The Seduction – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: David Schmoeller
Writer: David Schmoeller
Cast: Morgan Fairchild, Michael Sarrazin, Vince Edwards, Andrew Stevens, Colleen Camp, Kevin Brophy, Wendy Smith Howard

Release Date: May 21st, 2019
Approximate running time: 104 minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"L.A. anchorwoman Jamie Douglas (the stunning Morgan Fairchild in her big screen debut) has it all: a glamorous career on a top-rated news show, a luxurious house in the hills, and a devoted young admirer named Derek (Andrew Stevens). But when Jamie rebuffs his romantic advances, Derek becomes an obsessed stalker who plays out an increasingly psychotic courtship with the frightened newswoman. Soon he is threatening every part of her life, secretly watching even her most intimate moments. Her tough-talking lover (Michael Sarrazin) can't console her. A by-the-book cop (Vince Edwards) can't protect her. But Jamie is far from helpless ... and ready to fight back with all the weapons at her command. When the smoke clears ... who will survive The Seduction?” - Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Seduction comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.3 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

The source looks great; flesh tones look healthy, colors look vibrant, image clarity is solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (home video art/posters/stills/advertisements), TV spot (31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles),  an archival featurette with producer Bruce Cohn Curtis and detective Martha Defoe titled Remembering The Seduction and the Law (7 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette with Bruce Cohn Curtis and location manager Charles Newirth titled Remembering The Locations and Production (11 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette with Bruce Cohn Curtis, producer Irwin Yablans, director David Schmoeller, actress Colleen Camp, actor Kevin Brophy, and associate producer Tom Curtis titled Remembering The Seduction (10 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Bruce Cohn Curtis titled Flashbacks (22 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Andrew Stevens titled The Seducer (11 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Morgan Fairchild titled Beauty and Strength (22 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Irwin Yablans, Bruce Cohn Curtis, and David Schmoeller.

Summary:

David Schmoeller wrote and directed The Seduction. He is also known for making Tourist Trap, Crawlspace, and Puppet Master.

Jamie Douglas is one of Los Angeles best-known female television news anchors. Derek is a successful photographer who becomes infatuated with Jamie. The police cannot help because no law was broken. Derek doesn’t take rejection too well, and when Jamie rejects him, he becomes increasingly violent towards her. Jamie confronts her attacker alone, relying only on her body as a weapon.

In the 42 years since its release, celebrity stalking has become more widespread, and The Seduction is a film whose subject matter was timely. The set-up, which introduces us to the players, and the final act are flawless. That said, the narrative has flaws, notably in the middle section, where Derek repeatedly terrorizes Jamie, dragging down the pace of the film.

Cinematographer Mac Ahlberg's (Re-Animator) exquisite visual eye greatly aids The Seduction. The visuals do a superb job of taking advantage of the locations and making the actors and actresses look amazing. Also, his immaculate use of lighting and framing of the action only further elevates the performances and the story. That said, Morgan Fairchild has ample moments in The Seduction to remove her clothes or wear sexy lingerie.

Without a doubt, The Seduction’s greatest assets are its two leads, Andrew Stevens (Massacre at Central High) in the role of a stalker photographer named Derek, and Morgan Fairchild (Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge) in the role of a TV news anchor named Jamie Douglas. Andrew Stevens is impressive as he covers a wide range of emotions, especially the piercing look he gives when he stares. Morgan Fairchild looks stunning, and one would be hard-pressed to think of any other actress who could have played this part or looked any better than she did. The supporting cast—Kevin Brophy, Colleen Camp, and Michael Sarrazin—all give solid performances.

There are elements in The Seduction that foreshadow the erotic thrillers that Andrew Stevens produced and starred in in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And though there are many areas where The Seduction excels, it is difficult to look past its shortcomings. Ultimately, The Seduction is a highly entertaining thriller that works as well as it does because of the excellent performances from its two leads, Morgan Fairchild and Andrew Stevens.

The Seduction gets a first-rate release from Shout! Factory that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer