Summer Lovers (1982)

[Hank the Tank]

OK, here's one you might have caught on HBO in the early 1980s (where I first saw it). Called Summer Lovers, this is what I'd call a early 80s "fantasy lovers" flick. It features Daryl Hannah in a early pre-Splash role. Also featuing Peter Gallagher as the lucky stiff with not one but two girlfriends (a early "threesomes" deal and French actress Valérie Quennessen (who tragically perished in a 1989 auto accident) as the "third wheel". She's quite the knockout in this film.

Amazon page for Summer Lovers DVD

Wiki Article on Summer Lovers


NSFW ALERT on YouTube Excerpt

Film Excerpt on YouTube (I'm So Excited) NSFW ALERT!!

Excerpt:
"Michael and Cathy, a young couple who have just graduated from college, have known each other about 10 years and have been together about half that time. They vacation for the summer on a Greek island. When they visit a nude beach crowded with other young tourists, they are hesitant at first but find themselves getting caught up in the uninhibited energy that surrounds them.

Cathy reads a book of sexual techniques, then ties Michael to the bed and drips candle wax on his chest. She comments that everyone thinks she's "such a Goody Two-Shoes" but she wants a little more adventure.

Michael, who says he has never been with another woman, keeps noticing Lina, a French archaeologist on temporary assignment at the nearby Akrotiri excavation. One day, at the beach without Cathy, he gets his chance to talk to Lina and ends up starting an affair with her. He then feels so guilty that Cathy immediately notices something is wrong, and he admits what he has done, insisting that he still loves Cathy.

Cathy is naturally disturbed by this, but tells him to get it out of his system, which he takes as permission to return to Lina. Cathy then goes to a local bar intending to sleep with another man as a way to get revenge against Michael for cheating on her. But in the end she chickens out after getting picked up by an amorous local boy. When Michael comes home later after seeing Lina again, Cathy says she wants out of the relationship.

Cathy goes to Lina's home to confront her. Lina assures Cathy that she does not intend to take Michael away from her, which seems to calm Cathy somewhat. Lina and Cathy end up spending several hours together getting acquainted, and find themselves fascinated by each other's work—Lina's archeology and Cathy's photography."

[VHS Dreamer]

The Blu-ray will be released this fall (2014) in widescreen and with director commentary. I'm so excited this film is getting the treatment it deserves. Keep an eye out. Cheers!

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Thanks for the reminder re: Summer Lovers - I have extremely vague memories of possibly seeing the trailer?! on TV in the early '80's, but never saw the film due to being too young at the time.

Glad it's hitting Blu later this year, since it's definitely something I would want to check out. It sounds like it's one of the many '80's flicks that may have been at least somewhat popular when it was released, but due to the passage of time has been largely forgotten these days...

[Dr. Seymour Love]

This will be airing late Monday nite on MGMHD.

[Dr. Seymour Love]

I haven't got to watch it yet, but they're saying on the Summer Lovers yahoo group that the version shown on mgmhd was a 'zoomed in' version of the full screen picture, to make it look widescreen. I've never heard of this. Hopefully I can get some time this weekend to watch it.

[Hank the Tank]

Originally Posted by VHS Dreamer

The Blu-ray will be released this fall (2014) in widescreen and with director commentary. I'm so excited this film is getting the treatment it deserves. Keep an eye out. Cheers!

Brad here. I too would like to know where you got this information. Please provide a link, preferably to a legit movie info site. If true this is very good news.

Thanks in advance.

[#Darren]

Originally Posted by Dr. Seymour Love

I haven't got to watch it yet, but they're saying on the Summer Lovers yahoo group that the version shown on mgmhd was a 'zoomed in' version of the full screen picture, to make it look widescreen. I've never heard of this. Hopefully I can get some time this weekend to watch it.

There is a "Summer Lovers" yahoo group? LOL!

It is possible the 4x3 version is "opened up" from the original composition, showing additional top/bottom info. This is quite common. Depending on original filming techniques, when aiming for a 4x3 image, sometimes they crop, sometimes they use additional top/bottom image info (keeping the full width of the original composition).

