Nurses of the 407 Review

Distributor: I-Candy Entertainment Edition Details: Standard DVD Movie Specs: Genres: Feature Film, Comedy, Golden Age Classic (1980s Shot on Film) Also known as: Nurses of the 407, N*U*R*S*E*S of the 407th, Nurses of the 407th Run Time: 74 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1982 Director: Paul Thomas (as Tony Kendrick) Written by: Paul Thomas (as Tony Kendrick), Julian Orynski Director of Photography: D.B. Cooper Cast: Jesie St. James, Paul Thomas, Jon Martin (as John Martin), Joey Silvera, Kathleen Kristel (as Kristen), Lynx Cannon, Karen Sweet (as M.L. Sparks), Tigr, Misty Dawn (as Laura Wren), Bonnie Jean, Herschel Savage (as Jack Black), Rock Steadie (as Brook Story) Release Specs: Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Subtitles: none Video: Full Screen, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 1 Disc: DVD 5 (Single Layer, Single Sided) Special Features: Animated Menus, Slide Show, Audio Commentary, Chapter Index, Cast Biographies, Video Montage, Trivia Game, Previews DVD-ROM Special Features: none

Synopsis:
Whilst in the middle of the Vietnam war, the doctors and nurses of company 407 find ways to distract themselves from the war around them in this all out parody of M*A*S*H.

Video/Audio:
The picture appears to have originally been in the 1.85:1 or 1.77:1 widescreen aspect ratio and slightly cropped for this presentation. The only place the cropping is noticeable though is at the end credits, where they fall off the left and right sides of the screen. The picture is slightly soft, but beautifully restored, especially for its age. Very few artifacts are present and color levels are almost perfect, this presentation is above average for the age of the picture.

Available audio tracks are 2.0 mono English and a 2.0 mono commentary track in English featuring Gloria Leonard and Bill Margold. No other language tracks or subtitle options are available. The dialog is clear and easily heard. The sound is flat but that is to be expected from a mono track and after hearing some of the remixed tracks companies like Vivid are putting on their DVD's, we are probably better off with the original mono track. The music is very well done, better than your average adult fare and doesn't interfere with the dialog at any time.

Special Features:
The menus are nicely set up for easy navigation and look very good. The slide show consists of twenty still frames from the movie cropped to fit in a very small display window. Not a very interesting feature since the pictures are so small on the screen. Probably the best of the special features, the audio commentary track features Gloria Leonard with guest Bill Margold, both from the Free Speech Coalition who talk a lot about the industry at the time. Definitely worth listening to. The Cast Biographies have alternate names that the performers have also used, a few have some facts about the performers and all feature partial filmographies. There aren't biographies for all of the performers in this film. As for the video montage listed on the box, I was unable to find this feature. I'm not sure if I just missed it or if it was intended to be included but wasn't for one reason or another. As for the weakest feature on the disk, the trivia game has questions from the film and a “prize” for getting them all right, not really worth your time unless you are bored. The previews included on this disk are for Up N' Coming and Insatiable. Overall, I wouldn't purchase this disk for the special features alone, but it is very nice to see an adult film released with this volume of features and unlike Vivid's disks, the special features mostly have to do with the film contained on this disk.

Conclusion:
What can be said about N*U*R*S*E*S of the 407th, it's a classic adult film from the end of the golden age of adult entertainment and possibly the best parody of M*A*S*H ever created. From the moment the film starts to when the final credits run, this film entertains you on all levels. Not only is this a great adult film, but it could stand alone without the sex as a comedy.

It has great sets that perfectly set the atmosphere for the film. You can tell that some real work went into them. Nothing in them looks out of place nor do any props look like they were added at the last minute as many do in adult films starting around the mid '80s. Instead of the standard adult film sounding music, they put together music that spoofs the M*A*S*H film and television series, a nice touch. The script not only provides great sexual action, but also plenty of laughs. The cast is excellent and, for some characters, even resemble their counterparts in M*A*S*H. And, as an added bonus, not a breast enlargement is in sight.

I-Candy has done a remarkable job restoring this film so that future fans of adult entertainment will be able to enjoy this timeless classic. If you've never seen it before, it's a must watch, if you have seen it, you know it's a must buy. Due to the large amount of plot in this film, it may not be enjoyed very much by “raincoaters,” it makes a great couples film though.

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