The adult movies of Anthony Spinelli that have been cut or banned in Australia. He directed some of these under the names Sybil Kidd, Leonard Burke and R. Levi Salonen.
The X-rating, for hardcore sex, was introduced in February 1984.
Journal of Love
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1971 / USA / IMDb
In March 1981, a 638.50-meter (58:11) 16mm print of JOURNAL OF LOVE was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
A 581.41-meter (52:59) ‘reconstructed version’ was passed with an R-rating in June 1981. The sex was now described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
In both cases, 14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Banned in Queensland
On 10 March 1982, the censored R-rated version of JOURNAL OF LOVE was prohibited by the Queensland Films Board of Review.
The distributor was 14th Mandolin.
Review
Mike reports
Something Weird Video (us) – VHS – 72:09
Lorna (Rene Bond) and Dave (Keith Erickson) are a couple who have been married for seven years and are finding their sex life is becoming dull. They go to a psychologist (who we only hear in voice-over) who tells them that new research by the ‘Marriage Institute’ has shown that to revitalise their relationship they should spend their eighth year of marriage living and having sex with another couple. They decide to give it a go by spending a weekend away with Cora (Andy Bellamy) and Jack (Rick Lutze). All four prove to be compatible and they decide to make a year of it.
The information in the IMDb is misleading, in that it is claimed to be hardcore and to have a running time of 72 minutes. This is what I watched, and the occasional erection aside, it was purely softcore and should not have posed major problems for the Film Censorship Board in 1981. There would certainly have been no reason for 14th Mandolin to precut it by 14 minutes and for the Board to demand a further 6 minutes of cuts.
However, US newspaper ads show evidence of a version of JOURNAL OF LOVE which ran at most 60 minutes, and which played on double bills with hardcore films. So it seems fair to assume that there was a hardcore variant and that was what 14th Mandolin submitted, and which the Board only approved after major cuts. It seems to be one of the fairly rare occasions where the hardcore version of a film is shorter than the softcore one.
It seems likely that 14th Mandolin referred to their second submission as a ‘reconstructed version’ because making it acceptable to the Board would have involved more than simply cutting material. In the softcore version, the psychologist gives his speech about the benefits of wife swapping while sex is taking place on the screen. If the hardcore version was similar, then cutting may have involved removing the visuals but keeping the voice-over without which the plot doesn’t make sense.
Sex Mystic
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1973 / USA / IMDb
In March 1982, a 625.29-meter (56:59) 16mm print of SEX MYSTIC was censored by 20.50-meters (01:52) for an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In the censored R-rated version it was:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Alpha Blue Archives (us) – DVD as SIN MYSTIC – 53:31
Millie (Nina Fause) and her husband are having problems with their sex life. They visit a new age guru, Rava (James Mathers), to seek advice. Another couple do the same and the guru sleeps with the wives thus solving everyone’s marital difficulties.
The extant version of this film is a softcore edit which includes frequent jump cuts, suggesting that hardcore was present initially. It’s not clear which version was submitted by 14th Mandolin, and since their version was 3-4 minutes longer than the one I viewed it’s hard to be sure about the nature of the cuts.
However, one problematic scene in the softcore version appears at the start when Millie’s husband wakes her up and demands oral sex. She is very reluctant and only does so when he tells her that it’s her duty as a wife. At the conclusion of the scene, in which any sex is hidden by her hair, we see her coughing and choking while he laughs at her discomfort. It’s likely that some variant of this scene would have been needed in any version as it establishes their marriage is on the rocks, which encourages them to visit the guru.
Teenage Swingers
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1973 / USA / IMDb
In December 1981, a 603.46-meter (54:59) 16mm ‘pre-censor cut version’ of TEENAGE SWINGERS was censored by a further 6.00-meters (00:33) before being awarded an R-rating.
The cuts were made to remove sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
While in the censored R-rated version, it was reduced to being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
14th Mandolin was the applicant.
This played at Melbourne’s Club Cinema in December 1981.
