Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 31, 2019

1973’s “Fleshpot on 42nd Street” offers a sympathetic view of an unsympathetic character, asking audiences to go on a journey with an unpleasant woman as she experiences struggle for some level of normalcy and safety. In other hands, perhaps the movie could do something with the basic set- up of a lost soul trying to survive in the big city, but “Fleshpot on 42nd Street” is an Andy Milligan picture, with the prolific helmer (of such films as “Bloodthirsty Butchers,” “Torture Dungeon,” and “The Man with Two Heads”) mostly interested in creating an awful environment for awful people, trying to touch bottom when it comes to depicting human behavior while still tending to hardcore material, some of it violent in nature.

Unable to deal with her demanding lover, Dusty (Laura Cannon) decides to return to the streets, returning to a life of prostitution to help pay the bills, doing a little petty theft on the side. Trying to find some stability in New York City, Dusty reunites with her pal, Cherry Lane (Neil Flanagan), another streetwalker who offers apartment space for a friend. While Cherry struggles with the reality of life as hooker, Dusty works through violent johns to find Bob (Harry Reems), a “nice guy” from Staten Island who offers the young woman a home to share, gifting her the promise of comfort for the first time in a long time.

Dusty’s limitations as a motivated human being aren’t hidden from view in “Fleshpot on 42nd Street.” In fact, they’re the first thing found in the movie, watching as Dusty battles with her current lover, who’s fed-up with his lady’s unwillingness to get a job or clean up their rat-infested apartment. There’s rent to be paid, and Dusty believes her willingness to have sex with her partner is all the payment she needs to make. Dusty is soon booted from the dwelling, but not before stealing a few items as she embarks on a mission of self-preservation, quickly turning to prostitution to make a few bucks and steal some more loot from her tricks.

Dusty’s a troubled human being, but Milligan doesn’t have the patience to turn “Fleshpot on 42nd Street” into a rich psychological journey. Instead, she’s send into the meat grinder of NYC life, trying to hustle her way out of trouble, eventually finding help from Cherry Lane, a bitter and boisterous prostitute who presents Dusty with an apartment and a chance to work their shared profession in the same space. This opportunity gifts Milligan time to showcase some bared flesh, robotic couplings, and aggression, with Jimmy, a sleazy john, preferring to thrash Dusty with a belt, highlighting S&M practices the working girl doesn’t care for. Salvation is introduced with Bob, a lonely guy with a house he’d like to fill with company, offering Dusty a shot at normalcy she’s eager to take.

Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

To bring "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" to Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome offers two aspect ratios to enjoy. There's the film's original 1.33:1 framing and a slightly zoomed 1.85:1 viewing experience, which isn't the recommended choice. The "16mm camera reversal" source offered here pushes the grungy feature about as far as it can go, with wear and tear running throughout the run time, most notably with consistent judder issues. Scratches, speckling, splices, and damaged frames are viewed throughout as well. While roughness is encountered, Vinegar Syndrome manage to find life for the dead-eyed picture, delivering appealing detail with grimy NYC interiors and dimensional distances for street travel, permitting viewers to really study city activity and signage. Facial particulars are also open for inspection, with reasonable skin surfaces. Color is secure, delivering a full sense of advertising hues and urban pallor. Interiors enjoy some varied paint jobs, and costuming registers with a bit more emphasis. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable, never losing frame information. Grain is thicker but filmic.

Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For its restoration, "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" was presented without a final mix, requiring Vinegar Syndrome to reconstruct the 1.0 DTS-HD MA track using a variety of sources. Changes in volume and clarity are encountered (along with a few shrill highs), but the work presented here is impressive, managing to revive the sonic range of the feature. Dialogue exchanges are clear, with irritability and aggression registering without too many problems. The movie's jazzy score is sharp, offering strong instrumentation to help track the strange mood of the effort. It's an unusual listening event, but a source puzzle that supports the limited creative goals of the endeavor.

Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Samm Delghan, Heather Drain, and Kat Ellinger.

• "Locations: Then and Now" (4:01, HD) compares New York City from 1973, with its sprawling filth and sketchy businesses, with today, showcasing tremendous change in the area. The featurette also takes a trip to Staten Island, where the suburban setting hasn't developed much in the 46 years since "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" shot there.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Fleshpot on 42nd Street Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Fleshpot on 42nd Street" isn't a powerful drama, though it touches on violence and the frustrations of Cherry Lane, who's forced to navigate irritable tricks, eventually resenting Dusty for her dreams of suburban safety. Milligan even makes an attempt at tragedy during the final act, but this isn't an effort built for profound feelings and shocking turns of fate. It's a fairly muted pass at adult filmmaking, and a movie that's much more interesting surveying the hard streets of New York City than it is detailing sexual interests and kinks. "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" is sleazy, but not overtly so, and while it's staged like a snuff film, Milligan doesn't take the extra step. In many ways, he's trying to push the picture into more humane territory, but Dusty isn't a character that triggers much interest, remaining a bad apple without redeeming qualities. The feature eventually strives to make her more than an exploitative focal point, but the transformation is unconvincing.