5 Films 5 Years 1 (Blu-ray) Review

Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome Edition Details: Limited Edition Blu-ray Release Specs: Video Format: NTSC Format: Blu-ray Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 2

5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica is part of a two-volume limited edition Blu-ray release (The other being 5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 2: Horror and Exploitation, which is not a hardcore release.) from Vinegar Syndrome celebrating their first five years in business. The volume contains five adult films that were previously only released by Vinegar Syndrome on DVD that have often been requested to be released in high definition, minus any extras that were on the previous DVD only release. This volume is limited to 2,500 units. The films that are on 5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica are Too Naughty to Say No, Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls, The Ribald Tales of Canterbury, Prisoner of Paradise, and Dixie Ray Hollywood Star.

The films included in 5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica span from 1978 to 1985 and cover various sub-genres of adult film from comedy to thriller. Most fans of classic adult films will have seen the titles included on this release already. For those who haven't, there are likely to be several that are to your liking. If you already own these films on DVD from Vinegar Syndrome, you shouldn't view this release as a replacement since none of the special features have been ported over to this set. The films presented here have never looked better on home video and 5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica should be considered a high definition supplement to the existing DVD releases for these titles.

The five films are broken up over two Blu-ray discs with just the films and no extras. The first disc contains Dixie Ray Hollywood Star and The Ribald Tales of Canterbury. The second disc contains Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls, Prisoner of Paradise, and Too Naughty to Say No. You can jump to the review of Dixie Ray Hollywood Star, Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls, Prisoner of Paradise, The Ribald Tales of Canterbury, or Too Naughty to Say No or one can just keep reading to read all of them.

Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is a well-done adult film noir film to come from Anthony Spinelli. After finding a dead body in his office, private investigator Nick Popodopolis (John Leslie) explains to the police lieutenant (Cameron Mitchell) and his partner Harry (John F. Goff) about his case where he had been hired by Dixie (Lisa De Leeuw) after her estranged husband Charles T. Barclay (Chris Warfield) started blackmailing her over some photos.

Spinelli has done a good job with the film. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is a fun whodunit. The script and plot are well done and will keep the viewer entertained when there isn't any sex happening on the screen. The plot is well developed and, even better, the characters are well developed as well. The film is period appropriate as well. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star takes place in 1943 and the make-up, costuming, props, and vehicles all look right.

Mitchell does a good job and seems out of place in an adult film. Reportedly he didn't know Dixie Ray Hollywood Star was going to be a hardcore film until after his scenes were shot. Leslie does a great job in his role as does De Leeuw as the titular role. The supporting cast does a great job as well. The sex scenes are short, well done, and fit in with the flow of the plot so they don't seem out of place, nor do they pull you from the film.

All in all, Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is a well-done adult whodunit which should definitely be seen by fans of feature films.

Vinegar Syndrome has done an excellent job with their Blu-ray release of Dixie Ray Hollywood Star. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star was shot on film and the transfer on this release is assumed by this reviewer to be a 2K scan from the original 35mm negatives. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is presented in the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star sports grain, which is heavy in dark scenes of which the film has plenty, and minimal print damage and artifacts. By design, Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is often a drab looking film and the colors in the film really pop on this release.

Dixie Ray Hollywood Star is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 monaural audio track. There were no defects with the audio that could be discerned. The film sounds nice and the dialog in the film is clear and easy to understand.

Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls is a fun 70s adult film frolic from Bob Chinn. The film is a mixture of light-hearted comedy and sex. John (John Holmes) is the owner of Country Girl Pizza, who's young nubile skateboarding delivery girls delivery more than just pizza. Henry (Paul Thomas), Lewis (Spender Travis), and their friend (Richard Pacheco) are opening up a fried chicken place and decide to put John out of business. Henry enlists the help of “The Night Chicken” rapist to harass John's delivery girls and get John to shutter his windows forever.

Despite the presence of a character called “The Night Chicken” rapist, Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls is in no way a dark or off-putting adult film and is perfectly safe for couples viewing. There are no onscreen rapes shown nor are the treated as anything dark or vile within the film. John Thomas Chapman's story isn't too complex or in depth, however, it moves the film along at a nice pace and provides for plenty of laughs at the situations and jokes that the film throws at you.

The sex scenes are nicely done. They are all short, which was common for the time and for Chinn's films. However, they are all enjoyable and well short with nice energy. Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls is well shot, which is common from Chinn who was good at making light-hearted nice looking adult fare. The film stands up as well today as it did back when it was released. Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls is a must-see for fans of the genre.

