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Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
Released on: September 22nd, 2015.
Director: Carlos Tobalina
Cast: William Margold, Lina Spencer, Jamie Gillis, John Holmes, Mai Lin, Sharon Mitchell
Year: 1987/1983
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The Movies:
Vinegar Syndrome once again returns to the well of smut left behind by the late, great Carlos Tobalina with another Peekarama double feature, this time pairing the excellent Lust Inferno with the fairly awful Marathon!
Lust Inferno:
Up first, and the main reason most will be interested in this disc, is Tobalina's take on the hypocrisy of the religious right and the televangelists that seemed to be everywhere in the eighties. William Margold headlines as Reverend Jerry, a TV preacher who has the ability to heal the sick right in front of your eyes on live television. Of course, Jerry is a fraud and those he 'heals' are actors. Jerry's also got a penchant for rough sex.
To scratch that itch, the good Reverend employs the services of Madame Blanche (Lina Spencer), who gets him girls who 'look young' just like he wants. Meanwhile at home, Jerry's wife (Rita Ricardo) is left so unfulfilled by his supposedly chaste lifestyle that she is constantly taking matters into her own hands - a woman's got needs after all. While he's out spending all of their money on hookers, he's also trying to play it by the book and in doing so, refuses requests from his daughter, Dora (Tamara Longley), for the latest fashions and a sports car. In short, Jerry is a hypocrite and doesn't even come close to practicing what he preaches.
As such, Dora doesn't really care that much about how he wants her to live - we see this first hand when she heads out to the pool for a gang-bang, getting it on with male and female classmates alike while his wife winds up at a group therapy session that of course turns into something far more physical. While they're out doing their thing, his other daughter, Lucy (Marguerite Nuit), finds some sex toys and puts them to work. But it's not enough for Lucy, she needs more. How is she going to get it? By getting all dolled up and heading out to look for work as a hooker. Her first stop is to an abode run by none other than Madame Blanche.
This won't end well…
…and it doesn't, at least not for Jerry. No surprise there. Tobalina wears his political leanings clearly on his sleeve with this one but it makes for pretty entertaining viewing. Margold is obviously having a blast playing the hypocritical preacher and he's very good in the part. It's a kick to watch him channel the likes of Jim Bakker and Jerry Falwell and really just run with the part. As to the sexy side of the movie, Tobalina keeps things pretty steady here, throwing in enough couplings and of course a couple of group gropes, so ensure that horn dogs will find plenty to enjoy. Margold's S&M sessions are the sleaziest, kinkiest aspects of the movie and again, he really goes for it here, but the female cast members are all pretty attractive and tend to hold their own in the feature.
Plot wise it's pretty basic and it doesn't get as heavy in its 'message' as it could have, occasionally letting that aspect of the production get buried underneath the sex, but it's still a pretty entertaining movie thanks to Margold's manic lead.
Marathon:
The second film… not so much. Jamie Gillis takes the lead in this one, which is almost always a plus, but here he isn't given a whole lot of acting to do, even if it is funny to see him running around with 'dick nose' glasses. At any rate, Gillis decides he's going to throw an orgy and invite over some of his porn star pals. Before you know it his buddies John Holmes, Don Fernando, Herschel Savage and Ron Jeremy are hanging out to get it on with the likes of Sharon Mitchell, Mai Lin, Jesse Adams and a few others. After schmoozing it up in the living room they break out into the bedroom and have a giant orgy in which the director himself even participates.
Things take a twist when they find out some bad news - Margold and his lady friend Drea were skiing and they had an accident and are now in the hospital. The gang packs it in, heads over to the ER to find them… and then gets back to work, this time with injured patients getting in on it too.
And that's it. There's really no story here, not much to discuss at all to be frank. The sex is enthusiastic and certainly very plentiful. If you're into prolonged group sessions then this will likely float your boat as the performers are all in fine form, but if you're looking for more than just reasonably well shot sex shot in a house and then a 'hospital room' it doesn't deliver. It's pretty plotless and fairly forgettable.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Both features look great in 1.78.1 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.
Aside from static menus and chapter selection, we get a commentary track with William Margold that plays over Lust Inferno. If you've ever heard a William Margold commentary track before then you'll have a good idea of what to expect - madness! The guy can talk, boy can he talk, and talk he does as he goes off on his working relationship with Tobalina, how they got along, his thoughts on the other performers he worked with in this picture, the political and social message that's ever so subtly put into this particular picture and quite a bit more. This is fast paced, informative, occasionally bizarre and often quite amusing.
The Final Word:
Vinegar Syndrome's DVD release of Peekarama: Lust Inferno / Marathon presents one legitimately interesting adult feature with an equally interesting commentary and one legitimately dull adult feature as its second attraction. Get this one for Lust Inferno, it's worth it, and consider Marathon a bonus (though fans of the various headliners in that feature may find it has more merit than casual vintage smut buffs).
