Slappy and the Stinkers

V-003547 G US 1997 Kellman, Barnet children’s movie
Slappy and the Stinkers / Slappy - vallaton veijari. © TriStar Pictures. P: Sid Sheinberg, Bill Sheinberg, Jon Sheinberg. D: Barnet Kellman. CAST: B.D. Wong, Bronson Pinchot, Jennifer Coolidge. 78’. MPAA 34803. Rated PG. DIST: Egmont Finland. VHS PAL viewed in Helsinki, VET, Friday 17 April 1998. * Five 10 year old children who are called the Stinkers decide to free from the aquarium a sea lion called Slappy. The film should be banned from those over 12.

Porn video watch, 16 April 1998

Dirty Diana – Die fette Herrin (DE 1996). PC: Oftly Goldwin.

Police investigation, Finnish Board of Film Classification, 16 April 1998.
Dirty Diana – White Room Bizarre / DE 199- / R-003899 / Oftly Goldwin / 73’ / porn / 18
Dirty Diana – Die blaue Herrin / DE 199- / R-003900 / Oftly Goldwin / 77’ / porn / 18
Dirty Diana – Domina-Spiele / DE 199- / R-003901 / Oftly Goldwin / 89’ / porn / 18
Dirty Diana – Altensex Bizarre / DE 199- / R-003902 / Oftly Goldwin / 72’ / porn / 18
Dirty Diana – Nina die Sklavin / DE 199- / R-003903 / Oftly Goldwin / 84’ / porn / 18
Dirty Diana – Die fette Herrin / DE 1996 / R-003904 / Oftly Goldwin / 77’ / porn / 18
Gierig nach Sperma / DE 199- / R-003905 / Oftly Goldwin / 86’ / porn / 18
Orgasmus Power / DE 199- / R-003906 / Oftly Goldwin / 82’ / porn / 18
All That Sex / DE 199- / R-003907 / Oftly Goldwin / 90’ / porn / 18
Dark Angel / DE 199- / R-003908 / Oftly Goldwin / 85’ / porn / 18
Gummi Spezial / DE 199- / R-003909 / Oftly Goldwin / 86’ / porn / 18
Gummi Domina / DE 199- / R-003910 / Oftly Goldwin / 86’ / porn / 18
Flutsch – Schwanger! / DE 199- / R-003911 / Oftly Goldwin / 81’ / porn / 18
Flutsch – Fett und geil / DE 199- / R-003912 / Oftly Goldwin / 70’ / porn / 18
Flutsch – Noch fetter, noch geiler / DE 199- / R-003913 / Oftly Goldwin / 75’ / porn / 18

The Edge

100695 / 16 / US / 1997 / Tamahori, Lee / / adventure / thriller
Edge, The / Reunalla. © 20th Century Fox. P: Art Linson. D: Lee Tamahori. SC: David Mamet. DP: Donald M. McAlpine. CAST: Anthony Hopkins (Charles Morse), Alec Baldwin (Robert Green), Elle Macpherson (Mickey Morse), L.Q. Jones (Styles), Bart the Bear. Shot on location in Alberta, Canada. 117’. Scope. MPAA 35275. R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 16 April 1998. *** ”Why is the rabbit not afraid? Because he’s smarter than the jaguar.” A good survival thriller about three men stranded in deepest Alaska forest after a plain crash. Anthony Hopkins is the millionaire who can never know whether others really like him and has had to learn to trust only his own resources. A bookworm, he learns to master the skills needed in the wilderness with no fire, no food, no shelter, and no weapons against the man-eating kodiak bear. Hopkins even learns to create fire with ice. - Visually majestic, with no razzle-dazzle. This is good solid story-telling, and it’s not even story-driven but character-driven.

Porn video watch, 15 April 1998

Stiff Competition (US 1985), PC: Caballero, D: Paul Vatelli, C: Belladonna, Bridgette Monet, Cindee Summers, Craig Roberts, Danielle, David Cannon, Gina Carrera, Greg Rome, Herschel Savage, John Leslie, Kelli Richards, Kevin James, Kitten Natividad, Kristara Barrington, Lisa Lake, Misty Regan, Nick Random, Patty Plenty, Paul Thomas, Paul Vatelli, Peter North, Ron Jeremy, Shone Taylor, Steve Drake, Susan Hart, Tom Byron.

