Quiet Days in Clichy

Based on the candid novel by Henry Miller, the English-language version of this lubricious 1970 Swedish production was barely released in this country after initially being seized on charges of obscenity. Featuring brief but definitely hardcore sexual imagery, the story follows the sexual escapades of two loutish, libertine males in decadent '60s Paris. With egregiously sexist lyrics by Country Joe McDonald that dwell on a pejorative slang term for vagina, this curio from a bygone era may belong in a time capsule but it's not apt to find shelf space in too many libraries. For what it's worth, the film transfer from a speck-free black and white print is topnotch, and the disc's extras include interviews with McDonald and Henry Miller's editor. Not recommended. (T. Rich)[Blu-ray Review—Feb. 1, 2011—Blue Underground, 91 min., not rated, $34.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1970's Quiet Days in Clichy sports a good transfer with DTS-HD mono sound. Blu-ray extras include a “Midnight Blue” interview with Screw publisher Al Goldstein talking to Henry Miller's editor and publisher Barney Rosset (25 min.), a “Dirty Books, Dirty Movies: Barney Rosset on Henry Miller” interview (17 min.), and an interview with composer Country Joe McDonald (11 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for this notorious curio from a more innocent time.]