简介：MynameisShaunCostelloandIwroteanddirectedthismovie.ThiswastheveryfirsthardcoreXXXadultfilmtoopeninastraighttheater.ItopenedattheQuadCinemasin1975toemptyseats.Myfirstflop.Itwasbig,itwasnoisy,itwascolorful,itwasfunny,buttherewasonethingitwasn't;itwasn'tsexy.Itwasshotin16MMfilmwithabudgetof$14,000.whichwoundupatabout$18,000.afteroverages.Ihadneverworkedonasoundstagebefore,andhadtokeeptheproductiongoing24hoursadaytocompleteitanywherenearit'soriginalbudget.ItwasshotatwhatbecameMother'sSoundStageinNewYork'sEastVillage.Mywonderfulneighbors,wholivedinmyrentcontrolledapartmentbuildingonEast21stStreet,builtthesets,sewedthecostumes,andingeneraljustmadeitallhappen.MyfriendDavidWoolcreatedtheskylineofManhattanthatisseenfromCarolScrooge'swindow,andbuiltitoutofcorrugatedcardboard.ToDavid,andHarriett,andShelly,andtherest;Icouldneverhavedonethiswithoutyou.Thisisanoddmoviethatdoeshavesomehilariousmoments. -- Oneofthekeyworksfromlegendaryadult-auteurShaunCostello,ThePassionsofCarol(1975)isamongthestrangestandmosteffectivefilmsofitskindevermade.Shoton16mm,forlessthan20,000dollarsoveratwo-weekperiodinlate1975,ThePassionsofCarolisCostello’squitestartlingandextremelyentertainingupdatingofCharlesDicken’stimelessAChristmasCarol,onlyitisquiteunlikeanyotherfilmversionofiteverreleased. StarringanextremelyeffectiveMaryStuart(workingunderthedelightfulpseudonymofMerrieHoliday)ascrankymagazinepublisherCarolScroogeandfeaturinganumberofgreatseventiesiconslikeCarterStevens,JamieGillis,MarcStevensandfuturemainstreammainstaySonnyLandham,perhapsbestrememberedasbeingamajorscene-stealerinWalterHill’smega-hit48Hours(1982),ThePassionsofCarolisafilmmarkedbyambitionanditisthatambitionthatseparatesitfromthehundredsuponhundredsofadultexploitationfilmsshotinNewYorkinthemid-seventies. By1975,Costellohadalreadyestablishedhimselfasoneofthekingsofthe‘One-DayWonders’buthewantedmoreandhiscinematicaspirations,alongwithhisvoraciousappetiteforliterature,ledtoThePassionsofCarol,hisfirstfully-scriptedfilm.Justknowninsome-circlesasthemanbehindbrutalworkslikeForcedEntry(1973)andWaterPower(1977),CostelloremindsusofwhataninnovativefilmmakerheiswithThePassionsofCarol,afilmthatthattradesinthebrutalityofCostello’smoreinfamousworksforasurprising,ifstillincrediblyperverse,sweetness.ThePassionsofCarolis,after-all,aChristmasfilmandCostellomanagestogiveafresherspinonDicken’softentoldtalethanmostofthebetterknownmainstreamhandsthathavetoucheditthroughouttheyears. Despitethefactthatthefinishedproductissuchasuccessfulhybridbetweenadult-featureandtimelessliteraryclassic,ThePassionsofCarolwasanightmareforCostellotoshoot,ashehadneverbeeninchargeofsuchaproduction.Costellorecalls,withinhisindispensablelinernotesthataccompanyVideo-X-Pix’sexcellentDVD,that,“ittookaweekofeighteenhourdaystocompletethescreenplay”,forThePassionsofCarolafterwhichhemadethemistakeofonlyblocking,“outfourshootingdays”foritsactualproductiononaNewYorkSoundstagehehadlocated.Costellogoesontodetailthathe,“hadnoidea”whathewasgettingintoandthathewas,“marchinghead-longintoadisaster.” Afterdiscoveringthatthefilm’soriginalfour-dayshootingtimewasn’tevenenoughtogetthecolorfulandsurrealsetsdesigned,CostellosoondiscoveredthathewasinabovehisheadonThePassionsofCarolbuthesoldieredonandfinallymanagedtocompletethefilmintwo-weekswellover-budget.Recallingthathewashelpedconsiderableby,“caffeine,Dexedrine"andhisdedicatedcrew,CostelloknewhehadsomethingspecialwithThePassionsofCarolandhehaditinhisheadthatitmightevenproveamainstreamcrossoverhit. Accordingtohisliner-notes,Costellowonderedwhat,“what(he)wassmoking”whenthinkingthatThePassionsofCarolmighthaveatruecrossoverappeal,butthefilmdidmanagetoplayNewYork’sQuadCinema,avenuethathadneverhostedanadultfilmbefore.Despitesomeacclaim,includingasolidnoticefromVarietythatCostellowassurprisedtohearaboutinthefilm’sexcellentcommentarytrack,ThePassionsofCarol’s,“box-officewasdisappointing”,andfilmgoerswere,“bewilderedbythisoddpresentationofsexandChristmas.”…