Vinegar Syndrome has done a beautiful job with their Blu-ray release of Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls. Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls was shot on film and this reviewer is assuming that a 2K scan of the 35mm negative was used as the master for this release. Vinegar Syndrome's Blu-ray releases always look stunning and Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls isn't an exception. The image presented looks beautiful with grain, artifacts, and print damage. The colors are amazing.

Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 monaural audio track. The audio sounds great with no blemishes and dialog that is clear and easy to understand at all times.

Prisoner of Paradise is a hokey adult film from the 70s. As the story goes, during WWII an American soldier, Joe Murrey (John Holmes), ends up washing ashore on a South Pacific island after the ship he is on is sunk. On the island he finds a small Nazi encampment run by Hans (Elmo Lavino) and attempts to rescue Carol (Jayne Paygan) and Gloria (Brenda Vargo), two nurses the Nazis are holding hostage.

While the credits for Prisoner of Paradise list the co-directors as Bob Chinn and Gail Palmer, it is likely that the co-directors were really Bob Chinn and Harry Mohney, Palmer's boyfriend at the time. Writer Peter Segal found, when researching Palmer, that Mohney actually directed the films credited to her using her name. It is unclear whether Palmer wrote the films credited to her or if Mohney did that too.

The plot for Prisoner of Paradise doesn't make a ton of sense. For the most part, it seems to exist mostly to move one sex scene to the next while trying to add a little extra to the production. The acting is also a mixed bag in this one. Some of the cast does fine in their roles, others not so much. The sets used aren't bad and the tropical locations look nice. There is stock footage integrated into the film for footage that would have been too expensive to have filmed specifically for the film. The sex scenes aren't bad but aren't fantastic either.

Overall, Prisoner of Paradise is a cute adult film that doesn't have a ton going in the plot or the acting department and the sex is about average for the time. Chinn and Mohney have made the film look different from a lot of films at the time with the tropical locations used and the hokey Nazi plot. Prisoner of Paradise is worth a look but may not be desired for multiple viewings.

Vinegar Syndrome has done a great job with their Blu-ray release of Prisoner of Paradise. Prisoner of Paradise was shot on film and this reviewer is assuming that Vinegar Syndrome used a 2K scan of the 35mm negative for this release. Prisoner of Paradise is presented in the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p. From what this reviewer can tell, Vinegar Syndrome has done the best they, or anyone else for that matter, could do for Prisoner of Paradise. The footage that was shot by Ken Gibb for Bob Chinn and Harry Mohney looks excellent with the expected amount of grain, print damage, and artifacts. The stock footage in the film is looking worse for wear, however, this footage has never looked great on home video and may not have even looked good when Prisoner of Paradise was having its theatrical run.

Prisoner of Paradise is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 monaural audio track. The audio for Prisoner of Paradise sounds fine with no noticeable issues and the dialog in the film is clear and easy to understand.

The Ribald Tales of Canterbury is the directorial debut of Bud Lee and is an ambitious adult feature film made during the time that adult films being shot on film were being phased out. The screenplay, by Bud's at the time wife Hyapatia Lee, is loosely — very loosely — based on Geoffrey Chaucer's 1400 Middle English tome Tales of Caunterbury, known to modern readers as The Canterbury Tales. Hyapatia has kept the concept of a group of travelers taking the long trek to Canterbury and the host (Hyapatia Lee), who suggests a story competition along the way to pass the time.

It is here that The Ribald Tales of Canterbury starts to slowly veer away from the source material. The purse in Hyapatia Lee's version is an actual purse that each participant has put 20 pence into. The original 30 travelers from Chaucer's stories has been massively reduced as well and over the course of the film, we only get to hear four stories. The stories themselves have been changed to lascivious stories of sex, which should be expected since this is an adult film.

The tale concept makes for a nice way to present the oft-used vignette style for this adult film. Since each story is different, this allows for each vignette to be unconnected to each other yet still fit in with the film. There are four tales told along the trek to Canterbury; some of which are far more involved than others offering a mini-story whereas others are essentially just a set-up for the sex scene.

The first being the knight's tale, which is the least involved of all the four stories. The knight's tale has the knight (Mike Horner) coming across a young abbot (Debra Lynn) and pledging his services to him. He finds out that the young abbot is neither an abbot as he claims, nor is he a he. Next up is the carpenter's tale, which is probably the most involved of all four tales. The carpenter's (Jesse Eastern) tale tells of an evil miller (Dennis Duggan) who is trying to cheat two university students (Jon Martin and Peter North). His wife (Stevie Taylor) and daughter (Buffy Davis), tired of seeing the miller cheat people give the two students a night of pleasure.

