My name is Shaun Costello and I wrote and directed this movie. This was the very first hard core XXX adult film to open in a straight theater. It opened at the Quad Cinemas in 1975 to empty seats. My first flop. It was big, it was noisy, it was colorful, it was funny, but there was one thing it wasn't; it wasn't sexy. It was shot in 16MM film with a budget of $14,000. which wound up at about $18,000. after overages. I had never worked on a sound stage before, and had to keep the production going 24 hours a day to complete it anywhere near it's original budget. It was shot at what became Mother's Sound Stage in New York's East Village. My wonderful neighbors, who lived in my rent controlled apartment building on East 21st Street, built the sets, sewed the costumes, and in general just made it all happen. My friend David Wool created the skyline of Manhattan that is seen from Carol Scrooge's window, and built it out of corrugated cardboard. To David, and Harriett, and Shelly, and the rest; I could never have done this without you. This is an odd movie that does have some hilarious moments.
4 Reviews
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...and Mind the Sheets !
Nodriesrespect18 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Although the video era would yield the occasional seasonal favorite such as Jim Enright's endearingly cheesy A LITTLE Christmas TAIL, such festive commemoration was totally unheard of during the halcyon days of theatrical titillation. This was precisely the proposition Shaun Costello came up with as 1974 drew to a close which had seen him producing close to three dozen one day wonders, all of which had returned their puny investments many times over at the box office. This financial feat was all but lost on the owners of the Capri Cinema, a motley bunch of mob-affiliated entrepreneurs known as "the Greeks". A seasonal adult offering proved a tough sell with Costello's backers. Unable to allay their anxieties, he would pull the trump card of mainstream crossover acceptance. A soon to become perennial porn favorite, assuring recurrent play dates and continuous monetary returns, based on a respected literary source (Charles Dickens' oft-filmed "A Christmas Carol") and, adding class, directed by an imaginary woman named "Amanda Barton" !
An intricate production the director had definitely underestimated, CAROL spent so much time and money that it only reached theaters by the Spring of 1975, bypassing its estimated release date by three months ! Regardless of a warm reception by most men's magazines, the movie only managed an inkling of its intended business, dropping out of sight soon after only to re-surge with a vengeance through the advent of home video. Costello's Christmas folly was the result of inexperience with a project of such artistic ambition and sheer ampleness.
Erudite and eloquent, it stands to reason that Costello's dickin' with Dickens would stick close to the letter. Curmudgeonly old codger Ebenezer turns into sexy sourpuss Carol Scrooge (appropriately billed as "Merrie Holiday" for the occasion, gamine carnal comedienne Mary Stuart turns in a bona fide career performance) with hatred of Christmas and humanity in general left intact. Bah, humbug ! As chief editor of Biva skin magazine, showcasing hunks for the female clientèle à la Playgirl, she terrorizes her overworked employees and model wannabes alike, ruling the roost with an iron fist in a spiked leather glove. Something of a gym bunny long before this became popular, a pumped up Sonny Landham fits the bill as a potential Biva Boy of the Month auditioning for the conniving Carol and her loyal secretary Gina (Day Jason). The resulting threesome, taking place among mirrored walls, remains one of the most artistic in adult up until that point. Semi-choreographed action (owing much of its effect to Costello's sublime editing, his regular DoP Bill Markle supplying superior raw material) reaches full boil as Sonny's hulking frame contrasts with two of the finest androgynous female forms of the early '70s, both with smallish breasts topping slender physiques.
That night, Scrooge receives a visit from the ghostly apparition of her erstwhile business partner Marley (played with touching perseverance by the late Marc Stevens, struggling gamely with Costello's literary dialog, hilariously ad-libbing to bridge the gaps), bearing the weight of his sins as heavy chains. Warning Carol about the error of her ways, he informs she will be visited by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Costello character actor Arturo Millhouse, who played manager to JOE ROCK SUPERSTAR) takes her back to the innocence of childhood. Cue aforementioned nursery set piece, beautifully designed by Craig Esposito (who would do a sterling job on the director's unsettling MORE THAN SISTERS) with over-sized cots and props, as Carol manipulates her best friends Susan Sloan and Alan Marlow into pre-teen physical exploration, inter-cut with lewd imagery of Raggedy Ann and Andy doing the dirty ! A nice touch, given the characters' supposed tender years, is the exclusively oral nature of the scene, apart from an impudently employed doll's arm.
