Film Censorship: E #1

Eaten Alive

Directed by Umberto Lenzi / 1980 / Italy / IMDb

In August 1980, House of Dare received an R-rating for a 2342.59-meter (85:37) print of EATEN ALIVE. The rating was for sex and violence, which was described as:

Sex
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Justified

Violence
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Justified

Although it is listed by the Censorship Board as being registered R without eliminations, it would seem that this was pre-cut before submission. The uncut running time is around four minutes longer.

Censored Video Classics Gold VHS

In 1984, an 85m videotape of EATEN ALIVE was passed with an R-rating. However, the exact running time of the censored Video Classics tape was 82:27. A running time of 89m (PAL) seems to be the most often reported length, so it looks like the Video Classics tape could be missing up the 6 minutes of footage.

1991: Busted by Customs

EATEN ALIVE was part of a package of fifteen tapes that were seized by the Australian Customs Service in October 1991. They were forwarded to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) who found them to be:

"…prohibited pursuant to Regulation 4A(1A)(a)(iii) of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations"

Bootleg DVD release

In 2006, bootleg copies of the uncut (92:20 NTSC) U.S. Shriek Show release appeared in stores and markets that sell cheap DVDs. The R18+ (Strong Violence, Strong Sexual Content, Nudity) rating on the cover was fake. The cover makes no mention of it, but it contains the same extras as the Shriek Show disc.

Greatest hits of the cannibal genre

Umberto Lenzi's other cannibal movies, THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER (1972), and CANNIBAL FEROX (1981) suffered numerous cuts when released locally.

Lenzi actually edited footage from THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER (1972) into EATEN ALIVE. The killing of the crocodile, the mongoose vs. cobra, and the cannibal scene where the woman's breast is eaten, all come from that film.

Footage from MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD (1978) was also used. This includes the killing of the iguana, the snake vs. bird scene, and the cannibal castration and stabbing.

Finally, Mowara's death scene is taken from Ruggero Deodato's LAST CANNIBAL WORLD (1976).

All of these films had problems with the Australian censor, and lost these same scenes when they were eventually rated. All are covered in our Film Censorship Database.

Eaten Alive - Video Classics Gold [au] VHS Eaten Alive - Bootleg [au] DVD

Elles

Directed by Malgorzata Szumowska/ 2011 / France-Germany-Poland / IMDb

This film has never had problems with the Australian censors. It is included because the distributor chose to submit a censored version to the Classification Board.

In March 2012, a 98m DVD of ELLES was passed with an R18+ (sex scenes). Palace Films was the applicant.

Paul Byrnes revealed in his review, that this version had been pre-censored by eleven seconds.

Fascinating and repugnant subject mirrored in its telling
smh.com.au, January 31, 2013

…in the original cut, Lola was raped with a wine bottle and one of Alicja's clients urinated on her before he sang her a love song. Those moments are gone from the film showing here, 11 seconds cut by the film-makers in response to censorship regimes around the world. The Australian distributor, Palace Films, chose to submit this cut version but still received an R-rating. The cuts effectively blunt the film's argument by reducing the sexual violence the prostitutes endure, but it's hard to blame the distributor. Fighting a censorship rating here costs thousands of dollars.

In this instance, it would appear that Palace Films were being overcautious, because in April 2012, even the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) passed it uncut. Their extended classification information described the scenes as:

…a male customer is seen to urinate over the breasts of a keeling prostitute. Although the scene appears to be simulated and the woman consents to the activity, this brief depiction of a strong fetish activity is more appropriately classified at '18'. The film also includes a scene of sexual violence in which it is implied that a young prostitute is being anally penetrated with a wine bottle by an aggressive client. There is no explicit detail of the penetration and the scene lacks any elements that might eroticise or endorse such abuse.

Elles (2011) - Palace Films [au] Poster

Emanuelle and Joanna

aka Insatiable Emanuelle

Directed by Franco Rossetti / 1978 / Italy / IMDb

A 2646.80-meter (96:44) print of EMANUELLE AND JOANNA was submitted to the Censorship Board in November 1980 by 14th Mandolin. It was passed only after 37.3-meters (81s) of footage was removed. The deletions were made to the sex scenes, which were described as:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous

The censored version received an R-rating rating due to sex, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous

EMANUELLE AND JOANNA went on to have a theatrical release, and was soon issued to tape on 14th Mandolin's King of Video label. The running time was 93:22 (PAL), which seems to indicate that it is censored. Thanks to Brendan for the cover scan and running time.

