Sexual Liberty Now! Review

Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome Edition Details: Standard Streaming Movie Specs: Genres: Classic, Feature Film, Documentary Run Time: 79 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1971 Director: Monroe Beehler (as M.C. Von Hellen) Written by: Monroe Beehler Cast: Margaret Sanin, Richard Scottar, Dan Bushnell, John Whitaker, Norma Penn, Robert Penn, Thomas J. Dodd (as Senator Dodd), William Lockhart, Morton Hill (as Fr. Morton Hill), Charles Keating, Judy Angel, Buddy Boone, Justine D'Ore, Sandy Dempsey, Suzanne Fields, John Holmes, Bodil Joensen, Lyndon Johnson, Jack King, Margie Lanier, Devon Mayer, Jim Mayer, George Peters, Starlyn Simone, Patti Snyder, Nora Wieternik, Peggy Blowhim, Dick Suckher, Lappy, Willie Spurrt, Gusha Seamen, Ima Hoer, Eileen Back, John Henry Bent Voices: Ron Gans (as Ronald Gans), John Dullaghan Release Specs: Audio: English Mono Subtitles: none Video: Full Frame, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: Streaming Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): N/A Number of discs: N/A

Sexual Liberty Now! is a pseudo-documentary from director Monroe Beehler (not John Lamb, the producer, who is often thought to be the director of the film). Monroe Beehler uses the backdrop of the release of President Lyndon Johnson's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography that was started back in October of 1967.

Sexual Liberty Now! does contain archival clips from the release of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography and what was going on in America at the time in the world of adult film. However, it is clear rather quickly that the primary purpose of Sexual Liberty Now! isn't to inform the viewer about the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography's report nor to inform the viewer of the effects of pornography on the viewer. The primary purpose of Sexual Liberty Now! is to display pornography to the viewer.

Monroe Beehler has done a nice job of stitching together Sexual Liberty Now! The late Ron Gans serves as the narrator for the film. Monroe Beehler uses archival material, along with made up “man on the street” segments, filmed for the film segments, and clips from existing adult films (such as John Lamb's 1971 Sam Dobbs), existing short films (such as Coni Beeson's 1970 Upfolding and 1924's The Casting Couch), and adult loops (such as Party's “Hairdresser” [number 4] and Intercourse Film Productions “Dr. Hardon's Injections”). The resulting film feels like a real documentary.

Monroe Beehler manages to fill up quite a bit of the runtime using segments from old smokers from the 1920s through the 1950s and a series of old adult cartoons with narration that talks up the value of adult films while putting down those who are against them.

Sexual Liberty Now! is very favorable toward pornography and the information given out in the film is suspect since the purpose of the film was to show pornography in theaters under the guise of education. While Sexual Liberty Now! manages to document quite a few smoker era films, none of them are presented in their complete form. None of the sex scenes in the movie feel complete. The only real reason to watch Sexual Liberty Now! is as just pure entertainment.

Not all of Sexual Liberty Now! is recycled footage. Not only did Monroe Beehler create “man on the street” footage just for this film, but there are also sexual segments that were created just for Sexual Liberty Now!

Oddly, the almost last half hour of the film seems like a short film that Monroe Beehler made and tacked onto Sexual Liberty Now! to pad the run time of the film. This segment isn't at all bad and might be the best part of Sexual Liberty Now!, it just doesn't fit in with the rest of the film. The piece, in this reviewers opinion, would have been better as an accompanying short to go with Sexual Liberty Now! and not as an actual part of the film.

Honestly, the film does work as just entertainment. Between the absurdity of some of the narration, some of the claimed facts within the film, and the examples that Monroe Beehler sometimes chooses to use in the movie, Sexual Liberty Now! can be quite amusing. Viewers shouldn't watch this film as erotic entertainment though.

The edition of Sexual Liberty Now! screened is the streaming-only edition on Exploitation.TV. Vinegar Syndrome has done a nice job with their streaming-only edition of Sexual Liberty Now! Sexual Liberty Now! was shot on film and it looks like Vinegar Syndrome used the camera negative for this release. Sexual Liberty Now! is presented in the Academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1 pillarboxed to the anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The image for Sexual Liberty Now! is beautiful with rare artifacts and occasional print damage. The colors in the film look great. The archival material within the film varies in quality, which is to be expected especially since some of the footage was pushing 50 years at the time the film was originally released.

The available audio for Sexual Liberty Now! is a monaural English track. There are crackles throughout the film present on the audio track. No other defects were noted in the audio presentation, and the dialog in the film is clear and easy to understand at all times.

Vinegar Syndrome hasn't included any extras for their streaming-only edition of Sexual Liberty Now!

Sexual Liberty Now! is a pseudo-documentary that uses the backdrop of President Lyndon Johnson's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography report as an educational stand to present pornography on the big screen at a time when pornography had to have educational value to avoid prosecution. As an actual documentary on the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography report, filmed pornography, and sexual practice in America Sexual Liberty Now! is an utter failure filled with a lot of suspect information. As entertainment, Sexual Liberty Now! makes for fun viewing. Intentionally, or not, Sexual Liberty Now! has amusingly absurd moments that allow the antiquated film a new life. Vinegar Syndrome has done a nice job with their streaming-only edition on Exploitation.TV with good video and audio quality.

Past Reviews Interviews