It is amazing that "Tanya's Island" has still never had a legit release. I have no idea who owns it, but it was a heavily publicized US/Canadian production, had a big article in Cinefantastique magazine at the time, it was practically a Playboy layout in that mag as they showed D.D. Winters (Vanity) nude in many photos from the film, the amazing spfx ape was by Rick Baker and Rob Bottin, and it opened very wide in US theaters! Maybe the subject matter, sort of beastiality, caused a stir as it only played in more of the grungy downtown theaters in my city, but still, it was rated R and did well. We went to see it and thought it was a riot, in a good way.
No one really knew D.D. Winters was going to be Vanity, as far as I remember, but that didn't matter. The film itself is actually really pretty good. The jealousy of Winters' human boyfriend, who gives it his all and goes pretty much crazy in a wild performance, over the ape's lust over his girlfriend instead, is just off the roof. Wild! And it's directed by Alfred Sole ("Alice Sweet Alice"). Maybe this film and "Pandemonium" killed Sole's directing career, but I think 'Tanya's Island' is right up there with "Alice Sweet Alice" as far as quality goes, just in a much sleazier way. "Pandemonium" (aka "Thursday the 12th") is pretty dire, I know it has its fans, but..... wrong!
I hope Tanya's subject matter isn't keeping a legit version off the market. Why has this film been left behind for so long? Yes, boots exist, but this would be PERFECT for Vinegar especially, or any other genre label. And it would sell well. Maybe Vanity's estate has an injunction against it ever being seen again? As she became born again and so forth? I doubt she would have had the clout to get that upon filming it, but maybe once she was rich, she could buy back her rights to have it removed from being seen again?
What a shame.
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