The following month, the same print was passed with the same cuts and for the same reasons. GL. Film Enterprises was now the applicant.
In February 1982, it was back before the Censorship Board for the third time in as many months. This time, the 657.50-meter (59:55) 16mm ‘soft version’ was banned.
The reason given was sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Landmark Films was the applicant.
In June 1982, they resubmitted it in a 592.38 (53:59) 16mm ‘reconstructed soft version’. This was passed with an R-rating, but only after a further 14-meters (01:17) were removed.
The cuts were made to remove sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
While in the censored R-rated version, it was reduced to being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
It is unclear why 14th Mandolin, GL Film Enterprises and Landmark Films all submitted the same title over three months.
Easy
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1978 / USA / IMDb
In November 1981, a 76-minute tape of EASY was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Videolink was the applicant. This may have been an import of the UK pre-cert released by Cal Vista.
Pre-X video
Tabu Video released EASY on tape around 1983.
The cover claims that it ran 90-minutes and notes it was X-rated. This is incorrect, as this classification was not available until February 1984.
Censored R-rated tapes
In November 1986, a 68-minute video of EASY, described as an ‘edited version’, was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Supreme Entertainment was the applicant.
EASY was reportedly released again in the late 1980s, this time on Koala Marketing’s Xtasy label.
Genuine X-rated VHS
A 69-minute video of EASY was passed with an X (Contains sexually explicit material) rating in December 1990. The running time is shorter than the uncut version which may indicate some pre-censorship.
Capital Duplicators was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
VCX (us) – DVD – 82:00
Kate (Jessie St. James) is a school teacher who has never had much luck in love. After being forced to have sex by two of her pupils she goes on a voyage of libidinous self-discovery, which mainly involves sleeping with each of the other cast members.
EASY is a hardcore film, which would have required 6-7 minutes of cuts to remove the real sex. However, that wouldn’t have been nearly enough as the sex would have been much too strong in general and several sex scenes are non-consensual.
1. Jock (Dan Howard) is one of Kate’s students who sees her for some extra help after class. When she points out that he is on course to fail he blames her for being so sexy that he can’t concentrate on his studies. He then forces her to give him oral sex.
2. An ex-student (Richard Pacheco) is a friend of Jock’s and he hears that Kate is not averse to having sex with pupils. He breaks into her house while she is out for a run and forces her to have sex with him by threatening her with a knife. This turns into a consensual sex scene eventually.
3. Janet (Georgina Spelvin) calls at Kate’s home on the pretext of paying a friendly neighbourly visit, but almost immediately blames her for stealing her husband. She physically assaults her, drags her into the bedroom by her hair and sexually assaults her. After a few minutes, Kate begins to enjoy the experience.
These non-consensual scenes last for 16-17 minutes, and were likely among the cut material in the R and X-rated releases of 1986 and 1990. In 1981, it is likely that even the consensual sex scenes would have been far too strong. These include Kate being fingered very enthusiastically under the table by a complete stranger at a dinner party and agreeing to the request of a blind pianist to anally penetrate him with her finger. Kate features in every sex scene in EASY and her presence alone raises the explicitness of the lovemaking as she screams and groans with pleasure throughout every scene and uses extremely graphic language at times.
The First Time
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1978 / USA / IMDb
In September 1981, 14th Mandolin had a 1681.30-meter (61:17) ‘pre-censor cut version’ of THE FIRST TIME banned.
It was Refused Registration because of:
Sex
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Language
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Other: Drug Abuse
In December 1981, a 1673.23-meter (60:59) ‘reconstructed pre-censor cut version’ lost a further 50.40-meters (01:50) before being awarded an R-rating. The cuts were made to remove sex, which was described as being:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The R-rating was awarded for sex, which was now found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Other: Sexual violence
14th Mandolin released this tape on their King of Video label.
Dawn of the X-rating
In February 1984, a 73-minute tape of THE FIRST TIME was passed with an X-rating. This version was presumably uncut.
