In spite of some brilliant work, director Peter Watkins still relatively obscure–a true cult movie director in every sense of the word. He’s made several controversial pictures, one of which (Punishment Park) is still sometimes confused with a real documentary film by those who see the movie without any of the backstory of how it was made.

Privilege is a different beast altogether. This movie, starring Paul Jones & Jean Shrimpton, is about cults of personality, manipulation, religion, you name it. Some are rabid fanatics of this film, others say it doesn’t hold up very well. Some critics say that in spite of the flaws of this Peter Watkins film, it–like Punishment Park–does presage some latter-day abuses of power quite well.

The soundtrack is widely praised by those in the know, and the songs that are designed to be bombastic and ridiculous (see the movie already!) are that way be design. The Youtube clip from Privilege below is from a point in the film where the pop star icon has been co-opted by the Church and is now acting as its mouthpiece–hence the crosses and the religious lyrics. If you’re a fan of Privilege (as we are, again, in spite of its flaws) this soundtrack is definitely a must-own. Sadly, there’s only ONE of these in stock here at the moment–first come, first served!

The Privilege Original Soundtrack is a sealed, out-of-print original pressing on the Universal City label. It is NOT a recent repressing. Buy it now from Turntabling for $30 plus shipping.