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Group Marriage (1973) - Blu-ray Review

3 beersSix people. One house. Sex at the drop of a hat. What could go wrong?! Oh, what a web we weave when we cannot leave!

Director Stefanie Rothman (The Working Girls) returns to the arena of the sex comedy with a very hilarious romp in which twosomes become threesomes and so much more. It’s free love fest for all! Now, I don’t know if there is a comment being made here about alternative lifestyles, but this film is all sorts of golden when held up to the light.

Poor Sandor (Solomon Sturges). He’s got a stupid job; he makes bumper sticker slogans. AND the dude’s not getting along with his girlfriend, Chris (Aimée Eccles).  She's a hottie, for sure, but she’s so over it.  Currently getting cuffed at night by parole officer Dennis (Jeff Pomerantz) who wants to hook Sandor up with his ex-girlfriend Jan (Victoria Vetri), the two troubled marriages suddenly become solid when partners are swapped. Hubba hubba.

But, wait, there’s a big twist as the bed keeps filling up with warm bodies eager for the huggin’ and the squeezin’ throughout the night!

The evening, hosted by gay neighbors Rodney (Bill Striglos) and Randy (John McMurtry), becomes more than anyone bargained for when lifeguard Phil (Zack Taylor), sinks his buoy into Chris in seconds flat, and lawyer Elaine (Claudia Jennings, THE drive-in queen) both join the party.   Is this bed big enough? You bet!

Bring in the national news! Because this shit is bananas. Things quickly spiral out of control as more and more characters catch the wave and ride this sexcapade until it bursts all over the place. Group Marriage is wickedly funny. And, true to its purpose, the flirty flick has a lot of extra special sauciness.

Unfortunately, too many moments are wasted on wooden interpretations of characters and lines. It seems odd to criticize this B-movie, though; it is funny. There is a lot of promise in this drive-in exploitation flicks from the early '70s and yet too much falls clumsily to the floor. It’s not Rothman’s fault. She’s a champ in this male dominated field. But the acting is poor and often times unintentionally funny…which, with the right amount of beers, makes it all the merrier.

Written by Rothman, Charles S. Schwartz, and Richard Walter, the script is funny enough on its own. It is the actors, often failing to deliver the lines with the right punch, that poke holes in the boat. They aren’t all awful but there are a lot of zingers that simple miss their intended targets.

This is a must-own for fans of Jennings. Seriously. She doesn’t disappoint. Once again, Code Red knocks a Rothman flick out of the park.

Free love. Free dope. Where’s Glenn Frey?!

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[tab title="Details"]

Group Marriage (1973) - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
85 mins
Director
: Stephanie Rothman
Writer:
Stephanie Rothman, Charles S. Swartz
Cast:
Victoria Vetri, Aimee Eccles, Solomon Sturges
Genre
: Comedy | Drama
Tagline:
There are marriages... and there are marriages.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Here's to you, Chris, for starting all this."
Theatrical Distributor:

Official Site:
Release Date:

DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
November 15, 2016
Synopsis: Six young, attractive professionals discover the advantages and disadvantages of not only sharing a house, but each others partners! It all starts when Chris gets bored with her boyfriend, Sander. She meets Dennis on the way home from work one night. Dennis joins Chris and Sander for dinner in Sander’s house, which turns into an overnight stay, and culminates in Chris and Dennis hooking up. Sander, after discovering that Chris and Dennis slept together, is surprisingly calm, especially when he meets Dennis’ girlfriend Jan! And so begins the journey into a multiple living arrangement, where everyone finds out that sharing can be fun!

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Group Marriage (1973) - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Code Red
Available on Blu-ray
- November 15, 2016
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: None
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

The brand new transfer (in 1.85:1) that Code Red presents was supervised by Stephanie Rothman and is archived from her original print. Group Marriage is a clear transfer that, while a bit hazy, provides a solid upgrade. There’s no real technical limitation spotted here as both interiors and exteriors look good in the new transfer. There is a solid contrast and the colors appear brighter than on the poor quality DVD releases. Skin tones are solid and the details in some of the period clothing with high levels of saturation. While there is ZERO depth to many of the shots and dirt and some scratches still pop up, the film has never looked better then when it strolls outside to take in the sunlight and the greenery. The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono is perfectly suited for home viewing.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

One lone trailer.

Theatrical Trailer

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[tab title="Art"]

Group Marriage (1973) - Blu-ray Review

 

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