Plot: Martin (Graeme Blundell) always attracts the attention of the opposite sex, but of late, he’s been unable to seal the deal. Just before he’s able to make a grand entrance, he sneezes and his arousal heads south for the winter. When he goes limp on Lady Blandings, his boss’ wife, he finds himself removed from his current pilot position and exiled to Banana Airways. He is still a pilot, but now he’s at the helm of a real claptrap and a much less respected organization. But he meets Paul (Robin Stewart), a fellow cocksman who has no issues with sneezes or drooping arousal, so Martin hopes he can get some advice. But will a change of scenery prove to be cure for what ails Martin, or will he continue to sink under the pressure?
Entertainment Value: Pacific Banana is pure 80s and pure ozploitation, a campy and cheeky romp that takes us back to the wild and wooly days of Australian cinema in the 80s. The narrative is humorous and simple, designed to set up as many sex jokes and topless women as possible. So your fun with this one is linked to your appreciation of innuendos and dated, perhaps offensive humor, mixed with a generous dose of light sleaze. If you want high art, you’ll be aghast with Pacific Banana, but those after ridiculous, Alvin Purple style laughs will be pleased. The movie is also self aware and keeps the pace brisk, so combined with an 80 minute run time, that means this one never overstays its welcome. The cast features ozploitation legend Graeme Blundell, Robin Stewart, Luane Peters, Alyson Best, and Helen Hemingway, while the great John Lamond is the film’s director. So if you like your comedies with sex and screwball humor, take a ride with Pacific Banana.
This is a sex comedy, so of course we have some skin on showcase and the tops fall off at a consistent rate. The sex scenes are tame, as the focus is on naked women and almost all of the flesh here is of the female variety. But we have a wealth of topless scenes and these aren’t brief glimpses, while some sequences also offer up bare asses and even some classic 80s bush. So if you appreciate the female form and also have an affinity for bad jokes, Pacific Banana is sure to please. No blood. This one has no real violence, so no blood is spilled here. The dialogue here could make you laugh, make you groan, or make you groan with laughter, as the jokes are cheap and often bad, but also so ridiculous and fun at the same time. The script is stacked with puns, innuendos, and awkward moments, so for me, that meant a lot of laughs and shaking my head with disbelief. As for craziness, we have a man who sneezes his erections away, zany and ludicrous humor, and that special 80s sex comedy texture. Not a super wild one perhaps, but enough wackiness to earn some points.
Nudity: 7/10
Blood: 0/10
Dialogue: 5/10
Overall Insanity: 3/10
The Disc: Umbrella Presents this one in an anamorphic widescreen treatment that looks quite good, with a clean print that shows little signs of the tolls of time. The colors are bright and contrast is smooth, but it is the super clean print and rock solid detail that stood out to me. As for extras, the disc has an interview with John Lamond, a singing segment with a couple of cast members, Pacific Banana Unpeeled retrospective featurette, still photos & promotional materials, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
Marc Fusion 