50 - Private Resort (1985)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE 50 - PRIVATE RESORT (1985)
Private Resort is a movie made for late-night Cinemax. It was released theatrically (on 102 screens and for 10 days) but the filmmakers knew damn well where this movie was destined to end up. If you hadn't caught it in it's 10 year loop on Cinemax, Showtime, or HBO late at night, it's certainly worth a viewing.
It's not that Private Resort is necessarily better or worse than most 80's teen sex comedies like it; it's just that it's one of the few that stars an Oscar winning actor and one of the highest paid men in Hollywood: Johnny Depp.
Joining Depp is Rob Morrow - of Northern Exposure fame - in his first onscreen role. Obviously these two guys would go on to be in much more successful things but it's always a treat to see where the careers of big names started out - in this case it's a regrettable picture directed by Grindbin All-Star George Bowers (of My Tutor fame).
This is a movie I personally view through those nostalgia-tinted glasses, I saw this movie countless times in my youth on late night cable and thought it was hilarious. When it released on DVD I instantly purchased a copy and watched it countless more times in college with friends. I hadn't seen this movie in nearly 10 years but it still holds up just as I remembered it.
Private Resort is not a good movie it's actually a very bad movie - filled with deplorable acts of sexual deviancy - but it's one of those rare movies that succeeds in being so-bad-it's-good. Hector Elizondo gives a truly amazing performance as the antagonist (The Maestro) in which he seems to know exactly what movie he is starring in. Depp and Morrow give great performances for the material and everyone around them seems to be having a genuinely good time making this film.
This is the type of movie that you can put on over and over again and just forgot your problems for a brief 80 minutes. It's stupid and offensive (by today's standards) but it's fun and ultimately harmless. If you like bad 80's comedies and haven't yet seen Private Resort, it's one you should watch immediately.
