# Any decent sexploitation films?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 17, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343 "2010-01-17T19:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/1 "2010-01-17T19:16:00Z")

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I was just looking through comedies on Wikipedia, and somehow ended up browsing through to the entry on sexploitation films (yeah, I know…)

Does there happen to be any that are actually good in sense of story and pacing and so on? Ideally, lacking most 60s or 70s cheesiness (or exhibiting it in a particularly awesome way)?

I’ve heard of “Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS”, but I’m not sure if that’s famous due to quality and story value, or if the lead lady was just thought to be particularly hot.

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**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/2 "2010-01-17T19:28:02Z")

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[Just saw this “review” of “SS Girls”](http://thecinemasnob.com/2009/09/20/the-bruno-mattei-show-ep-1-ss-girls.aspx) and it looks completely bizarre, but with much better photography than I expected - not sure if you’d be able to find it anywhere, though.

Some of the early Pam Griers films are quite fun. [The Arena](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069729/) is a combo of “women in prison” and “gladiator” type movies and should be available on DVD.

Personally, I really like [Caligula](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080491/): well acted overall (look at the cast!) and lots of sex and violence and gorgeous production values. Just don’t expect anything too intelligent. 🙂

Some of the movies that have a reputation for being especially disgusting or gory tend to be mostly extremely boring. Like [cannibal holocaust](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078935/) (which really has nothing much going for it except the fantastic title).

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/3 "2010-01-17T19:56:05Z")

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The young Jonathan Demme’s [Caged Heat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caged_Heat) is probably at least a half notch better than your typical WIP flick. Please note that this is a _low_ standard. The lead is a truly awful actress.

[Big Bad Mama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Mama) is kinda fun in a trashy way if only to see a young Angie Dickinson, Tom Skerritt and William Shatner :eek: romping in bed ( not all at once ).

ETA: I’ll disagree strongly with _Caligula_ by the way. Not worth it IMHO.

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**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/4 "2010-01-17T20:18:40Z")

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> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> ETA: I’ll disagree strongly with _Caligula_ by the way. Not worth it IMHO.

Yeah, opinion seems to be very divided on that one.

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**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/5 "2010-01-17T20:20:52Z")

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_Flesh and Blood_ with Rutger Hauer is, I think, sort of a sexploitation film, sort of a dark comedy, and sort of a historical epic. But it’s a pretty entertaining movie, even if it is a rather bizarre mix of genres.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/6 "2010-01-17T21:55:54Z")

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Caligula defines decadence. Whenever people start nattering on about how the U.S. is so decadent that it is destroying itself I want to force them to sit down in front of Caligula and set the difference. It’s not good in many other ways, although some of the acting is first-rate.

At the total other end of the scale, _Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death_ is the world’s greatest b-movie, and probably Shannon Tweed’s best performance.

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**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/7 "2010-01-17T22:00:24Z")

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No.

Sexploitation movies are, by definition, indecent. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/8 "2010-01-17T22:05:10Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> At the total other end of the scale, _Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death_ is the world’s greatest b-movie, and probably Shannon Tweed’s best performance.

That’s actually far more of a satire-comedy than sexploitation (and as satires go, it’s infinitely more effective and entertaining than _Showgirls_, which I’d definitely classify as sexploitation, albeit of high technical quality).

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/9 "2010-01-17T22:07:10Z")

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> [@Argent\_Towers](#):
>
> _Flesh and Blood_ with Rutger Hauer is, I think, sort of a sexploitation film, sort of a dark comedy, and sort of a historical epic. But it’s a pretty entertaining movie, even if it is a rather bizarre mix of genres.

I remember seeing that on Drive-In Theater with Joe Bob Briggs! Plenty of flesh and blood, all right, in days of old - it was really pretty good, and realistic, I could totally believe grim situations like that were not uncommon. Not a comedy (though there were comical moments) or a bodice-ripper ( though there was ripping of bodices). The movie is titled Flesh + Blood, with a plus sign.

