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Private School [DVD]

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,282 ratings
IMDb5.2/10.0
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March 6, 2007
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Genre Comedy/Romantic Comedies, Comedy
Format Color, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Subtitled, NTSC, Widescreen
Contributor Dan Greenburg, Don Enright, Matthew Modine, Fran Ryan, Jonathan Prince, Sylvia Kristel, Suzanne O'Malley, R. Ben Efraim, Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Ray Walston, Noel Black, Kari Lizer, Michael Zorek, Kathleen Wilhoite See more
Initial release date 2007-03-06
Language English

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Universal Pictures is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal, and is one of Hollywood's "Big Six" film studios. Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are in New York City. Universal Studios is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Universal was founded in 1912 by the German Carl Laemmle (pronounced "LEM-lee"), Mark Dintenfass, Charles O. Baumann, Adam Kessel, Pat Powers, William Swanson, David Horsley, Robert H. Cochrane, and Jules Brulatour.

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Product Description

Product Description

Private School is where kids leave parents behind, and learn what growing up is really about. It's a romantic comedy from the same people who brought you the hilarious Private Lessons. Starring Phoebe Cates, with a special appearance by sensuous Sylvia Kristel as the sex education teacher whose classes are the best attended on campus. Chris Ramsay (Cates) and Jim Green (Matthew Modine) are experiencing the joys and pains of first love. She goes to the Cherryvale Academy-he attends nearby Freemount. When Chris gets a rival for Jim's affections, it sparks off a battle royale of zany pranks that turn both schools upside down with laughter. Private School features a soundtrack of hits from artists like the Stray Cats, Vanity Six, Bow-Wow-Wow and Rick Springfield.

Amazon.com

Take Animal House, throw in a dose of television's Bosom Buddies and you get the Phoebe Cates/Matthew Modine sex farce Private School. The 1983 film was shot one year after Cates won fame in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (thanks primarily to her little red bikini), and two years before Modine won rave reviews for his work in Vision Quest. While neither star gives a stellar performance in Private School, both are appealing and likeable, even with the ridiculous premise. Chris (Cates) attends an all-girls private school, while horndog Jim (Modine) matriculates at the nearby all-boys school. In order to get close to her, Jim and his friend dress up like girls and befriend Chris and her hot posse. When Chris' sexy rival Jordan (Betsy Russell) tries to woo Jim away by riding a horse, Lady Godiva style, the stage is set for a catfight. Throw in a guest appearance by Sylvia Kristel of Emmanuelle fame and double entendres abound. The soundtrack is full of songs by '80s staples such as Rick Springfield, Vanity Six, and Bow Wow Wow, whose "I Want Candy" is played throughout a peeping shower scene. Though cheesy and intended for teenage boys, the film has an almost innocent charm compared to some of the current fare in theaters. --Jae-Ha Kim

