A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 25, 2017

Perhaps there are a few people out there who secretly would like to see Woody Allen in his prime make an adult movie. 1974’s “A Touch of Genie” is as close to granting that wish as possible, finding director Joseph W. Sarno mounting a sex comedy that favors Jewish stereotypes and New York City anxiety, playing up nebbish behavior and domineering mothers, all the while slipping into hardcore entertainment now and again, to remind viewers they’re not watching an Allen-style production.

Melvin (Douglas Stone) is a lonely, shy guy who enjoys visiting the local adult theater, caught up in the fantasies on the screen. When the antique dealer finds a vase on the street, naturally he decides to have sex with it, resulting in the appearance of Genie (Chris Jordan), a 500-year-old spirit who’d love to be the subject of Melvin’s pent-up sexual energy. The bewildered man proceeds to make five wishes, transformed into porn stars like Harry Reems and Eric Edwards, allowing him to be virile enough to handle his desires.

A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation keeps "A Touch of Genie" bright and colorful, "restored in 2K from 35mm original camera negative." While cinematography has trouble maintaining focus at times, detail reaches as far as it can go, showcasing rich textures on exposed bodies and costuming. Primaries are bold and secure, supporting the fantasy aspects of the movie, and skintones are nature. Delineation is never problematic. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is mostly clean with a few marks here and there.

A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is basic in design, showing some age with crispy highs. Dialogue exchanges retail intelligibility, hitting comedy beats and identifying sluggish timing. Sexual response is clear and loud. Scoring retains instrumentation, and supports the somewhat wacky mood of the picture.

A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (23:19, HD) with actor Eric Edwards is a calmly reflective chat about his career, including his casting in "A Touch of Genie," which also featured his wife, Chris Jordan. Edwards spends time celebrating Joseph Sarno's spirit and his own European adventures, getting into trouble as he experienced the sexual revolution of the 1970s. Edwards also shares anecdotes about his co-stars, fondly looking back at an eventful career.

• Interview (25:57, HD) with Michael Bowen covers the basics with the Sarno biographer, sharing details about his early career and eventual shift toward hardcore filmmaking. Bowen also discusses "A Touch of Genie," offering analysis and appreciation for the movie.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:54, HD) is included.

A Touch of Genie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"A Touch of Genie" is broad, with Melvin managing his intrusive mother (Ultramax) and his object of desire (Tina Russell) while Sarno dreams up scenarios to play within the fantasy sequences, trying to keep the laughs coming. Timing is lacking in "A Touch of Genie," as too much of the movie is executed flatly, without great talent to make all snappy and funny. But the idea of the picture is amusing, messing around with adult cinema conventions, and for those looking for inspired performances in the genre, Jordan is a delight as Genie, working extra hard to carry all the feature's charisma.