‘Joy Of Sex’ Blu-Ray Review – Overlooked ’80s Martha Coolidge Comedy Gets Its Time To Shine

High school senior Leslie Hindenberg (Michelle Meyrink, Real Genius) is convinced she’s dying following a medical exam, believing she has only six weeks left to live. Determined to not die a virgin, Leslie sets out on a mission to lose her virginity before her presumed untimely demise. The problem is, her father (Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future) is a physical education teacher at her school, serving as an obstacle for would-be suitors. That is, until she meets Alan Holt (Cameron Dye, Valley Girl), a similarly virginity afflicted teen on the same mission.

Inspired by Alex Comfort’s non-fiction global bestseller, JOY OF SEX is a raucous 80s sex comedy directed by Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, Real Genius) and adapted for the screen by Kathleen Rowell (The Outsiders) with Joyce and John Salter (billed on screen as J.J. Salter). Featuring a talented, eclectic, supporting cast that includes Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Colleen Camp (Clue), Lisa Langlois (Class of 1984) and Heidi Holicker (Valley Girl), JOY OF SEX is an often overlooked coming-of-age comedy from one of the freshest American filmmakers of the 80s. Cinématographe is proud to present Martha Coolidge’s ribald, feminist, tale of virginity loss in a brand new 4K restoration from its original camera negative, supervised by the filmmaker, for the first time on home video since VHS!

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Video Quality

This new Blu-Ray debut from Cinématographe gives Joy Of Sex an AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 derived from a 4K restoration from the Original Camera Negative. This has long been out of circulation without representation on disc, but, thankfully, we have a label dedicated to making sure titles such as these do not slip through the cracks. The presentation retains its natural qualities throughout with image stability and delineation not faltering. This transfer retains the natural film grain of the presentation that is textured but with a refined look rather than clumpy or frozen.

This vibrant photography captures the bold colors of the locales with pleasant nuances shining through. Black levels are firm with no major instances of crush or banding that we observed. Highlights similarly shine with nothing appearing overly bright. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been nearly eradicated with overall clarity and detail looking stunning. A few fleeting blemishes may have made it through the restoration process, but it is obvious the utmost care was put into this release. This is a stellar presentation for a film that might have not gotten the proper attention elsewhere. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that captures this era and narrative without a hitch. One of the defining traits of this genre is a memorable soundtrack, and every tune emanates with the foremost clarity and fidelity. Even with the commanding nature of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented harmoniously with all competing elements throughout the different environments. This track shows no serious age-related wear and tear such as hissing, humming, or popping. Cinématographe knocked it out of the park with this audio track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

The Limited Edition version of Joy Of Sex comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer slipcase that opens up to a MediaBook that includes a bound booklet featuring new essays by film critics Marya E. Gates, Kristen Lopez and Stephanie Monohan plus select archival photo reproductions. These essays delve into the film from multiple angles and provide a great analysis in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

• Audio Commentary: Film historian Elizabeth Purchell and film critic Katie Rife provide a commentary track that dives into the complicated production history of the film, the way the story evolved over the years, the guidance of director Martha Coolidge, the background of the performers, and more. 

• Interview with Director Martha Coolidge: A 19-minute interview with the filmmaker in which she discusses how she came to this project last minute, working with Kathleen Rowell on fine-tuning the unfinished script, the casting process, the nudity that was mandated by the studio, navigating studio politics, her feeling about the film, and more. 

• Interview with Screenwriters Kathleen Rowell, Joyce Salter & John Salter: A nearly 27-minute interview with the screenwriters in which they discuss being brought onto the project, the writers who failed to adapt the material previously, why they worked together as a team, the dated elements of the script, and more. 

• Interview with Actress Colleen Camp: A nearly 17-minute interview with one of the stars in which she discusses her relationship with Martha Coolidge, the complicated production of the film, her contributions to the film, the work she got from appearing in this film, and more.  

• Coolidge – A Video Essay By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas: A nearly 16-minute video essay that explores one of the most prominent female filmmakers during this era, her background, the trajectory of her career, and more. 

• Interview with Actress Lisa Langlois: A 13-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her thoughts on the source material, getting involved with the film, how Martha Coolidge stands apart from other filmmakers she worked with, her feelings about the film, and more. 

Final Thoughts

Joy Of Sex is an unfairly overlooked piece of the career of the great Martha Coolidge. The film may not be the apex of her career, but her authorial fingerprints are all over this picture with its measured and considerate depictions of these high school characters. The film is also really funny and absurd in a way that never feels too outlandish for an otherwise grounded affair. The ensemble is not packed with stars, but some great appearances from Christopher Lloyd and Colleen Camp are not to be missed. Cinématographe has provided a Blu-Ray that features a fantastic A/V presentation and a standout assortment of supplemental features. If you are a fan of ‘80s comedies, this one is worth a look. Recommended 

Joy Of Sex is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cinématographe has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.