Scoundrels (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) Review

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Distributor: Command Video Edition Details: Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Movie Specs: Genres: Golden Age Classic, Feature Film, Drama Run Time: 81 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1982 Director: Cecil Howard Written by: Anne Randall Cast: Ron Jeremy, Lisa B. (as Lisa Be), Tigr, Copper Penny, Tiffany Clark, Sharon Mitchell, Anna Turner, George Payne, R. Bolla, Ron Hudd, Tammy (as Tammy Lamb), Marilyn Gee (as Marissa Constantine), Tess Mayo, Ariel Lee, Sean Elliot, Dave Ambrose, Jay Tripper, Cecil Howard (as Ward Summers) Release Specs: Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (Blu-ray), English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (DVD) Subtitles: none Video: Widescreen, 1.78:1 (anamorphic) Video Format: NTSC Format: Blu-ray/DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 1 Blu-ray, 1 DVD

There are adult movies that are just porn for just the sake of being a porn movie. Then there are adult films that are truly films and transcend being just a porn movie. Scoundrels is definitely from the latter category. Scoundrels is a dark dramatic adult feature film from legendary adult film director Cecil Howard and writer Anne Randall.

Scoundrels delves into the dynamics, especially the sexual malfunctions, of a broken family. Simon (Ron Jeremy) is cheating on his wife Linda (Lisa B.) with prostitutes and his secretary Vivian (Copper Penny). Linda is screwing around with Simon's best friend Harper (George Payne). Their daughter Francie (Tigr) feels invisible since her parents are too wrapped up in their own lives to notice her and during sexual encounters she becomes neglected for other women.

First and foremost, the cast does an amazing job with their roles. In a film like this, which relies heavily on character development, the acting is essential. Most of the cast is relegated to small parts, however, the three leads Jeremy, B., and Tigr truly bring their roles to life. The sex scenes in the film are short but they are highly eroticized. The camera work by cinematographer Steven Kaman, utilizing the pseudonym Sven Nuvo, is amazing. Especially during the sex scenes. Kaman's camera seems to actually seduce the cast.

The music in adult films is often neglected, which is very unfortunate since the music in a film can make or break the film. The music used can create or sustain a mood in a film and the score for Scoundrels, by Peter Lewis and David Ogrin, is excellent. The theme song, which was written by Anne Randall and Peter Lewis and performed by X-Ference, is catchy. The sets and locations utilized for Scoundrels are excellent as well. All of this put together makes Scoundrels resemble a mainstream film more than an adult film.

>Scoundrels is an example of what the adult film industry could have become had the adult film industry ever become legit. The production values for the film are great, the cinematography is excellent, the cast is amazing, the story is good, and the score is excellent. Any true fan of real adult films should not miss Scoundrels.

Command Video has done a stunning job with their limited collector's edition Blu-ray/DVD combination package of Scoundrels. The limited collector's edition Blu-ray/DVD combination package is limited to a total of 1,000 units per Command Video. The DVD and the Blu-ray contained within the package each contains the same material.

Scoundrels was shot on film and Command Video has utilized a 4K scan of the original camera negative for this release. Scoundrels is presented in the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 in 480p on the DVD and 1080p on the Blu-ray. The image quality on the release is absolutely beautiful. The picture exhibits grain, occasional print damage and artifacts, and occasional flickers. The colors in the film look vibrant and full. Basically, Scoundrels looks absolutely amazing on this release.

Scoundrels is presented on the Blu-ray with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo audio track and on the DVD with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo audio track. The audio sounds great with a nice full sounding audio track. The dialog in the film is clear and easy to understand and the music fills the room nicely. There aren't any noticeable defects with the audio presentation.

Command Video has packed this release with extras. The Vortex case itself contains the two discs along with a Scoundrels theme bookmark, a reproduction of the AVN Best Picture certificate for Scoundrels, and two Scoundrels theme magnets.

There is a feature length commentary with the late Cecil Howard and Steven Morowitz. There is a 33-minute select scene commentary with Ron Jeremy. There is also a 55-minute audio interview with Cecil Howard included on the release. There is a 47-minute interview with Ron Jeremy that is called “Tales of the Hedgehog with Ron Jeremy.” The original theatrical trailer for Scoundrels is included on the release along with a gallery of promotional images, photos from the premiere, pieces about the film, and more assorted Scoundrels related material. There is also a five minute “The Restoration of Scoundrels” featurette that shows the differences between the existing standard definition master for Scoundrels and the new 4K scan master.

Scoundrels is an excellent feature adult film from the golden age of adult films. The film was crafted with care and it shows in the end results. Scoundrels is a rather dark drama that uses hardcore sex along with the non-sexual portions to tell a story, instead of just having a story that exists to have sex scenes. Scoundrels is a must see for fans of feature-style adult films. Command Video has done an amazing job with their limited collector's edition Blu-ray and DVD combination package for Scoundrels with stellar image and audio quality and a wealth of extras.

The screenshots are taken from the Command Video DVD release for Scoundrels.

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