Ok, so got my Pretty Maids All in a Row (Roger Vadim, 1971) disc from the Warner Archive Collection. I said I'd give some feedback so here you go.
Disc and packaging presentation:
Very nice as you can see. The cover is glossy and professional standard. The back has a decent synopsis and the usual logos/studio/film info one gets. Pretty much the standard of a studio release. The amaray is one of those cheap flimsy ones.
The disc is boring, but the print is professional. Yes it's a blue bottomed DVD-R.
Menus/Transfer:
Apart from the piracy warning, it skips straight to a static menu with a picture of the DVD case. No extras of course. Functional, but I didn't expect anything else.
As for the transfer - much nicer than I was expecting! A rather handsome looking anamorphic transfer with relatively strong colours, detail and a satisfying amount of grain. There's some minor film damage - scratches & grit - but nothing you wouldn't expect considering the film's age. Although not reference quality, it's a satisfying transfer worthy of DVD and I couldn't be more happy with it. The mono audio track also sounded fine to my ears for the most part, although the volume fluctates in a couple of scenes where it sounds like overdubbing at a slightly louder volume.
The Film:
I was drawn to Pretty Maids all in a Row after discovering a rather compelling young actress called Aimée Eccles who caught my eye in a film called Little Big Man directed by Arthur Penn and starring Dustin Hoffman. Although it was only a small role, I IMDB'ed her and discovered Pretty Maids in her limited filmography. On seeing this was directed by Roger Vadim (Blood & Roses/Barbarella) with an interesting cast attached, it was a no-brainer to seek it out.
The film itself is a fluffy, uneven but extremely enjoyable high-school sex comedy given a murder mystery twist. The emphasis here is certainly on the sex as hunky student counsellor/high-school coach 'Tiger' McDrew (Rock Hudson) beds an endless array of beautiful coeds while Telly Savalas' detective hangs around on campus with a watchful eye. A side plot involves Tiger attempting to get young virginal student, Ponce (John Carson) laid; so Tiger enlists the help of sultry new teacher, Miss Smith (Angie Dickinson looking fabulous) - school was never like that in my day! It's pretty tame on all fronts, with limited flesh on display and little to chew over regarding the rather blasé whodunnit plot, but its spirited, cheery abandon and liberal sexual politics make it a joy to watch all the same. Also starring Roddy McDowall and Barbara Leigh.
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