Sex and Buttered Popcorn is an exploration of sex in the cinema hosted by everyone’s favorite screen sex symbol… uh… Ned Beatty. We begin with silent nudie reels and shorts and early exploitation flicks that hid behind moralistic crusading in order to show some T & A. Also featured are movies that tackled social issues like child marriage (Child Marriage), so-called “antisocial behavior” (Reefer Madness), and… shall we say… “educational” films (Mom and Dad). Really, they were mostly only an excuse to show a little skin. Also covered (or uncovered as the case may be) are nudist colony movies and filmed burlesque acts.
The film also explores the penny-pinching ways the producers used to grind out a buck. They talk about the use of alternate titles to trick audiences and skirt censors, as well as shooting “daring versions” with more suggestive dialogue and less clothing. There’s even a segment on the numerous dancing scenes in these movies that almost always served as padding.
The interview scenes of exploitation producers David F. (Blood Feast) Friedman and Dan (Trader Hornee) Sonney hanging out and shooting the shit are fun. They have great stories, like when Sonney talks about the making of the infamous cat scene in the classic Maniac. They also offer up praise to the legendary exploitation pioneer Kroger Babb.
Beatty is an odd choice to host something like this, but he’s kind of amusing whenever he’s making snarky Mystery Science Theater 3000-style commentary over the clips. Unfortunately, sometimes the clips run on too long, and not always the best scenes are used. Sometimes, you wish the editing was a bit tighter too. (The compilation of scenes of actors speaking directly to the audience and warning them about the dangers of amoral behavior could’ve been longer.)
Some of the other titles featured are Forbidden Daughters, Dance Hall Racket, Hollywood Script Girl, Gambling with Souls, and Assassin of Youth.
AKA: For Adults Only. AKA: Sex and Buttered Popcorn: The Story of the Hollywood Exploiteers.
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