The Ghost of Christmas Present offers pudgy comedian Kevin André his greatest chance to shine in holly-green tunic and red tinsel boa with matching Yuletide afro, camping it up like an acid-tongued drag diva. Time for Carol to take a peek into the happy home life - the reason for which she cannot fathom ("They love each other and it's Christmas," the Ghost exasperates with grand dame gesturing) - of her harried photo editor Bob Hatchet (Jamie Gillis) and his kindly spouse Barbara, sensitively yet not cloyingly portrayed by sexploitation veteran Kim Pope. Then as now, Gillis had garnered a reputation as porn's resident bad boy, playing an assortment of rapists and rotter's, with this particular part a concerted effort to tweak the image by showing his softer side. Their marital lovemaking (the unseen Tiny Kim's crutches heartbreakingly displayed on the side) ranks among the most tender ever witnessed in adult.
Style shifting with each successive episode, the director has another trick up his sleeve, essaying the silent faceless part of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come guiding Carol to the possible inferno her future holds. Great footage of Times Square leads to a nearly unrecognizable Stuart, face caked white and sporting a grotesque Bozo the Clown wig, turning tricks with miserable married guys like Ashley Moore who claim they "normally never do this" in her dingy motel room, lit by Mario Bava-esque pools of green and red light from the neon outside and the light bulb swinging back and forth overhead. Tellingly, this harrowing scene plays out entirely without music, amplifying Carol's fake moaning as she cheerlessly sucks then mounts her equally tortured John. This nightmare vision provides her with all the epiphany she needs and Stuart truly does a bang-up job of charting her character's evolution from bitterness to rediscovered humanity, rendering her closing soliloquy riveting rather than ridiculous as she wholeheartedly embraces the spirit of Christmas.
An intricate production the director had definitely underestimated, CAROL spent so much time and money that it only reached theaters by the Spring of 1975, bypassing its estimated release date by three months ! Regardless of a warm reception by most men's magazines, the movie only managed an inkling of its intended business, dropping out of sight soon after only to re-surge with a vengeance through the advent of home video. Costello's Christmas folly was the result of inexperience with a project of such artistic ambition and sheer ampleness.
Erudite and eloquent, it stands to reason that Costello's dickin' with Dickens would stick close to the letter. Curmudgeonly old codger Ebenezer turns into sexy sourpuss Carol Scrooge (appropriately billed as "Merrie Holiday" for the occasion, gamine carnal comedienne Mary Stuart turns in a bona fide career performance) with hatred of Christmas and humanity in general left intact. Bah, humbug ! As chief editor of Biva skin magazine, showcasing hunks for the female clientèle à la Playgirl, she terrorizes her overworked employees and model wannabes alike, ruling the roost with an iron fist in a spiked leather glove. Something of a gym bunny long before this became popular, a pumped up Sonny Landham fits the bill as a potential Biva Boy of the Month auditioning for the conniving Carol and her loyal secretary Gina (Day Jason). The resulting threesome, taking place among mirrored walls, remains one of the most artistic in adult up until that point. Semi-choreographed action (owing much of its effect to Costello's sublime editing, his regular DoP Bill Markle supplying superior raw material) reaches full boil as Sonny's hulking frame contrasts with two of the finest androgynous female forms of the early '70s, both with smallish breasts topping slender physiques.
That night, Scrooge receives a visit from the ghostly apparition of her erstwhile business partner Marley (played with touching perseverance by the late Marc Stevens, struggling gamely with Costello's literary dialog, hilariously ad-libbing to bridge the gaps), bearing the weight of his sins as heavy chains. Warning Carol about the error of her ways, he informs she will be visited by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Costello character actor Arturo Millhouse, who played manager to JOE ROCK SUPERSTAR) takes her back to the innocence of childhood. Cue aforementioned nursery set piece, beautifully designed by Craig Esposito (who would do a sterling job on the director's unsettling MORE THAN SISTERS) with over-sized cots and props, as Carol manipulates her best friends Susan Sloan and Alan Marlow into pre-teen physical exploration, inter-cut with lewd imagery of Raggedy Ann and Andy doing the dirty ! A nice touch, given the characters' supposed tender years, is the exclusively oral nature of the scene, apart from an impudently employed doll's arm.
