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A Life In Dirty Movies

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 Stars (60 Reviews)
Regular price  $28.99
Sale price  $28.99 Regular price  $41.98
Edition Type: Limited Edition Slipcover
Out of stock

Disclaimer

This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover was limited to 1,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

Description

A Life in Dirty Movies is a love story about legendary sexploitation director Joe Sarno, "the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street," and his loyal wife and collaborator Peggy. The film follows the Sarnos for a year, as 88-year old Joe struggles to get a new film project off the ground - a female-centric softcore film that harkens back to the style of his heyday as a filmmaker in the 1960s. As audiences tag along for the eventful and often hilarious journey between wintery Manhattan and the couple’s summer retreat in Sweden, the film’s intimate perspective reveals a filmmaker on the verge of being rediscovered in his golden years. Intercut is a look back to the evolution of softcore films seen as racy in their day into unmistakable hardcore porn that all but put Sarno and his artform out of business. The film chronicles Sarno’s significant place in film history as an erotic "auteur," whose ambitions as a filmmaker often surpassed the needs of the genre he helped define. A Life in Dirty Movies is a clever and sincere portrait of a unique couple who follow their passion in life - onscreen and off.

Details

Director(s): Wiktor Ericsson

Starring: Joe Sarno, Peggy Sarno

Release Year: 2013

Runtime: 80 min

Aspect Ratio(s): 1.85:1

Language(s): ENG- English

Sound: DTS-HD MA 5.1, DTS-HD MA 2.0

Subtitles: English

Format: Blu-ray

Disc Info: Region A Blu-ray

Packaging Artist(s): Steak Mtn.

Genre: Documentary

VS Release Date: May 1, 2025

SKU: FM-015 SLIP

Bonus Content
  • New Audio Commentary with Wiktor Ericsson and Rickard Gramfors
  • Fäbodjäntan segment
  • Young Playthings segment
  • Tod Moore Interview
  • Katinka Interview
  • Sarah Denby Interview
  • Annie Sprinkle Interview
  • Jamie Gillis Interview
  • Essay by film historian Dan Erdman
Trailers / Videos
Label Bio

Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month Film Club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. In 2015, Film Movement launched the reissue label Film Movement Classics featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on home video, with an emphasis on films by auteur directors such as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway and Takeshi Kitano.

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Customer Reviews
4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 60 reviews
98%would recommend this product
60 reviews
  • NC
    Nicholas C.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Joe Sarno Doc

    Excellent documentary on the career of Joe Sarno. Definitely found some of the stories intriguing. Highly recommended!

    Quality / PackagingRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • DG
    Dustin G.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great doc

    Went into this documentary, not knowing what it was really about and was treated with a wonderful surprise. The restoration looks beautiful. The artwork on the slip cover is great. Highly recommend recommended documentary if you want to learn about the golden Age.

    Quality / PackagingRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • FW
    Francisco W.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Classy Dirty Old Man

    Joe Sarno, the **** auteur, is surprisingly gentle and thoughtful — prone to wistful reminisces for sleaze that was suggestive rather than graphic. the documentary catches him at the twilight of his life, finally getting recognition at a retrospective, while trying to get new a project started. There’s a melancholy blindness to his efforts, supported by his stalwart wife, Peggy, who is more clear-eyed about the reality of the market that ignores the erotic. It’s an incredible insight into the career of such an artist — a fun, notable scene is when Peggy visit their storage facility and marvels over a hobby horse tricked out with a pair of crumbling ******.

    Quality / PackagingRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Shopping ExperienceRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • JH
    Jack H.
    Flag of Ireland
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A Life In Dirty Movies

    A bittersweet doc about two of the sweetest people in ****

    Quality / PackagingRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Shopping ExperienceRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
  • IW
    Isaac W.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    1 month ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    great doc

    I saw this on a streaming site some years back & really loved it. I'd been a fan of Sarno's work for years & felt like this doc really tied the room together. Obviously I was excited when the disc showed up from Film Movement. I knew I'd need to own it & I'm happy to have it on my shelf!

    Quality / PackagingRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5
    Shopping ExperienceRated 5.0 on a scale of 1 to 5

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