In November 1985, 14th Mandolin received an X-rating for a 109m VHS of EMANUELLE AND JOANNA. The reason given was:
Sex
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous

It needs to be confirmed if this tape was ever released.

Banned as INSATIABLE EMANUELLE

Around 1984, the film was issued on the Private Screenings Home Video label as INSATIABLE EMANUELLE. The first ratings submission under this title came in March 1985 from the Victorian Police who submitted a 94m tape. This was followed in January 1986 by the NSW Police with a 90m tape. Both were Refused Classification by the Censorship Board because of 'gratuitous sexual violence'.

The Australian video appears to be a direct import of the US Private Screenings release. The fact that it was not submitted for rating by a distributor, and later attracted police attention may be explained by the following article. It covers Dennis Stevenson’s 1991 speech before ACT Legislative Assembly where he attempted to link the mafia to the Australian porn industry.

Australian Porn Mafia
lukeisback.com

To give a summary of the US connection so far, we have seen that Norman Arno and his associate Theodore Gaswirth were recognised by the FBI as leading organised crime figures in the US and members of the Colombo Family, one of five Mafia families controlling crime in New York. We have seen that Arno and Gaswirth had recently been arrested for illegal porn operations and that they then came to Australia to set up operations distributing pornography.

I have here Norman Arno's signature on a licence agreement with a company now operating in Fyshwick. But let me state it more clearly: it clearly shows a connection between Arno, the US Mafia racketeer, and our own ACT.

THE main contact in Australia for Arno and Gaswirth was Alexander Gajic, who, together with his father Todor Gajic, were directors of Sienna Pty Ltd, a company formed in South Australia and now operating at Fyshwick in the ACT in association with the businesses Australian United Videos and Private Screenings Home Video.

Private Screenings Home Video were run by Gajic and Barry Taylor. This was admitted on a Four Corners television program called X-rated. Taylor had been arrested in Asia for crimes connected with drugs and had escaped initially to Hong Kong.

Emanuelle and Joanna - King of Video [au] VHS

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

aka Emanuelle's Amazon Adventure

Directed by Joe D'Amato / 1977 / Italy / IMDb

In June 1978, a 2535.10-meter (92:39) print of EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS was banned for reasons of ‘indecency and excessive violence’. Roadshow Distributors was the applicant.

In September 1978, Blake Films submitted a 2468.70 (90:14) censored version. A further 2.5-meters (00:06) of ‘excessive violence’ was removed before it was awarded an R-rating. The film was released theatrically with 02:31 of cuts.

VHS release

In the mid-90s, Force Video released a heavily censored TV-print on VHS under the title EMANUELLE'S AMAZON ADVENTURE. The running time was 78:48, which indicates around ten minutes was missing.

Customs confiscations

There are at least two confirmed customs confiscations EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS.

In October 1991, it was part of a package of fifteen tapes that were seized by the Australian Customs Service. They were forwarded to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) who found them to be:

"…prohibited pursuant to Regulation 4A(1A)(a)(iii) of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations"

In 2006, the U.S. online DVD store Xploited Cinema was warning their customers about customs problems.

xploitedcinema.com
March 2006.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO UK CUSTOMERS - SOME OF THESE DVDS HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED BY UK & AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS. SOME HAVE MADE IT THROUGH BUT SOME HAVE BEEN STOPPED. ORDER AT YOUR OWN RISK!

EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS review

Thanks to Chris for this review.

The Italian Shock DVD of EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS runs 89:21 (PAL).

The Australian cuts for ‘excessive violence’ would have been to the following scenes.

11:30 – Emanuelle watched a black and white documentary about cannibals in Africa. A decapitation is shown, followed by a slow-motion castration.

58:00 – Sister Angela is captured by the cannibals. She is stripped, and her breast cut off and eaten. They then cut her stomach open and disembowel her.

75:30 – Maggie is stripped naked and tied up by the cannibals. They stab her just above her pubic region, pull out her stomach, and eat it.

All of these scenes would have needed to be toned down in 1978. There are some other less graphic scenes of violence, including the nurse who escapes from the patient with her breast bitten off (02:00), the disemboweled body of the native guide (46:00), and Donald being stabbed with a spear (67:00).

