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