Sin in the Suburbs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Sin in the Suburbs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 22, 2018

Joe Sarno's "Sin in the Suburbs" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Media. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage audio commentary by director Joe Sarno, Peggy Sarno, producer Mike Vraney. and director Frank Henenlotter; exclusive new audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas; and more. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Tim Lucas' essay "Sarno in the Suburbs" and technical credits. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Let's see the crowd

The inspiration behind Sin in the Suburbs very easily could have been one of those zesty European omnibuses that the likes of Mauro Bolognini, Dino Risi, Ugo Gregoretti, and even Jean –Luc Godard contributed to during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Joe Sarno directed Sin in the Suburbs in 1964, which is the same year that Ettore Scola completed his directorial debut Let's Talk About Women, a hilarious collage of short stories about cheaters and bad luck. Then a year later some of the sexiest European actresses at the time -- Monica Vitti, Virna Lisi, Gina Lollobrigida, and Elke Sommer -- appeared in The Dolls, which is another hilarious project about cheaters. So Sarno, Sin in the Suburbs, and some of his other films from the same period may actually have been part of a trend that was initiated by the Europeans. And if this wasn’t the case, well, it is very interesting to see that these types of films all came out at the same time.

Sin in the Suburbs is not broken into individual segments like the two films that are mentioned above, but also follows a group of different characters and their secret rendezvous. The majority of them are housewives with specific sexual desires that their hard-working husbands are completely unaware of, so as soon as they send them to work in the morning they drop their masks and begin looking for ways to get what they need.

A local resident (Dyanne Thorne) that is fully aware of the games that are being played around the neighborhood crafts a brilliant business plan with her lover (Richard Tatro) that she hopes will permanently solve her financial problems. She approaches a few of the cheating housewives and informs them that for a proper fee they can become part of an exclusive club that offers a range of new and exciting sexual adventures. And they won’t even have to worry about being recognized because during regular meetings they will all wear gowns and masks that will hide their identities. The idea immediately resonates with the housewives and shortly after they submit their payments and apply for membership. However, after the club becomes a reality and its new members gather for their prepaid dose of unique sexual pleasures a few make some shocking discoveries.

Sam Fiedel’s edgy jazz score actually does give this film a European vibe, but instead of turning it into a zesty comedy, like the Europeans undoubtedly would have, Sarno transforms it into a social drama with some quick observations about the dual nature of suburbia and its middle-class residents. It works and at the end all of the erotic material is placed in a ‘proper’ context, but Sarno is a lot more effective when he lets his actors give his films their identity, and this does not appear to be the case here. Indeed, in Sin in the Suburbs there is plenty that is quite carefully timed and especially in the final third there is a very straightforward dramatic buildup that feels disappointingly safe.

The most effective material comes before the launching of the club where all of the cheaters are seen struggling with different emotions but ultimately failing to suppress their carnal desires. Here there is that ‘anything goes’ feeling in the air that usually pushes Sarno’s later films outside of what is considered mainstream.

*This release also includes Sarno’s film Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures about three college girls and their adventures in 1960s New York City.

Sin in the Suburbs 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 Sin in the Suburbs arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Media.

As far as I know the original negative for this film was lost a long time ago, so past releases of it were basically sourced from surviving prints -- and they were most definitely not in what would be considered 'proper condition'. I don't know exactly what Film Media did for the Blu-ray release, but if I had to guess I would say that their source was again in pretty rough condition. What bothered me slightly, however, was not the occasional drop in density or shakiness that would pop up, but the presence of light chroma noise I know can be eliminated. Also, the overall compression isn't optimal, so this creates further anomalies that also could have been avoided. (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).

Sin in the Suburbs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Clarity is good and the dialog is easy to follow. However, there is some light buzz and background hiss that occasionally pops up that should have been eliminated. Also, the film has a very prominent jazz score, so the unevenness in the upper register becomes easier to recognize. On the other hand, the lossy track surprises with very good depth and nuanced dynamics.

Sin in the Suburbs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - similar to Confessions of a Young American Housewife, this film also gets a brand new audio commentary from Tim Lucas in which he discusses its tone and themes. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Film Media.

• Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary was recorded by director Joe Sarno, Peggy Sarno, producer Mike Vraney. and director Frank Henenlotter (Frankenhooker, Basket Case). There is a lot of factual information here about the production of Sin in the Suburbs, the cast members and their careers, the film's appearance and subversive nature, etc.

• Bonus Feature - presented here is Joe Sarno's film Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures about three college girls and their adventures in 1960s New York City. (70 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Tim Lucas' essay "Sarno in the Suburbs" and technical credits.

Sin in the Suburbs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is an old theory floating around that Stanley Kubrick borrowed plenty from Sin in the Suburbs when he was working on Eyes Wide Shut. It is a wild one, but frankly, it is not difficult to understand why it exists because there really are some very obvious similarities between these films. A lot of people consider Sin in the Suburbs Joe Sarno's best work, but I personally have always liked Confessions of a Young American Housewife better. Fortunately, these films are now gathered in this set from Film Media, together with the lesser-known Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures.