Asian pressing DVD (All code, NTSC) of 1982 film directed by Stuart Gillard (Taking Liberty, Rocket Man), starring Phoebe Cates & Willie Aames. David and Sarah travel with a caravan from Baghdad to Damascus. At an oasi... more »s the white-slave agent 'Jackal' raids them, mainly to add the beautiful young Sarah to his harem. Only David and Sarah can flee, all the others are killed. Their flight leads them to a beautiful oasis - their paradise - where they discover love and sex, however the jackal has not given up on Sarah yet. Original English dialogue with optional English & Chinese subtitles. This film will be released domestically in March 2005. Panorama. 2004.« less
"People who say that this movie is a ripoff of Blue Lagoon either haven't seen Blue Lagoon or haven't seen this movie. I suspect that they are merely quoting Leonard Maltin or some other uninformed source who doesn't bother to watch movies before reviewing them.
The only thing this movie and Blue Lagoon have in common is atrocious dialogue. But whereas Blue Lagoon is atrocious dialogue all the way, in this movie the idiot-level talk occurs only in certain scenes. If you copy the scenes that are NOT idiotic onto a blank videotape, you'll have a five-star movie that is one hour and twenty-three minutes long with no story elements left out, no love scenes left out and no nudity left out. The stupid scenes are brief but numerous, so fast-forwarding over them is tedious.
The story of this movie is actually pretty good. It contains action scenes, love scenes, playing scenes, scenes of people being human. And all of it is quite credible, given the time and society. The nude scenes are also done quite naturally. There is no teasing, no three-second breast shots, and no shoving in the nudity for its own sake. Also, there is a fair amount of nudity, not the usual throwing in a single shot to get the R rating. And it is not drenched in hostility like the so-called "art" movies or other pretentious fare. The crisis and resolution are believable and satisfying. The music is far above average.
As to versions, if you have the videotape, there is little to be gained from buying the DVD. It's semi-widescreen, but that adds little. Both are mono, even though the DVD claims to be stereo. The sound and picture quality are quite decent on both media.
Bottom line: with the idiot-talk scenes cut, this is a rare movie, exciting, touching, and satisfying."
One of the worst movies of all time!
Ilya Chasm | USA | 04/15/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are 3 ways to enjoy this movie. Either you love bad movies, want to see one of the most beautiful girls to ever walk the earth naked, or both.This movie is so awful that I could just as easily have given this movie 1 star instead of 5 stars. The acting, dialogue and plot are so embarrassing that you will be blushing and groaning while watching it, realizing that you are of the same species as the people who created this piece of trash.If you just want to see Phoebe Cates naked and scantily clad, turn down the sound and put on some music (preferably 70's porno movie music), and have your remote control at the ready. The shower scene alone is worth the price of admission although it would be nice to have it on DVD with an AB repeat. Quite frankly, even if you also love bad movies, you'll want to have the remote at hand for subsequent viewing.It is a "must-see" for lovers of bad movies, but I would recommend renting it rather than buying it if seeing Phoebe Cates naked at her most gorgeous doesn't appeal to you. But if you want the definitive "Phoebe Cates naked" movie, it's worth buying even if you don't like bad movies."
Paradise NOT Uncut
Skeet Dobson | 09/11/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Several images are blurred out. Do not purchase this unless you want a censored version. The VHS version from Astro Video is uncut with no images blurred and has the original music."
Puh-lease!
glenn | nyc | 03/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Okay. Let's be real for a moment. This movie was made and watched for the same reason--cheap titilation--and to review it under other pretenses, with any other value system in mind, is ludicrous. This is a five star film because it accomplishes what it sets out to do...give you Phoebe Cates--proof of God's existence if there ever was--NUDE. She is absolutely lovely. She is showering naked in a waterfall! And keep in mind she was only 17 when she did it. This is what these movies are made for--the budget, the script, the cast were all assembled to achieve one goal and one goal only: Get this gorgeous teen to strip and get wet for all of us to view. They did it. We watch it. We ought to love it and be thankful. Five stars, gentlemen."
Blue Lagoon Rip-Off
Steven Prasetya | Singapore | 03/24/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, the movie is really a Blue Lagoon rip-off, with unbelievable plot. Even the situation leading to the nudity is unbelievable!
The DVD itself is badly done. The cover looks cheap. The transfer is bad. Some parts are purposely blurred. No extras. It surely doesn't warrant the price of $19.99 but more like $4.99!
The extra star in the rating is just because it's a Phoebe Cates debut. If you're not her fan, don't bother buying."