Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 24, 2018

Joe Sarno's "Deep Throat Part II" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Film Media. The supplemental features on the release include an archival interview with director Joe Sarno and audio commentary with actor Levi Richards. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Tim Lucas' essay "Sarno and Comedy". In English, not subtitled. Region-Free.

"Listen, listen"

Deep Throat: Part II is one of four Joe Sarno films that are included in this new two-disc set from Film Media.

Well, here’s your proof that Hollywood producers and directors are not the only ones that would jump on an opportunity to capitalize on the success of a popular film. It is called Deep Throat Part II and it was directed by Joe Sarno, 'the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd St.' But hold on now, it is getting even better. You are probably already thinking that it has something to do with Gerard Damiano’s notorious adult film Deep Throat, right? Surprise, surprise, it does not. Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems are in it, but it is actually some whacky amateurish comedy that without the misleading title would have been forgotten decades ago. So, Sarno really threw one very fast and utterly shameless fastball with this one that likely tricked quite a few fans of the original.

The script for Deep Throat Part II -- and even though Sarno is credited as having produced one, I very much doubt that a professional script actually existed -- is the very definition of a disaster. Some of the ‘conversations’ that supposedly give the film its structure are so dull that there is a very realistic chance that they could permanently lower someone’s IQ. And yet the actors do not even seem to notice, they just go on and on with pointless exchanges that make just about every single sequence look like a random amateurish screen test. Was all of this nonsense supposed to be a funny parody of some sort? I did not find it funny at all. In fact, I was bored to tears, and to be honest there were a few times when I almost hit the fast-forward button on my remote so that I could get some temporarily relief. It was awful.

The film follows a couple of different characters that waste a lot of time in the office of a supposedly well-respected sex therapist (Reems). This specialist of course quickly emerges as a horny joker who actually prefers to entertain his flirty nurse (Lovelace) as often as possible. Eventually, he examines some geek (Levi Richards) who disrupts his fun office activities because he turns on the nurse and she decides to do more than she is required to make him feel better. However, the specialist and the nurse are completely unaware that the geek is a target for domestic and foreign spies because he is in the process of finalizing a giant supercomputer for the U.S. government, so his treatment quickly attracts a lot of curious observers.

The jokes aren’t funny and the flirting is anything but sexy, which means that there is zero atmosphere. With these types of very low-budget period films this is basically the key element that allows them to become attractive so its absence here is absolutely devastating. Nothing really works. People meet, utter some random lines, Lovelace drops off her clothes a few times, and then the end credits roll. That’s it. A very poor film.

One last thing that needs to be made perfectly clear because there is a lot of misleading information floating around: Deep Throat Part II is not a softcore film. I can think of at least five Mario Bava films that are a lot more 'softcore' than this film is, and yet they are -- and of course rightfully so -- not described as such. An actor or a group of actors removing their clothes for a few seconds is not what makes a film ‘softcore’, just as the presence of explicit sexual footage in another film isn’t enough to slap the dreaded ‘hardcore’ label on it.

Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer, Joe Sarno's Deep Throat Part II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Media.

The film has been transferred in high-definition and from I can tell it is essentially where its 'restoration' ended. It is possible that some minor stabilization enhancements were performed, but you should not expect to see the type of consistency on display that standard restorations provide. Some minor scratches, blemishes, specks, and tiny damage marks remain. In terms of color stability, saturation, and density there is also plenty of room for improvement. On the other hand, there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments, so whatever minor native density and stability issues were present on the element that was used to produce the high-definition master, they were basically retained. (Again, it is possible that some cosmetic work was done to remove some imperfections and even some things out, but it is very clear that there were not enough funds for in-depth work). So the end result is basically a vintage presentation of sorts that has a decent range of organic qualities, but ideally the film could look quite a bit better. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

Overall stability is very good. There are no serious balance issues to report either. There is some minor unevenness here and there, but it is of the type that could be very well be part of the film's sound design. Deep Throat Part II is a low-budget production and its native limitations are actually quite pronounced. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview - presented here is an archival video interview with director Joe Sarno in which he recalls the first time he saw the original Deep Throat film and explains how it changed the film industry. The director also explains how he was approached by friends and tasked to shoot a milder Deep Throat sequel and what it was like to work with Linda Lovelace. The interview was conducted in 2009. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary features actor Levi Richards/Rick Livermore and Michael Raso from Pop Cinema/Camp Motion Pictures. It is a fascinating commentary. The actor recalls how he entered the adult business (after initially appearing in nudie magazines), the type of environment in which adult films were made (with plenty of comments about Radley Metzger's work), and discusses the production history of Deep Throat II. The commentary has appeared on previous DVD releases of the film.

• Booklet - a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring critic Tim Lucas' essay "Sarno and Comedy".

Deep Throat Part II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Deep Throat: Part II is one of four Joe Sarno films that are included in this new two-disc set from Film Media. To be honest, it is the only one of the four that I dislike. It was supposedly conceived as a milder sequel to Gerard Damiano's groundbreaking genre adult film Deep Throat, but as a straightforward comedy it simply does not work. On the other hand, there is a very nice audio commentary on this disc with the late Levi Richards in which he spends a great deal of time talking about the scene he was a part of during the 1970s and his work with the likes of Joe Sarno and Radley Metzger/Henry Paris.