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 7.56 x 0.71 inches; 2.19 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 2288061
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Noel Black
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Subtitled, NTSC, Widescreen
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 29 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ March 6, 2007
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Michael Zorek, Fran Ryan
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French
  • Producers ‏ : ‎ R. Ben Efraim, Don Enright
  • Language ‏ : ‎ French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00049QJBG
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Dan Greenburg, Suzanne O'Malley
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,282 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,282 global ratings
Shout Factory bluray.
4 Stars
Shout Factory bluray.
Scoring a surprise hit with 1981's "Private Lessons," producer R. Ben Efraim quickly set out to capitalize on the success. While he couldn't put together a sequel (that would eventually come in 1993), Efraim managed to assemble "Private School" for a 1983 release, hoping to give young audiences a suitable R-rated distraction for the summer moviegoing season. The pictures have almost nothing in common (except the appearance of "Private Lessons" star Sylvia Kristel), but they share a common interest in titillation. With the teen horndog subgenre in full swing at this time in marketplace history, Efraim aims to play into the trend, with "Private School" more of a sketch comedy film, offering a string of pranks, mistakes, and tomfoolery to fill the time between topless activity. There's nothing to the endeavor, and that contributes a great deal to its appeal.Chris (Phoebe Cates) is a high school student at Cherryvale Academy, joined by her roommate, Betsy (Kathleen Wilhoite). The pair live next to Jordan (Betsy Russell), a bad girl who wants to claim Chris's boyfriend, Jim (Matthew Modine), for herself, dreaming up ways to break the pair up. Jim goes to school at Freemount Academy, palling around with Roy (Jonathan Prince) and Bubba (Michael Zorek), who's dating Betsy. All the guys want to do is spy on naked women, turning up the high jinks as they try to infiltrate Cherryvale to get a closer look at the showering students. For Chris and Jim, the time has come for their first sexual experience, but the pair fumble with the details, unsure if this is the right step forward for them, allowing Jordan a chance to destroy their happiness."Private School" doesn't have a plot. The only thing that resembles a dramatic arc in the picture is the uneasiness between Jim and Chris as they prepare for a romantic weekend at a hotel, working up the nerve for their deflowering plans. Beyond that, there's little more to the viewing experience than a series of pranks and jokes, with the sexed-up men of Freemount spending all their free time trying to ogle the women of Cherryvale. Even director Noel Black (1968's Pretty Poison) gets in on the action, hired to provide as many shots of bare breasts and bent-over characters as possible (there's an entire scene devoted to the observance of the Cherryvale students working through a calisthenics routine), often stopping the movie to do so. It's this impressive dedication to sexploitation that keeps "Private School" on the move, with Jordan often weaponizing her sexuality, including a topless horse ride to catch Jim's attention. Bubba is an insatiable moron, irritated with Betsy's demand for foreplay, openly trying to cheat on his girlfriend (he's a wholly unlikable character, but Zorek goes for it with his wet-lipped performance). When nudity is offered a smoke break, shenanigans take over, finding Chris and Betsy orchestrating a flaming bag of fecal matter joke on Jordan, while the guys are so hard-up for attention, they dress as women to infiltrate Chris's dorm, which gives Jim a full blast of Jordan's powers of seduction.While Shout Factory can only get their hands on an older scan of the feature, "Private School" offers a decent upgrade to Blu-ray. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a softer, slightly more processed look at the movie, but most detail is preserved, handling costumes with mild textures, and school decoration is open for inspection, including the cluttered walls of the dorm rooms. Colors are acceptable, offering plenty of skintones, which remain natural, and clothing has highlights as bright purples and reds dominate wardrobes. Greenery is acceptable. Delineation is comfortable, preserving frame information during evening antics. Source is in fine shape.The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures the party vibe of "Private School," offering clear dialogue exchanges that track all comedic and dramatic efforts, never slipping into distortion as excitable energy increases. Soundtrack selections carrying an agreeable presence on the track, boosted in volume when the need arrives. Instrumentation is appreciable. Atmospherics are acceptable, capturing dorm disorder and party activity.Private School Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras:Commentary #1 features actor Michael Zorek.Commentary #2 features authorMike McPadden (Teen Movie Hell)and Aaron Lee (Family Guy)Interview (28:17, HD) sits down with Matthew Modine, who seems a little uneasy to be talking about "Private School," choosing his answers carefully. Initially stumped when asked to provide a premise for the feature, Modine recounts his audition process, where he worked to soften an angry script, making his Jim likeable (sharing the afternoon with Vincent D'Onofrio, who was up for Bubba). To win the part, his audition was tested with women, with their approval helping to secure his employment. There's a discussion of the character actors in the film, with their experience providing a beacon of professionalism for the younger talent. Modine offers appreciation for his co-stars and crew, including Phoebe Cates (awed by her confidence), Betsy Russell (won over by her intelligence and bravery, though he's openly dismissive of the sexploitation aspects of the production), Michael Zorek (enjoying his broadness, while the producers were pushing him as the next John Belushi), Jonathan Prince (their friendship endures to this day), director Noel Black (distant but nice, struggling with a tense shoot), and dialogue coach Jerry Zaks (who helped the young star deal with his drama school education when basic slapstick was required). Modine offers an appreciation for the "Private School" fanbase, and details his experience with a changing industry, happy to have such a professional opportunity at a young age.Interview (17:07, HD) with Betsy Russell initially offers her interpretation of Jordan, a character she doesn't view as a villain. Russell shares her audition story, electing to wear a skin-colored bodysuit under her clothes to make an impression, claiming the part right after. Resembling Phoebe Cates, the actress was asked to change her hair color for the part, and Russell explores her relationship with her co-star, as Cates provided help with comfort and support, becoming sisterly. Nude scenes are examined, with the naïve 19-year-old woman unsure of Hollywood rules, ready to give the production whatever it needed, including the horse riding sequence, where she quickly got rid of her helmet to look as fabulous as possible. Her co-star in the scene wasn't helpful, with horse issues making things difficult. Russell shares her first impressions of the movie, which she saw with her father(!), and offers positive memories of the shoot and the learning experience it created with her first major role.VHS Version (88:34, SD) provides a low-res presentation of "Private School," with Shout Factory hoping to tap into nostalgia by providing the feature the way most first-time viewers saw it.Image Gallery (8:08) collects film stills, publicity shots, poster art, lobby cards, a magazine article, and scans of personal items from Matthew Modine's private archive.Radio Spots (8:04) offer 11 advertisements for "Private School."And a Teaser Trailer (1:20, SD) and Trailer (:52, SD) are included, the latter hilariously pushing Zorek's Bubba as the lead character of the movie.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Shout Factory bluray.
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Scoring a surprise hit with 1981's "Private Lessons," producer R. Ben Efraim quickly set out to capitalize on the success. While he couldn't put together a sequel (that would eventually come in 1993), Efraim managed to assemble "Private School" for a 1983 release, hoping to give young audiences a suitable R-rated distraction for the summer moviegoing season. The pictures have almost nothing in common (except the appearance of "Private Lessons" star Sylvia Kristel), but they share a common interest in titillation. With the teen horndog subgenre in full swing at this time in marketplace history, Efraim aims to play into the trend, with "Private School" more of a sketch comedy film, offering a string of pranks, mistakes, and tomfoolery to fill the time between topless activity. There's nothing to the endeavor, and that contributes a great deal to its appeal.