Finnish Board of Film Classification : Police investigation, 15 April 1998
Teeners From Holland 4 / NL 1995 / R-003876 / Seventeen / Videorama / 92’ / porn / banned: models under 18
Lesbian Teens 2 / NL 1997 / R-003877 / Seventeen / Videorama / 88’ / lesbian porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 4 – The Window Cleaner / NL 1990 / Dusedo / GERO / 53’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 7 – Weird Lovers / NL 1990 / Dusedo / GERO / 58’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 8 – Summer Dreams / NL 1991 / Dusedo / GERO / 54’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 12 – The Five Fun Boys / NL 1992 / Dusedo / GERO / 58’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 21 – Cupido / NL 1993 / Dusedo / GERO / 61’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 22 – Die Aufnahmeprüfung / NL 199- / GERO / 58’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 23 – Knaben im Brautzimmer / NL 199- / GERO / 54’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 27 – Party-Knaben / NL 199- / GERO / 54’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 32 – Fitness Fans / NL 199- / GERO / 59’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 36 – Sonne, Suff und Super-Sex / NL 199- / GERO / 59’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Holland Boys 38 – Sahne-Schwänze / NL 199- / GERO / 54’ / gay porn / banned: models under 18
Stiff Competition / US 1985 / R-003172 / Caballero / Max’s / 91’ / porn / 18
Stiff Competition 2 / US 1994 / R-003320 / Caballero / Max’s / 87’ / porn / 18
Kändisporr / SE 199- / R-003889 / Max’s / 130’ / porn / banned: Traci Lords under 18
Caged Fury / Kvinnor i bojor / US 1993 / R-003411 / Dreamland / Max’s / 83’ / porn / 18

Blues Brothers 2000

100694 / / US / 1998 / Landis, John / / music / comedy
Blues Brothers 2000 / Blues Brothers 2000. © Universal. D: John Landis. SC: Dan Aykroyd, John Landis. DP: David Herrington. CAST: Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues), John Goodman (Mighty Mack McTeer), Joe Morton (Cabel Chamberlain), J. Evan Bonifant (Buster), Aretha Franklin, James Brown, B.B. King + an all star R&B cast. 123’. 1,85. MPAA 35812. PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 15 April 1998. *** Sequel to Blues Brothers (1980). Elwood Blues is released from prison and at once he’s at it again, creating a band and raising hell. The music is even better this time, and the viewer who’s expecting strong R&B performances will be rewarded. The comedy is the weaker element. A big budget is no guarantee of big laughs. Here’s another soundtrack that I’d love to hear again: a great mix of standards and lesser-known but equally thrilling tracks.

Novia que te vea (1)

/ / MX / 1993 / Schyfter, Guita / / drama
Novia que te vea / Like A Bride. PC: Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografia. D: Guita Schyfter. SC: Hugo Hiriant - based on the novel by Rosa Nissan. CAST: Claudette Maille (Oshinica Mataraso), Angélica Aragón (Sara), Maya Mishalska (Rifke Groman), Ernesto Laguardia (Saavedra). 115’. 1,85. Print with English subtitles viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 15 April 1998. - I caught the first 30 minutes of the film which is apparently essential for anyone interested in the Jewish experience. It seems to be the history of the Jewish community of Mexico as seen through the perspective of two women, Oshinica and Rifke. It is about the encounter of the Sephardi and the Ashkenazi in Mexico. I hope to catch the rest of the film later.

The Real Thing

V-003536 / 16 / US / 1996 / Merendino, James / crime
Real Thing, The / Pettämätön suunnitelma. © LACLP. D: James Merendino. CAST: James Russo, Emily Lloyd, Jeremy Piven. 86’ PAL. DIST: Egmont Finland. VHS pan/scan version projected in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 14 April 1998. * Gratuitous violence in big heist crime action pic. Walk-through appearances by Rod Steiger and Gary Busey.

Porn video watch, 14 April 1998

Police investigation 14 April 1998
Excuse Me… 1 / NL 199- / R-003860 / Seventeen / Sandbergs / 178’ / pornography / banned: models under 18
Sister Dearest / US 1984 / R-003178 / Four Rivers / Max’s / 78’ / pornography / banned: Traci Lords under 18
Teenysaftsplalten / DE 1996 / R-003861 / MTC / Magma / 98’ / pornography / 18
Doppel-Schnecken / DE 199- / R-003862 / SVK / Scala BV / 86’ / pornography / 18
Teenage Sex Shots 3 / NL 1997 / R-003863 / Seventeen / Scala BV / 87’ / pornography / banned: models under 18
ABC / SE 199- / R-003864 / Scanvip / Max’s / 89’ / pornography / banned: models under 18
Buttman’s European Vacation 3 / US 1995 / R-003865 / Evil Angel / Max’s / 140’ / pornography / 18
Erotic Dream of Aladdin X / IT 199- / R-003453 / Golden Hawk / Max’s / 84’ / pornography / 18
Teenies allein zu Haus / DE 199- / R-003866 / Magma / Max’s / 91’ / pornography / 18
Stacked With Honors / US 1993 / R-003403 / Dreamland / Max’s / 77’ / pornography / 18

