Paradise – Fun City Editions (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada, 1982
Director: Stuart Gillard
Writer: Stuart Gillard
Cast: Willie Aames, Phoebe Cates, Tuvia Tavi, Richard Curnock, Neil Vipond, Aviva Marks, Yosef Shiloach, Shoshana Duer, Jerry Rosen, Riki Halfon

Release Date: November 12th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"In the nineteenth century Middle East, David (Willie Aames, TV's Eight Is Enough) and Sarah (Phoebe Cates, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) are the only survivors of a caravan massacre carried out by an infamous slave trader known as the Jackal (Tuvia Tavi, Sahara), who is obsessed with Sarah's beauty. Fleeing the Jackal, they stumble on a magical place they will come to know as "Paradise," where they discover refuge, sustenance...and each other." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "available for the first time on Blu-ray, in a new 4K restoration from its original 35mm camera negative."

Paradise comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.5 GB

Feature: 31.7 GB

The source looks excellent; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo English - Pre-Release Sound Mix, DTS-HD Stereo English - Theatrical Sound Mix)

This release comes with two audio options, pre-release sound mix and theatrical sound mix. Both audio tracks are a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles. Both audio tracks are in great shape; they sound clean, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (posters/advertisements/home video art/stills/Japanese press book), 3 radio spots (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a TV spot (42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), red band theatrical trailer (2 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), green band theatrical trailer (2 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), isolated score track, an audio commentary with Nathaniel Thompson, reversible cover art with legacy artwork, and a 16-page booklet (first pressing only) with The Fun City Channel Guide, an essay titled “Sometimes if feels like we’re the only two people left in the world”: Paradise Lives on the Outskirts of the Sexual Awakening Films of the 1980s written by Amanda Reyes, an essay titled The “Theme from Paradise” written by Margaret Barton-Fumo, and cast & crew information.

Summary:

Two teens travel through the treacherous desert landscapes of the Middle East in search of civilization after their caravan is attacked and their families are killed. Along the way, they find their own paradise on the edge of the desert. Their newfound serenity is short-lived when The Jackal, a man who is obsessed with the girl, discovers where they are.

Though Paradise has been called a Blue Lagoon knock-off  because of its similarities to that film. It actually has just as much in common with Adam and Eve; the two teenagers' paradise is their garden of Eden. That said, any similarities and influences aside, Paradise is an engrossing film that stands well on its own.

Set in the 1800s, Paradise is a period adventure/romance film that mostly takes place in desolate desert landscapes. Also, Paradise does a phenomenal job reinforcing the two teenagers' isolation as they travel across landscapes foreign to them. When it comes to the moments where the two teenagers have found their paradise, these offer a stark contrast to the bleakness that dominates most of the narrative.

Though there are secondary characters who help further the narrative along, the only substantial performances are Willie Aames (Zapped!) and Phoebe Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) in the roles of David and Sarah. With limited resources given to them, they both put in strong performances, significantly enhanced by their onscreen chemistry. Another performance of note is Tuvia Tavi's menacing portrayal of The Jackal, a slave trader who becomes obsessed with possessing Sarah.

Paradise relies more on exploitative moments than on big, dramatic ones that pull at your heart strings. There are numerous shots of the two leads' backsides, some full frontal nudity, and many moments where Phoebe Cates is scantily clad. That said, Willie Aames and Phoebe Cates were both unhappy with the final version of Paradise, which included additional, more explicit moments of nudity.

From a production standpoint, Paradise is a film that maximizes its resources. Though there is a familiarity to the story that unfolds, the narrative does a superb job holding your attention and building momentum towards a very satisfying finale. Despite relying on exploitative elements, the result is a film that never feels sleazy. Ultimately, Paradise is an unfairly maligned film and a must-see if you're a fan of Phoebe Cates.

Paradise gets an exceptional release from Fun City Editions that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Heavenly Bodies – Fun City Editions (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada, 1984
Director: Lawrence Dane
Writers: Lawrence Dane, Ron Base
Cast: Cynthia Dale, Richard Rebiere, Walter George Alton, Laura Henry, Stuart Stone, Patricia Idlette, Pam Henry, Linda Sorensen, Cec Linder, Micki Moore

Release Date: November 12th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 35 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Music, workouts, melodrama, and of course lots of heavenly bodies mix, mesh, bump and grind in this contemporary story of not giving in and winning on your own terms. In the middle of it all is pretty Samantha (Cynthia Dale, My Bloody Valentine), a young mother and secretary who dreams of running her own workout club. She's on her way to getting her wish, and with it a second chance at love, when it all starts to go bad because she refuses to buckle under a wealthy competitor. When he tries to buy her out and destroy her growing business, she in turn fights back by publicly challenging him to a televised marathon workout, winner take all! And so, to the tune of driving dance music the battle of the bods is on. Samantha's happiness, success and dreams are all riding on her ability to withstand a grueling physical contest that also tests her determination, emotional strength and capacity for love." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "worldwide Blu-ray debut from a new 4K restoration of its original 35mm internegative."

Heavenly Bodies comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37 GB

Feature: 25.9 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in great shape; it sounds clean, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (posters/home video art/stills/Japanese press book), an interview with actress Cynthia Dale titled A Little Bit of Gold Dust (14 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Millie De Chirico and Jeffrey Mixed, reversible cover art with legacy artwork, and a 16-page booklet (first pressing only) with The Fun City Channel Guide, an essay titled Technicolor Torontopia written by Nathan Holmes, an essay titled Heavenly Bodies written by Margaret Barton-Fumo, and cast & crew information.

Summary:

A single mother with two friends opens a workout club named Heavenly Bodies. From there, they quickly establish Heavenly Bodies, a formidable business that puts them in the crosshairs of a rival workout establishment. Everything comes to a head when the rival business buys their leases, forcing them to shut down. Not ready to throw in the towel, the owner of Heavenly Bodies challenges their rivals to a winner-take-all competition.

While watching Heavenly Bodies, a film like Flashdance instantly springs to mind. There is even a moment where the protagonist stands in front of a Flashdance poster. Though both films have similarities, calling Heavenly Bodies a Flashdance knockoff would be grossly unfair. That said, Heavenly Bodies has a strong story, making it stand out from other 1980s dance-themed films.

An engaging story driven by its protagonist makes Heavenly Bodies work so well. Cynthia Dale (My Bloody Valentine) portrays the protagonist, a woman named Samantha. Her performance is exceptional not only when it comes to dramatic moments but also when it comes to the dance sequences. That said, her performance is so phenomenal that it overshadows the rest of the cast.

Besides being part of a 1980s dance-themed film cycle, Heavenly Bodies also has some elements in common with Rocky. Both films are about underdogs, and they both have protagonists whose determination helps them overcome physical pain. When it comes to the dance sequences, they are extremely well executed and intense. And though there are likely moments where a stunt double stands in for Cynthia Dale, the way that Heavenly Bodies edits the dancing makes it look like she does most of the heavy lifting.

Everything about Heavenly Bodies screams 1980s, notably the soundtrack and the look of the film. Its fast-moving narrative is sure to get your heart pumping and the blood flowing. And though the dancing side of the protagonist's life is the main focal point, the narrative does a superb job balancing career ambitions with personal life. Ultimately, Heavenly Bodies is one of the better films to emerge from the 1980s dance theme film cycle.

Heavenly Bodies gets an excellent release from Fun City Editions that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer