Private Lessons (1980)
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0% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
34% of users liked it
(1,836 ratings)
Penned by Dan Greenburg, Private Lessons details the plight of a rich, fifteen-year-old boy (Eric Brown) whose French maid (Sylvia Kristel of the Emmanuelle series) is hired to teach him the finer points of l'amour. A contrived subplot involving a blackmail scheme complicates matters but really… More Penned by Dan Greenburg, Private Lessons details the plight of a rich, fifteen-year-old boy (Eric Brown) whose French maid (Sylvia Kristel of the Emmanuelle series) is hired to teach him the finer points of l'amour. A contrived subplot involving a blackmail scheme complicates matters but really only serves as padding between the erotic scenes. In the end, the boy ends up wiser for the wear in more ways than one as he learns all the sordid details. Typical of many early '80s adolescent-oriented T & A films, this entry includes plenty of leering nudity and debauchery, although it seems comparatively tame compared with many others. Surprisingly, Private Lessons was a box-office hit at the time of its release; presumably, many film-goers had seen Kristel in her role as Emmanuelle, although they would have been disappointed to learn a body-double stood in during her love scenes in this case. A similarly-themed film, My Tutor, was released soon after. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi
- Directed By
- Alan Myerson
- Genres
- Comedy
- In Theaters
- Aug 26, 1981 Wide
- Studio
- MCA Universal Home Video
Critic Reviews
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Derek Adams, Time Out
Teen Oriented Voyeurism rules as the protagonist (Brown) stalks his prey (and her stand-in) armed with cameras, binoculars, and an overtly Oedipal mix of fear and desire.
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John Corry, New York Times
Private Lessons is made for the Clearasil market, pimply and freshly pubescent.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A subplot involving blackmail and featuring Hesseman serves as filler between sexual episodes.
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Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
It won't make you laugh, but it will make you feel unclean.
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Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
Rent it for nostalgia value, if you must, but be prepared for a sex comedy with very little sexiness and a complete dearth of comedy.
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Cast
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Sylvia Kristel
as Nicole
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Howard Hesseman
as Lester
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Ron Foster
as Philly's Dad
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Eric Brown
as Phillip Fillmore
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Ed Begley Jr
as Jack Travis
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Pamela Jean Bryant
as Joyce
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Meredith Baer
as Miss Phipps
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Peter Elbing
as Waiter
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Dan Barrows
as Green
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Marian Gibson
as Florence
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Dan Greenburg
as Hotel Owner
- Carroll Baker
- Crispin Glover
- Hal Le Roy

