Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1981
Director: Fred J. Lincoln
Writers: Fred Lincoln, Cathy Karwoski
Cast: Loni Sanders, Mike Ranger, Tiffany Clark, Ron Jeremy

DVD Release Date: February 12th, 2013
Approximate Running Time: 80 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Sound: Dolby Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
DVD Release: Impulse Pictures
Region Encoding: All Regions NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

The recent passing of actor/director Fred Lincoln—best known for his role as “Weasel” in Wes Craven’s classic Last House on the Left—lends a certain, bittersweet edge to this release from Impulse Pictures, an early X-rated effort in Lincoln’s career which would set the stage for a low plot/high sex track record in an era where adult films were slowly beginning to transition from the “porno chic” years of the 1970s, on through the “profitable product” shift of the 80s, on through today.

As such, Same Time Every Year doesn’t lend itself very well to the tastes of those who appreciate the works of more story-driven smut-peddlers, a la Henry Paris/Radley Metzger, Tinto Brass or even Roberta Findlay and Doris Wishman. Instead, it’s an onslaught of sex scene after sex scene, with very little attention delivered to the flimsy story of businessmen on their way to a phony convention.

Still, Same Time Every Year still possesses a certain level of residual class left over from the genre’s glory days, in that each scene is shot well, with a particular artfulness paid to how each angle is set up by cinematographer Joao Fernandes, here credited as Harry Flecks. The acting is only as good as it needs to be when the basic storyline shifts back and forth between the wives’ sex shenanigans and those of their absentee husbands, and the film as a whole breezes by with a carefree nature indicative of 80s porn excess.

The DVD:

Impulse Pictures presents Same Time Every Year in an anamorphic widescreen presentation which preserves the film’s intended aspect ratio. Colors are clear and saturated throughout, with occasional dirt and specks which do not detract from the overall viewing experience. There are no extras included in this release, but—given the rarity of the films Impulse/Synapse usually issues—this is to be expected, leaving chapter selections as the only menu screen option. Overall, Same Time Every Year receives a basic presentation from Impulse Pictures.