The sex scenes are purely softcore, and are nowhere near as graphic as those shown in EMANUELLE IN AMERICA. The indecency that the censors refer to may have included.

05:00 – Emanuelle rubbing between the legs of the girl in the straight jacket

18:00 – Emanuelle remembering having sex with Mark.

23:00 – Emanuelle and Mark having sex as Isabelle watches and masturbates.

38:00 – Maggie masturbates at the thought of Salvadore.

41:00 – Maggie and Salvadore have sex.

80:00 – The cannibals have sex with a drugged Isabelle.

The 02:31 of cuts in EMMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS would have definitely been more to remove the ‘excessive violence’, than the ‘indecency’.

Emanuelle in America

Directed by Joe D'Amato / 1976 / Italy / IMDb

In October 1977, a 2720.80-meter (99:27) 35mm print of EMANUELLE IN AMERICA was banned for reasons of indecency.

Blake Films then submitted a censored 2560.80-meters (93:36) print. This was only passed with an R-rating in December 1977 after a further 21.7-meters (00:47) was removed. The extra cuts were for ‘indecency and indecent violence’.

The indicates that the print of EMANUELLE IN AMERICA that played theatrically in Australia ran only 92:49.

EMANUELLE IN AMERICA: The censor baiting scenes

Thanks to Chris for this review.

Blue Undergrounds EMANUELLE IN AMERICA DVD runs 99:56 (minus the Studio Canal logo). This means the print that Blake Films initially submitted to the Australian censors was uncut, or very close to it. This is quite a surprise, as they must have known it would have major problems securing an R-rating.

These scenes would have contributed to the 06:38 of cuts.

22:00 approx: The infamous bestiality sequence involving Pedro the horse. What you get is around a minute of a naked woman stroking the animal’s penis.

52:00 approx: The orgy sequence after the party features lots of softcore sex. However, there is an extended sequence of a hardcore blowjob. This would have definitely been removed.

62:00 approx: Emanuelle spies on a couple in a straw hut. She watches them have sex, which includes hardcore scenes of a blowjob, penetration, and a cumshot. Again, this would have definitely been cut.

65:00 approx: Emanuelle spies on a woman and two men on a bed. She watches them have sex, which includes hardcore scenes of a blowjob, penetration, and a cumshot. Again, this would have definitely been cut.

68:00 approx: Emanuelle spies on a woman being whipped by a man. There is a graphic female masturbation shot that I suspect would have caused problems.

69:00 approx: Emanuelle spies on a couple watching a snuff movie on a projector. The footage lasts less than a minute, and is not particularly graphic.

82:30 approx: Emmanuelle watches a porn film with a man. There is a very brief shot of an erection that may have had to be cut.

83:45 approx: Emmanuelle watches the snuff film with the man. This is the first graphically violent scene in the film and involves naked women being tortured by prison guards. It includes the shots of the guards lifting a naked woman up and down on a huge sharpened dildo. The whole scene lasts around a minute, and would have definitely been the ‘indecent violence’ that the censors mention.

87:45 approx: Emmanuelle dreams she is at the prison camp watching the women get tortured. This is also a very graphic scene and shows women having their breasts cut off. The whole thing lasts for over a minute and is more ‘indecent violence’ that would definitely have been censored in Australia.

The censors may have also objected to the eroticisation the violence as those who view the snuff footage are shown being tuned on by it.

Emanuelle: Queen of Sados

aka Emanuelle's Daughter

Directed by Ilias Mylonakos / 1979 / Greece / IMDb

In August 1981, Apollon Films had a 2470.10-meter (90:17) print of EMANUELLE: QUEEN OF SADOS banned. It was Refused Registration for the ‘sexual exploitation of a minor’.

In December 1981, Apollon Films censored it down to 2291:00-meters (83:44). Despite now missing over six minutes of footage, EMANUELLE: QUEEN OF SADOS was banned again for the ‘sexual exploitation of a minor’.

Censored Force Video VHS

In 1994, Force Video released a slightly censored 89:27 VHS under the title EMANUELLE'S DAUGHTER. The cover had a terrible blurred picture on the front, as well as a fake R18+ (High level sex scenes) rating.

Thanks to Joe for this.

This is a typical crap Force Video release from the mid-90s. The print is sourced from JEF Films Inc, and is missing 25s of Mario’s rape of Livia. There may be other brief censor cuts.

