In my ceaseless quest for obscure cinematic oddities I stumbled onto this howlingly inept celluloid nutbar. I embarked on my viewing ODDyssey without the benefit of any prior info on the film. Naively, I'd hoped a film with the title Sex Freedom In Germany would include some discussion about the ground-breaking sex theories of German-born researcher Wilhelm Reich. Whoops! This flick doesn't even mention the great W.R., his theories of sex economy and orgonomy. Not a word. Nary a breathy whisper. Guess I'm forced to content myself with "Viva Little Man" or Dusan Makaveyev's masterpiece "WR: Mysteries Of The Organism" if I want to hear about Reich.
This movie is utter TRASH and that's its primary virtue. As trash, it totally rocks. As a freakshow, it has its moments. I've seen several Sex Report type flicks, and this is the best of its kind. HOWEVER...
Physically, film has aged very badly, obviously shot on the cheapest stock available. The color is washed out and faded. Plus this distinctly German flick was apparently dubbed into English in Liverpool. You'll shriek with hilarity and disbelief when the filmmakers interview a chubby-cheeked, greasy haired German lad, introduced to viewers as a male prostitute, who then proceeds to chatter about his exploits in not just a Scouse (Liverpudlian) accent, but in the Scouse slang of the Dingle. (Liverpool 8, always be great!) The camera-work is laughable as is the editing.
So much for the technical aspects. Now more on content. Spoilers galore.
The following must be emphasized so please take special note. IF you want to see a film that shows a so-called artist put on a public performance of an anti-Christian piece that climaxes in the graphic inept butchery of a live pig, and its blood and guts being spilled onto the supine naked bodies of young women, then rejoice because you have finally found the film of your dreams. If you do NOT wish to subject yourself to such inhumane obscenities, then either don't watch this film at all, or get up and head to the kitchen to fix yourself a healthy vegan snack the minute you hear people starting to sing "O Tannenbaum" and don't come back for about 5 minutes. Leave it to the Germans to show us a living being senselessly slaughtered in the name of entertainment, in a sex film no less. PETA, hunt down the makers of this film, and that butcher who dares call himself an artist! He's probably living in hiding in Argentina or something. Otto Muhl admits to being crazy, but I wouldn't let him off so lightly.
What other erotic delights do the Germans have for us? (Insert knowing wink and nudge, nudge, say no more, here.) How about the sex commune that looks like the Manson Family, with their stoned, noisy, messy, bestial orgies? Or the performance artists who play their eccentric, discordant brand of music wearing only badly applied body paint? They seem like nice people. Let's meet the leader of the German Sex Party! Look! It's Anton LaVey in a very bad wig, accompanied by his adorable secretary. A dark-haired beauty who is nude save for about ten pounds of makeup and some super-camp panties. Look at her, and laugh as she cynically rolls her eyes at her boss while he drones on about his position as leader of the German Sex Party. This riveting interview left me wondering, what is the official salute of the German Sex Party, anyway?
We also get to see a couple of young guys living out their dream as pornographers in Berlin. They invite acquaintances over, give them LSD and other drugs, then persuade them to perform pornographic improvisations for their cameras. Sound like fun? In your DREAMS! Remember, we are in Germany and it's 1970! Can they possibly make sex any LESS joyful, exciting and erotic?
This is as good a moment as any to mention the overweight stripper whose gimmick is auto-flagellation.
An apparent continuity device is offered by the touching saga of a young couple. He, a handsome young cardboard cutout type, and she - well, I thought she was strung out on heroin at first to be honest, but perhaps she was only posing and showing off her 'Master Race White' bleached blond hair. Because later we see her running around and playing in the streets with her boyfriend, as they pose as shining examples of healthy, carefree, happy German youth. Isn't it touching and tender? Doesn't a tear come to your eye as you watch them frolic like innocent children in the snow? Isn't it cute when she ducks behind a potted plant and her boyfriend plays the "Where did my girlfriend go?" game with her? Poignancy, romance, young love. The youth of Germany are the future. The weird yet pretentious future. (We are showroom dummies...)
There's more! How about a defrocked priest, forced to resign his post after being caught in a hotel room with a boy? His mission in life now consists of hanging around where the rough trade do their hustling (mostly in train stations), picking them up, bringing them back to his place, picking their brains, then telling them how disgusting HE thinks THEY are, by way of rehabilitation!
Have some earplugs handy to spare yourself the aural ordeal of the soundtrack by "progressive" rock band Apocalypse.
