PEEKARAMA BIG 2 UNIT SHOW!: THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT (1983)/SWEET YOUNG FOXES (1983) Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Director: Bob Chinn
Vinegar Syndrome

As promised, Vinegar Syndrome bring us more Hyapatia Lee in the Bob Chinn/"Gail Palmer" duo THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT and SWEET YOUNG FOXES.

All operators are tied up in THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT (so-called to cash-in on the then twentieth anniversary of SOME LIKE IT HOT). When oblivious company president Mr. Fishbait (Eric Edwards, THE PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN) considers replacing live switchboard operators with computer automation, supervisor Loni (Hyapatia Lee) and operator Cheryl (Kay Parker, SEXWORLD) conspire to show their boss and their customers that only live operators can truly satisfy. Big Dick's (William Margold, MARILYN AND THE SENATOR) positive feedback call to Mr. Fishbait after an intense obscene phone call-turned-phone sex session with switchboard operator Nancy (Rose-Linda Kimball, FLESH AND LACES) – who achieved satisfaction on her end thanks to pole climber Tom (SEX WARS' Mike Horner) – is the first of many. While Loni orally provides Fishbait a more substantial reason to go to bat with the managing board, Cheryl plots with electronic wiz lineman Jim (Ray Wells, THE OTHER SIDE OF JULIE) to tamper with the computer statistics with the promise of bathroom sex. Meanwhile, Loni counsels virginal Marie (Lili Marlene, BEYOND TABOO), David (Hyapatia''s husband Bud Lee, BODY GIRLS) turns phone therapist to help depressed Carla (Sharon Mills, HOT SCHOOL REUNION) achieve orgasm, Tom provides in-home service to desperate housewife Wanda (Pat Manning, AMANDA BY NIGHT), Cheryl gives over-the-phone instruction to Linda (Lori Smith, OLYMPIC FEVER) on how to give husband Al (Paul Thomas, FANTASYWORLD) a painless deep throating, and Cindy (VALLEY VIXENS' Shauna Grant) repeatedly maims inept Jeff (Joey Silvera, EXPECTATIONS) while offering unsolicited advice in a number of home repair mishaps (to the point where he wants to give her feedback in person).

Caribbean Films and Bob Chinn typically deliver plentiful slickly-shot sex scenes and relatively high production value (for a porn film) but the humor of THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT never quite gels with the heat, and the cast of welcome faces (and other features) – including Herschel Savage (PRETTY PEACHES 2) as a horny night watchman – just go through the motions. Edwards and Parker turn in dependably good performances while Silveira and Grant provide some chuckles but Hyapatia and Bud Lee (as director and "stunt double") would more effectively handle a variation of the same plot in 1985s TASTY (also available from Vinegar Syndrome) in which a radio station becomes a call-in sex show to boost ratings.

The SWEET YOUNG FOXES are coed trio wild Laura (Hyapatia Lee), perpetually stoned Maggie (Cara Lott, SEXDANCE FEVER), and bookishly shy Kim (Cindy Carver, RADIO K-KUM) who have just finished their freshman year at Cal State and they should want to celebrate. Unfortunately, Laura is missing her boyfriend Alex (husband Bud Lee) who has gone away to Harvard and her mother Julie (Kay Parker) is playing the gay divorcee and getting serious with professor Raymond (Eric Edwards). Maggie tries to escape the pain of her home life by getting high every day (after having found a shafting by Ron Jeremy wanting), and the stress of keeping up her grades has prevented Kim from enjoying herself. After a fight with her mother, Laura just wants to get laid with any guy at a swanky party given by artist Miranda (Jill Manning). While Laura is surprised and elated to run into the high school jock that got away (Carl Lincoln, ALL THE KING'S LADIES), Kim meets the only guy who can get aroused in spite of her incessant prattling (COME UNDER MY SPELL's Blair Harris who seems to be keeping the left side of his face averted from the camera), and Maggie gets a very exclusive tour from the lady of the house.

Playing very believably like a slicker example of a mainstream 1980s coming of age drama – with a great FM-ready theme song – SWEET YOUNG FOXES features sympathetic and credible performances from its gorgeous young trio along with a 1983 AFAA Best Supporting Actress one from Parker as a mother afraid to let her daughter grow up. 1982 Hustler Centerfold Manning is also effective as the sensual middle-aged divorcee turned lesbian with a believable world-weariness. The plot is a bit simplistic with no real conflict but everything just seems to come together nicely to make this one a little diversion.

Scanned and restored in 2K from the original 35mm camera negatives, the double bill of THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT and SWEET YOUNG FOXES marks the Blu-ray debut of the Peekarama line and they both look spectacular as expected. Shot in studio with bright, flat lighting, THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT sports a sharp image and vibrant colors. SWEET YOUNG FOXES looks even better as it was shot on location with some actual craftsmanship in the lighting, creative use of shadows, and abundant star filters (both films were shot by LICENSE TO THRILL's Jack Remy). The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono tracks are clean and bold when it comes to the scoring, theme songs, and loud moaning and grunting.

THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT is accompanied by an interview with Margold (7:29) in which he recalls being cast "Big Dick" character and telling lover Drea that he had to fly to San Francisco and would be back in time for HILL STREET BLUES. He recalls shooting the scene, unaware until he ran into Kimball on the set of the "dreadful" Tobalina film MARATHON that the scene would be intercut with an actress aroused by his violent monologue. SWEET YOUNG FOXES is accompanied by an interview with Chinn (10:01) in which he touches upon how he first met Harry Mohney and company frontwoman Gail Palmer. He has little to say about these two films but admits that by that time he was tired of doing them. While these are nice additions for a typical Peekarama release, one would have hoped for more for a Blu-ray. The disc also includes the Caribbean Films theatrical trailers for both films (5:06 and 3:26, respectively). (Eric Cotenas)

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