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Originally Posted by #Darren

There is a "Summer Lovers" yahoo group? LOL!

It is possible the 4x3 version is "opened up" from the original composition, showing additional top/bottom info. This is quite common. Depending on original filming techniques, when aiming for a 4x3 image, sometimes they crop, sometimes they use additional top/bottom image info (keeping the full width of the original composition).

Yes, that group has been around way over a decade now. Lotsa good info on the film as well as traveling in the Greek Isles.

Darren, as to it being "opened up", I'm not for sure. But the film was shot in 1:85 and the opening credits sequence is in 1:85 on the dvd, and then the dvd switches to full screen after the credits....don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[#Darren]

Originally Posted by Dr. Seymour Love

the opening credits sequence is in 1:85 on the dvd, and then the dvd switches to full screen after the credits....don't know if that makes a difference or not.

That suggests to me that it is "probably" cropped aka pan and scanned.

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Sounds like the dvd was opened up, someone posted this on the group:

the film was shot flat (1.85:1). The full-frame DVD showed more information on the top and bottom of the screen than was intended by the filmmakers. The new 16x9 HD master shown on MGM HD will replicate or come close to replicating the original look of the film, as it was seen in theaters in 1982. This means that the top and bottom of the frame will be cropped (also known as matting) to replicate the original 1.85 aspect ratio. You will not see extra information on the sides of the frame, as this film was not shot in a widescreen or scope format.

[#Darren]

I wonder why they bothered matting the titles on the 4x3 DVD then... interesting choice.

[VHS Dreamer]

Originally Posted by Hank the Tank

Brad here. I too would like to know where you got this information. Please provide a link, preferably to a legit movie info site. If true this is very good news.

Thanks in advance.

I was told by the director Randal Kleiser (@Randalkleiser) on Twitter. You can see his post if you look at his account on Twitter. I really hope this gets released.

[DavidCoppola]

Any news on this?

[jah13]

Twilight Time comes through! I'm thrilled it's them, as they will almost certainly also include Basil Poledouris' brief, but lovely score as an isolated track. Perhaps of most importance: MGM created a new HD master for SUMMER LOVERS in late 2014.

Perhaps a moderator can move this thread over to the main forum now.

[david7simon]

Originally Posted by jah13

Twilight Time comes through! I'm thrilled it's them, as they will almost certainly also include Basil Poledouris' brief, but lovely score as an isolated track. Perhaps of most importance: MGM created a new HD master for SUMMER LOVERS in late 2014.

Perhaps a moderator can move this thread over to the main forum now.

If they include the extremely rare (I've never seen it) "The Making Of SUMMER LOVERS" TV documentary on this blu-ray... it would be fantastic! And the director said last year that he recorded a commentary track. I assume this will at least be included. I wonder what the actual aspect ratio will be? I'll be out of the country when this goes up for pre-order. Hopefully I'll have a chance to grab a copy before they're all gone.

[jah13]

Originally Posted by david7simon

If they include the extremely rare (I've never seen it) "The Making Of SUMMER LOVERS" TV documentary on this blu-ray... it would be fantastic! And the director said last year that he recorded a commentary track. I assume this will at least be included. I wonder what the actual aspect ratio will be? I'll be out of the country when this goes up for pre-order. Hopefully I'll have a chance to grab a copy before they're all gone.

Yeah, that mythical "making of" doc would be wonderful, but I am not holding my breath that MGM has the elements. It was independently produced (by William Riead Productions) years before MGM had ownership of SUMMER LOVERS. It would, of course, be great if Filmways did have the "making of" elements, along with the feature negative, and passed those assets onto MGM.

[MiracleandWonder]

A lot of times I'm "meh" on Twilight Time releasing titles, but this is one case I'm grateful for, since I never expected a HD release of it.

I'm sure it'll look beautiful on blu. Hopefully some more Daryl Hannah movies will come soon, especially Splash and The Clan Of The Cave Bear

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Great news! A must buy for me.

[Dr. Seymour Love]

Front and back covers:

[ronnie21]

pre-ordered mine today..