Quartet

090207 / 16 / GB / 1981 / Ivory, James / / drama
Quartet / Neljä kohtaloa / Kvartetti (TV3). © National Film Trustee. P: Ismail Merchant. D: James Ivory. SC: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - based on the novel by Jean Rhys. DP: Pierre Lhomme. PD: Jean-Jacques Caziot. ”The 509” and ”Full-Time Lover” performed by Armelia McQueen. CAST: Isabelle Adjani (Marya Zelli), Alan Bates (H.J. Heidler), Maggie Smith (Lois Heidler), Anthony Higgins (Stephan Zelli). 101’. 1,66. English and French dialogue. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Eija Pokkinen / Maya Vanni. SEA / EuropaVision print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 14 April 1998. *** Paris, 1927. The reconstruction of the ambience is far superior to Alan Rudolph (The Moderns) or Philip Kaufman (Henry and June). The atmosphere is so exciting, the film can be enjoyed as a pure visual spectacle. It is a story of relationships based on exploitation. Sophistication is only a shield for sordidness. The character portrayed by Alan Bates is based on Ford Madox Ford.

Tartüff

013393 / G / DE / 1925 / Murnau, F.W. / / drama
Tartüff / Herr Tartüff / Tartuffe / Tartuffe - tekopyhä. PC: Ufa. P: Erich Pommer. D: F.W. Murnau. SC: Carl Mayer - based on the play Le Tartuffe ou l’imposteur by Molière. DP: Karl Freund. PD: Robert Herlth, Walter Röhrig. CAST: Emil Jannings (Tartuffe), Werner Krauss (Orgon), Lil Dagover (Elmire). Framing story: André Mattoni (The Grandson), Hermann Picha (The Grandfather), Rosa Valetti (The Housekeeper). Music for live accompaniment composed by Giuseppe Becce. 1876 m /24 fps/ 68’. Silent b&w. Yleisradio TV2 PAL transmission at midnight on 13 April 1998 of a ZDF reconstruction (1973?) by Gerd Luft and Jürgen Labenski, with the score by Giuseppe Becce arranged by Rolf Unkel, with Finnish subtitles by Pirkko Vikkula. Caught on Easter Monday on VHS. ** The print was shown through a wrong gate, cutting people’s heads. The original music was somewhat lethargically interpreted. - ”Vielfach ist die Zahl der Heuchler auf Erden! Vielfach die Maske, unter denen sie uns begegnen!” The Grandfather sees through the wily schemes of his housekeeper as his grandson projects for him a film of Tartuffe. Murnau’s meeting with Molière is like the elephant storming the porcelain shop. The first rate actors save what they can from the pedestrian direction of the story. Murnau as a storyteller is here at his worst. But the visual composition is immaculate. As a photo album Tartuffe would be marvellous. Using the freeze-frame on video one can cherish the best effects. - Having written this I notice the harsh judgement of Kracauer: Tartuffe is an example of ”all-pervading paralysis”, ”itself Tartuffish”.

Dark Passage

027920 / 16 / US / 1947 / Daves, Delmer / / thriller
Dark Passage / Pimeä käytävä. © Warner Bros. P: Jerry Wald. D+SC: Delmer Daves - based on the novel by David Goodis (1946). DP: Sid Hickox. M: Franz Waxman. CAST: Humphrey Bogart (Vincent Parry), Lauren Bacall (Irene Jansen), Agnes Moorehead (Madge Rapf). 106’. B&w Academy. 106’. 16mm print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Good Friday 10 April 1998. *** Framed for his wife’s murder, Humphrey Bogart escapes from San Quentin and changes his face to track down the real killer. Excellent use of subjective camera is in striking contrast to the unhappy experiment in The Lady In the Lake. We first see Bogart’s face when 68 minutes of the film have lapsed, but thanks to the imaginative and exciting cinematography this is never a problem. Too many coincidences at the start weaken my involvement in the story. Otherwise this is a fine thriller.

