Moonlighting Wives

A raw, provocative snapshot of 1960s suburban disillusionment, Moonlighting Wives tells the story of a bored housewife who channels her frustration into unexpected enterprise. Frustrated by her husband's lack of ambition and their mounting debts, Joan turns her stenography business into something far more lucrative: a discreet prostitution ring staffed by other neighborhood wives. What begins as a clever way to make ends meet quickly spirals into a scandal that threatens to upend an entire community.

Directed by grindhouse legend Joe Sarno (Confessions of a Young American Housewife), Moonlighting Wives is a bold and unflinching look at gender, power, and sexuality in mid-century America. Long censored for its graphic content, this special edition Blu-ray presents the film in its most complete form to date, restored in HD from the original 35mm camera negative and featuring previously lost footage deemed too risqué for its original theatrical release.

This release also includes a revealing audio commentary by Sarno biographer Michael Bowen, an on-camera interview with Bowen discussing the director's life and impact, and a rare deleted scene. With an early appearance by future character actor Joe Santos (The Rockford Files), Moonlighting Wives stands as a vital piece of exploitation cinema history--raw, confrontational, and culturally revealing.

Bonus Materials

• Historian Audio Commentary by Joseph Sarno biographer Michael Bowen
• On Camera Interview Michael Bowen discusses Joe Sarno's life
• Deleted Scene

Sales Points

• Brand New 2K Transfer from the Original 35mm Camera Negative
• From legendary drive-in / grindhouse cult film director Joe Sarno (Confessions of a Young American Housewife, Hot Stuff)
• Features an early performance from popular character actor Joe Santos ('The Rockford Files', The Last Boy Scout, The Postman)

Press Quotes

Where once this was exploitation cinema - it now is being flogged under the guise of retro-camp... has something to offer to those who are keen - either from a nostalgic standpoint or simply interested from a historical kitschy perspective.

     —DVDBeaver.com