EMANUELLE’S DAUGHTER: QUEEN OF SADOS review

Thanks to Gavin for this review.

In 2005, US company Media Blasters/Exploitation Digital released the film under the title EMANUELLE'S DAUGHTER: QUEEN OF SADOS. It has an uncut running time of 90:40.

The scenes that the censors objected to would have been those involving Emanuelle’s stepdaughter, actress Liva Russo. I assume that at the time she was of legal age, though she is playing a character who is probably supposed to be 14 or 15. Specifically, the scenes that would have cause problems are:

5min to 6min: Emanuelle is stripped naked by Ilona and Robert and beaten by her husband. Livia stands at the top of the stairs and looks on.

There are flashbacks to this scene at 15:50 to 16:15, and at 37:20.

16:45 to 17:45 – Livia is shown naked in the shower as Emanuelle talks to her.

51m to 57m - Emanulle and Tommy are shown having sex. This is inter-cut with shots of Livia and Mike making out on the beach.

79:30 to 82:30 – Mario chases Livia and catches her as she falls in a pool of water. He then strips, and savagely rapes her. Apart from her naked shower scene, this is definitely the part of the film that would have caused the most problems.

Here in the UK, the BBFC removed 06:58 from a 2008 DVD retitled EMANUELLE'S SWEET REVENGE. There reasons for the cuts matched those of the Australian censor back in 1981.

Emanuelle: Queen of Sados - Force Video [au] VHS

Emmanuelle 3

Directed by Jean-Marie Pallardy / 1980 / France / IMDb

In 1981, Associated Film Distributors had to censor EMMANUELLE 3 down from 88 to 83m in order to gain an R-rated theatrical release.

The print released on tape by Video Classics ran 80:39 and 80:07 on Palace Vibrant Video.

This should not be confused with EMMANUELLE 3 (1977) which was released on DVD in 2009 by Madman Entertainment. This was the official sequel to the first two EMMANUELLE films. In Australia, it had previously been know as GOODBYE EMMANUELLE and had been released by Star Video. This version had no problems with our censors.

Emmanuelle 3 - Video Classics [au] VHS Emmanuelle 3 - Palace Vibrant Video [au] VHS

Emmanuelle 4

Directed by Francis Leroi and Iris Letans / 1984 / France / IMDb

A 2755-meter (100:42) 35mm print of EMMANUELLE 4 was Refused Registration in May 1984.

The reason given for the ban was sex, which were described as:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous

Filmways Australasia appealed to the Film Board of Review, who confirmed EMMANUELLE 4 as banned in July 1984.

Filmways sue Producers

French Film Too Sexy
smh.com.au, May 16, 1985

The movie distributor Filmways is considering suing the French producers of Emmanuelle IV to recover $100,000 it paid before censors banned the film for being too sexually explicit.

The managing director of Filmways, Mr Mark Josem, said he bought the film, which surgically restores the veteran Sylvia Kristel to a virgin and sets her loose in Brazil, while it was being filmed.

When the Australian Film Censorship Board banned the film last June, its French producers were contractually bound to refund the fee, he said.

They had so far refused to do so, despite a Paris court ruling in favour of Filmways, Mr Josem said.

Censored EMMANUELLE 4 Rated R

In June 1985, a 2433-meter (88:56) censored 35mm print of EMMANUELLE 4 was passed with an R-rating.

The reason given for the R-rating was sex, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous

This was nearly twelve minutes shorter than the version that was banned in 1984. Presumably, at this point Filmways had disowned the film, as the French producer, Alain Siritzky, was responsible for submitting it for classification.

We guess that this went on to play theatrically, but are unsure if it was ever released on video in Australia.

Madman DVD release

In July 2009, Madman Entertainment released EMMANUELLE 4 on DVD.

In June 2010, they re-released it as part of a box set, also containing EMMANUELLE, EMMANUELLE 2, and EMMANUELLE 3.

Thanks to Joe for this review.

The Madman DVD of EMMANUELLE IV runs 88:16 (not including the 20s Studio Canal intro). This is nowhere near the time of the 100m version that was banned by the Aussie censors in 1984. The sex is typical softcore, and is easily R-rated on 2010. It is pointless speculating what the problem scenes were as the running times are so different.

