This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition hard slipcase + slipcover combo (designed by Richard Hilliard) was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the packaging and the 40-page book.
Presented in partnership with Something Weird Video...
From nudies to roughies to ultra weird regional curiosities, the sexploitation world welcomed any filmmaker working in any genre, so long as the limits of nudity and sex on screen were pushed as far as they could go - but never all the way. DISTRIBPIX, one of the legendary names in the genre (and whose extensive library will be the backbone of this line), will offer single, double, and even triple feature Blu-rays highlighting works from every corner and crevice of softcore smut, from the dawn of nudie cuties to the all-but-hard 70s, with plentiful lost and never on disc films along the way.
Before becoming known as one of the masters of big budget theatrical hardcore under the name Henri Pachard, Ron Sullivan cut his teeth making dark, brooding, and often outrageous sexploitation thrillers which reveled in the macabre as much as they did eroticism. Presented here are a trio of Sullivan's finest early efforts, all newly scanned and restored from 35mm negative materials and on Blu-ray for the first time, from Distribpix. In LUST WEEKEND (1967), Sullivan's directing debut, a naive couple are lured by a group of sadistic perverts to a large country manor where they are subjected to increasingly depraved and violent acts of torture. An unflinchingly grotesque and sublimely weird roughie, Sullivan expertly merges sex and horror through an underground filmmaking aesthetic, which decades later still packs plenty of squirm-inducing jolts. In THE BIZARRE ONES (1968), Sullivan continues his fascination with sexual perversions, focusing on man-hating Deirdre who picks up a young male hitchhiker and lures him to her country dungeon wherein he is subjected to the torments of Dierdre and her equally vicious friends. Featuring appearances from Warhol superstars Taylor Mead and Louis Waldon, this trippy and unusual roughie more than lives up to its title. In SCORPIO 70 (1970), Sullivan tries his hand at a more transitional narrive in this flashback structured story of smuggling, sexual indiscretions, and ultimately murder, all aboard a boat. Featuring an early starring role for Jennifer Welles (Career Bed) in addition to a catchy original soundtrack by James Taylor, this softcore thriller produced by Sam Lake (The Nesting) is at last making its home video debut.
directed by: Ron Sullivan
starring: Claire Adams, John Keeler, Mary Lamay, Eva Piatkowitz, Claire Eclaire, Cherrie Winters, Steve Treadwell, Gary West, Sagg Taras, Jennifer Welles, Stacey Michaels, Michael Hanes, Hollis Solomon, Blaine Quincy, Iris Brooks, Jessica Stuart and Tomba
1967, 1968, 1970 / 220 min (combined) / 1.37:1, 1.37:1, 1.33:1 / English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.75 / 5 from 144 reviews.
This limited edition Blu-ray set from Distribpix features Ron Sullivan's early works, including Lust Weekend, The Bizarre Ones, and Scorpio 70. Customers appreciate the superb quality, fantastic film looks, and excellent extras. The unique packaging and superb transfer quality add to the overall value of this collection.
Review topics: [quality, looks, value, picture, packaging, box, presentation, set, work, film, collection, release, transfer, movie, book, edition, restoration, extras, ron sullivan, slipcover, artwork, interview, director, sleeve, essays, sexploitation, title, bundle, selection, women].
"Ron Sullivan wasn’t a familiar name to me before this release, and while I’m not clamoring for more works from him, these three films do a good job of presenting his worldview when it comes to people doing entertainingly bad things. Really great audio interviews on this set, and I’ll never get that cover image out of my head."
"Awesomely boring movies that look and sound awesome, perfect for the right mood."
"Can almost never go wrong with a sexploitation release! The only nitpick I had is I would have loved a poster of the cover! Other than that this is a great release"
"Before he turned to hardcore, Ron Sullivan (aka Henri Pachard) made interesting and effective '60s (s)exploitation movies and this collects 3 of them together. If you like that genre of movie, you're in for a threat. The man shows he has a real knack for erotic sequences and good stories. As of now, the standard edition is the only one available. A shame for new customers, as the limited edition has the quality of a supreme product. The transfers are great, the slipcover (and inner carton) are amazing."
