Sexploitation
Sex has always been one of the great topics for exploitation filmmakers to focus on, starting with ‘educational’ films and nudie cuties, before various United States Supreme Court rulings opened the floodgates for increasingly explicit films in the 1960s and early 1970s. Customers were usually men wearing raincoats in dirty grindhouse theatres until the late 1960s when audiences became more broad – and sexploiters even reached the drive-in. And then, suddenly, it was all over, as hardcore pornography took over.
Looking back, there are many cinematic nuggets in this sleazy sub-genre, especially when filmed in black and white, and set to a jazzy soundtrack. Roughies, which came along to add sadism and violence, are a sub-genre of their own.
Links take you to the IMDd. Circled titles: A Point Blank Films fav!
Abigail Lesley Is Back in Town (1975) 7/10
Abigail Lesley and her trusty vibrator has the whole town abuzz in this porny Joseph Sarno sexploiter that is as sexually liberated as its central character.
The Abnormal Female (1969) 3/10
Extremely kinky sexploiter that goes about as far as films could go at the time but ultra-cheap, without synched sound – just mind-numbing narration and bad music.
The Adult Version of Jekyll & Hyde (1972) 3/10
Fairly intolerable David F. Friedman sexploiter in which the doctor gets nude alongside the girls – and not in a good way; enough to leave Robert Louis Stevenson rolling in his grave.
All the Sins of Sodom (1968) 5/10
Sarno sexploiter about a sleazy photographer with a hairy back; good lighting, a little lezsploitation, and better than usual acting amid the sexual moaning.
Roberta Findlay bridges the gap between soft and hardcore with this grubby skin flick and adds her own hilariously out of place voiceover.
The Amazing Transplant (1970) 3/10
A movie with decor so ugly it distracts from the plot, which might be a good thing as it’s typical Doris Wishman madness about a penis transplant gone wrong.
Everyone is conspiring against a naïve boxer in yet another Harry Novak-Bethel Buckalew sexploiter; at least the men aren’t as ugly as usual.
Blazing Stewardesses (1975) 3/10
Mostly a throwback to B westerns, amid the T&A is old movie star antics, stock footage, and Yvonne DeCarlo singing (if not willing to take her top off...) – 95 minutes of your life you’ll never get back. aka The Jet Set
Blue Summer (1973) 3/10
Horny teens pack a van full of beer and endless sex scenes follow in typical 70s smut without much in the way of plot or characters. aka Love Truck
The Brick Dollhouse (1967) 3/10
Colourful and groovy but dull and repetitive sexploiter from David F. Friedman.
Candy Stripe Nurses (1974) 3/10
The drive-in circuit must have had an endless thirst for nurses as this is the fifth in New World’s nurse cycle, with ideas running very low by this point.
Sex in the car wash, dorm, locker room, at the mini-putt and even during a screening of I Drink Your Blood; fun while it’s on, much like a Russ Meyer romp.
Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1969) 5/10
Sex and violence in a desert town Russ Meyer-style, with Charles Napier unafraid to take his clothes off, alongside Uschi Digard and the other buxom cast members; fun, but not one of Meyer’s best. aka Russ Meyer’s Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
Poor Cindy must contend with her horny stepsister Donna while her drunken mother chews the scenery in typical drive-in sexploiter from Crown International, with downbeat ending.
Confessions of a Young American Housewife (1974) 7/10
An attractive but conservative housewife stays with her sexually open daughter – and soon jaws will start dropping in this Joseph Sarno classic that pleased the raincoat crowd.
De Sade (1969) 4/10
Roger Corman produced this biopic on a big budget with name actors but it’s a sexploitation film at heart – X-rated at the time but tame by today’s standards.
Chesty Morgan has impressive assets but acts like a catatonic zombie in Doris Wishman’s poorly made sleaze classic.
Deep Inside (1968) 4/10
Formerly lost Sarno sexploiter with typical black and white photography, bouncy jazz score, and pleasing Fire Island locales, but a little dull.
The Dirty Mind of Young Sally (1973) 5/10
One of Bethel Buckalew’s better sexploiters, this story of a dirty-talking pirate radio host is just a series of raunchy sex scenes but has a fun, voluptuous star (Colleen Brennan) in her first role.