The Ghost of Christmas Present offers pudgy comedian Kevin André his greatest chance to shine in holly-green tunic and red tinsel boa with matching Yuletide afro, camping it up like an acid-tongued drag diva. Time for Carol to take a peek into the happy home life - the reason for which she cannot fathom ("They love each other and it's Christmas," the Ghost exasperates with grand dame gesturing) - of her harried photo editor Bob Hatchet (Jamie Gillis) and his kindly spouse Barbara, sensitively yet not cloyingly portrayed by sexploitation veteran Kim Pope. Then as now, Gillis had garnered a reputation as porn's resident bad boy, playing an assortment of rapists and rotter's, with this particular part a concerted effort to tweak the image by showing his softer side. Their marital lovemaking (the unseen Tiny Kim's crutches heartbreakingly displayed on the side) ranks among the most tender ever witnessed in adult.
Style shifting with each successive episode, the director has another trick up his sleeve, essaying the silent faceless part of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come guiding Carol to the possible inferno her future holds. Great footage of Times Square leads to a nearly unrecognizable Stuart, face caked white and sporting a grotesque Bozo the Clown wig, turning tricks with miserable married guys like Ashley Moore who claim they "normally never do this" in her dingy motel room, lit by Mario Bava-esque pools of green and red light from the neon outside and the light bulb swinging back and forth overhead. Tellingly, this harrowing scene plays out entirely without music, amplifying Carol's fake moaning as she cheerlessly sucks then mounts her equally tortured John. This nightmare vision provides her with all the epiphany she needs and Stuart truly does a bang-up job of charting her character's evolution from bitterness to rediscovered humanity, rendering her closing soliloquy riveting rather than ridiculous as she wholeheartedly embraces the spirit of Christmas.
I am the Ghost of Christmas Orgies Past ...
rduchmann12 June 2000
I saw this on bigscreen back in 1975 with no idea what it was about; it was just that week's feature at a porno house I occasionally visited, so I bought a ticket and went in. What it *is* is a story about Carol Scrooge, heartless editor of a PLAYGIRL-like male nudie mag, who is abusive to her employee Bob Cratchit and who receives a visit on Xmas Eve from the ghost of... You get the picture.
"Ring Christmas Bells" music will put a seasonal twinkle in your heart, but why do all of Ms Scrooge's holiday memories seem to involve hardcore sex? Does she ever get the Xmas spirit?
Cheaply made, and much in need of a script polish and a few extra days' production time, this is still an imaginative porn effort. Sonny Landham guests as prospective male model auditioned by Scrooge and her secretary; cult actress Susan Sloane appears in a kinky flashback of Xmas Past; Bob Cratchit (Jamie Gillis) and wife Tiny Kim (Pope) celebrate in their own sweet way. And you've never seen the reunion of Scrooge with Marley's ghost visualized quite as it is here.
One-of-a-kind pic is a must-see for anyone interested in the porn genre and should not be overlooked by dedicated Dickens scholars, either. My copy of this tape is on the Video-X-Pix label, which folded years ago. I don't know of a currently available version but it is certainly worth looking for and rates a 5 for its chutzpah. The concept is a bit better than the porn content. Play this and the Alistair Sim version back to back.
"Ring Christmas Bells" music will put a seasonal twinkle in your heart, but why do all of Ms Scrooge's holiday memories seem to involve hardcore sex? Does she ever get the Xmas spirit?
Cheaply made, and much in need of a script polish and a few extra days' production time, this is still an imaginative porn effort. Sonny Landham guests as prospective male model auditioned by Scrooge and her secretary; cult actress Susan Sloane appears in a kinky flashback of Xmas Past; Bob Cratchit (Jamie Gillis) and wife Tiny Kim (Pope) celebrate in their own sweet way. And you've never seen the reunion of Scrooge with Marley's ghost visualized quite as it is here.
