Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Corporate Assets Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 28, 2018

1985’s “Corporate Assets” initially appears to be a lighter, mischievous take on office affairs, exploring the lives of prostitutes as they deliver a special level of motivation for business world workers. And then someone dies, killing the fizzy mood in a hurry. Writer/director Thomas Paine is most certainly not interested in giving his feature a spring in its step, working through couplings and seductive scenarios without an eye toward adult escapism. Instead, “Corporate Affairs” is quite bleak, with a capacity for rage that keeps it unsteady and, at times, unpleasant. Paine strives to make a sexually charged movie with dense emotion and shocking violence, and it’s ambitious, just never quite as searing as the helmer hopes.

J.W. (R. Bolla) is the boss at Beutel, trying to keep his company on top through devious means, unleashing his harem of hookers on employees and politicians. His top woman is Jill (Tish Ambrose), who’s tired of the lifestyle, caught up in romantic correspondence with Winston (Eric Edwards), an outdoorsman who’s still dealing with Vietnam War flashbacks. Jill wants to leave the life and live happily ever after with Winston, but J.W. isn’t ready to give her up, commencing a fight for safety as the weary prostitute decides to run away for good.

“Corporate Assets” is Jill’s story, with the character stuck in a bad situation that’s become normal for her. She’s joined by others in the group (including Amber Lynn and Rachel Ashley), while newcomer Babette (Sheri St. Claire) receives nothing but cruelty as she becomes part of the Beutel team (in the movie’s most repellent scene, Babette is raped into compliance). The girls trigger a heart attack in one employee, and they satisfy politicians in another, trying to keep professional relationships going with extreme role play (Jamie Gillis, who else, portrays a man turned on by infantilism), but Jill is tired of the grind, desiring love from a man she’s never met. The simplicity of plot is welcome in “Corporate Assets,” but heat is considerably cooled by aggressive antics, with Paine enjoying humiliating the female characters, on the hunt for a psychological abyss that doesn’t mesh with the adult film routine.

Corporate Assets Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation explores the office and home worlds of "Corporate Assets" with welcome brightness, finding the viewing experience as dimensional as possible. Clarity satisfies, permitting a look at set decoration and locations, while costuming retains fibrous qualities. Graphic sexual displays also keep their textures, giving body particulars emphasis. Colors are lively, with period hues leading the charge, supplying dresses with powerful primaries, which extend to interior design and even greenery, finding an outdoor visit to Winston's cabin providing a feel for the great outdoors. Skintones are natural. Delineation is communicative, supporting evening tensions. Grain is heavy but filmic. The source is a bit ratty at times, finding reel changes jumpy and marked with cigarette burns. Speckling and mild scratching is also found along the way.

Corporate Assets Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix for "Corporate Assets" has a few drawbacks, including a slight battle with sibilance issues, and while very mild, hiss and pops are present throughout the track. Despite a few problems, the listening experience is actually quite clear, with dialogue exchanges maintaining emphasis and emotion, keeping performances accessible. Scoring leads with fine instrumentation, giving the piano-based music comfortable emphasis, while a few synth stings add unease to troubling scenes. Sexual activity is defined, and pops of violence retain snap.

Corporate Assets Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Corporate Assets Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Corporate Assets" has plenty of sex, but it also has Vietnam flashbacks, a mention of venereal diseases, and the lengthy breakdown of Babette's shattered psyche. There's also the sight of Gillis in a diaper, which is enough to kill any seductive pull the picture manages to deliver. It's dark stuff, too much so at times, but there's a sudden turn to action cinema in the finale, with the feature transforming into an Andy Sidaris production out of the blue. This is where "Corporate Assets" should've been the entire time, dealing with broad heroism and antagonisms, not trying to dance in the mud pit of sexual dysfunction and abuse.