Blu-ray Review – Private Lessons

Released during the early years of teen horndog cinema, 1981's "Private Lessons" found its inspiration for exploitation from a different source than simple teenage lust. Going controversial, the feature depicts a sexual relationship between a thirtysomething woman and a 15-year-old boy, hoping to find titillation in a taboo union, immediately separating the film from its more routine competition. Director Alan Myerson ("Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach") takes on an incredible tonal challenge with the endeavor, and he rarely lands a stable moment of emotion or comedy, often swinging all over the place in an effort to distract from the inherent iffiness of the premise. "Private Lessons" isn't a strong picture, failing to do something outrageous or harmonious with the material, scripted by Dan Greenberg (adapting his own novel). It's a mess of nudity, sex, slapstick, and mean-spiritedness, unsure of it wants to stimulate viewers or repel them, unable to secure the cheap thrills the subgenre is known for. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com