BLAST FROM THE PAST-THE WORLD THEATER

Grabbed this business card from one of my fathers file folders. This is after he took over the theater from Bobby Sumner, where his Mature Pictures played some of the best adult films of all time, and booked even more!

Bill Lustig’s Annual Film Festival at Anthology

This Friday (the15th), my annual “William Lustig Presents” film festival kicks-off at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC (32 Second Avenue corner of East 2nd Street): http://anthologyfilmarchives.org/film_screenings/series/37585

10 Days of action, Brit underworld, Bad NYC Cops, spaghetti westerns, heists, suspense, car chases – cool genre films during hot summer nights! Most unavailable on DVD, many never been available on ANY home video format! Also, I’m working on surprise guests and talent Q&As!

Since the studios have started their burn-on-demand DVD lines, finding obscure, overlooked films will become more difficult. So, we look forward to you and your friends joining us in what might be the final year of this kind of programming. I promise, it’s going to be fun!

Please forward this email to ALL your friends.

Bill Lustig

Pamela Mann HD Screengrabs

A report from the lab….so we have some new and beautiful screen shots from the recently transferred, “The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann”. Overall, this transfer was very successful. The film looks better than it ever has. The colors have come back to life, and the old VCA version, is virtually unwatchable, when compared to this new HD transfer. Not only was the VCA release butchered, but the color and sound are totally fucked! Anyway, the difference to the film itself and the addition, of all previously cut footage, is reason enough to buy this one. But the truth is that this is our most ambitious project to date, and it has just about everything but the kitchen sink. This will go down as being one of the most spectacular classic adult film packages ever produced, and it looks like this will be ready in late Spring.  I will lay out a few of the details below:

*Pamela Mann hard version, uncut, transferred in HD ( all previously deleted footage is intact)

*Pamela Mann soft version, uncut transferred in HD( unique version, never before seen footage)

*Pamela Mann hard trailer

*Full length director commentary with Radley Metzger

*Over 75 original and never before seen slides

*Ephemera Gallery ( news articles, photos, etc)

*Interview with star of film Georgina Spelvin( Georgie)

*Interview with star of film, Eric Edwards ( Frank, the private detective)

*Multiple Documentary Featurettes( Locations, Externals, Life and Times, Music)

*The Deleted Scenes

*Liner note book, written by Benson Hurst, with contributions from our director of music content, as well as another guest writer

And more!!!!!

Details of the Transfer:

THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN was restored using the original 35mm blow-up internegative and is presented in its original theatrical exhibition aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The film was scanned in 2K resolution using a Spirit 2K Datacine and the DaVinci Resolve system was used to perform additional color correction and color matching. The film was then backed up on HDD for DVD authoring. The audio was transferred from the 35mm optical track negative and is presented in its original mono form.
PLEASE NOTE that throughout the film there is occasionally a greenish scratch present in the right-most third of the image. This is an imperfection present in the original negative and could not be removed.

Here are some comparisons between the VCA version of Pamela Mann and the brand new HD transfer from Distribpix/Video-X-Pix.

VCA's standard def DVD release

Distribpix HD transfer-click for full size image

VCA's standard def DVD release

Distribpix HD Transfer- click for full size image

VCA's standard def DVD release

Distribpix HD transfer- click for full size image

VCA's standard def DVD release

Distribpix HD transfer- click for full size image

VCA's standard def DVD release

Distribpix HD transfer- click for full size image

I hope you enjoy this update and as soon as we have an exact release date, we will post it on the blog.

ERIC EDWARDS…….legend!

On my way up to the mountains to visit one of the most well known names from the golden age of adult filmmaking.

Metzger/Hurst record “Pamela Mann’ commentary

Last week, in NYC, Distribpix’s in-house, adult film- historian, Benson Hurst, recorded a full length commentary with legendary director Radley Metzger, for his Henry Paris film, ‘The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann”. It was a very pleasant recording session…..very private, quiet and easy going.  Benson and Radley discussed many aspects of the first of 5 films, shot by Radley Metzger in 1974, under the alias Henry Paris. The session was a full 83 minutes, the approximate length of the uncut feature.

Benson Hurst, the Brooklyn based adult film historian, will continue to work with the iconic Metzger to record full length commentaries for all of the Henry Paris films. All commentaries will be part of the re-mastered and uncut, Henry Paris films.

The first film “The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann”, will be released by Distribpix/Video-X-Pix in the Spring of 2011, more details will follow.

After the audio commentary, I took a quick picture with one of my best friends and probably the tallest adult film historian in NYC!! ( I am 5’11)

THE PASSIONS OF CAROL…only $19.99 thru Jan 1st,2011

Joe Sarno RIP 3/15/1921 – 4/26/2010

JOE SARNO/DISTRIBPIX

The Legendary filmmaker Joseph Sarno has passed away at the age of 89. Joe was one of the true great directors from the golden age of filmmaking. He made some of the most well known exploitation/sexploitation/XXX films of all time and was adored by thousands of fans around the world. He will be missed by many and our condolences go out to Joe’s family.

