brand of BDSM porn . Three films are featured here, all directed by Shaun Costello : Slave of Pleasure, My Mistress Electra and Prisoner of Pleasure.

Movie Review: Grindhouse Collection - Sex Mad Family

After Hours Cinema has done an admirable job for us perverts by continuing to dig deep into their massive vault of vintage hardcore porn with their various themed "Grindhouse Collections". The theme in the trio of titles on their Grindhouse Triple Feature: Sex Mad Family is aimed at only the true pervert - the kind that doesn't mind seeing family members do some screwin'. Cousin Pauline, Curious Women and Sex Mad Family are the three films included, and folks they're some crazy, cheap pre-Taboo filthiness.

The very first dose of dangling dicks and sloppy seventy’s tits is the delightful, Sex Mad Family. Here we have a father resembling Art Garfunkel, with a penchant for S&M and slightly uncomfortable discussions with his daughter. He can’t seem to get any lovin' from his wife so it’s off to his mistress for some slap ‘n’ tickle and good old fashioned fucking. Meanwhile, his very curious but dumb as a rock daughter stays at home with her cousin exploring their bodies. Sex Mad, they are, but attractive they ain’t. A lot of funny lines are thrown around in this flick, even though there really isn’t much to look at on the screen.

Whimsy in the Boudoir: Radley Metzger's THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN

Humans. We are curious creatures by nature. For example, when you walk by an open window, what is your first instinct? To look. Not always to intentionally be nosy, but just by sheer, curious instinct. What about that guy? Is he a boxers or briefs man? What about that girl? Is she happy with her life? Now take that and imagine if you got to be a private detective and follow around a beautiful, leggy blonde by the name of Pamela Mann. That's exactly the situation that grabs ahold of Eric Edwards in Radley Metzger's THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN.

Frank (Eric Edwards) is the type of detective whose personal interest in voyeurism, one that dates back through several generations (!), has transformed from a lurid hobby into gainful employment. (Talk about living the dream!) His bread and butter, naturally, are jealous lovers who often suspect their partners of infidelity. After having to break the bad news to one perturbed, awesomely fey man (Kevin Andre), he soon gets another case. The client in question? Mr. Mann (Alan Marlowe), a mens magazine publisher who is suspicious that his wife, Pamela (the flaxen haired Barbara Bourbon), is “doing things I wouldn't like.” Sounds kind of broad but between Frank's profession and the fact that this is erotica, you can guess what some of those things are. (Undoubtedly something wonderful, lovely and saucy.)

Movie Review: More than Sisters

Probably one of the more interesting places to set the backdrop for a vintage fuck-film would have to be in a run-down mental hospital. Shaun Costello's, More Than Sisters takes full advantage of this very idea. Costello, the director of such porn classics as Dracula Exotica, That Lady From Rio, Fiona on Fire and of course, the incomparable Waterpower also takes on the role of John Bollinger, an unconfident guy with coke-bottle thick spectacles, whose very concerned for his wife, Susie Bollinger (Lynn Stevens). Susie seems to be flipping out because of an onslaught of sexually charged dreams. Leave it to Dr. Allan Bannister (Jamie Gillis) to help rectify the situation with his own brand of medicine. This hospital , as you'd expect, isn't your average medical facility: The doctors fuck the nurses, the nurses straddle the patients, the patients suck off all of the above. No doubt, sexual healing is the best kind of "therapy".

Movie Review: Pandora's Mirror

For several years, I’ve been an admirer of adult film director Shaun Costello. Shaun is the talented creator of such 35 mm Porn classics as More than Sisters, Hot Dreams, Midnight Desires and the film I’m about to review for you Pandora’s Mirror – starring adult film legend Veronica Hart and the late-great Jamie Gillis. The strange thing is though, I never knew –up until a few years ago- that I was a fan of Costello’s work, because this mans name had never been attached to his productions. It was the year 2005 when a bootleg adult film company had exposed this. Costello was using numerous pseudonyms for his features - Warren Evans, Russ Carlson, Helmuth Richler, Nicholas Berland, to name a few – where he was able to maintain some degree of anonaminity. Now, thankfully, Costello’s films are receiving legitimate releases in the best possible quality –utilizing the only remaining masters- via the Denmark based company, Pink Flamingo Entertainment. More importantly though, all features are director approved, by Costello himself.

