“Sex Madness Revealed” was a cool concept and fun for the most part, I felt this could have been the start of a cool film series. If you enjoy classic Hollywood films, including Poverty Row or exploitation films, definitely give “Sex Madness Revealed” a try!
© 2018 Tim Kirk. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Sex Madness Revealed
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2018 / Sex Madness (1938)
DURATION: 66 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p (1:78:1 Aspect Ratio), English 5.1 and 2.0, Subtitles: English SDH
COMPANY: Kino Classics
RATED: Not Rated
RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2018
Sex Madness Revealed:
Directed by Tim Kirk
Written by Patrick Cooper, Tim Kirk
Sex Madness:
Directed by Dwain Esper
Written by Joseph Seiden, Vincent Valentini
“Sex Madness Revealed” Starring:
Patton Oswalt as Jimmy Morris
Rob Zabrecky as Chester Holloway
Patrick Cooper as Gerry
“Sex Madness”
Vivian McGill as Millicent Hamilton
Rose Tapley as Mrs. Hamilton
Al Rigali as Mr. Hamilton
Mark Daniels as Wendel Hope
Linda Lee Hill as Sheila Wayne
Ruth Edell as Mrs. Fay
Charles Olcott as Paul Lorenz
Ed Redding as Dr. Hampton
Pat Lawrence as Tom Lorenz
Allen Tower as Dr. Harris
Richard Bengali as Mr. Maynard
William Blake as Dr. Grenoble
Frank Howsen as Dr. Bayard
Allan Lee as Mr. Winthrop
Jean Temple as Mrs. Winthrop
Albert Patterson as James Winthrop
Miriam Bilavsky as Jane
Natalie Donet as Peggy
Polly Bestor as Betty
Using as it foundation a low-budget sex hygiene picture from 1938 (Sex Madness, aka Human Wreckage), we listen in as Jimmy Morris (Oswalt), of the popular “Film Dick†podcast, hosts an irreverent conversation with the filmmaker’s grandson, the eerily emotionless Chester Holloway (Rob Zabrecky) while the film streams behind them. But as the on-screen plot unfolds, a much darker story unravels within the recording booth, about the sinister mastermind behind the film, and the unorthodox methods he employed.
In 1938, Dwain Esper was to direct a low-budget exploitation film titled “Sex Madness” to get a message out about the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis (a disease that there is no full cure for even today, but can be managed by medication).
Because the film was “educational”, the portrayals of wild sex parties, lesbian lifestyle and pre-marital sex was allowed to be bypassed by the Motion Picture Production Code of the 1930’s.
No doubt created to scare people from having casual sex due to the syphilis problem of that era, the film would showcase a young woman named Millicent Hamilton (portrayed by Vivian McGill) who came from a small town and would go to New York after winning a beauty contest.
We see a young couple, James and Jane who think about sex, office colleagues Peggy and Betty (Peggy who has taken a liking to her co-worker) and Tom Lorenz (portrayed by Pat Lawrence) who takes part in a group after sex party with some of the women who are part of a burlesque show. Not knowing that Sheila Wayne (portrayed by Linda Lee Hill) has syphilis.
But as for Millicent, she doesn’t take part in any of the sex parties because she is engaged to Wendel Hope (portrayed by Mark Daniels).
But which she is taken advantage via a “casting couch” sexual encounter, she gets syphilis.
How far will Maria go to get cured and will she ever have a “happy ever after” type of life once she gets back home to the small town?
In 2018, a film titled “Sex Madness Revealed” is a hilarious and fictional take of the film with an audio commentary by Film Dick website’s classic film enthusiast Jimmy Morris (voiced by Patton Oswalt) and Chester Holloway (voiced by Rob Zebrecky).
Holloway is the grandson of the director who tries to explain throughout the film that “Sex Madness” was created by a man who fell in love with its actress, used people with criminal backgrounds to become the cast and people who looked like similar well-known personalities that are part of “The Order”.