The third tale is the Lady of Bath's tale. The Lady of Bath (Colleen Brennan) tells of a Lord (Bud Lee), who made a lady of waiting's father penniless and her revenge scheme on the lord and his wife (Cheri Janvier). The final tale is told by the host herself about a gypsy (Hyapatia Lee) who is in love with both Sitar (Tony Martino) and Vitar (Marc Wallice) and a deal the gypsy makes with the Devil (Howard Darkley). In addition to the sex scenes that the tales themselves provide for there are additional sex scenes provided by the connective tissue of the story as well.

The cast in the film is excellent. There are extensive non-sexual portions of the film that the cast does a wonderful job with, bringing their characters to life. The sex scenes are beautifully shot and the cast does a great job of bringing seductive eroticism into the sex scenes along with staying in character during the sex scenes as well. The sex scenes are sultry and enjoyable to watch.

The Ribald Tales of Canterbury was made at a time when some adult films were trying to still hold onto the notion of being an actual film with hardcore sex and not just sex scenes. Bud Lee has done a very impressive job with The Ribald Tales of Canterbury. The sets and locations that the film utilizes are excellent and fit the film perfectly. The set dressing and the costuming are also impressive as well. Honestly, The Ribald Tales of Canterbury more resembles the soft-X films that were being made for cable at the time and not a hardcore film as far as the sets and costuming go. The score for The Ribald Tales of Canterbury by Billie Boca and Lexi Hunter is excellent and sets a great mood for the film.

Sadly, The Ribald Tales of Canterbury is one of the last great grandiose adult films to have been made. The Ribald Tales of Canterbury is definitely an adult film that should be seen. The cast is excellent and the film looks great. The stories are enjoyable and the sex scenes are fun.

Vinegar Syndrome has done an outstanding job with their Blu-ray release of The Ribald Tales of Canterbury. The Ribald Tales of Canterbury was shot on film and this reviewer is assuming that a 2K scan of the 35mm negative was used as the master for this release. The Ribald Tales of Canterbury is presented in the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p. The image on this release looks absolutely beautiful with vibrant colors and minimal print damage and artifacts. There is noticeable grain in dark scenes.

The Ribald Tales of Canterbury is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 monaural audio track. There were no noticeable issues whatsoever with the audio presentation for The Ribald Tales of Canterbury. The dialog is clear and easy to understand and the film sounds excellent.

Too Naughty to Say No is a fun outing that never takes itself too seriously. The story, based on the Marquis de Sade's Justine, is fun — despite heading into some dangerous territory toward the end — and lighthearted. Betty (Angel) is persuaded to take off from the Catholic boarding school she attends by her friend Catherine (Ginger Lynn) for some fun. The film follows Betty's sexual adventures while away from the boarding school.

What makes Too Naughty to Say No work so well is the powerhouse cast that combines stalwarts of the 70s with some of the up and coming stars of the 80s. Angel looks great in her role and does a wonderful job with the character of Betty. Ginger Lynn, a true 80s superstar, does a great job as Catherine. Harry Reems, as the undertaker, and Jamie Gillis, as the sex maniac, both put in some great performances.

The sex scenes are well done with all of the cast putting in enthusiastic sexual performances while managing to stay in character. Some of the cast members, like Lisa De Leeuw, come across as underused. The film looks good. The orgy scene comes across as a little claustrophobic and rushed. However, complaints with the film are few and most viewers should enjoy this venture.

The Blu-ray release of Too Naughty to Say No looks absolutely astounding. Too Naughty to Say No was shot on film and this reviewer is assuming that Vinegar Syndrome used a 2K scan of the 35mm negative for this release. Too Naughty to Say No is presented in the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 1080p. Too Naughty to Say No has nice vivid colors and an almost completely defect-free image. There are very minimal instances of grain, print damage, and artifacts. This is a release that shows exactly how good an adult film can look on Blu-ray.

Too Naughty to Say No is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 monaural audio track. There aren't any noticeable issues with the audio presentation; the film sounds beautiful and the dialog is clear and easy to understand at all times.

5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica is an excellent limited edition Blu-ray collection of five classic adult films. The set contains Too Naughty to Say No, Hot and Saucy Pizza Girls, The Ribald Tales of Canterbury, Prisoner of Paradise, and Dixie Ray Hollywood Star. The films on the release span from 1978 to 1985 and, honestly, fans of golden age adult films should find several to their liking, even if not all of the films included are favorites. None of the films on this release have ever looked better on home video and 5 Films ∙ 5 Years Volume 1: Golden Age Erotica is definitely worth picking up before it is sold out.

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