IS IT PORN? (reviews and discussions of films about which you're just not sure)

[M.10rda]

Welcome to a new Thread somewhat inspired by the recent discussion of favorite nude scenes... 

Just supposing my virgin eyes had ever, ever seen a XXX-rated "adult" movie with "hardcore" onscreen sex acts, I certainly wouldn't post about it on this fine website!    However, I do like to watch a lot of weird movies, including some rather, errr, graphic weird movies... and... sometimes, inevitably, I'm watching a rare experimental art film from the early 1970s and suddenly I realize... "Wow... there's a lotta' penis in this movie!" Alternately, if you've ever watched a Jess Franco film made after 1970, substitute the term "bush" for "penis".

Where's the line? How do you know if you've accidentally started watching a PURRRRRRRN??? DEBBIE DOES DALLAS? That's a porno. DEEP THROAT, for all its cultural significance, is a porno. But is CALIGULA a porno? It stars four or five of the most respected British film actors of the 20th century, but it was produced by the publisher of Penthouse magazine and it sure has got a lot of male members entering pieholes. What about BROWN BUNNY? Only one male member, only one piehole, but it's a long scene... and yet but they're also movie stars... PRON???

Okay, I admit, Madame went out of town for a few days and I broke out the flicks that I might be less likely to watch with her in the house. I've got a few such reviews loaded in the barrel. I figured this is as good/safe a place as any to discuss the somewhat less Safe For Work viewings that might accidentally pass our eyeballs on occasion, but which seem like they might be totally legitimate cinema! But... also, maybe not.

Post 'em if you got 'em! I'll post my first one tonight or tomorrow. It's a great Film! But is it porn?

[Rev. Powell]

There are a lot of movies I can think of that have a single brief hardcore scene, but very few I would think of as approaching the boundary of an XXX movie. For definition's sake, I would say that to cross the line there have to either be multiple hardcore scenes, or one that is extended (no pun intended)--say, maybe five minutes long?

CALIGULA (which I haven't seen) is probably the best example. I think some of Jess Franco and Jean Rollins films later had hardcore scenes added to them; I don't know if that would count?

The best example I can think of straddling the line may be THUNDERCRACK (1975). There are so many sex scenes that it tips into actual porn, but not enough to be truly arousing... you could cut out the sex entirely and have a fairly coherent full-length mainstream movie.

[Criswell]

I think it can be a very blurry line. For example, it's fairly obvious which Franco films were trying to just be straight up pornography compared to the ones where there's a little bit more to it. I think ultimately the distinction is would you call it a movie with hardcore scenes or a hardcore movie?

[M.10rda]

You guys are being much more analytical about this than I've been (yet) and I am here for it!  Like the saying goes, "I know it when I see it" - except, sometimes, I just don't know!

THUNDERCRACK is a great example for this thread (though I haven't watched it since college) - a very long, complete movie w/ tons of plot and dialogue that also intermittently has hardcore scenes. (If you cut 'em the film would still exceed two hours, I think.) I am at work right now  posting about such definitively NSFW matters, but I will review DAYDREAM (1981), another film that I think defines this category, later today...