First Desires (1978/Umbrella Entertainment Region Four/4/PAL DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Film: C
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region 4 PAL format
software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
The only
goal of David Hamilton’s First Desires
(1978) is to lightly titillate and show nude women, which is not a bad thing,
but also goes nowhere. Any of the sexual
encounters in this cut (was there another?) is tame and not even that
provoking, the film never really begins to explore the idea of any kind of
discovery, though it is good at showing people starring at other people often
with and without clothes on. It is also
now on DVD because Actress Emmanuelle Beart (from the first Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible among other films)
is here at her young and beautiful cinematic beginnings.
Unfortunately,
the situation of the pretty women shipwrecked on an island with people who turn
out to be nice is already pushing it and how there is hardly any dialogue,
story and three writers on this is amusing.
It is a curio at best and not a very good one, but at least the ladies
look good from the pre-surgery mania era.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.66 X 1 image is much softer than expected and there is even a
disclaimer, so a good print/original camera negative must be missing or lost
forever. There are slight black pillars
on the side and Director of Photography Akain Derobe can shoot nudity. The Dolby Digital 2.0 French Mono mix is also
at least second generation and has background noise throughout, though not very
overbearing, the dialogue can sound weak.
Beware of playback levels. There
are no extras, including the trailer the case claims this DVD has but does not.
As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import
exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