One-of-a-kind pic is a must-see for anyone interested in the porn genre and should not be overlooked by dedicated Dickens scholars, either. My copy of this tape is on the Video-X-Pix label, which folded years ago. I don't know of a currently available version but it is certainly worth looking for and rates a 5 for its chutzpah. The concept is a bit better than the porn content. Play this and the Alistair Sim version back to back.
Big O Come All Ye Faithful.
morrison-dylan-fan14 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Discussing with a poster a few years ago on the IMDb boards (RIP) I got told about a title that sounded like a fever dream:A adaptation of A Christmas Carol from the Golden Age of Adult cinema! Catching a number of X-Mas movies for the first time in 2018,I was thrilled to at last find the Christmas film that has been at the top of my "Must find" list,which led to me finally hearing this Carol.
View on the film:
Going way over budget (from $14,000 to $18.000) taking three months longer to make than planned, and ending up missing the Christmas season and flopping at the box office, co-star/producer/ co- special effects and credits maker/ editor/ writer/ director Shaun Costello carves up a gloriously ambitious festive frolics folly. Shooting on a sound stage for the first time, (and sometimes having to work 24 hours a day on the project) Costello & cinematographer Bill Markle make excellent use of their new surroundings with stylish ghostly dissolves bringing Scrooge's spirits to life, and rumbling smoke creating a divide between Scrooge and the visions. Bringing a rare thoughtfulness to the soundtrack,Costello pounds the sex scenes into the rest of the film with a subtle use of music underlying them, from Hatchets love making being done to a jolly X-Mas song, (sadly no Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree used) to Scrooge's vision of sex from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come being unsettling stone cold silence.
The first time he had written a full script (instead of a short outline/ improvising on the day) the effort Costello made to (somewhat) faithfully adapt Dickens shine in dialogue from the novel being slotted with ease into Scrooge's Adult vision. Whilst offering plenty of sexy eye candy, Costello leaves out Tiny Tim and brilliantly models this version on the "Me" generation, with Scrooge looking into the camera and listing how she will improve herself, rather than how she will improve things for the employees. Joined by an lively Adult all-star line up of Jamie Gillis, Costello, Sonny "that guy from Predator" Landham and fellow director Carter Stevens,Mary Stuart gives an excellent turn as possibly the only woman to play Scrooge on screen, thanks to Stuart giving Scrooge cool icy vibes which are thrust by Stuart into cheery optimism that hits the climax of Scrooge emptying the Jingle Bell Rock.
View on the film:
Going way over budget (from $14,000 to $18.000) taking three months longer to make than planned, and ending up missing the Christmas season and flopping at the box office, co-star/producer/ co- special effects and credits maker/ editor/ writer/ director Shaun Costello carves up a gloriously ambitious festive frolics folly. Shooting on a sound stage for the first time, (and sometimes having to work 24 hours a day on the project) Costello & cinematographer Bill Markle make excellent use of their new surroundings with stylish ghostly dissolves bringing Scrooge's spirits to life, and rumbling smoke creating a divide between Scrooge and the visions. Bringing a rare thoughtfulness to the soundtrack,Costello pounds the sex scenes into the rest of the film with a subtle use of music underlying them, from Hatchets love making being done to a jolly X-Mas song, (sadly no Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree used) to Scrooge's vision of sex from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come being unsettling stone cold silence.
The first time he had written a full script (instead of a short outline/ improvising on the day) the effort Costello made to (somewhat) faithfully adapt Dickens shine in dialogue from the novel being slotted with ease into Scrooge's Adult vision. Whilst offering plenty of sexy eye candy, Costello leaves out Tiny Tim and brilliantly models this version on the "Me" generation, with Scrooge looking into the camera and listing how she will improve herself, rather than how she will improve things for the employees. Joined by an lively Adult all-star line up of Jamie Gillis, Costello, Sonny "that guy from Predator" Landham and fellow director Carter Stevens,Mary Stuart gives an excellent turn as possibly the only woman to play Scrooge on screen, thanks to Stuart giving Scrooge cool icy vibes which are thrust by Stuart into cheery optimism that hits the climax of Scrooge emptying the Jingle Bell Rock.
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