Dirty O’Neil (1974) 5/10
A cop’s sex life in a small California town is interrupted by three hoodlums in AIP sexploiter with the fun interrupted by moments of nasty violence. aka The Love Life of a Cop; The Sensuous Cop
Dr. Minx (1975) 5/10
Russ Meyer starlet Edy Williams plays a voluptuous and slutty doctor in this rather funny if stupid drive-in sexploiter.
Chesty Morgan is back in dire sequel that will have you eyeing the exits.
The Erotic Adventures of Zorro (1972) 4/10
David F. Friedman retelling of the legend of Zorro with more comedy than usual – but very flaccid in the sex department. aka The Sexcapades of Don Diego
Female Animal (1970) 4/10
This tale of a feline-loving hooker was filmed in Puerto Rico by Jerry Gross who adds plenty of tawdry elements, such as orgies, lesbianism and a psychedelic freak out, but it’s quite a downbeat affair.
Flesh Gordon (1974) 5/10
Emperor Wang of the planet Porno turns his mighty sex ray toward Earth in slutty sexploiter with no pretensions whatsoever – just wall-to-wall smut and bad puns.
Fleshpot on 42nd Street (1972) 6/10
Andy Milligan’s best film has notable porn actors, cinéma vérité camerawork, self-referential moments, and characters living on the fringes of New York’s seedy underbelly. aka The Girls of 42nd Street
The Godson (1971) 4/10
Marko is an ambitious mobster turning the local brothel into a rousing success but with producer Harry Novak at the helm the plot is secondary to the never-ending sex scenes.
Just like Kenneth Anger’s book, this is a highly dubious account of Hollywood’s scandals, with regular bouts of nudity from decidedly 70s-looking actors, including the guy who plays Fatty Arbuckle.
How to Make a Doll (1968) 1/10
Herschell Gordon Lewis’ godawful attempt at a sex comedy has a plot similar to Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine but is even less funny.
How to Succeed with Sex (1970) 4/10
Surprisingly randy and witty sex comedy directed by Bert I. Gordon.
Follow-up to Deadly Weapons and Double Agent 73 without Chesty Morgan that is improved as a result, but that is coming from a very low bar.
Keyholes Are for Peeping (1972) 2/10
Doris Wishman’s awful attempt at comedy is just an excuse for clumsy sex scenes.
Laura’s Toys (1975) 6/10
Fairly typical non-penetrative Sarno sexploiter with decent performances – but a bit duller than the rest.
Misty (1976) 5/10
Joseph Sarno rarity from a period when he used adult stars in his softcore features; good performances for this type of thing, with lovely Long Island locations, but rather downbeat.
Mnasidika (1969) 1/10
Crappy arty effort from Michael and Roberta Findlay which mostly consists of lesbians taking off their tunics for some frolics in the fields.
The Naughty Stewardesses (1974) 4/10
Same formula as Roger Corman’s nurse sexploiters, this was strictly for the drive-in crowd, though it adds an extortion plot and features a strong soundtrack of original rock songs. aka Fresh Air
This had a solid director in Jonathan Kaplan and while it has dramatic moments, it’s just another sexploiter with a few transgressive and trippy moments.
The Notorious Cleopatra (1970) 2/10
A chore to sit through – unfunny romp with overlong sex scenes and unattractive actors. aka The Notorious Black Cleopatra
Nymphs (Anonymous) (1968) 3/10
A rent-a-stud agency services sexed-up women and the result is endless softcore scenarios which despite the wacky tone become dull.
One Shocking Moment (1965) 5/10
Cliff and Mindy move to LA and get into a kinky scene in well-made sexploiter with better characters and plot than usual.
Private Duty Nurses (1971) 4/10
This takes itself as seriously as the original, taking on drugs, racism, rape and murder, with regular doses of sex and nudity – for a not very entertaining whole.
The Ramrodder (1969) 4/10
David F. Friedman western sexploiter filmed at Spahn Ranch – mostly just a boobfest without much in the way of plot.
Red Roses of Passion (1966) 5/10
Occult trappings underpin Joseph Sarno’s characters as they shift from suburban normality to sexual deviance – but this feels like something of a relic nowadays.
Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1977) 3/10
The one where you get to see David Hasselhoff’s dick – this is mostly inane antics, food fights, and bad dancing. aka Caught with Their Pants Down
The Ribald Tales of Robin Hood (1969) 4/10
The erotic adventures of Robin Hood, his lusty men and bawdy wenches features bad costumes, fake beards, cheesy fights, and plenty of T&A that pleased drive-in crowds at the time. aka The Erotic Adventures of Robin Hood
Score (1973) 8/10
Funny, sexy, and beautifully shot in Yugoslavia, this outrageous bisexual outing is one of Radley Metzger’s best.
The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet (1969) 3/10
Playful Harry Novak-produced sexploiter with corny jokes amid the never-ending sex scenes.
Seeds of Sin (1968) 4/10
One of Andy Milligan’s more hateful films, this is an interesting mess of a film featuring loud and outlandish performances and randomly inserted sex scenes that are quite strong for their time. aka Seeds
Sin in the Suburbs (1964) 7/10
Move over Eyes Wide Shut, this Joseph Sarno sexploiter about the affairs of several unhappy suburban housewives is a little gem, and very risqué for its era.
The Sin of Adam and Eve (1969) 3/10
Eden looks like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but with a lot more nudity in this steamy bible lesson from Mexico, which got dubbed for curious US audiences.
Originally released in 3D, this needed some kind of gimmick as it’s bad even by sexploitation standards, but this did not stop it from becoming a massive hit.
Street of a Thousand Pleasures (1972) 3/10
If you like boobs, this movie is a paean to breasts of all shapes and sizes; if you like plot, characters or anything else, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
The Student Nurses (1970) 5/10
A huge hit that helped establish New World, this packs in as much nudity as possible, but also features a great rock score and touches on abortion, drugs and the revolution – and led to many sequels.
Swinging in suburbia is pretty square with Herschell Gordon Lewis whose idea of sleaze is fully clothed groping and histrionic performances set to a jazzy score.
Supervixens (1975) 6/10
A hot-blooded wife and a psychotic cop ignite a cross-country odyssey of sex and violence in Russ Meyer’s most insanely over-the-top skin flick filled with buxom babes and campy humour. aka Russ Meyer’s Supervixens
The Swap and How They Make It (1966) 6/10
Joseph Sarno sexploiter with his usual stark lighting, groovy score, and bored housewives, but exploring darker themes this time round.
The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974) 4/10
Further sexy antics of a cheerleading squad and half as entertaining as the original.
Prince protégé Vanity is frequently nude and faces off against an ape on a tropical island in unusual oddity that is much better than it sounds.
Tarz & Jane, Cheeta & Boy (1975) 6/10
Highly stupid, porny but hilarious rumble in the jungle. aka Tarz and Jane and Cheeta
Teenage Hitchhikers (1974) 4/10
Two teen girls go on a road trip and sleep with numerous ugly men in freewheeling softcore sex comedy that is better than most.
The Toy Box (1971) 5/10
Jaw-dropping sexploiter with a plot so bizarre it defies description which makes this more entertaining than others of its era; sex starlet Uschi Digard is a little lost in the insanity.
Toys Are Not for Children (1972) 5/10
A child-like, toy obsessed woman hangs out with her hooker friend while searching for her daddy in this sexploiter that seems to want to be a drama but just comes across as very weird.
Mildly entertaining drive-in flick with big hair, bad acting, and boobs; it hasn’t aged well.
Up! (1976) 5/10
Russ Meyer’s films were very cartoonish by this point, and this is 80 minutes of big boobs, bisexuality, lumberjacks, and Hitler spoofing; hard to believe it was penned by Roger Ebert. aka Russ Meyer’s Up!
Vixen! (1968) 6/10
A nympho wife needs non-stop loving in this excellent example of a Russ Meyer sexploiter filmed and edited in his frenetic style and oddly charming despite the title character’s overt racism. aka Russ Meyer’s Vixen!
Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures (1964) 4/10
Casting couches, jazz music, and black and white photography merge in early Sarno sexploiter without much to recommend it apart from the odd flash of T&A.
Three sexy nurses expose a drug ring in yet another entry in New World’s nurse cycle.