Alain Patrick’s Blue Money is a fascinating film that captures a particular moment in the early ‘70s underground film scene with unusual clarity.
Jim is a hard-working husband and father who is struggling to make a living to provide for his wife and daughter while trying to sock away some money to fix up his boat so that he and his family can spend the rest of their lives sailing the open sea. The problem is that Jim’s vocation, is that he works in the world of underground, illegal sex films. At a time when the adult film industry is on the verge of exploding into the popular consciousness with 1972’s Deep Throat, Jim’s little movies are getting him and his partner in big trouble. Add to that the decreased willingness of theaters to take on his product and steeply declining demand leading to lower return on investment and all of Jim’s dreams feeling less possible every day.
Blue Money was produced by adult film legend Bob Chinn, the man cemented John Holmes’ stardom with his Johnny Wadd series. This is not a hardcore film, it’s a family drama set in the grimy world of underground hardcore film production. As such it’s a fascinating and unique film that deals with largely the largely unseen forces that collaborated in getting that material to the market.
The film was written, directed by, and stars Alain Patrick, who had a decent career as a character actor, but Blue Money was his baby. Was he the best choice to star in the film? In retrospect maybe not. I’d guess it was a combination of factors that put him in front of the camera. Probably a little bit of ego, but I’m guessing largely the idea that this was his story and no one else would know exactly how to play it. The result is a bit of a stilted performance from Patrick, but convincing enough that it doesn’t made a huge dent in the film.
Patrick’s film deals a lot with the banal ins-and-outs of the hardcore business, turning it from a seemingly glamorous industry full of beautiful people into the grindy subterranean sleazepot it often was. For that reason alone, it’s worth checking out this side of the industry that is often hinted at, but never fully exposed.
The Disc:
Blue Money comes to Blu-ray for the first time through Vinegar Syndrome’s impeccably restored new 2K restoration. The film looks quite good, considering its no-budget origins. The disc maintains the overall “brown”ness of ‘70s productions enough to feel accurate. The audio is less impressive, presumably owing to deterioration of the archival materials, but it is passable, dropouts and odd editing choices notwithstanding.
Vinegar Syndrome makes this disc worth your money by adding not only a great interview with Bob Chinn in which he discusses the film, but also an entire bonus feature from Alain Patrick. The Affairs of Aphrodite is an earlier softcore period piece that is largely unremarkable apart from its connection to Blue Money. The bonus feature is in considerably worse condition, with a lot of print damage, but I can’t say I’m terribly disappointed because no amount of lipstick could’ve saved that pig.
While I really enjoyed all of the films in this month’s look at Vinegar Syndrome, Blue Money is hands down the most interesting, and for that reason alone, I’m giving it a high recommendation for fans of the sleazier side of cinema