In conclusion: a minor entry in the mondo genre. There are moments you'll laugh out loud: indeed, this film does deliver more belly-laughs than the average contemporary Hollywood comedy. That admitted, as an artist and an animal lover I was more offended by the footage of the pig slaughtered in the name of "art" than anything else. On the grounds of the senseless bloodletting, I can't recommend this film as entertainment.
This movie is utter TRASH and that's its primary virtue. As trash, it totally rocks. As a freakshow, it has its moments. I've seen several Sex Report type flicks, and this is the best of its kind. HOWEVER...
Physically, film has aged very badly, obviously shot on the cheapest stock available. The color is washed out and faded. Plus this distinctly German flick was apparently dubbed into English in Liverpool. You'll shriek with hilarity and disbelief when the filmmakers interview a chubby-cheeked, greasy haired German lad, introduced to viewers as a male prostitute, who then proceeds to chatter about his exploits in not just a Scouse (Liverpudlian) accent, but in the Scouse slang of the Dingle. (Liverpool 8, always be great!) The camera-work is laughable as is the editing.
So much for the technical aspects. Now more on content. Spoilers galore.
The following must be emphasized so please take special note. IF you want to see a film that shows a so-called artist put on a public performance of an anti-Christian piece that climaxes in the graphic inept butchery of a live pig, and its blood and guts being spilled onto the supine naked bodies of young women, then rejoice because you have finally found the film of your dreams. If you do NOT wish to subject yourself to such inhumane obscenities, then either don't watch this film at all, or get up and head to the kitchen to fix yourself a healthy vegan snack the minute you hear people starting to sing "O Tannenbaum" and don't come back for about 5 minutes. Leave it to the Germans to show us a living being senselessly slaughtered in the name of entertainment, in a sex film no less. PETA, hunt down the makers of this film, and that butcher who dares call himself an artist! He's probably living in hiding in Argentina or something. Otto Muhl admits to being crazy, but I wouldn't let him off so lightly.
What other erotic delights do the Germans have for us? (Insert knowing wink and nudge, nudge, say no more, here.) How about the sex commune that looks like the Manson Family, with their stoned, noisy, messy, bestial orgies? Or the performance artists who play their eccentric, discordant brand of music wearing only badly applied body paint? They seem like nice people. Let's meet the leader of the German Sex Party! Look! It's Anton LaVey in a very bad wig, accompanied by his adorable secretary. A dark-haired beauty who is nude save for about ten pounds of makeup and some super-camp panties. Look at her, and laugh as she cynically rolls her eyes at her boss while he drones on about his position as leader of the German Sex Party. This riveting interview left me wondering, what is the official salute of the German Sex Party, anyway?
We also get to see a couple of young guys living out their dream as pornographers in Berlin. They invite acquaintances over, give them LSD and other drugs, then persuade them to perform pornographic improvisations for their cameras. Sound like fun? In your DREAMS! Remember, we are in Germany and it's 1970! Can they possibly make sex any LESS joyful, exciting and erotic?
This is as good a moment as any to mention the overweight stripper whose gimmick is auto-flagellation.
An apparent continuity device is offered by the touching saga of a young couple. He, a handsome young cardboard cutout type, and she - well, I thought she was strung out on heroin at first to be honest, but perhaps she was only posing and showing off her 'Master Race White' bleached blond hair. Because later we see her running around and playing in the streets with her boyfriend, as they pose as shining examples of healthy, carefree, happy German youth. Isn't it touching and tender? Doesn't a tear come to your eye as you watch them frolic like innocent children in the snow? Isn't it cute when she ducks behind a potted plant and her boyfriend plays the "Where did my girlfriend go?" game with her? Poignancy, romance, young love. The youth of Germany are the future. The weird yet pretentious future. (We are showroom dummies...)
There's more! How about a defrocked priest, forced to resign his post after being caught in a hotel room with a boy? His mission in life now consists of hanging around where the rough trade do their hustling (mostly in train stations), picking them up, bringing them back to his place, picking their brains, then telling them how disgusting HE thinks THEY are, by way of rehabilitation!
Have some earplugs handy to spare yourself the aural ordeal of the soundtrack by "progressive" rock band Apocalypse.
In conclusion: a minor entry in the mondo genre. There are moments you'll laugh out loud: indeed, this film does deliver more belly-laughs than the average contemporary Hollywood comedy. That admitted, as an artist and an animal lover I was more offended by the footage of the pig slaughtered in the name of "art" than anything else. On the grounds of the senseless bloodletting, I can't recommend this film as entertainment.
