Finally! "Private Lessons" coming to DVD (1 Viewer)

[Brian-W]

There's an ad in the new Video Business from Lion's Gate, DVD release due 2/7, features commentary and interviews with director Alan Myerson and actor Howard Hesseman ("Lester Lewis").

Priced right too, well below the $20 point.

 

[Dave H]

Wow....I remember when I must have been 10 or 12 years old and sneaking around to catch nudey scenes when this aired late at night on the pay channels.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

HMMMmmmmm... Sylvia Kristel. Definitely an old guilty pleasure. I'll keep an eye out for this one.

Regards,

Joe

 

[John Kilduff]

Hopefully this means that Universal will release "Private School" soon (It's from the producers of this movie and it also features Kristel, albeit in a supporting role).

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

I'll definitely pick this up, if only as fuel for my movie reviewing over at the 80s Movies Rewind.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I saw this uncut on BROADCAST TV a couple times around 1986- a couple years after that a Kansas City station made the national news when the FCC decided to fine them for showing the same movie.

I'll get this just for the commentary- wonder if they tracked down Eric Brown as well, he's one of the luckiest bastards in the world. They'd probably never be able to get away with making this movie today. Just for fun though, I've been putting together cast lists for a possible remake

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Hope that disc is a proper anamorphic 1.85 transfer. Lionsgate are a little too notorious about going fullscreen on the B titles. But if they sprung for interviews, I would like to think they'd spring for a fresh master.

What I really want is an in-depth interview with Kristel, though I'm sure that won't happen anytime soon.

I wonder if they'll also pick up the "remake" PRIVATE LESSONS: ANOTHER STORY, set in Japan with Joanna Pacula.

 

[Mike Frezon]

And you're going to leave us hanging like that...with just a wink smilie and no names?!?!

 

[Jon Martin]

Didn't Parmount release that? I remember seeing it on cable, thinking "I didn't even know this movie was made" and seeing the Paramount logo. Later I read that the original was such a hit in Japan they made this just for Japanese audiences.

I also remember, it wasn't a bad film. Not all that sleazy and a surprisingly interesting look at Japanese culture.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I might pick this up. I recall seeing it in the theater and it was kind of strong for the time, at least if memory serves.

 

[Paul McElligott]

I wonder if the video rental place I used back then ever wondered how their copy of this got so worn out when I rented it.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Well, my tentative casting right now includes Penelope Cruz as Miss Mallow, Daniel Radcliffe as Philly, and a CG'd Eric Cartman as Sherman. (Are there any funny fat kids working right now?)

 

[Paul_Nyman]

Horatio Sanz maybe? Yeah he isn't a little kid, but he sure acts like one over at SNL!

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

Paramount initially picked up the rights to the Japanese PRIVATE LESSONS remake for VHS and for cable airings, they didn't make it themselves. For a while, they also reissued the original Sylvia Kristel version on VHS to offer both movies as a two-pack, but apparently they were rather skittish about it, because the cover for the original did not feature the Paramount logo on it anywhere; you would only know it was a Paramount tape if you looked at the copyright notice on the box. Thus I suspect their option may have expired on both by now.

 

[Bob clamer]

No-brainer!

 

[Keith I]

No such luck if the back cover is any indication. It's a 4:3 aspect ratio.

 

[John Kilduff]

Well, there it goes from my wish list...I'll just go on Half and pick up a used VHS of this movie for like, 2 dollars. What can I say except that it's cheaper and the same transfer most likely?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

In the meantime Lions' Gate is releasing "Basic Instinct" for the 3rd time and prepping another release of "Total Recall".:frowning:

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Crap- what's really frustrating is this new labeling system which doesn't even tell you if it's been "modified to fit your screen" or not. I've already got the old MCA laserdisc, but I REALLY wanna hear that commentary since there's so many unanswered questions about this movie...

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

That's a shame about the film being released in the fullscreen format.

As for Eric Brown, I did a little Internet searching on him awhile back, and saw that he was working in the non-profit sector...I believe for an environmental agency in the D.C. area.

For those interested in Sylvia Kristel's exposure, as I believe most are, a body double was employed for some, if not all, of her scenes. A quick search will show that the suddenly prudish Ms. Kristel bared all in several other films, most notably the Emmanuelle films.

 

[alan halvorson]

Yes, it's fullscreen - actually, for this film, so what? The bad part is that the lower "naughty bits" are blurred during the crucial strip scene.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Since it was projected at 1.85:1, chances are that the film was shot full-frame, so this transfer is likely open-matte, as opposed to pan and scan. Not ideal, but not as bad as it could be. If you have a widescreen set you can probably zoom the image to something very close to the original theatrical presentation. I'll take a chance on it when the time comes. It is sure going to be better than a VHS copy at any price.

Regards,

Joe