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Released by: Something Weird Video
Released on: 6/29/2004
Director: Joe Sarno
Cast: Audrey Campbell, Dyanne Thorne, Alice Linville, Meg Ellison
Year: 1964/1966
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The Movies:
No one seems to do sleazy and hyper-sexualized suburban soap operas like the one and only Joe Sarno. The guy has just got a knack for tales of bored wives and randy husbands and while at times he piles the melodrama on pretty thick by exploitation movie standards, his films tend to be smarter and often times considerably sexier than many of those made around the same time by his counterparts. Something Weird Video pairs up two of his black and white sixties offerings…
SIN IN THE SUBURBS
Geraldine (sexy stone faced Audrey Campbell of the Olga films) looks to have it all on the outside but her life isn't nearly as chaste or perfect as the neighbors might think. Her daughter Kathy (Alice Linville) and husband look to be normal but the fact is that he's at the office more than he's home with her and her daughter isn't as innocent as it appears. When Geraldine and the equally bored wife who lives next door, Lisa (Meg Ellison), get together they decide it might be fun to entertain a pair of hunky dudes during the working day hours to help kill some time. This plan goes well until Kathy busts mom doing the dirty deed. When a new couple move into the neighborhood Yvette (Dyanne Thorne of the Ilsa films) and her 'brother' Lou (W.B. Parker), things take a turn for the worse as they start uncovering the secrets of the bored wives and decide to turn this into a business opportunity by running a secret club for all of the swingers who live in the area. Geraldine gets pulled into this lifestyle fast and quick, not realizing that in many ways the apple doesn't fall far from the tree…
THE SWAP AND HOW THEY MAKE IT
Mona (Lorraine Clair) and Karen (Sheila Brit) are two married woman who live in New York, both equally frustrated by the monatany of their monagamy. Their husbands work together and are so caught up in their work that the ladies are left to their own devices far more often than they should be. When Brooke, the gal who lives next door to Mona, suggests that the two of them join her at a special club she can get them into, they jump at the chance for a little excitement. They arrive at the club, dubbed appropriately enough 'The Exchange,' where they find themselves caught up and obsessing over a husband swapping ring that caters to bored women just like them.
While both films are fairly tame when compared to some of Sarno's considerably more graphic material from the seventies, both movies are quite good and noticeably more intelligent than the typical exploitation fare of the day. It's obvious that Sarno put some genuine thought into both scripts, ensuring that his characters act like real people rather than cookie-cutter clichés and the performances rise to match these standards of quality across the board. Make no mistake, these are still very definitely old exploitation movies, but Sarno demonstrates with this pair of pictures his knack for dialogue and interesting characters, something that has made his filmography considerably more interesting than that of many of his peers. And if that don't sell ya on it, Sin In The Suburbs features Dyanne Thorne and Audrey Campbell - do you really need more of a reason than that?
Video/Audio/Extras:
Both of these black and white films were shot fullframe and that's exactly how they're presented on this double feature DVD. While the bit rate isn't through the roof with two films crammed on here, the movies look surprisingly good. Contrast levels are set nicely and the prints used for the transfer appear to have been in pretty decent shape as, although there is some mild print damage here and there, the picture is quite clean considering these were shot fast and cheap way back when. Mpeg compression artifacts are pretty much a non-issue and while there are a few instances of edge enhancement and line shimmering, there aren't a whole lot of digital conversion problems to report.
The Dolby Digital Mono sound mixes are pretty clear considering the low budget origins of the two older exploitation films presented on this DVD. While the limitations of the technology used to capture the audio shine through and the material does show its age with some mild hiss and the odd pop here and there, you aren't going to have any problems following the dialogue and some of the background music used throughout the films sounds pretty gosh darned good.
Frank Henenlotter and Mike Varney moderate a commentary for Sin In The Suburbs with Sarno and his wife Peggy. Sarno's tracks are almost always very interesting as his memory is quite sharp and his recollections intelligent and interseting. The moderators coax a sort of 'Sarno 101' class out of the director by getting him to talk about his early films and what made them unique. Everyone is quite amicable and Sarno definitely shares some interesting stories ranging from casting choices to 'where are they now' type anecdotes about various players through to shooting locations, who he worked with, his thoughts on other exploitation move mogols and more.
From there, check out trailers for similarily themed movies: The Case of the Stripping Wives, Drop-Out Wife, Matinee Wives, Suburban Wives, Suburban Confidential, and last but not least, Swedish Wife Exchange Club. These are fun little promo spots that are definitely worth a look. If that weren't enough, a Sarno short entitled A Sneak Peek At Strip Poker is also included, and it proves to be a fun and quirky little five and a half minute diversion. The trailer for The Swap And How They Make It is also included. Some nifty menu screens and chapter selection options are included for both of the features.
The Final Word:
A fine double feature of two excellent sleazy soap operas from Joe Sarno, Sin In The Suburbs/The Swap And How They Make It is a disc that Sarno fans should really enjoy. The presentation for both films is quite strong and the extras are plentiful and quite interesting.