Chris (Phoebe Cates) is a high school student at Cherryvale Academy, joined by her roommate, Betsy (Kathleen Wilhoite). The pair live next to Jordan (Betsy Russell), a bad girl who wants to claim Chris's boyfriend, Jim (Matthew Modine), for herself, dreaming up ways to break the pair up. Jim goes to school at Freemount Academy, palling around with Roy (Jonathan Prince) and Bubba (Michael Zorek), who's dating Betsy. All the guys want to do is spy on naked women, turning up the high jinks as they try to infiltrate Cherryvale to get a closer look at the showering students. For Chris and Jim, the time has come for their first sexual experience, but the pair fumble with the details, unsure if this is the right step forward for them, allowing Jordan a chance to destroy their happiness.

"Private School" doesn't have a plot. The only thing that resembles a dramatic arc in the picture is the uneasiness between Jim and Chris as they prepare for a romantic weekend at a hotel, working up the nerve for their deflowering plans. Beyond that, there's little more to the viewing experience than a series of pranks and jokes, with the sexed-up men of Freemount spending all their free time trying to ogle the women of Cherryvale. Even director Noel Black (1968's Pretty Poison) gets in on the action, hired to provide as many shots of bare breasts and bent-over characters as possible (there's an entire scene devoted to the observance of the Cherryvale students working through a calisthenics routine), often stopping the movie to do so. It's this impressive dedication to sexploitation that keeps "Private School" on the move, with Jordan often weaponizing her sexuality, including a topless horse ride to catch Jim's attention. Bubba is an insatiable moron, irritated with Betsy's demand for foreplay, openly trying to cheat on his girlfriend (he's a wholly unlikable character, but Zorek goes for it with his wet-lipped performance). When nudity is offered a smoke break, shenanigans take over, finding Chris and Betsy orchestrating a flaming bag of fecal matter joke on Jordan, while the guys are so hard-up for attention, they dress as women to infiltrate Chris's dorm, which gives Jim a full blast of Jordan's powers of seduction.