I would only guess in 1984 they would not have liked the scene as 55:30 where Miguel punishes Maria by lifting up her skirt and thrusting a riding crop between her legs.

It looks like there may be several different versions, and re-cuts available around the world. Movie-Censorship has a description of a hardcore version of EMMANUELLE 4 that was released on tape in Canada.

The Madman DVD has French and English soundtracks, and English subtitles. Listening to the English soundtrack, with the subtitles on shows that a large amount of French dialogue was not translated for the dubbed version. In fairness, it is mostly Emmanuelle talking flowery nonsense.

Emmanuelle 4 - Madman Entertainment [au] DVD 1

Entrails of a Beautiful Woman

Directed by Kazuo 'Gaira' Komizu / 1986 / Japan / IMDb

We have one report of the U.S. Synapse DVD of ENTRAILS OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN being confiscated in 2005.

The reasons given were:

One (1) DVD "Entrails of a Beautiful Women" depicting Non Consensual sex
the dvd was confiscated under the following provision "under subsection 203B(2), being goods suspected on reasonable grounds to be special forfeited goods"

Erika’s Hot Summer

Directed by Gary Graver / 1971 / USA / IMDb

In November 1973, a 1726.23-meter (62:55) 'reconstructed version' of ERIKA’S HOT SUMMER was passed with an R-rating. Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.

Censored K&C Video release

Thanks to Simon for this information.

56:34 (PAL) K&C Video [au]
64:19 (NTSC) Something Weird Video [us]

The K&C Video release of ERIKA’S HOT SUMMER is missing a five-minute sequence. This runs from 08:53 to 14:01 in the Something Weird Video release.

Before: The naked girl is shown in the forest as the photographer shoots her.

Censored at 08:53 – The photographer leans over and kisses the girl. They return to his studio where she looks at some of his pictures. She then strips, and he takes some nude shots before they have sex.

After: Flashing lights, and people dancing in a club.

This would appear to be a different version than the one passed with an R-rating in 1973. I do not know why this scene was missing from the K&C Video release. Only a very small part of it shows them having sex, and that is very tame when compared to what remains.

Image courtesy of moviemem.com

Erika's Hot Summer (1971) - Regent Trading Enterprises [au] Daybill

The Erotic Adventures of Zorro

Directed by Robert Freeman / 1972 / USA / IMDb

In February 1974, a 2883.4 meter (105:06) print of THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO was censored by 206.55 meters (07:31) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove 'indecency'.

Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.

Uncut Melbourne screening

Thanks to Brendan for the following information regarding the original theatrical release.

THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO screened here (Melbourne) uncut for 6 weeks. I saw it initially and was surprised by the explicitness. After 6 weeks the theatre was "closed until further notice". I read in the paper that the cinema had screened an uncut print of the film. The censor had removed most of each sex scene for its R rated release. The theatre shut for a week or more after which the approved version played. The VHS release was of this cut version. Something like 12 minutes were cut out.

Banned in Queensland

In 1974, the Queensland Government set up their own Films Board of Review. An article in a 1976 issue of Cinema Papers magazine covered the workings of this overly repressive group. It includes the following quote from Errol Heath, the managing director of Regent Trading.

"The Erotic Adventures of Zorro was banned after having been screened for a period of six weeks and one day"

The exact date of the Queensland Prohibition Order was 14th September 1974.

VHS and DVD releases

In the early 80s, K&C Video released an 89:25 (PAL) version of THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO on tape. It was issued again in the late 80s on the Xtasy label. Thanks to Stephen F. for the K&C cover scan.

THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ZORRO was finally passed uncut (102:31) in November 2004 with an R18+ (Sexual Violence, High Level Sex Scenes) rating. It was released to DVD in February 2005 by Siren Visual Entertainment. The only extra was a nearly 7m trailer, which contains more graphic sex than the film itself.

The Erotic Adventures of Zorro - K&C Video [au] VHS

The Erotic Diary of a Lumberjack

Directed by Jean-Marie Pallardy/ 1974 / France / IMDb

In November 1977, a 2523.00-meter (91:58) print of THE EROTIC DIARY OF A LUMBERJACK was censored by 105.70-meters (03.51) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove 'indecency'

Filmways Australasia was the applicant.

