Winter Sports (Vinegar Syndrome) Review

Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome Edition Details: Standard Streaming Movie Specs: Genres: Classic, Feature Film Run Time: 69 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1970 Director: Tom Parker Written by: uncredited Cast: Judy Angel, Kathy Hilton, Jill Jameson, Orrin North Release Specs: Audio: English Mono Subtitles: none Video: Full Frame, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: Streaming Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): N/A Number of discs: N/A

Winter Sports, is quite honestly, a waste of celluloid from the period when bad films actually wasted celluloid and could serve as a great example at UCLA School of TFT as how not to make a hardcore film. Winter Sports presents itself as a feature-style adult film but in reality is barely more than a series of loops strung together. This in itself isn't what ruins the film as many of the hardcore features from this time used this pseudo-story set-up that was more like a series of loops than an actual feature film.

Winter Sports uses the pretense that Mike and Ron (Orrin North) are at a ski resort. They pretend to be members of the ski patrol rescue unit that got hurt while rescuing a child to pick up women to sleep with. Most of the film takes place in what appears to be three hotel rooms, none that are actually located at a ski resort or anywhere that actually had any snow. Never is a window shown, in fact, a window is never seen in the entire room. The opening is shot in what appears to be the corner of a room and the viewer never actually gets the feeling of an actual ski resort.

No set dressing of any sort that might even make the viewer feel like the film is taking place at a ski resort. Not even anything as simple as skis off to the side. There is no stock footage, or filmed for the film footage for that matter, of skiers or the outside of an actual ski resort. Any of this could have helped the mood of the film. However, had the anonymous director behind Winter Sports included this kind of footage, Winter Sports still would have been a total loss.

The biggest issue with the film is the awkward filming. Winter Sports was released as a hardcore film, however, there is almost no actual hardcore footage within the film. Some of the scenes were shot or edited to be completely softcore in nature. Other scenes were obviously shot to be hardcore and was shot that way with the cast members, the hardcore footage isn't constructed out of random inserts. However, even this footage was completely messed up. For instance, there is a blowjob being given, the erect penis is in the frame, however, the actual blow job takes place above the frame so the viewer just sees a portion of an erect penis during the blowjob. This is the case with most of the hardcore footage throughout the film, the camera appears to miss most of the action. This complete ineptitude in shooting the hardcore material would make a perfect example of how not to shoot a hardcore film.

With the sets and hardcore footage being a loss, the only chance left to redeem Winter Sports would be the plot and the acting. Sadly for the viewer, the plot and acting are no better than the sets and the sex. Winter Sports appears to have been intended to be a comedy, however, there really isn't anything funny throughout the film. The dialog in the film is inane. Much of it sounds like random babble intended to just fill the silence with something — anything — so there wasn't just dead air in the film.

Winter Sports ends up being a complete mess of a film that has, sadly, nothing to offer the viewer. There is no witty dialog, there is no story, there is no attempt at cinematography or setting, and, worst of all, there really isn't any hardcore sex. This reviewer can only imagine the reaction of audience members back when Winter Sports actually played in theaters. Viewers would be wise to give this film a pass.

The edition of Winter Sports screened is the streaming only version available from Vinegar Syndrome at Exploitation.TV. Vinegar Syndrome has done a nice job with their release of Winter Sports. Winter Sports was shot on film and it looks like Vinegar Syndrome has used a film print for their release. Winter Sports is presented in the academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The beginning of the film is rather beat up with significant damage on the print. However, the damage clears up rather quickly and the rest of the film looks good sporting the standard print damage, artifacts, and grain. Colors are good and look natural.

Winter Sports is presented with an English monaural audio track. The audio contains hiss and pops throughout the presentation. There are damaged portions of the audio that contain some distortion, especially at the beginning of the movie. The dialog is clear and can be understood at all times.

Vinegar Syndrome hasn't included any extras for their release of Winter Sports.

Winter Sports is an early hardcore feature, which is honestly a stretch to really call a feature, that manages to fail at every aspect of being a hardcore feature film. The plot is non-existent, the film itself is more a series of connected loops than attempting to tell a story. The hardcore material is scant in the film and horribly shot. The mood, feel, and settings for the film are poorly done. Basically, Winter Sports is a failure as a film. Vinegar Syndrome has done a nice job with their streaming release of Winter Sports on Exploitation.TV with a nice image and decent audio.

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