Paradise (1982 film)

Infobox Film
name = Paradise


caption = Promotional poster for "Paradise"
director = Stuart Gillard
producer = Robert Lantos
Stephen J. Roth
writer = Stuart Gillard
starring = Willie Aames
Phoebe Cates
music = Paul Hoffert
cinematography = Adam Greenberg
editing = Howard Terrill
distributor = New World Pictures (Canada)
Avco Embassy Pictures (USA)
released = May 7, 1982 (Canada/USA)
runtime = 100 min.
country = Canada
language = English
budget = $3,500,000 (CAD) (estimated)
gross = $5,588,800 (USA) [ [http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paradise.htm "Paradise (1982)" Box Office stats] ]
amg_id = 1:37224
imdb_id = 0084469

"Paradise" is a 1982 English language romance and adventure film starring Phoebe Cates and Willie Aames, written and directed by Stuart Gillard. The original music score was composed by Paul Hoffert with the theme song sung by Phoebe Cates. [Closing credits of "Paradise (1982)" (VHS), (DVD -released outside the US)] Location filming for the title was in Israel. ["Paradise (1982) An Awakening in the Desert, New York Times, By Vincent Canby, Published May 10, 1982" Retrieved 7/5/08]

It was critiqued at the time as a "knockoff" of the more-famous "The Blue Lagoon" (1980). The film was marketed with "If Only It Could Have Been Forever..."Paradise"...No Two People Have Ever Come So Close." ["Paradise (1982) Promotional poster"]

The films' themes were similar: Two young people find themselves abandoned in a world with no adult supervision, in fact no other people anywhere. Thus they have total freedom, inevitably learning all about love and reproduction, as well as basic survival techniques.

Leonard Maltin's annual "Movie Guide" book describes it this way: "Rating: star and a half. Silly "Blue Lagoon" ripoff, with Aames and Cates discovering sex while stranded in the desert. Both, however, do look good "sans" clothes." [Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, Publisher: Signet ISBN:9780451221865] Upon its release, when reviewed on the show "Sneak Previews", Roger Ebert selected it as his "Dog of the Week", the worst film he saw that week and heavily berated it. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClKc9HNeN1c "Sneak Previews" review of "Paradise"] ]

Plot summary

In the Victorian period, David (Aames) and Sarah (Cates), two teenagers, travel with a caravan from Baghdad to Damascus. At an oasis, the white slave agent 'Jackal' raids them, mainly to add the beautiful young Sarah to his harem of mistresses. David and Sarah and her manservant, Geoffrey narrowly escape, but all the others are slain in the massacre including David's American missionary parents. However, Geoffrey doesn't survive long, as he accidentally runs into and is killed by the Jackal as the trio takes a rest on their westerly direction toward civilization. ["Paradise (1982) An Awakening in the Desert, New York Times, By Vincent Canby, Published May 10, 1982" Retrieved 7/5/08]

Sarah and David's flight leads them to a beautiful oasis—their peaceful place in paradise—where they discover natural love and their sexuality. However, the Jackal has not given up on Sarah yet, and David must lure him to his death, or be killed by him.

In the film's ending, David confronts the Jackal and is able to kill him. Sarah reveals to David that she is pregnant and the two young lovers have finally reached civilization, the city of Damascus.

Main Cast

* Phoebe Cates - Sarah
* Willie Aames - David
* Tuvia Tavi - The Jackal
* Richard Curnock - Geoffrey
* Neil Vipond - Reverend
* Aviva Marks - Rachel
* Joseph Shiloach - Ahmed
* Jerry Rosen - Jackals Bodyguard
* Riki Halfon - Belly Dancer
* Shoshana Duer - Bedouin Woman

Nominations

Golden Raspberry Awards:Nominated: Worst Actor (Willie Aames)

References

See also

*"The Blue Lagoon, 1980 version"
*"Return to the Blue Lagoon"

External links

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