Summer Lovers (1982): Dir: Randal Kleiser / Cast: Peter Gallagher, Daryl Hannah, Valerie Quennessen, Barbara Rush, Hans van Tongeren: The Greek Islands offer beauty, history and romance but the title of this film is misleading in its stance on open relationships. Peter Gallagher plays Michael Pappas and Daryl Hannah plays his girlfriend Cathy Featherstone. They are college graduates on vacation enjoying the ravishing Greek environment, which also includes nude beaches. Soon Michael meets the beautiful Lina who is doing archaeological work and they share a fling on a nude beach. He confesses to Cathy who, out of frustration and curiosity desires to meet Lina. This results in a three way friendship that examines the reality of open relationships. While the concept opens beautifully the structure is often poorly paced or dull. It is obvious that two will have to leave the one and they sexually link but they form a seemingly innocent little union. Gallagher is a weak lead but perhaps it is because Michael is a pompous ass who comes off as boring and self entitled. Hannah brings a high spirited likeness as Cathy who explores photography. Valerie Quennessen as Lina is stunning with her wide captivating eyes and a flair for fun. Barbara Rush as Cathy's visiting mother is in for a surprise. Open relationships can bring complications that can render no love for anyone's summer. Score: 6 ½ / 10

Watching Summer Lovers made me want to go to Greece. Although Randall Kleiser's Summer Lovers is no Grease or Blue Lagoon, it does have eye catching features and I'm not just talking about it's female leads. The story is basically a twosome interrupted by a threesome, the deceived lover, who soon becomes accepting of the situation, which in the real world, not many of us would come around to this deal. They share some real adventures, including a naked camera shoot for a pop clip, one gay guy, trying to come onto a younger Gallagher. Also we have a few hot menage de trois scenes, as well as them going to a three stooges flick, that's funny anywhere you see it. Gallagher and Hannah are satisfactory, their hot french friend that makes up the mutual love triangle, is actually better, the life of our three performers. Soon our Frenchie feels this deal is cramping her style as her friends start to become frumpy. They always are when you break curfew, staying out all night, free spirit like she is. Peter Cetera's funky end song where the three make the giant plunge from a towering cliff into the sparkling blue sea, made me want to be there so much. Nothing special, though again, I reiterate, this one falls below the standard of the other two I mentioned, as though coming across as a flop. But the movie has great scenery, and some nice sight seeing, if you get my drift. Just don't expect too much, or set your sights higher on a better movie, when next touring the aisles of your local video store.

I'm tempted to call this movie a guilty pleasure, but I don't think there's really that much to feel guilty about. Yes, some of the editing is choppy, and I suspect the lighting could be better in spots, and so forth, but there is a romantic and spiritual magic to this movie for me! I was 19 or 20 when it came out, and I longed very much to have such a sexual adventure. There is romance, sex, history, and even a bit of spiritual questing I'd say in this film. When Michael (Peter Gallagher)turns to Cathy on their first full morning in Santorini and asks, "Don't you feel something?" he is clearly referring not only to Santorini's sparse and rocky beauty, its sense of history, but something perhaps even a bit metaphysical.Valerie Quennessen was lovely -- anyone who'd say she was a "butterface" (as did a previous poster) is a buffoon: "She's quite pretty but her (butter) face." Anyway, I think this movie is great fun and very rewarding despite its technical flaws. It features gorgeous scenery (human and geographic) and an engaging escapist theme. I love the composer's ambient soundscape mixed with early 80's rock.

Came across this picture on Encore Love while channel surfing to Encore Westerns. I watched it out of curiosity to see if the stories I had heard about it are true.They are. The only good thing about this film is the cinematography of the Greek Isles. Otherwise, it's just a movie version of a pictorial from a men's magazine, although the script (such as it is) has a few touches of Cosmopolitan.You'll love this film if you're into soft core porn, Darryl Hannah, or European brunettes. Otherwise, you'll find it boring or offensive. Note: at last report, 47% of female American college students were infected with human papilloma virus (HPV or genital warts) spread by the promiscuity that this picture celebrates.