While Shout Factory can only get their hands on an older scan of the feature, "Private School" offers a decent upgrade to Blu-ray. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a softer, slightly more processed look at the movie, but most detail is preserved, handling costumes with mild textures, and school decoration is open for inspection, including the cluttered walls of the dorm rooms. Colors are acceptable, offering plenty of skintones, which remain natural, and clothing has highlights as bright purples and reds dominate wardrobes. Greenery is acceptable. Delineation is comfortable, preserving frame information during evening antics. Source is in fine shape.

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures the party vibe of "Private School," offering clear dialogue exchanges that track all comedic and dramatic efforts, never slipping into distortion as excitable energy increases. Soundtrack selections carrying an agreeable presence on the track, boosted in volume when the need arrives. Instrumentation is appreciable. Atmospherics are acceptable, capturing dorm disorder and party activity.

Private School Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras:

Commentary #1 features actor Michael Zorek.

Commentary #2 features authorMike McPadden (Teen Movie Hell)and Aaron Lee (Family Guy)

Interview (28:17, HD) sits down with Matthew Modine, who seems a little uneasy to be talking about "Private School," choosing his answers carefully. Initially stumped when asked to provide a premise for the feature, Modine recounts his audition process, where he worked to soften an angry script, making his Jim likeable (sharing the afternoon with Vincent D'Onofrio, who was up for Bubba). To win the part, his audition was tested with women, with their approval helping to secure his employment. There's a discussion of the character actors in the film, with their experience providing a beacon of professionalism for the younger talent. Modine offers appreciation for his co-stars and crew, including Phoebe Cates (awed by her confidence), Betsy Russell (won over by her intelligence and bravery, though he's openly dismissive of the sexploitation aspects of the production), Michael Zorek (enjoying his broadness, while the producers were pushing him as the next John Belushi), Jonathan Prince (their friendship endures to this day), director Noel Black (distant but nice, struggling with a tense shoot), and dialogue coach Jerry Zaks (who helped the young star deal with his drama school education when basic slapstick was required). Modine offers an appreciation for the "Private School" fanbase, and details his experience with a changing industry, happy to have such a professional opportunity at a young age.

Interview (17:07, HD) with Betsy Russell initially offers her interpretation of Jordan, a character she doesn't view as a villain. Russell shares her audition story, electing to wear a skin-colored bodysuit under her clothes to make an impression, claiming the part right after. Resembling Phoebe Cates, the actress was asked to change her hair color for the part, and Russell explores her relationship with her co-star, as Cates provided help with comfort and support, becoming sisterly. Nude scenes are examined, with the naïve 19-year-old woman unsure of Hollywood rules, ready to give the production whatever it needed, including the horse riding sequence, where she quickly got rid of her helmet to look as fabulous as possible. Her co-star in the scene wasn't helpful, with horse issues making things difficult. Russell shares her first impressions of the movie, which she saw with her father(!), and offers positive memories of the shoot and the learning experience it created with her first major role.

VHS Version (88:34, SD) provides a low-res presentation of "Private School," with Shout Factory hoping to tap into nostalgia by providing the feature the way most first-time viewers saw it.

Image Gallery (8:08) collects film stills, publicity shots, poster art, lobby cards, a magazine article, and scans of personal items from Matthew Modine's private archive.

Radio Spots (8:04) offer 11 advertisements for "Private School."
And a Teaser Trailer (1:20, SD) and Trailer (:52, SD) are included, the latter hilariously pushing Zorek's Bubba as the lead character of the movie.
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Cabé
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast and Delighted
Reviewed in Canada on May 2, 2023
Ives Gobau
1.0 out of 5 stars Foute regio, film kan niet afgespeeld worden.
Reviewed in the Netherlands on May 22, 2021
Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars 80's Classic & Phoebe cates what more could you want.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2020
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars depending upon your sense of humor it is a giggle.
Reviewed in Australia on August 1, 2018
Othmar
5.0 out of 5 stars unterhaltsam, toller Soundtrack
Reviewed in Germany on September 12, 2010
4 people found this helpful
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