Mr. Sali is very fond of Flesh Gordon. There may be a sequel to it by now.

(OT, but he once wanted a Girls Gone Wild video to give to someone, so I had to order it over the phone with my credit card. For months after, some poor devil’s job was to call me up, trying to sell me other videos. “Hello, Ms. Sali. This is GGW video store, how are you enjoying your first GGW videotape?” Uh, not much, thanks, it makes me embarrassed to be female, and no, I don’t want any more.)

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**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/10 "2010-01-17T22:30:54Z")

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Ooh, I just remembered an interesting one:

_The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak_ - strange, strange movie with some awful acting but quite enjoyable.

> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> The movie follows a structure of capture and rescue or escape which complements the idea of the heroine imperiled or the damsel in distress:
> 
> ```
> * Introduction
> * Capture
> * Rescue
> * Quest
> * Capture
> * Escape
> * Resumption of quest
> * Capture
> * Rescue and escape
> * Conclusion
> 
> ```

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/11 "2010-01-17T23:31:33Z")

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How are you defining “sexploitation film”? By a broad definition, _American Pie_ could qualify; by a slightly narrower one, _Porky’s._ But is either the sort of thing you have in mind?

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**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/12 "2010-01-17T23:53:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> by **Sage Rat**
> 
> I’ve heard of “Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS”, but I’m not sure if that’s famous due to quality and story value, or if the lead lady was just thought to be particularly hot.

[Ilsa: She-Wolf of the SS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilsa,_She_Wolf_of_the_SS) is famous/notorious because it was loosely based on the real-life [Ilse Koch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilse_Koch), “The Witch of Buchenwald”.

> [@](#):
>
> by **salinqmind**
> 
> Mr. Sali is very fond of Flesh Gordon. There may be a sequel to it by now.

The sequel is called _Flesh Gordon 2: Flesh Meets the Cosmic Cheerleaders_. Slightly higher budget. Except for Emperor Wang, a completely different cast. Less sexual humor, mostly scatological humor. It has a couple of good jokes, but, on the whole, I prefer the original.

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**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/13 "2010-01-18T00:41:53Z")

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The University of Chicago is doing sexploitation film screenings; their list can be found [here](http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/dev/calendar/2010/winter/thursday2.shtml).

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**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/14 "2010-01-18T06:11:27Z")

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I was surprised as how good _Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay_ was.

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**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/15 "2010-01-18T06:49:30Z")

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Russ Meyer’s _Faster, Pussycat Kill! Kill!_ might be worth a look for you, although it definitely does NOT lack for '60s cheesiness but it has it (as you hope), in an awesome way. It has also down the years garnered some measure of critical respectability for its underlying humour, unsettling editing and ambivalent presentation of strong women.

Also, it has an awesome theme tune 🙂

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/16 "2010-01-18T15:50:49Z")

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Well we’ll see if any of these actually end up on the viewing table, but I’m getting a kick out of the titles and reading the user reviews on IMDB, if nothing else. 😃

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/17 "2010-01-18T16:53:52Z")

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> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#):
>
> Ooh, I just remembered an interesting one:
> 
> _The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak_ - strange, strange movie with some awful acting but quite enjoyable.

I admit it, I rented that movie just to see Tawny Kitaen naked. In the end I fast forwarded to the good parts.

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**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/18 "2010-01-18T21:03:37Z")

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[Pandora’s Box](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora%27s_Box_(film))

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**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/19 "2010-01-18T21:41:52Z")

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> [@Electric\_Warrior](#):
>
> The University of Chicago is doing sexploitation film screenings; their list can be found [here](http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/dev/calendar/2010/winter/thursday2.shtml).

From that list, the only one I’ve seen is the 1976 [Alice in Wonderland](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074113/). Pretty watchable, though the version I have seems to be an old VHS transfer. One of the better sexploitation/porno/musicals I know. 🙂

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**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-decent-sexploitation-films/525343/20 "2010-01-18T22:35:13Z")

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Pretty Maids all in a Row?

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