Paradise

Summary

“The English girl will not be for sale. She is for me.”

Fun City Editions has given the 1982 romantic-adventure film Paradise a Blu-ray release. Written and directed by Stuart Gillard, the film stars Phoebe Cates and Willie Aames as teenagers who find each other while on the run from Arab slave traders in the 19th century. The film was panned critically upon its release, but had a second life in video stores and on cable due to the popularity of star Phoebe Cates. I had never heard of the film before it was announced by Fun City Editions, but I had a busy week with work so I was looking to watch something lighthearted. FCE’s release is notable for including several moments of never-before-seen footage. Fans of the picture should be elated by the work that FCE has done for the film.

Baghdad – 1823

Beautiful British young lady Sarah walks through the city’s marketplace with her companion and protector Geoffrey (Richard Curnock.) She is approached by the intimidating Sheik Azziz, also known as the Jackal (Tuvia Tavi,) who is interested in her. A man named Ahmed approaches and explains to the Jackal that Sarah is under his protection. The Jackal offers a price. Ahmed explains that Aziz is a slaver. Sarah watches from across the marketplace as Aziz begins to sell two women. One woman is stripped to expose her breasts. David (Willie Aames) approaches to try to cover up the woman the Jackal is selling. David is struck down. David’s family lift him up and condemn the slavers as hellions. David’s parents are missionaries. They approach Ahmed and ask if they can join the caravan of Sarah and her group while they make their way towards Damascus. As they leave town on camelback, the Jackal looks on from afar. While they stop to make camp, David spies Sarah as she prepares for bed. David’s father informs him that once they arrive back in Boston, David can become a preacher like him. David is reluctant to do so, but his father is insistent. The next morning the camp is attacked by the Jackal’s sword wielding men. A traitor in Ahmed’s group let them in. David’s father and mother are murdered. The Jackal attempts to snatch Sarah, but David throws boiling water at him. David, Geoffrey, and Sarah hide in a well. The Jackal kills the man that betrayed the camp after explaining to him that he was only interested in the girl who got away. Later, the two teenagers and Geoffrey emerge from the well and bury David’s parents. They make their way across the desert with hopes of possibly reaching Alexandria. Amazingly, they stumble upon a hot spring in a cave. When Arabs set up camp a mile from the cave, Geoffrey insists on approaching them for help. When he does not come back to the cave, David sneaks out to see what has occurred. Geoffrey has been killed. David steals a bow and a sleeve of arrows before going back to the cave and alerting Sarah. They head out with the Jackal still after Sarah. When they stumble upon an oasis next to the ocean, they begin to live a life together in the beautiful natural surroundings near them. They also befriend a chimpanzee.

Shot in Israel, Paradise is a Blue Lagoon style teenage romance film with an abundance of exotic locations and a shortage of clothing for the main actors. The plot of the film’s setup is a good enough premise, even if some of the writing itself was pretty poorly done in my opinion. The dialogue between the lead actors felt somewhat weak. Then again, I don’t think that is why people will seek out this picture. This picture largely is a lighthearted adventure that serves as an excuse to see two young attractive people occasionally disrobe in an exotic place. In that category, the film excels because Phoebe Cates is one of the most beautiful actresses from the Eighties. The film has a lot of sequences where the actors bathe or swim en flagrante, but the inevitable lovemaking scene is not overly aggressive or gross.

While the performances can only do so much to elevate the writing, the cinematography by Adam Greenberg brings a lot out of the Israeli locales. The movie looks good with a number of moments that are very striking. Director Stuart Gillard also served as screenwriter, so one can hope that this is exactly what he hoped to achieve. The result is a lighthearted, occasionally soporific, distraction from stressors. That said, I must admit that for some reason the film did have me checking my phone occasionally. The pacing of the picture is not completely geared towards excitement aside from the thrill of seeing Phoebe Cates light up the screen. After this picture and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Phoebe Cates became the crush of all the red blooded males in America. Fun City’s release is the most complete version of the film on home video gathering a number of never-before-seen sequences. Fans of the picture are going to be thrilled with the work FCE put into the release.

Video:

Fun City Editions has done an excellent job on their transfer for Paradise. Utilizing a fresh new 4K scan, the 1080p presentation in 1.85:1 aspect ratio looks fantastic. Fine detail is very solid and the grain is very well resolved. The color timing seems true to the original source. Cinematographer Adam Greenberg captured the Israeli landscapes and good looking lead performers well, and the Blu-ray does justice to his work.

Audio:

Fun City Editions has given numerous options for audiophiles with an isolated score track, theatrical mix audio, and pre-release mix audio options. The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track does a solid job of presenting the picture’s original sound design. The music by Paul Hoffert is appropriately adventurous, romantic, comedic, or exotic depending on the scene in the film. The music is never overly exciting or dramatic, allowing the film to feel fairly breezy even during more intense moments. I liked the music in the picture. The dialogue is rendered clearly as well. Optional English subtitles are offered for the main feature.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary by Nathaniel Thompson – Nathaniel Thompson is reliably good at discussing films in his commentary tracks. It was fun to hear his take on this picture.
• Booklet – features essays by Margaret Barton-Fumo and Amanda Reyes (first pressing only)
• Radio spots
• Image gallery
• Theatrical trailers
• TV spot

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.5/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Supplements: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.75/5

Fun City Editions has done an amazing job on their release of 1982’s Paradise. The film was not a critical darling, but it won over fans on cable showings and inside video stores. Phoebe Cates is gorgeous in the film and is the main draw to see the picture. Paradise is essentially like Blue Lagoon set in a desert surrounding. The script is not very strong, but the cinematography is attractive. The picture should appeal to fans of the teenage romance genre. Fun City Editions has done an exceptional job on this release with great technical specs and solid supplements. This release includes several moments of never-before-seen footage that fans of the picture will be excited to see. For fans of this film, this will be a highlight release of the year. For myself, I found the film to be a bit on the slow side, and the script failed to fully land with me. My score reflects my respect for what FCE has done for the picture, which is truly admirable, while also reflecting my own feelings towards the film itself.