This two-disc compilation aims at serenading the "storefront" films of the 1970s (that is, porno quickies that were made for viewing in small buildings converted cheaply into private cinemas).
However, disc one is home to a film from the current decade: the main attraction of this two-disc set, THE SEX DEVIATES.
The excuse After Hours use is that THE SEX DEVIATES has been made in the same manner as the two bona fide 1970s features on disc 2 (shot on 16mm, filmed in one day, I'd assume) and is much the same in terms of both intent and content.
Indeed, it certainly appears to follow a tried and tested staple formula of bygone porno days when it opens with handheld footage of busy New York streets while jazzy lounge music plays, the camera finally resting on the curiously attired Elliott Forbes (Adam Trash).
The bespectacled Forbes speaks into the screen, introducing himself as a "researcher in the field of medical science". He tells us how he's travelled the globe in pursuit of his studies into the nature of sexual deviancy, and wants to share with us footage of the most depraved people he's met.
Forbes begins to tell us about young Joe Brown (Biafra Bayne) uses her body for deviant purposes with her friend Rita (Tracie Hayes). In other words, they're lesbians.
The camera zooms upwards towards an apartment window then a quick edit takes us into Joe's bedroom. Sure enough, there she is getting it on with the busty blonde Rita. In a nice contrast, Joe is dark and rake thin (miniscule cleavage).
Joe's brother (Eric Trash) stands sweating in the doorway, watching them (another staple ingredient of vintage hardcore). He gasps as the girls pleasure each other with their fingers, mouths and a double-headed dildo.
After a few minutes of voyeurism, the brother bursts into the room threatening to tell his parents about what he's witnessed. He changes his mind though after spanking Joe and getting both girls (yes, including his sister) to give him a blowjob.
This scene seems to go on forever - well, ten minutes - and ends only when the brother cums in his sister's mouth, and she spits the load into Rita's mouth, forcing her to swallow it.
Then we're off on a tour of more random exterior shots of New York and the Mark Lamarr-alike Forbes, standing on a street corner ready to introduce us to another "perversion of sanctity".
To this end, we cut to footage of Hayes (as a different character), masturbating in a soapy bathtub. Her fun is curtailed when a bible salesman (Adam Trash minus glasses) calls at her door.
He joins her on her settee and starts his hard sell … which leads, would you believe it, to the pair of them filling her hole with a raw carrot and a courgette.
After which, it's back to Forbes to introduce us to his third and final vignette, which is also the longest. Quite what this intrepid reporter has learned from his research remains unclear, but that's hardly the point.
The final vignette brings Eric and Adam together in the same room with Bayne, Hayes and another dark haired vixen, as we witness a supposed swingers' party. This involves the quintet watching an 8mm porn loop, then retiring to the bedroom for more kinky shenanigans.
THE SEX DEVIATES looks like it was actually shot on DV, and then had vertical lines and specks added to it afterwards in an attempt to replicate the worn 1970s look. Along with the funky opening titles and the incessant jazzy score, this is perhaps the best aspect of the film.
Because elsewhere, this is pretty depressing stuff. The cast are ugly (the men being particularly sweaty) and the sex is unappealing. Those looking for money shots will be disappointed, leaving only people with a penchant for vegetable sex and grotesque lesbian encounters, with something to look forward to.
Editing and cinematography are clumsy, and the whole thing makes no effort to look like anything other than an amateur production put together by people who look like they're drunk.
In short, it's pretty dire - and hardly deviant, when you consider a lot of the troublesome 1970s grindhouse fare available from Alpha Blue Archives.
The film is presented in a deliberately rough-looking 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. Despite the mock vertical lines, the picture is pretty strong, offering bright colours and good blacks.
The English mono audio is a strong and consistent track throughout.
Although there's no scene-selection menu, the film has 8 chapters.
Extras on disc one include trailers for an incredible 21 titles - including the forthcoming SCYLA - and an 8-minute interview with Bayne.
Bayne tells us how much she enjoys sex (she keeps the repeating this, perhaps to convince herself) then goes on to address questions that appear as text onscreen. The questions are quite intellectual: "What was your first sexual experience?", ""What was your funniest sexual experience?" and so on.
Over on disc two, we get two storefront features that actually do originate from the heady days of the 1970s. As a consequence, little is known about either film.
THE APARTMENT begins with a woman having a bath. Of course, this inevitably leads to her pleasuring herself.
Afterwards, her boyfriend (who possesses facial hair that may well have been Hugh Jackman's inspiration for his Wolverine look) returns to the apartment, having been out looking for work. He mumbles about being fed up with having to pretend he's the woman's brother, and how he can't wait to get some money so they can disappear. Then, of course, they shag.
Within minutes, THE APARTMENT proves to be better than THE SEX DEVIATES. But it still manages to become boring very quickly.
There's no real plot to speak of, just people rutting occasionally, and generally getting caught mid-action (which prevents too many pop shots, I'm afraid). There's also a curious lesbian session between a guitar-playing hippie chick and shorthaired bisexual lady with a very spotty chin.
Other than that, the only other things that stood out were the dark photography, zestful performances, sparse sets and an inordinate amount of pubic hair.
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is worse, telling the very loose tale of a travelling vibrator salesman - or rather the vibrator he leaves behind at a horny woman's house after fleeing when he's caught fucking her. The vibrator is left at the woman's house, and is privy to a few sex episodes involving lesbianism, masturbation and a drunk who can hardly get it up - until he cums in the most abrupt ending imaginable.
It's plotless and positively stinks of sweat. You have been warned!
Both films are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic transfers, with ropey English mono soundtracks (THE APARTMENT is particularly bad on this front, with hiss and terrible drop-outs).
Images are soft and grainy, with plentiful vertical lines and specks.
Again, there are no scene-selection menus, but each film does have chapters (APARTMENT has 9; GIRL has 11).
There are no extras on disc two.
The only other extra in this package is a foldout 6-page booklet offering notes on all three films by Dimitrios Otis.
This two-disc set is fairly filthy stuff. But don't get too excited - when I say "filthy", I mean grimy, unclean, unwashed. I've never seen so many sweaty, flabby, hairy bodies collected in one DVD package! After Hours continue to amaze with their unearthing of obscure 1970s porno. Unfortunately on this occasion the films offer nothing of interest.
Review by Stu Willis
| Released by After Hours Cinema |
| Region 1 - NTSC |
| Not Rated |
| Extras : |
| see main review |