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As a (Canadian, no less) child of the 70s and 80s, Porky’s was our holy grail of nudity and raunchy sex, whispered about with reverence and aspiration during many a cold recess.

When we finally viewed a friend’s big brother’s contraband VHS copy, it was as chock full of full frontal male and female nudity and raunchy jokes as we’d wishfully mythologized in the yard.

I would not, however, suggest an adult-age revisit, as I, myself, attempted a few years ago.

It was as raunchy as I remembered, but something did not sit right.

Its one attempt at depth and substance with the anti-racism/(anti) antisemitism stance some of its characters take is shallow and undeveloped, and it can’t gloss over the deplorable, predatory behaviour these same characters display towards women. I know it is and was a product of its time, but it doesn’t make it any less comfortable to sit through.

But its worst crime is, as a comedy, Porky’s is painfuckingly unfunny.

Almost every joke lands with an offensive thud, and the one or two that don’t are beaten to death by going on way too long.

My suggestion: let sleeping pigs lie.

It's mostly just funny that someone made two of these movies immediately before A Christmas Story

Haven't seen the film but the top review on Letterboxd makes me laugh for whatever reason:

Would be vastly improved by the entire cast getting mowed down in a hail of FBI gunfire at the end.

yoloswegmaster wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:14 pm Haven't seen the film but the top review on Letterboxd makes me laugh for whatever reason:

Would be vastly improved by the entire cast getting mowed down in a hail of FBI gunfire at the end.

Being a Canadian feature, these assholes are the RCMP’s issue!

On her You Must Remember This podcast season on “Erotic 80’s”, Karina Longworth draws a beeline between Porky’s and Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh

Arrow releasing Porky’s would kind of feel like the label coming full circle back to what they were in the early 2000s. (I still have their mostly dubbed Tinto Brass box set from back in the day!)

I suppose we just need to be thankful for the little window of brilliance we got from this label around the mid 2010s, and that at least there are other companies around to keep the flame alive.

Arrow already released Porky's. I have the steelbook on my shelf. I never watched it and probably never will.

beamish14 wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:20 pm

On her You Must Remember This podcast season on “Erotic 80’s”, Karina Longworth draws a beeline between Porky’s and Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh

As I recall, he referenced both Caddyshack and Animal House himself in interviews with the Senate Judiciary Committee (or their staffers).

And also The Twilight Zone, when it came to some of the more outlandish accusations (Michael Avenatti and so on).

I'm a big fan of dumb comedies done right, but I don't think Porky's even makes any genuine attempts at humor. I saw it a few years ago for the first time and recall there being no reason for the movie to exist outside of a dated carnal validation of heteronormative voyeurism. I have no idea why anyone would want to see it today. So yeah, it's painfully unfunny and uninteresting, but I also don't think it's trying to be very funny or interesting - just stimulating in a very transparent way that no longer carries whatever hutzpah it once did

swo17 wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:01 pm It's mostly just funny that someone made two of these movies immediately before A Christmas Story

Clark’s career is a fascinating one that I wish was looked at more often these days. Despite making some major films, add Black Christmas to the list, no one seems all that interested in him.

I personally really adore Deathdream which is a movie completely exhausted by the zombie of Vietnam and Murder by Decree which is arguably the best Sherlock movie. Definitely the best straight take with marvelous work from Mason and Plummer.

Yeah, Deathdream is probably his best. Are you aware of this recent release?

Deathdream is being released by Blue Underground on 4K in the future.

I was a big fan of Clark’s made-for-TV Judy Blume adaptation Superfudge.

Loose Cannons really deserves its reputation as an unhinged disaster, and I think I saw it mostly for the fact that it was co-written by Richard Matheson

My Grade Eleven high school social studies teacher showed us Clark's 1987 From The Hip in class, and while I'm a bit afraid to revisit, I remember quite liking it at the time!

And the way

Spoiler

John Hurt cracks in court after Judd Nelson breaks him on the stand and says "Plaaaaayyyyyyyy balll!" will stay with me forever.

MifuneFan found a first US title. The Desperate Hours (Wyler) on BD from a 6k (!) scan apparently.

Finch wrote: Thu Jul 27, 2023 9:06 pm MifuneFan found a first US title. The Desperate Hours (Wyler) on BD from a 6k (!) scan apparently.

not giving in on that expensive Imprint boxset is gonna pay off big time. that's awesome

edited to add: wow Arrow did the restoration themselves. that's a nice advancement compared to the other Paramount titles they've put out stateside so far

Geez, both that and Witness seem like they're gonna be US releases only being Paramount titles, hope there's something to make up for them on the UK side.

Also for the US:

Witness 4K
The Iron Fisted Monk

For the UK so far:

Hellraiser 1-4 4k
The House By The Cemetery 4k

PS.: The Fulci 4k is licensed from Blue Underground. The specs for the Hellraiser Quartet mention a workprint having been found for Bloodline.

I didn't have Criterion as the one having an all horror month in October on my bingo card over Arrow, that's for sure

Finch wrote:MifuneFan found a first US title. The Desperate Hours (Wyler) on BD from a 6k (!) scan apparently.

It was a VistaVision film, so 6k for a horizontal double-35mm image seems about right, maybe even a little lower than I’d expect. The scan for the 2009 Blu-ray of North by Northwest was done at 8k.

6K seems to be the norm for VistaVision films, as Last Train from Gun Hill, One-Eyed Jacks, The Court Jester, and The Ten Commandments were all restored in 6K.

Robert Eggers?

Talking about something that influenced The Northman?

Conan the Barbarian?

Coffin Joe postcard was found in a Noir 3 set.

Nice - I enjoyed that old coffin shaped DVD box set, from I believe Anchor Bay.

Does that mean they found decent prints of the Coffin Joe films after they were supposedly destroyed relatively recently? Or am I hallucinating?!