It was awarded for sex, which was now described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The X-rating was introduced in February 1984, making THE FIRST TIME one of the earliest titles to receive the new classification.
Luhaze was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – DVD – 71:31
Sue (Mimi Morgan) is in an unhappy relationship with Jan (Joey Silvera) and frustrated by his unwillingness to get a job she decides to try her hand at being a porn actress. While on the set of her first adult movie, which is being shot in a grand country house, she meets the rich owner Jack (Jake Matera) who seduces her and invites her to a swingers’ orgy. Eventually she has to choose whether to start a new relationship with Jack or stay with Jan and hope he starts to pay his way.
It’s likely that 14th Mandolin precut the hardcore before their initial submission of THE FIRST TIME (1978). The extra 02:08 of cuts, before it received the R-rating, were probably to these scenes.
1. Sue and Jan are arguing about how they will pay their bills and at one point Jan throws Sue to the bed, unbuttons her top and then pretends to strangle her. This doesn’t last long and they subsequently have consensual sex.
2. Both Sue and Jan attend the orgy at Jack’s mansion. After testing her sexual limits by having sex with complete strangers, Sue is persuaded to whip a woman quite forcefully for over a minute until red marks appearing on her buttocks.
3. Sue decides to move in with Jack but first has to go back home to collect her belongings. When she arrives home, Jan is having sex with another woman and begs her not to leave him. When persuasion doesn’t work he and the other women bind Sue’s arms and injects her with a very large syringe. It is never explained what it contains but it seems to be some kind of aphrodisiac. This scene explains the Board’s reference to ‘drug abuse’.
The high intensity language referred to by the Board likely occurs in a scene when Sue is having sex with Jack for the first time and tells him to ‘eat my pussy’ several times. This may not sound too bad but it’s the strongest language in the film.
Sex World
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1978 / USA / IMDb
In June 1978, a 2410.80-meter (87:52) print of SEX WORLD was banned because of ‘indecency’. Presumably, this was a pre-censored version.
A 2299.21-meter (83:48) ‘reconstructed version’ lost a further 14.50-meter (00:23) before being awarded an R-rating in April 1980. The cuts were made to reduce sex, which was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The sex in the R-rated print was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
This version was released theatrically. In both cases, Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
Mature Video Movies label
In the early 1980s, an uncut version of SEX WORLD was released in Australia on the Mature Video Movies label. This tape was never classified as it was issued before the X-rating was introduced.
AussieRoadshow reports.
There were heaps of releases on the MVM label aside from SEX WORLD and I only own eight of them. THE ANALYST (1975), FANTASY (1979) BALLING FOR DOLLARS (1980), CHINA DE SADE (1977), THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES (1973), LITTLE GIRLS BLUE (1978), and STAR VIRGIN (1979) Most are boots of VCX titles and include the opening logo of that as well as some trailers. All looks uncut to me.
More Pre-X tapes
Another release of SEX WORLD came from VDS Home Video.
This label appears to be similar to Mature Video Movies (MVM).
It was also issued on the Select Video label.
Blake Films multiple submissions
In May 1982, a 77-minute tape of SEX WORLD was passed with an R-rating. It was awarded for sex and violence, which were described as being:
Sex
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Violence
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
This tape was released by Roadshow Home Video.
At the same time, an 89-minute tape was banned because the sex was found to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
In both cases, Blake Films were the applicant.
February 1984 again saw a 77-minute tape passed with an R-rating. This time there was no mention of violence, while the sex was still found to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Again, the applicant was Blake Films. This was presumably a review of the original Roadshow Home Video tape.
Review
Mike reports
Vinegar Syndrome (us) – Blu-ray – 90:33
Sex World is an adults-only resort where visitors can stay for three days and three nights to explore their sexual fantasies. There is even a group of scientists in residence with the very best of 1970s computer technology to ensure that no sexual dreams go unrealised. They are not there to judge – any fantasy can be accommodated.
