The Passions Of Carol: Director's Commentary (1975)

Watch the full length feature film while director Shaun Costello discusses the production, actors and experiences of making The Passions of Carol.

From acclaimed cult filmmaker Shaun Costello comes the wildest, funniest and most outrageous Christmas movie you've never seen - An X- rated adaptation of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Taking a leap of faith, Costello convinced two Greek brothers to finance his idea for a holiday-themed porn chic movie to be played at the infamous Capri theater on New York's 42nd street. His plan was to have it shot in October in time for Christmas of 1974. After scheduling and budget delays pushed them into March of 1975, the film was finally completed and released to bewildered audiences who were not quite ready for this odd cross of sex and Christmas. Restored in High Definition from 35 mm elements previously thought to be lost, The Passions of Carol can be viewed in a way that it has not been seen for 35 years.

Mary Stuart stars as Carol Scrooge, the curmudgeonly owner of Biva Maggazine (a sleazy skin publication) who insists that her employees work on Christmas. However, on Christmas Eve, Miss Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, each of whom shows her a different vision of Christmas. From Carol's lurid past of sexually manipulating her childhood friends to the meager Christmas celebration of her present day employee, Bob Hatchett, to a terrifying and sleazy vision of Christmas yet to come; each visit is infused with laughter and lessons learned about the importance of giving and holiday spirit.

The film was masterfully lensed by Bill Markle and features a host of adult film stars of the era, Kim Pope, Jamie Gillis, Mary Stuart, Alan Marlow, Day Jason and Sonny Landham, who went on to appear in the Eddie Murphy movie 48 Hours. The Passions of Carol offers everything a Christmas film should have: heart, humor, good spirits and a healthy dose of steamy sex. Passions is a stocking stuffer in more ways than one.