Movie Review: More Than Sisters

Probably one of the more interesting places to set the backdrop for a vintage fuck-film would have to be in a run-down mental hospital. Shaun Costello's, More Than Sisters takes full advantage of this very idea. Costello, the director of such porn classics as Dracula Exotica, That Lady From Rio, Fiona on Fire and of course, the incomparable Waterpower also takes on the role of John Bollinger, an unconfident guy with coke-bottle thick spectacles, whose very concerned for his wife, Susie Bollinger(Lynn Stevens). Susie seems to be flipping out because of an onslaught of sexually charged dreams. Leave it to Dr Allan Bannister (Jamie Gillis) to help rectify the situation with his own brand of medicine. This hospital , as you'd expect, isn't your average medical facility: The doctors fuck the nurses, the nurses straddle the patients, the patients suck off all of the above. No doubt, sexual healing is the best kind of "therapy".

The Passions of Carol: A Real XXX Christmas Parody

Video-X-Pix presents their latest Platinum Elite remastered DVD release; a restored, edition of acclaimed cult filmmaker Shaun Costello's THE PASSIONS OF CAROL, an X rated parody of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This classic adult comedy, which was first released theatrically in 1975, has long been sought after by fans of both its director and the sexploitation film genre, and is finally available in an ultimate collector's edition.


THE PASSIONS OF CAROL mixes humor, sex, and lavish costume and set design in its ribald retelling of Charles Dickens holiday classic. Mean-spirited Carol Scrooge runs Biva Magazine, a cheap sex mag, and refuses to allow her employees to take Christmas off from work. However, on Christmas Eve, Miss Scrooge is visited by three wise spirits who, through sultry visions, show her the evil of her ways and teach her the importance of Holiday kindness and giving.

This DVD release features an all new High-Definition transfer from the only known film elements, as well as the first ever audio commentary track by director Shaun Costello, plus a fully illustrated 20 page liner notes booklet written by Costello. Costello himself is overjoyed with the project and stated, "This thoroughly delightful re-release of THE PASSIONS OF CAROL, one of my favorites, is a result of Joe Rubin's resourcefulness, in bringing out the best picture quality possible from the High Definition transfer, and fixing those frustrating audio problems. And, the determination on behalf of VXP/Distribpix to make a high quality version of this film available to the public for the first time in 35 years. Thanks guys, for a job well done".

With a cast that includes legendary performers Jamie Gillis, Kim Pope, Marc "10 1/2" Stevens, Mary Stuart, Sonny Landham, and Alan Marlow and direction from one of the most innovative directors in the history of X rated cinema, Shaun Costello, whose other works include FORCED ENTRY, WATERPOWER, MIDNIGHT DESIRES, and DRACULA EXOTICA, PASSIONS is a perfect cinematic gift for any time of year.

Please head on over to the Video-X-Pix website for this title and many other classics!

WWW.VIDEOXPIX.COM

“Happiness, too, is inevitable” - A Tribute to Jamie Gillis

By Heather Drain

Let’s face it, folks, the past two years have been horrible for losing great artists, especially for those of us who are into the fringe arts. Damiano, Lux Interior, Bill Landis, Ron Asheton, Brian “Smerdley” Shane, Jack Wrangler, Sky Saxon, Erica Boyer, Juliet Anderson and now Jamie Gillis.

Search Amazon.com for Jamie Gillis

I can’t even convey to you properly how weird it feels to type out that sentence, especially since the news only broke out a few days ago. Death is always a surprise but this was a case of it being genuinely shocking. This was a man that lived life to its fullest and for being 66 years old, he looked damn good. Better than anyone has a right to. But it’s not just appearances. There was something truly bigger than life about the man. Part of that was persona. Any fan of blue films worth his or her salt should be more than familiar with “the dark Prince of Porn. But Gillis was more than that, both as an actor and as a man. This was someone you could never just write off as this or that. When you do that, you’re usually missing the most beautiful and brilliant part of the picture. It is the layers of Gillis’s talent and intelligence that has always fascinated me.