The Erotic Experiences of Frankenstein

Directed by Jess Franco / 1972 / France / IMDb

In 1980, Natan Scheinwald Productions removed 01:08 of 'excessive violence' from THE EROTIC EXPERIENCES OF FRANKENSTEIN to gain an R-rating. A theatrical release followed with a running time of 73m.

The Erotic Films of Peter De Rome

Directed by Peter De Rome / 1973 / USA / IMDb

In August 1992, Universal Entertainment had a 215m triple-bill VHS rated X (Contains sexually explicit material). As well as THE EROTIC FILMS OF PETER DE ROME, the tape also contained ON THE LOOK OUT and SHE-MALE SHOWGIRLS.

2008: Blocked from screening at MQFF

In March 2008, THE EROTIC FILMS OF PETER DE ROME was refused film festival exemption for screening at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

News from the Melbourne Queer Film Festival
March 2008
melbournequeerfilm.com.au

The films they didn't want you to see!

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival special presentation of The Erotic Films of Peter de Rome has been denied exemption from classification by the Office of Film & Literature Classification and is unable to be screened at this year's Festival. Instead the session will be replaced with the Australian premiere screening of Whirlwind, directed by Richard Le May.

Festival Director, Lisa Daniel says, ‘The MQFF is terribly disappointed not to be able to show Melbourne audiences the Peter De Rome shorts compilation. It provided a fascinating contrast with contemporary gay erotic cinema, and De Rome’s art-house influence was obvious and inspiring. It’s a shame a film festival which only screens such sessions to adults must submit to the censorship of Government’.

Melbourne Queer Film Festival
mqff.com.au

THE EROTIC FILMS OF PETER DE ROME
There are no sessions available for your selected film.

Dir: Peter De Rome, USA, 1969–1974, video, 95min

The session entitled The Erotic Films of Peter De Rome has been denied Classification Exemption by the Office of Film & Literature Classification Board, accordingly the MQFF is legally unable to screen the films.

Tickets for the Peter De Rome session can be used to see the replacement film Whirlwind, or a refund can be organised through the MQFF box office at ACMI Cinemas from March 6.

While access to pornography today is as easy as accessing a website, it hasn’t always been so. In earlier decades, film houses provided one of the only accessible forms of pornography in the moving image, and director Peter De Rome was a legendary pioneering figure in the industry in the 1960s and 70s. He’s perhaps best known for his full-length features Adam and Yves (1974) and The Destroying Angel (1976), but this rarely seen collection features eight short films shot between 1969 and 1974, and includes titles such as The Second Coming, Hot Pants and Double Exposure. De Rome’s shorts collection is a brilliant example of the intersection of artistry and eroticism in early gay pornography, and illustrates his interest in art-house films such as Jean Genet’s Un Chant D’Amour. By his own account, De Rome is just as interested in the full experience of intimacy (the desire, the chase, the passion), than just the sex act itself.

The MQFF is proud to present De Rome’s collection of shorts, and we thank Chicago’s Bijou Video for helping to make it happen.

MQFF films banned
mcv.e-p.net.au, March 5, 2008

Festival Director Lisa Daniel
“The decision was probably made on the basis on the erotic nature of the films; the OFLC have pretty stringent guidelines about what can be shown Ms Daniels later explained to MCV. “I have to say I haven’t got a problem with the OFLC overall; it’s to do with the structure of governing. It’s just a shame the government has to be involved in what is essentially an R-rated festival.”

A spokesperson from the OFLC told MCV she did not have specific information on why De Rome’s films had been denied exemption.

The censors attempt to set the record straight

Is it just us, or are the Classification Board just trying to make a very lame excuse with this following statement?

Classification Board Annual Report 2007-08
Other decisions
Exemptions to show unclassified films

It was reported in some media that the Director also refused to grant an exemption for The Films of Peter De Rome to be screened at The Melbourne Queer Film Festival. The Director did not refuse to grant an exemption for this film. The festival removed the film from its application on advice from the Department that previous versions had been classified RC and X18+, and as such, the film would be unlikely to be granted an exemption.

Erotic Love Games

Directed by Claude Pierson / 1971 / France / IMDb

In March 1974, a 2408.00-meter (87:26) print of EROTIC LOVE GAMES was banned because of 'indecency'. A 2013-meter (73:22) 'reconstructed version' lost a further 89.91-meter (03:16) of 'indecency' before being awarded an R-rating in June 1974.

In both cases, MGM/BEF Film Distributors were the applicant.