And that there was a dark reason why the film was created.
NOTE: Both films are included in “Sex Madness Revealed”.
VIDEO:
“Sex Madness Revealed” is presented in 1080p High Definition. For the most part, picture quality is very good on HD.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Sex Madness Revelaed” is presented in English 5.1 and 2.0. It’s a commentary track, so audio is crystal clear. The original film has some audio issues but for the most part, nothing to impede one’s watching of the film.
Subtitles are in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Sex Madness Revealed” comes with the following special features:
- Sex Madness – (59:25) The original film is included.
- Other Side with Zabrecky – (6:20) Robert Zabrecki with comedian Will Forte, trying to contract a spirit from the otherside.
- Teaser Trailer
- Trailer for Director’s Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein
For fans of classic Hollywood films, early exploitation films are quite fascinating to watch.
Some may find it comical to see how far Hollywood went to create films to bring attention to what many perceived as problems in that era, in hopes to sway the public from participating in things that were considered as taboo.
The films, which were often low-budget, were controversial because they would contain situations that wouldn’t usually pass the film code, but because they were considered “educational”, censors allowed the film to be released.
The 1936 film “Reefer Madness” was about high school students lured by drug pushers to try marijuana and the madness that ensues after they try it. “Child Bride” from 1943 took on child marriages (and was taboo for featuring a topless 12-year-old),  “Mom and Dad” is about a young woman who has sex with a pilot (who dies) and she is pregnant. She tries to get her mother to get “hygiene books” but is refused by her mother because she is unmarried. And the parents are blamed for not teaching their children about sex education.
And there is “Sex Madness”, a low-budget exploitation film about a pure young woman who goes to New York and the city is shown of young people who want to have sex, have sex parties and contract venereal diseases and spread it to other people.
Needless to say, it was considered as taboo at the time with casual sex, lesbianism and other sensationalism introduced in the film but because these are scenes that are meant to be “educational” and teach people that casual sex can lead to syphilis, the film was allowed to bypass any censorship.
While “Sex Madness” can be sees as comical today due to the low-budget and possibly one-take (which featured mistake in line delivery and even a window shutting by iteself), awful pacing and disjointed storyline, “Sex Madness Revealed” makes this film a bit more entertaining.
The 2018 fictional film features a voice over commentary by comedian Patton Oswalt as a film historian who runs a classic Hollywood website and for this special commentary, he features special guest Chester Holloway (portrayed by magician/actor Rob Zabrecky) who is the grandson of the filmmaker who created “Sex Madness”. And uncovered letters, documents with notes and photos from the making of the film to discuss the true story behind “Sex Madness”.
As for the Blu-ray release, I give kudos to Kino Lorber for including the original “Sex Madness” film as part of the special features. You also get a short six minute featurette of “The Otherside” with Robert Zabrecki and comedian Will Forte and two trailers.
Overall, I felt the film would have been even better if they continued the discussion of the film and ran with it. But there are moments where the character of Chester just keeps coughing uncontrollably throughout the film that it proved to be too distracting and as we approach the end, the commentary transitions to what was entertaining for most of the film to something ridiculous and dumb.
Unfortunately, the way they ended the film was unsatisfying, because I would have loved to see the character of Jimmy Morris to return and it would have been awesome to see commentary film series of these “Revealed” films, with even more exploitation films to have fun and poke around with.
I felt that Tim Kirk and Patrick Cooper were on to something cool with “Sex Madness Revealed” because the fictional commentary works! The overdone phlegm-driven coughs done over and over and the way it was ended did not work at all. But I did enjoy 80% of the audio commentary.
Overall, “Sex Madness Revealed” was a cool concept and fun for the most part, I felt this could have been the start of a cool film series. If you enjoy classic Hollywood films, including Poverty Row or exploitation films, definitely give “Sex Madness Revealed” a try!
