INSERTS (1976)
Label: MGM
Region Code: A
Rating: NC-17
Duration: 116 Minutes 58 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1).
Director: John Byrum
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, Bob Hoskins, Veronica Cartwright, Stephen Davies
Inserts (1976) is a film that was branded with the dreaded X-rating when it was initially released, the rare studio film with big names that got slapped with that rating. It;s somewaht obscure in so much as I'd never heard of it until it was released on Blu-ray by the now defunct, and sorely missed, Twilight Time. It's now been re-issued by the Amazon owned MGM, to which I say kudos to whomever is greenlighting these MGM catalog releases over there these days, I appreciate whoever you are for getting many of these catalog titles back into circulation, even if they are barebones releases.
The film is directed by
John Byrum (Sphinx), it's an intimate chamber piece with only five actors, and set in a single location. It has a cool opening of a small group of guys in the 70's I assume, watching a black and white stag film, as it closes someone yells out their displeasure that there is no cum shot in it. It then transitions to a decaying Hollywood mansion in the 1930s and we see how that stag film was made. The mansion is owned by the once great silent-film director, only referred to as "Boy Wonder" (Richard Dreyfuss,
Jaws) who for reasons did not transition to the "talkie" pictures, ostensibly because he refused to water down his experimental style for the sake of commercial success, but the fact that he's an alcoholic and seemingly an agoraphobic as well, probably also figured heavily into the equation. He's still making pics though, but he's been reduced to making nudie pics starring a heroin-addicted actress Harlene (Veronica Cartwright,
Alien) and the stupid but studly Rex "The Wonder Dog" (Stephen Davies,
The Nest). They're shooting a bit of a rape roughie, things are going well enough, that is until Boy Wonder's money man Big Mac (Bob Hoskins,
Who Framed Roger Rabbit), a former bootlegger turned blue movie entrepreneur, shows up with his new gal Cathy Cake (Jessica Harper,
Suspiria).
Things get derailed at that point as Big Mac throws a packet of heroin to Harlene, seemingly her payment, and she takes it upstairs for a fix, which leads to a not totally unexpected tragedy, followed by all involved panicking and looking for a way to solve the problem. Wonder Boy suggests Rex performing necrophilia to complete the picture, only half-joking, while Big Mac looks to Rex's connections at the local cemetery to make the problem disappear, leaving Wonder Boy and wanna-be actress Cathy alone, with the seemingly naive Ms. Cake seemingly being game to complete the "insert" shots required to complete the picture.
It's quite stagey in it's production, the entire film taking place in a makeshift low-rent, one-room porno studio inside a crumbling Hollywood mansion, the handful of characters coming in and out of the room. There is a lot of mention of a another character, a young Hollywood upstart named Clark Gable, who never actually appears onscreen, but does knock at the front door at one point. Apparently Gable was overheard by Harlene saying that he was a fan of Wonder Boy's silent flicks and would like to see him make a talkie, an idea which seems to frighten the director, more than entice him.
The whole cast is pretty terrific, particularly Dreyfuss, Cartwright, and Harper. Dreyfuss's director on the skids is a man who's star has faded, he's beaten but making the best of it, and I think this might be one of my favorite turns from him on film. Additionally, Cartwright as the waitress who moonlights making stag films feels lived-in, a fallen former silent film star, her need to get stoned before she can perform sexually is very telling, and she comes across sympathetically, and is so damaged and charming. This was Jessica Harper's debut film role, and as soon as she shows up it's hard to take your eyes of her she is magnetic, seemingly naive but when she and Wonder Boy are alone her seductive nature is revealed. There's just not any misfires here at all in my opinion, it's firing on all cylinders, the script is tight with razor sharp dialogue, it looks terrific, and I was enthralled from the start to the finish. I would certainly say it's not for everyone, there's some full frontal from Cartwright and Davies, topless from Harper, but no sex. If you can handle that I think that this micro exploration of the 1930s porn industry is quite a New Hollywood era gem and worth seeking out. I would imagine I am not alone in thinking this is kind of obscure, given that it was slapped with the dreaded x-rating upon release, later downgraded to a NC-17 in the 90s, and now that it is getting a Blu-ray re-issue from MGM it's pretty easy to find and quite affordable, so get at this.
Audio/Video: Inserts (1976) arrives on Blu-ray from MGM, presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The source is in terrific shape, the colors are warm, black levels are strong, skin tones look natural, and we get some pleasing texture and fine detail in the close-ups. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced with nice depth and clarity. As with most of the MGM pressed MOD Blu-ray releases of catalog titles there are no extras on the disc, just the film and a static menu with subtitle options. The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork.
Special Features:
- None
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Screenshots from the MGM Blu-ray:
