USA/1971
Directed By: Alain Patrick
Written By: Alain Patrick
Starring: Alain Patrick, Barbara Caron, Inga Maria
Color/89 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: January 31, 2017
Blu-ray/DVD
The Film
Jim supports his wife and baby daughter by making hardcore porn films, a highly lucrative but illegal profession. Their dream of buying a boat and sailing around the world falls apart when the Vice Squad cracks down on Jim, distributors begin to cheat him on profits and Jim has an affair with one of his actresses leading to his wife leaving him before he has a chance to make it all right.
BLUE MONEY is an interesting film, presented as a pseudo-documentary at times and a traditional narrative film with narration from Bob Chinn who was a very notable porno director and gives instant legitimacy to the film. BLUE MONEY was made by the people actually making adult films during the time period. It should be noted that this isn't a porno. Softcore at most but there are no hardcore shots. I consider it to be more of a straight forward drama and pseudo documentary than even a softcore film. Even in to the 1970s pornography was still a taboo and illegal in areas. BLUE MONEY is centered around that idea and tackles that morale issue to an extent. It is driven by Alain Patrick's character Jim and his journey to leave the world behind with his family despite his imperfections and mistakes you can't help but route for the guy and his wife and child.
BLUE MONEY isn't the smoothest film, it's a bit choppy in it's progression and editing but it draws you in and holds you there for all 89 minutes. It touches on social and morality issues, family issues while also being a character piece. I appreciate it more with each new viewing and I hope this Blu-ray release gives it the exposure it deserves.
The Audio & Video
BLUE MONEY has previously been released on DVD multipacks with up to five movies crammed on one disc. This is how I previously had seen the film and obviously this wasn't going to allow the best quality picture and sound but Vinegar Syndrome has exceeded expectations with yet another slam dunk release. The brand new 2K scan and restoration features a 1.85:1 transfer maintaining the film's original aspect ratio and it looks phenomenal. Skin tones, of which there's plenty, are fleshy and natural with no artificial waxiness from excessive DNR. Colors are recreated vividly and look true to life. The image is sharp, with strong detail and a crisp, clean image. The English audio is handled with a DTS-HDMA Mono mix which is free of any background noise, hissing, popping or other imperfections. The dialogue and soundtrack are blended perfectly to allow each to come through clearly. Optional English SDH subtitles are included.
The Extras
-"Making BLUE MONEY" video interview with Producer Bob Chinn
-"The Affairs Of Aphrodite" - Bonus feature film from 1970, directed by Alain Patrick
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Promotional Still Gallery
-Reversible Cover Art
The Bottom Line
BLUE MONEY has been an underrated and overlooked film taking a hard look at film and cultural history while remaining completely entertaining and sexy. It's the best of both worlds and I highly recommend everyone check this one out.
BLUE MONEY is available HERE
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