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Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
Released on: February 10th, 2015.
Director: Carlos Tobalina
Cast: Fernando Fortes, Connie Peterson, Marlene Monroe, Colleen Brennan
Year: 1979
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The Movie:
Vinegar Syndrome continues to release the films of the late Carlos Tobalina. That trend continues with this latest double feature release, once again under their Peekarama double feature line of DVDs, which offers up two films made by 'Troy Benny' in 1979.
Come Under My Spell:
The first feature introduces us to Dave (Blair Harris) and Fernando (Fernando Fortes), two college roommates. Dave is suave and a hit with the ladies, foreign exchange student Fernando not so much. He's more likely to score with a sheep than with a fox but Dave's going to take it upon himself to help the guy out. Or at least try. He brings home a pair of honeys but they just wind up double teaming Dave, leaving Fernando to his own devices.
When Dave finds a book called Sex Through Hypnotism he figures it's just what Fernando needs so he buys it for him. Before you know it, Fernando has successfully hypnotized and boned the girl next door and after that, he tests out his new technique on a pizza delivery woman (Connie Peterson). Before you know it, Fernando has got this hypnotism thing down to a science and he's scoring left, right and center. Dave figures he can get Fernando to hypnotize everyone at a family wedding and turn it into an orgy but things get complicated when his parents back home send to him his bride to be - will Fernando go ahead with the arranged marriage or keep hypnotizing women and banging them?
The entire premise behind this one is a little on the sleazy side - Fernando hypnotizes women and screws them silly but obviously as they are 'under his spell' he doesn't need to be concerned with little things like… consent. In typical Tobalina fashion this is all played for laughs and the comedy is occasionally effective. Not consistently, mind you, but occasionally. Dave drives around in a very patriotic van covered inside in American flags, Fernando speaks with a funny clichéd Hispanic accent and at one point jerks off into a Fanta can.
The wedding scene is so ridiculous that you can't help but laugh at it and the sex throughout the movie is fairly well shot if not really all that creative. Tobalina's affinity for group encounters plays a big part in the couplings on display though a Clockwork Orange inspired high speed sex scene towards the end of the movie stands out. Throw in a little bit of California location footage and a decent score and if this isn't an erotic masterpiece, it is at least a reasonably entertaining smut comedy.
Lady Dynamite:
Up next, we learn the sordid story of a voluptuous redheaded woman named Valerie (Colleen Brenna). She seems to have it all - a happy marriage and a nice, comfortable life, but all of that gets rocked when she finds out that her man (Shone Taylor) is getting some on the side. Because of this, poor Valeria winds up with the clap.
She heads off to check in with her doctor (played by Tobalina himself) and gets some meds to take care of that problem and, once she's better, splits on her old man in favor of a new life full of casual and carefree sex. First up, she bones a high ranking businessman (Blair Harris) on a yacht. After that? She screws around at a party held by her friend that is only for ladies - no guys allowed - and you can guess how that plays out. Eventually some Chippendales style dudes show up and get in on the action. Throughout all of this, however, Valerie still thinks about her husband and the marriage that once satisfied her. Is she done with him for good or will she give him a second chance?
If you're a Colleen Brennan fan, this is definitely worth seeing. She's absolutely the star of the movie and gets more screen time here than in a lot of her other films. She's also hands down the best actor out of the bunch, delivering not only with some solid line delivery and reasonably effective comedic timing, but of course in the fornication department too. Whether with a guy or with a group of ladies, she's in fine form here and not only looks fantastic but delivers plenty of energy too. The other ladies in the cast - Lilie Marlene, Laura Lazare and a few others - are plenty easy on the eyes as well but this is Brennan's show. The lengthy lesbian party scene is a good one, particularly if you like cheap, trashy lingerie, and when the dudes show up and do their dance routine before plowing away at the ladies you can't help but laugh.
With a heavy amount of disco infused music on the soundtrack and some nice San Francisco location footage in a few scenes, this may not be the high point of either Brennan or Tobalina's respective filmographies but it's a fun watch.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Both features look great in 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen transferred in 2k from their respective 35mm negatives. The elements used were in excellent condition and while there is a scratch or two here and there, for the most part the transfers are as clean and as colorful as you could hope for. Expect some grain, but you'd be silly not to and it's never particularly distracting. These are solid transfers through and through, no serious print damage to complain about, sharp detail, very film like but still crisp and clean. Expect some grain, but you'd be silly not to. At this point in time anyone who has been following these releases knows to expect excellent quality - this release continues that trend.
Both movies get the Dolby Digital Mono treatment, in English with no alternate language options or subtitles provided. Both films sound fine. Dialogue remains clear and crisp and the scores sound good. Levels are properly balanced for both features though some might note some minor hiss in a few spots.
The only extras on the disc are static menus, chapter selection and trailers for each feature.
The Final Word:
Vinegar Syndrome's DVD release of Peekarama: Come Under My Spell and Lady Dynamite looks as good as you'd probably expect if you've been paying attention to the label's output in recent years. As to the movies themselves? Lady Dynamite can definitely be considered worthwhile for Colleen Brennan fans while Come Under My Spell is a moderately amusing bonus.
