Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Love Toy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 26, 2022

Director Doris Wishman had a dream, and after the death of her husband in 1958, she decided to pursue a career in filmmaking, focusing on sexploitation entertainment, hoping to reach an audience with lusty tales of revenge and love. 1971’s “Love Toy” is part of her colorful oeuvre, with Wishman doing away with any dramatic interests, charging ahead with a full-on fetish picture that plays to taboo desires. Wishman doesn’t have anything more than a to-do list of sexual adventures, trying to transform “Love Toy” into a strange psychological and physical display of bedroom experiences. There’s no feature here, just an assortment of kinks handed screen time, tied together with the thinnest of plot, buttoned with a true B- movie ending.

Marcus (Larry Hunter) is a compulsive gambler on an incredible losing streak to his pal, Alex (Bernard Marcel), with their Gin rummy evening costing the desperate man his entire fortune. Marcus is left with nothing, and Alex senses the opportunity of a lifetime, offering to give everything back to his pal if he can have his daughter, Chris (Pat Happel), for one night. Marcus is powerless to resist, left with Alex’s girlfriend, Mary (Uta Erickson), as the gambler collects his prize. However, Alex isn’t solely interested in sex, launching a series of role-playing games with the frightened girl, determined to work out every kink he possesses.

The horrors of an evening of Gin rummy serve as the introduction to “Love Toy,” watching Marcus willfully put his entire fortune on the line to beat Alex at a game he’s clearly better at. Marcus can’t help himself, and Alex soon collects time with Chris, which drives her father crazy, but he can’t prevent the coupling, which takes place in the next room. Wishman doesn’t drill into the madness of addiction, she simply uses Alex’s power play to examine his darkest sexual interests, which include role-playing with Chris, pretending she’s a cat in need of milk, a daughter in need of spanking, and a mistress in need of ravishing. And, of course, he also becomes a horse for her ride around the bedroom.

As disturbing behavior unfolds in Chris’s room, Marcus is subjected to a weirdly paced seduction/torture session from Mary, who welcomes her time with the distraught man, driving him insane. And this being a Doris Wishman film, the helmer manages to work in some old black and white softcore footage, hilariously sold as a flashback for Mary, who recalls watching her parents have sex as a child.

Love Toy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. "Love Toy" is shot inside a single apartment, leaving visual expanse limited during the viewing experience, but detail is quite nice. Ample skin surfaces are textured and fine body hair is appreciable. Costuming is fibrous, and interior decoration is open for study. Color is strong, dealing with period decorating interests and lighting, and outfits retain some primary power. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in decent condition, with some rough reel changes and mild elements of damage.

Love Toy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD mix delivers a simple listening experience, emphasizing dialogue exchanges, with dubbed performances clearly understood. Groaning and grunting also registers as intended. Scoring cues retain their age and emphasis, with decent jazzy instrumentation and sharper electric guitar stings.

Love Toy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Trailer (2:27, HD) is included.

Love Toy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wishman does offer some level of structure to "Love Toy," which opens and closes with mild stakes and genre-esque ideas. It doesn't do anything special with most of the movie, merely highlighting Alex's bedroom demands, excited to order Chris around, making her do whatever he wants. The creepiness of it all is slightly relived by the conclusion of the tale, but Wishman isn't pushing hard to make a cinematic statement on the bleakness of human desire and weakness. She's simply here to wow the raincoat crowd, presenting cheap thrills with a limited budget.