"Ron Sullivan: The Early Years is a solid archival set that shines a light on a lesser-seen corner of independent filmmaking. The films themselves have a raw, scrappy quality, but that’s part of the appeal, you can see the experimentation and personality that define this period of Sullivan’s work. The extras are a real highlight. They provide useful context about the productions and help frame the films within their time, making the set feel more complete and informative rather than just a collection of features. The overall presentation is clean and thoughtfully handled. The transfers are stable and preserve the original look without overprocessing, which suits the material well. As a release, it feels curated and intentional, aimed at collectors and fans who appreciate deeper cuts and filmmaker-focused sets. Overall, this is a worthwhile pickup for anyone interested in early independent cinema and archival-style releases."
"What a great addition to my collection! Really love this slipcover! Looks amazing!"
"This excellent Distribpix / Something Weird Video Blu-ray set brings together three of Ron Sullivan’s earliest directorial efforts, all making their long-overdue debut on the format. The collection includes the raw, black-and-white roughies Lust Weekend (1967) and The Bizarre Ones (1968), plus the more ambitious color murder-mystery Scorpio 70 (1970), which features a standout performance from Jennifer Welles. Lust Weekend benefits from a strong cast, particularly Claire Adams in the lead role, delivering a sleazy, energetic slice of late-60s sexploitation. The Bizarre Ones follows a similar formula of perverse thrills and sadistic twists, though it doesn’t quite land with the same impact. For me, the undisputed highlight of the set is Scorpio 70. Shot in color with a noticeably higher budget, it skillfully blends melodrama, eroticism, and genuine suspense into a compelling package that feels like a step up in ambition from Sullivan’s earlier roughies. All three films look outstanding thanks to brand-new restorations from 35mm sources (camera negatives for the first two, a blow-up interpositive for Scorpio 70). The transfers are sharp, film-like, and full of texture—easily the best these movies have ever looked. The set is rounded out with a beautifully designed booklet and engaging on-disc interviews that add welcome context to Sullivan’s early career. Highly recommended for fans of classic sexploitation and grindhouse cinema. Here’s hoping Distribpix and Mélusine continue mining the Ron Sullivan / Henri Pachard catalog. I’d love to see restored Blu-ray releases for these additional shot-on-film titles: The Erotic Circus (1969, aka Orgy in the Psycho House) This Sporting House (1969) – also featuring Jennifer Welles Running with the Devil (1973) Video Vixens! (1974/1975) The Legend of Barbi Q & Little Fawn (1995) – in which Pachard appears as an actor in Eric Edwards’ production Deep Seven (1996) If you enjoy the wilder, more cinematic side of pre-hardcore exploitation, this set is a must-have. Bring on Volume 2!"
"This is exactly what I want to see! A couple of movies that were completely buried in the depths of the Something Weird catalog (never got a proper Image Entertainment release), and a third that's never been on home video at all! They're not all winners, but I love to see softcore obscurities like these dredged up on video to be rediscovered. The transfers on the B&W films are both stunning - absolutely gorgeous, sparkling presentation and a delight to behold. SCOPRIO is a little rougher since it's from an internegative, but still totally acceptable, and given its rarity, nice to have even if it's not the best film. The disk also comes with a number of great contextual supplements - my only gripe is that the Ron Sullivan video and audio interview are the same! Why include both versions and not tell us? (Skip the audio track, you can just watch the video version. ) Nevertheless, keep on rolling like this, Distribpix - this is exactly the kind of stuff we want to see!"
"Includes three early exploitation films with several special features for each. Picture and sound quality is very good on the first two films, the third has some damage throughout. Excellent presentation with hard case, booklet and a great colourful slipcover."
"Beautiful packaging for a fantastic release."
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