I was very young when I first began to know of Joe. He was film guy at my fathers production company, DISTRIBPIX, in the late 60′s and 70′s and even in the 80′s. I would go to work with my dad and that is how I first go to know Joe. He was the koolest guy, especially to a kid, which I was at the time. I have fond memories of being a kid and having dinner with my father and his business associates, and Joe was always there. There was a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown(NYC) and it was everybody’s favorite. It was called 4-5-6. Anyway, they had the best sizzling shrimp/rice soup, amazing fried pork dumplings, and a mind blowing dish called shredded chicken/beef/pork. Many of the dishes were strewn with those red szechuan peppers. Once I remember Joe eating one of those peppers and he started to sweat and turn beet red and his voice got very raspy, it was hilarious. At the time, I really did not know of any of Joe’s work, I was very young and that is the great thing about some of my memories of Joe, they were not necessarily about his filmmaking, but just regular moments, I got to share. Just thought I would share an old memory that came to mind, after learning of his death, earlier today. I am very friendly with Joe’s son, Billy, and he did tell me that Joe has been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks, so I knew he was ill, but I did not expect this.

Joe was 89 years old and he lived a full and productive life. More often than not ,we have been seeing many legends of the world of filmmaking die way too early in life. I think it is safe to say that in Joe’s case, he had an amazing run. It seems that there is not a single person that I know of who has anything bad to say about Joe Sarno. He was a great guy and even though we were not in constant contact, I will certainly miss him.

As someone who is continuing the great legacy of Distribpix, I am particularly happy trying my best to commemorate the true greats of golden age cinema. For this reason, and with the passing of Joe, we think that it would be a perfect time to introduce a few films by Joe Sarno from the Distribpix vault, THE BED AND HOW TO MAKE IT and NUDE IN CHARCOAL, are 2 that have been re-mastered from the original 35 mm negatives. As soon as we have a release date, we will post it.

JAMIE GILLIS — “THE HEBREW HAMMER”

DISTRIBPIX IS GOLDEN AGE HISTORY

DISTRIBPIX INC./VIDEO•X•PIX
In 2008, Adult Video News magazine celebrated its 25th Anniversary and chose to commemorate its impressive longevity by paying tribute to the most prominent pioneers of the industry who took risks and paved the way for today’s multi-billion dollar enterprise.
Amongst the great and the good featured in the retrospective, special mention was made of two distinguished New Yorkers whose names may not have been familiar to many readers. They were rightly praised for being amongst the first to develop a chain of video stores called Video Shack in 1982.
What the article failed to mention however was that by the early 1980s, these guys were already veterans in the adult film industry – and able to lay claim to just about the longest tenure of anyone.
Back in 1965, armed with limited funds, Distribpix was founded. Within months, the company was distributing the most profitable adult films of the day; this was the era of black and white sexual melodramas with lascivious and sleazy titles such as “Thigh Spy”, “Lust Weekend”, “Spread Eagles”, and “ Wee-Gee Broad”.
Though the plots were strongly sexualised, the nuditity quotient of the initial films was low – though the climate quickly become more permissive with every film. Wanting to ensure their risque’ films stayed ahead of the competition, Distribpix took risks with the censors and revealed a little more flesh each time. This led the founder to comment wryly that Distribpix invented the industry “one pubic hair at a time”.
The success of Distibpix was instant, and operations were immediately expanded. Relationships were formed with the rising talent of East Coast directors such as Joe Sarno, Ron Sullivan, the Amero brothers, and Michael and Roberta Findlay. In the late 1960s, films rolled off the production line with regularity, turning a quick profit in the legendary Times Square adult cinemas – before earning thousands around the country.
As the 1970s dawned, softcore gave way to hardcore, and once again Distribpix was at the forefront – producing the highest quality adult pictures available. For the first time, the best of the adult films looked like mainstream pictures – and Distribpix led the way with the biggest names in the industry such as Georgina Spelvin, Tina Russell, Jamie Gillis, Marc Stevens, and Harry Reems, specially commissioned scripts and soundtracks, and talented mainstream crews.
Distribpix even started to mirror mainstream production company’s such as MGM or Paramount becoming the first to stage elaborate premieres for its film, or signing now legendary stars such as Gloria Leonard and Jennifer Welles to exclusive contracts. Along the way, the Distribpix library was augmented by the purchase of Sam Lake’s Maturpix back catalog – home of many legendary titles from the era.
Towards the end of the 1970s, the adult film market had become more discerning; Distribpix responded by increasing the budgets and ambition of their productions, hiring the likes of Armond Weston, Chuck Vincent, Jonas Middleton, and Gerard Damiano – resluting in movies such as “Through The Looking Glass”, “Take Off”, “A Scent of Heather”, and “Consenting Adults”.
By now Distribpix had been rebranded as VideoXPix reflecting the advent of the video age. But, unlike many competitors, the company thrived and adapted to the new marketplace quickly becoming a major video production house, even going back to one of it’s earliest directors from the 1960s, Joe Sarno, to deliver film after film shot on video.
Movie production eventually stopped in 1989 – but the company remained in family hands, and has been run by Distribpix kin since 2002. The priority was originally to release the classic hardcore features from the 1970s and 1980s – an undertaking which has been underway ever since, resulting in over 200 films now available on DVD.
However with the resurgence in interest in soft and hardcore adult cinema, Distribpix and VideoXPix are proud to announce the re-launch of the company. The relaunched company will focus on a three-tiered approach: First, we will offer multi-disc remastered special editions of the hard core films, featuring contributions by the original directors and stars, production stills, and authoritive liner notes. Secondly, we will release, remastered soft-core films by stellar directors such as Joe Sarno, Ron Sullivan, Michael Findlay and Leonard Kirtman. Third, we are developing an extensive online community for the sharing of information and documentary material relating to the films, and the ability to download the movies themselves.
Far from being a bootlegging, oldies company like so much of the competition, Distribpix / VideoXPix is proud of is long heritage in the industry and looks forward to increasing the size of its family of people interested in this historical company. We hope you enjoy our family of jewels!