SEX WORLD is one of the most ambitious porn films of the 1970s and it has such a large cast of sex performers that they can’t all be included in the adult scenes and some have to play non-sex roles. Most of the fantasies are fairly mundane and the hardcore only runs to around three minutes. This explains why the first 1978 submission by Regent Trading Enterprises had to be only very slightly precut to remove the real sex.
The Film Censorship Board had problems with that version and further cuts of 04:27 were required before an R-rating was awarded. All of these cuts will have been made to the scene in which Millicent (Kay Parker) tells the lead scientist that her ultimate fantasy is to be sexually assaulted by a man with ‘big balls’ who won’t take no for an answer. Phil (Joey Silvera) turns up to make this a reality. He slaps her repeatedly, throws her on the bed and rapes her, occasionally pretending to bite her at her request. She says no repeatedly and even tells us about another time she was raped and enjoyed.
Talk Dirty To Me
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1980 / USA / IMDb
In September 1981, a 1687.80-meter (61:31) print of TALK DIRTY TO ME was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The running time indicates that this was a precensored version.
In April 1982, a 1596.00-meter (58:10) ‘reconstructed version’ lost a further 7.80-meter (00:17) before being awarded an R-rating. It was again awarded for sex, which was now said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
The extra cuts were made for the same reason as the initial refusal.
In all cases, Regent Trading Enterprises was the applicant.
X & R classifications
In February 1984, the X-rating was introduced in Australia. This allowed hardcore adult sex films to be released. That month saw a 62-minute video of TALK DIRTY TO ME passed with the new classification.
W.B. and J.E. Wathen was the applicant.
It was again passed with an X-rating in October 1984. The sex was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
The 60-minute tape was submitted by J.Skipper.
Both of these running times are shorter than the uncut version, but would still appear to contain hardcore sex.
Movies at Midnight
In December 1984, a 57-minute tape was passed with an R-rating. The sex was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
This was submitted by Video Classics, who released it as part of their Movies at Midnight range of adult titles.
1990s X-rated VHS
The most recent classification was made in July 1997, when The AXIS Group received an X (Contains sexually explicit material) rating for an 81-minute tape.
The longer running time confirms that all previous versions were cut in some way.
Vista Valley PTA
Directed by Anthony Spinelli / 1981 / USA / IMDb
In November 1981, a 78-minute tape of VISTA VALLEY PTA was banned because of sex, which was said to be:
Frequency: Infrequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous
Videolink was the applicant. This may have been an import of the UK pre-cert released by Cal Vista. The running time indicates that this was a precensored version.
Hardcore before the X-rating
Tabu Video released VISTA VALLEY PTA on tape. The cover claims that it ran 90-minutes, and was X-rated. This is incorrect as it was issued around 1983, which was before the introduction of that classification.
A softcore version may also have been released, as there is a cover that features an R-rating.
R-rated sex
In November 1986, a 73-minute ‘edited version’ tape was passed with an R-rating. The sex was said to be:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Video Excellence was the applicant.
Review
Mike reports
VCX (us) – 2009 DVD – 84:54
One of the more ambitiously plotted and better acted adult films of the era, this one tells the story of Miss Martin (Jesse St James), the new teacher in town, who tries to restore discipline in a dysfunctional high school where the last two teachers have resigned after being raped. She tries to get their parents’ support but it turns out their behaviour leaves a great deal to be desired too.
The initial 78-minute submission of 1981, which was banned, was clearly a softcore version. So why was it precut by a further five minutes before being passed on video in 1986? The most likely reason is a dream sequence taking place in the mind of Polly’s father (Jamie Gillis). He is one of the parents and has a rather warped sexual morality. We see him early on visiting a prostitute for sex and then trying to physically attack her for being sinful. The dream sequence sees him raping Polly (played by a 25 year old Sharon Kane) to teach her a lesson for being promiscuous. She turns out to enjoy the experience. A softcore edit of this scene would last approximately five minutes.