So, as everyone seems to be creating respective "themed list" threads then arguing about why certain things do or don't turn them on, or defending or dismissing "un-erotic" XXX, I've decided to start a list of what is definitely one of the least discussed areas of hardcore movies: films which intentionally turn the audience off, horrify the viewer, or at least make you wanna grab a razor at the film's end. Now I'm not talking about "gross" movies, but films whose plots or morals preach cruelty, hate, misery, or a nihilistic or hopeless outlook on the world. Please post your favorite examples of this type of atmosphere in XXX movies, new, old or anything else. My selections are: MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE (Gerard Damiano, 1974) - Another examination of loneliness, infused with religious guilt anxt. SEDUCTION OF LYN CARTER (Anthony Spinelli, 1975) - Psychological abuse and manipulation abound in this hate-filled story of infidelity. 3 A.M. (Gary Graver, 1975) - A relentlessly bleak study of isolation, loneliness and depression, culminating in suicide. TAKING OF CHRISTINA (Armard Weston, 1975) - Unflinchingly brutal story of rape, kidnapping and bloody revenge. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (Jonas Middleton, 1976) - You don't get more depressing than this metaphorical study of childhood sexual abuse. DOUBLE EXPOSURE OF HOLLY (Bob Gill, 1976) - Drug addiction, murder, and blackmail are combined in this mafia melodrama. BABY ROSEMARY (John Hayes, 1976) - Surreal psychological drama filled with hate, abuse, manipulation and general cruelty. MYSTIQUE (Roberta Findlay, 1979) - A dying woman experiences abusive "fantasies" in which strangers make her miserable. THE AWAKENING (Paul Thomas, 1999) - Abuse, hate, drugs, and new age religious frauds fill this sleazy melodrama.
The Story Of Joanna (Gerard Damiano-1975)-The entire film Jamie Gillis mentally and physically abuses Terri Hall,lot bondage here. Her Name Was Lisa (Richard Mahler-1979)-Samantha Fox and Vanessa Del Rio star here in a film that has to do with hookers drug use and abusive sex. Defiance (Armand Weston-1974)-Jean Jennings plays a young girl here who gets caught by her parents doing drugs with a female friend she gets institutionalised lot of kinky sex here.The funny thing is I watched this on a Sunday then watched the day on Monday the premier of House where Hugh Lurie gets institutionalised. Expensive Taste (Joanna Williams-1978)-A violent where Joey Silvera dates girls then with two of his friends rapes them. Miscreants (Rob Black-1997)-Abusive degrading sex hookers heavy drug use,Rob was still with Elegant Angel when he directed this he also had Cellar Dwellers while directing for Evil Angel. Last Breath (Luis Cypher-2000)-A film/video from Extreme Associates where the worst outcome you can expect to happen some even resulting in death by suicide. Heart Of Darkness (Paul Thomas 2003) Randy Spears stars here as Johnny and battles with sex addictions and cheats on his pregnant with hookers.
I'll second TAKING OF CHRISTINA & HER NAME WAS LISA. I'll add a few others like TAXI GIRLS (1979?) that shifts from this more comedic tone to this dual rape, gang bang, whatever that is at the end of the chopped-up version that I've seen. De Rezny's finish to SUMMER HEAT is like a cross between DELIVERANCE and a Russ Meyer flick. I reviewed a really vile little film called SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL (197?) with Jamie Gillis botching a robbery and raping the office secretary. More craziness occurs at Mr. Big's place with a hedgetrimmer and more. I have THE AWAKENING around here; I'll try to give that a look.
Love this topic! I will add, though, that because sexuality is a complex beast, a lot of these "feel bad" or psychologically dark films are also erotic, depending on the context/tone. I will add Body Talk -- I watched this not realizing that halfway through, when everything seems to be going great for our star-crossed lovers, she gets bone cancer and things get progressively more depressing from there. Cancer is bad enough, but there's something about bone cancer...
Wicked Pictures,Vouyer Media, Axel Braun Productions, Marc Dorcel, JoyBear Pictures, abbywinters.com 1390 Posts 7/05
Posted - Dec 30 2010 : 1:29PM
I've been on an intense John Hayes bender for about 18 months now, devouring both his adult and mainstream credits. I even have End Of The World - the entire movie - loaded onto my BlackBerry. Baby Rosemary is just impossibly good stuff.One of RF's best films, in or out of adult (although it's no Tenement). I do believe it says more about its creator than she intended it to. Not to get on my soapbox again, but both these pictures are good examples to bring up the next time a self-anointed expert declares porn and "real" filmmaking to be mutually exclusive... Roads To Moscow / Twitter: @roadstomoscow
Shake for me girl... I wanna be your backdoorman ! 2776 Posts 10/07
Posted - Dec 30 2010 : 7:51PM
John Hayes ???? Howard Perkins maybe ? Only 3 movies listed on IAFD. Elaborate a little more please. I found this though. Edited by - backdoorman on 12/30/2010 7:53:38 PM
pornography wasn't sex but fantasies of an impossibly hospitable world 12377 Posts 9/07
Posted - Dec 31 2010 : 2:06AM
^ Check out Stephen Thrower's brilliant Nightmare USA BD, it has a whole chapter on Hayes porn and exploitation films. BABY ROSEMARY is particularly a downer, lots of greats already mentioned so trying to not repeat anyone else: CORRUPTION - The closest to a nightmare than pretty much any film I can think of, mainstream or not. APPOINTMENT WITH AGONY - Joe Davian's films are so morally bankrupt they make WATERPOWER seem socially responsible. THE TAMING OF REBECCA - Need I say more? Like a nihilistic black hole.
