Sold Out / OOP
This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray/DVD combo. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Earl Kessler Jr.) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.
Brother and sister Seth and Angelina live a secluded life in their family's beautiful Beverly Hills mansion. But these upper class siblings share a dark and violent hobby of using sexually driven 'party lines' to meet and lure lustful strangers into a deadly menage a trois, the climax of which is a razor slash to the throat! With the victim count steadily rising, Detective Dan is under the gun to crack the case, but when his girlfriend falls prey to the maniacal duo, Dan goes rogue, taking his own violent measures to dispense justice.
Juxtaposing a slasher film setup with police drama and erotic thriller plot points, William Webb's PARTY LINE is a forgotten oddity, bridging the late 80s slasher craze with the soon to rise early 90s 'skinemax' obsession. Starring Leif Garret (Devil Times Five), Shawn Weatherly (Baywatch), Richard Roundtree (Shaft), and Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) and stylishly photographed by renowned visual effects cinematographer, John Huneck (The Terminator), Vinegar Syndrome brings PARTY LINE to Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored in 4k from its original 35mm negative.
directed by: William Webb
starring: Richard Hatch, Richard Roundtree, Shawn Weatherly, Leif Garrett, Greta Blackburn
1988 / 90 min / 1.85:1
Additional info:
Overall rating: 3.96 / 5 from 75 reviews.
Party Line, a newly restored Blu-ray/DVD combo, is a captivating 80s erotic thriller praised for its quality, appealing slasher elements, and excellent transfer. While opinions on the plot and characters vary, the film's nostalgic 80s vibes and engaging storyline make it a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre.
Review topics: [looks, sound, buy, thriller, slasher, movie, film, transfer, plot, line, characters, flick, villain, interviews, acting, presentation, idea, voice, release, pick, surprise, number, vibe, gem, era].
"I love weird little horror thrillers from the 80s and this is a forgotten one that has a completely bonkers concept and builds on it. Might not be for everyone, but if you like the genre and like strange concepts, then this is a great pick up."
"Synopsis: Brother sister straight razor throat slashing serial killers Seth and Angelina, who are a little too close, use a 1-900 PARTY LINE to select victims. Dan is a tough-as-nails cop assigned to the case and he's asked, for some reason, to team up with Assistant DA Stacy to stop these killers before they strike again. Review: Leif Garrett is effectively creepy in Party Line with his soft voice and mommy issues. The whole police officer/assistant DA dynamic seemed forced and unrealistic but other than that this was a pretty average thriller with some nice throat slit scenes. Carnage Count 2/5 Sleaze Score 3/5"
"This movie disapointed me. Although the presentation is good and there are some okay variety in locations, the movie overall falls flat. The acting is bad, but not so bad that it is good. The characters are not interesting, although it's aatempted to give both the cops and the killers some steretypically backstories. A lot of the deduction by the cops comes out of nowhere, and the are a lot of things that feels like redundant exposition. I had great hopes for this and prehaps that was what caused my disappointment. Good actng could not save this script. Bad acting could not make it entertaining. I've contemplated a lot what to rate this, but ultimately will have to give it a 1/5 - I do not see myself rewatching this."
"Captures the looks and vibe of the eighties club scene as well as the use of phone party lines as a way to meet people and how it can go wrong. Good storyline with believable villains. Came with couple of extras and a neat reversible sleeve"
"Unfortunately my order was lost by the mail delivery service. Being oop it could not be replaced. Thankfully the vs community is amazing and I was able to find a copy second hand. That being said i want to do a review because i absolutely Love Vinegar Syndrome as a company. This is such an underrated gem. 80s nolstagia galore. Brings me back to those days of actually using Party lines. This is a thriller more than horror and i absolutely loved it. The story is captivating and the actors are really into the roles. The transfer is gorgeous. You need to add this to your collection. Top tier. 5 out of 5"
"Missed the slip on this one, unfortunately, but happy to own it nonetheless. Another hot number that I'm pretty sure did the Skinemax rotation back in the day."
"“Party Line” is a rather entertaining low budget erotic thriller that came out two years before the success of “Basic Instinct” spawned an armada of cheap rip offs. It’s not great for sure, but competently made and sleazy enough to keep fans of such movies in line. As always with Vinegar Syndrome, the technical presentation is top notch!"
"Really entertaining, kinky, sleazy, and fun. A nice surprise, as I'd never heard of this before."
"The box description calls this an "oddity" and it is indeed. It really does presage the skinemax era that was to come. If you go in expecting a slasher YOU WILL be disappointed, but there is plenty here to like, including: -cheesy nudity -incest -Shaft! (Dammmmn, right) -unexpected characters become main characters -ridiculous cop procedural nonsense"
"Nice cheesy 80s film with a razor wielding killer with mommy issues. Easily recommended simply for the 80s hairs an outfits."
0 Item(s)
