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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Bedroom Mazurka (1970)

Bedroom Mazurka (1970)

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Released 20-Jun-2013

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Comedy Theatrical Trailer-Original Theatrical Trailer (3.16)
Trailer-Trailer for Gwendoline Uncut (2:11)
Rating Rated R
Year Of Production 1970
Running Time 90:01 (Case: 92)
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By John Hilbard
Studio
Distributor
Gryphon Entertainment Starring Ole Søltoft
Axel Strøbye
Annie Birgit Garde
Paul Hagen
Karl Stegger
Birte Tove
Anne Grete Nissen
Christoffer Bro
Joen Bille
Carsten Brandt
Freddie Andersen
Steen Frøhne
Claus Hesselberg
Case Amaray-Transparent
RPI $19.95 Music Ole Høyer


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame Unknown English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.75:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles None Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     Max Mikkelsen (played by Ole Søltoff) is an awkward and simple-mannered teacher at a public school who has the ambition to become headmaster. The only issue with this is that school tradition states the headmaster must have a wife. Max is a bachelor, a virgin, and absolutely clueless about women!

     Bedroom Mazurka is a Danish comedy which follows Max's exploits with women in a school that is all-male and religious. There are no girls allowed and Max must contend with students who smoke in church, bet and circulate dirty pictures. The students at the school seek to help Max with his need, especially since he is much more progressive then his 'stuffy' superiors When hiring strippers for Max fails, the outgoing headmaster's wife and daughter take over to tutor Max in their own private lessons in human sexuality.

     Even though the film is cheap and the acting basic, it does have a plot, unlike other similar erotic-themed films of the time. Also, this is not soft-core porn; the sex scenes are few and tame, rather it is comparable to a modern-day Danish Porky's, only much less crude. Curiously, the film is presented with an inconsistent English dub instead of its default Danish soundtrack, with actors dubbed in British, American and other indeterminable English accents!

     Obviously, Ole Søltoff as Max is the centre of the film, all the other performers serve to forward Max's ambition and are ultimately forgettable. There is also an unnecessary subplot about rape and a debate whether that is what women want. This subplot makes a strange contrast to the frivolous nature of the main plot.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     Despite the back cover of the DVD stating that it is a Full Frame, 4x3 (1:33:1) film, Bedroom Mazurka comes in a 16x9 widescreen presentation.

     The original aspect ratio is 1:78:1, 16x9 enhanced for widescreen televisions. The video transfer is slightly picture-boxed on its left and right frames, making it closer to 1:75:1.

     Bedroom Mazurka looks quite good for its age. The average bitrate is 5.71 m/b per sec, about standard for DVD.

     The video transfer has boosted contrast, favouring a slight red hue overall. This would have been due to the film been shot on 35mm Eastmancolor film stock.

     There are very few film artefacts. The picture was a bit dark in places, with macro-blocking and posterization evident as a result.

     Unfortunately, there are no subtitles available!

     There is no RSDL change because the main presentation comes on a single-layered DVD-5 disc 4.03 gb in size.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     As mentioned previously, the original Danish audio soundtrack is not included with this Australian DVD release.

     There is one English-dubbed audio track presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, encoded at 224 kbps.

     Dialogue is clear, however, audio is not synchronised due to the poor dubbing.

     Despite the Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack, the audio is essentially mono.

     Obviously, the subwoofer is not utilised in the audio transfer.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

Original Theatrical Trailer (3.16)

     Ole Søltoff introduces the film trailer, out of character, in 'full erotic colour'!

Trailer for Gwendoline Uncut (2:11)

     This is a trailer for the 1984 French Adventure/Fantasy film Gwendoline Uncut.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    As far as I am aware, The Region 0 Australian version of Bedroom Mazurka is the only one available worldwide on DVD.

Summary

     Made when pornography was legalised in Denmark, the film looks at natural curiosity over sexuality. Sex is not a negative taboo in Bedroom Mazurka and the humour is not over-the-top gross as in the American Pie franchise films. Rather, sex is seen as natural and positive.

     In this sense the film is uniquely European, as it explores traditional and new views on sexual morality which makes for an interesting comedy of manners and decency. Despite been nostalgic in comparison to modern films on the topic, Bedroom Mazurka mixes sex and light comedy well, even with its English dub!

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© John Stivaktas (I like my bio)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Review Equipment
DVDSony BDP-S550 (Firmware updated Version 020), using HDMI output
DisplaySamsung LA46A650 46 Inch LCD TV Series 6 FullHD 1080P 100Hz. Calibrated with THX Optimizer. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderSony STR-K1000P. Calibrated with THX Optimizer.
AmplificationSony HTDDW1000
SpeakersSony 6.2 Surround (Left, Front, Right, Surround Left, Surround Back, Surround Right, 2 subwoofers)

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