WINTER HEAT - Almost manages to make Jamie Gillis unlikable, some scenes seem like they'll never end (the oatmeal, the belt around the neck) and then the end arrives and makes it only worse. THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER(S) - Not Zebedy Colt's best film but certainly the nastiest, and that's saying something. V: THE HOT ONE - Maybe not as transgressive as most of my other picks but the ending is chilling.
Sometimes when I watch Body Talk or Titillation, I'm tempted to feel bad about Angelique Pettyjohn's career. When you see Golden Age porn actresses, you tend to think of young starlets aspiring to make it up to mainstream but working in adult in the meantime, or as a substitute. Pettyjohn had already had her 15 minutes on television, in Star Trek and Get Smart, and you could easily imagine her winding up in porn as a slide downward at the end of her career. Partly that's just overimagination -- who knows the real story -- but it's easy to envision it that way. Then there's the knowledge that within 10 years of Body Talk, she actually would die of cancer. It's a bummer.
Two that I would add: "A Dirty Western" -- many, many years since I've watched it but I recall being very disturbed and not at all aroused by the rape and vengeance scenes. The classic "Devil in Miss Jones" -- excellent film, highly enjoyable, but to contemplate an eternity in hell always striving, like Sisyphus pushing the boulder, but never reaching satisfaction, is an image that has stayed with me for years. A third I'm trying to remember: a "Gia"esque story about a model or an actress who can not cope with her fame and spends her life in a downward spiral of addiction and despair (I know, this is not a totally uncommon theme). I think it starred Amber Hunt, but I don't recognize the title from her filmography on IAFD.
I own this -- have done for about a year -- and still haven't watched it. Everything I've read or been told suggests that it's not intended to be arousing as such, and that it is well-made, disturbing, and full to the brim with rape. I will watch it one day -- these flicks are what me and the SO call "afternoon films."I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet, as it is very dark. But this is one of the films I was referring to when I mentioned dark films also being erotic. I can watch DIMJ again and again -- like you say, it's highly enjoyable and yet so dark (not only the eternity in hell thing, but opening a flick with a woman slitting her wrists!).
The Devil In Miss Jones is definitely worth mentioning here. A couple of John Leslie (R.I.P.) shot on videos from his VCA Pictures days 1989 come to mind as well. Second Skin-Where Jamie Gillis holds a family hostage also stars Ona Zee and Cheri Taylor. Strange Curves- Joey Silvera and Scott Irish agree to kill each other wife.For Scott Irish this is probably one his best performances ever. Other John Leslie films and videos worthy of mention here are Chameleons Not A Sequel and Mad Love. Forced Entry from Shaun Costello an early 70's film where Harry Reams goes around raping woman.Now from this era there are all kinds of films worthy of mention here.Another Costello film Waterpower where he is credited Gerard Damiano.As pointed out Damiano was pretty much owned by the mob so they could put his name on anything they wanted to in order to make a profit.
Wicked Pictures,Vouyer Media, Axel Braun Productions, Marc Dorcel, JoyBear Pictures, abbywinters.com 1390 Posts 7/05
Posted - Jan 3 2011 : 2:17PM
Hayes signed most of his adult features as Howard Perkins. He received an Academy Award nomination in the late 50s for one his early short films as John Hayes, and preferred to keep that name associated with his mainstream work.It's worth noting that some of the finest directors to work in XXX during the 70s are remembered more for the quality than quantity of their work. William Lustig (AKA "Billy Bagg") only made two features, The Violation Of Claudia and Hot Honey, but they were both fairly astounding. The former is actually a good addition for this thread, IMHO. Roads To Moscow / Twitter: @roadstomoscow
Bill is one of the nicest and most film literate people I've ever met, but I've never been too keen on these. VIOLATION is a technically excellent film, but it's a bit pedestrian. HONEY is rather dull, IMO. That said, MANIAC (which is loosely based on the 1966 softcore/roughie film, AROUSED), VIGILANTE and MANIC COP are incredible in every way. Edited by - john lyons on 1/3/2011 2:44:18 PM
Wicked Pictures,Vouyer Media, Axel Braun Productions, Marc Dorcel, JoyBear Pictures, abbywinters.com 1390 Posts 7/05
Posted - Jan 3 2011 : 3:33PM
^ I certainly agree with your take on Bill. More than a film historian and talented filmmaker in his own right, he's a helluva nice, unpretentious guy. Roads To Moscow / Twitter: @roadstomoscow
First time I ever met him, he bought me a burger and invited me to the friggin' DGA theatre to see a movie with him. Bill is not only a terrific filmmaker and a wonderful person, but runs what is hands down the best Eurosleaze DVD label: Blue Underground.
Wicked Pictures,Vouyer Media, Axel Braun Productions, Marc Dorcel, JoyBear Pictures, abbywinters.com 1390 Posts 7/05
Posted - Jan 3 2011 : 5:25PM
^ When he senses a kindred spirit, he'll go a mile for you. I credit him for my Edgar G. Ulmer obsession; when he found out I loved the classics like Detour and The Black Cat he pointed me in the right direction to find stuff like The Strange Woman (a movie I would have likely passed over if not for his recommendation). Of course this was in the early, pre-Interwebs 90s; there's a great deal of public-domain Ulmer available online now. Roads To Moscow / Twitter: @roadstomoscow