The Europeans

088839 / G / GB / 1979 / Ivory, James / / drama
Europeans, The / Eurooppalaiset. © National Film Trustee Co. Ltd. P: Ismail Merchant. D: James Ivory. SC: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala - based on the novel (1878) by Henry James. CAST: Lee Remick (Baroness Eugenia Münster), Robin Ellis (Robert Acton), Tim Woodward (Felix Young), Wesley Addy (Mr. Wentworth), Lisa Eichhorn (Gertrude Wentworth), Nancy New (Charlotte Wentworth), Norman Snow (Mr. Brand). 91’. 1,85. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Anna-Lisa Holmqvist. A somewhat worn Valio-filmi / SEA print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, on Good Friday 10 April 1998. *** Let’s list the successful films based on Henry James: The Lost Moment (1947, based on Aspern Papers), The Heiress (1949, based on Washington Square), The Innocents (1961, based on The Turn of the Screw), The Bostonians (1984), The Wings of the Dove (1997) - and this one. The production is simple and elegant. It’s filmed on location in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The autumn colours are delightful. The actors of the ensemble carry their roles soberly. The dialogue is sharp, the characters grow, and there is a great sense of humour in the vision which is brought to the screen.

Absolutely Fabulous - Iso Tank. Birthday. Magazine

V-003535 / G / GB / 1992 / Saunders, Jennifer / comedy
Absolutely Fabulous - Iso Tank. Birthday. Magazine. / Helt hysteriskt. Serie 1. Isoleringstank. Födelsedagen. Magazine. © BBC. P: Jon Plowman. D: Bob Spiers. SC: Jennifer Saunders. CAST: Jennifer Saunders (Edina), Joanna Lumley (Patsy). 88’ PAL. DIST: DHE Castle Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. *** Edina has a nightmare in her isolation tank. - Edina’s 40th birthday party turns into a disaster. - Patsy’s magazine gets to present fashion news on morning TV: she invites Edina’s daughter and mother as her models.

The Benny Hill Show 5

V-003534 / G / GB / 1988 / Hill, Benny / / comedy
Benny Hill Show, The, 5 / Benny Hill. Femte delen. © Thames Television / Thames Video. P+D: Dennis Kirkland. CAST: Benny Hill, Henry McGee, Anna Dawson, Hill’s Angels. 52’ PAL. DIST: DHE Castle Oy. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. *** Benny Hill in top form in TV show to be released on video. Sketches include: jogging; erasing offending graffiti in a banana republic; female lion-tamer drilling a team of middle-aged men in underwear.

Shall We Dansu?

100691 / G / JP / 1995 / Suo, Masayuki / / dance
Shall We Dansu? / Shall We Dance? © Daiei; Altamira Pictures. D+SC: Masayuki Suo. CAST: Koji Yakusho (Syohei Sugiyama), Tamiyo Kusakari (Mai Kishikawa), Naoto Takenaka (Tamio Aoki). 112’. Japanese registration number: 114594. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Tarja Sahlsten / Ditte Kronström. DIST: Buena Vista International Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. *** The original version is supposedly 135’. The print viewed was the Miramax international release version. - ”Ballroom dancing is regarded with great suspicion in a country where couples don’t go out hand in hand or say ‘I Love You’”. The stressed salaryman starts to indulge in a secret vice: taking dancing lessons. His wife gets so suspicious she even hires a detective. It’s a film about breaking loose from routine, but it’s also a great dance film.

Porn video watch, 9 April 1998

Leather Vixens
R-003839 / 16 / GB / 1996 / Dewitt, Hugh / / pornography
Leather Vixens. PC: Mistique Productions. D: Hugh Dewitt. CAST: Yvette Coles, Danni De Wolfe, Josie Harkness. 49’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Delights of the Dungeon
R-003840 / 18 / GB / 19-- / Dewitt, Hugh / / pornography
Delights of the Dungeon. PC: Mistique Productions. D: Hugh Dewitt. CAST: Chanel, Suzie La Roche, Karen Knight. 49’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Mistress Leather
R-003841 / 18 / GB / 19-- / / / pornography
Mistress Leather. PC: Mistique Productions. CAST: Louise Hodges, Kelly Marsh, Sarah Matthews. 47’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - S/M, Lesbian.

Dirty Talking Girls 2 - Sarah
R-003842 / 18 / GB / 19-- / / / pornography
Dirty Talking Girls 2 - Sarah. PC: DTG. CAST: Sarah. 44’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Solo; masturbation.

Rubber Girls In Macs
R-003843 / 16 / GB / 19-- / / / pornography
Rubber Girls In Macs. Released by Shine Films. 66’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Fetishism.

Rubber Girls At Sea
R-003844 / 12 / GB / 19-- / / / pornography
Rubber Girls At Sea. Released by Shine Films. 58’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Fetishistic poses.

La Soumise percée
R-003849 / 18 / US / 19-- / Rainer, Janus / / pornography
Soumise percée, La. Released by Dèmonia. D: Janus Rainer. CAST: Mistress Jacqueline, Sharon Mitchell, Tanya Foxx. 55’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - S/M, Lesbian.

Male supplicié
R-003850 / banned / US / 1991 / Rainer, Janus / / violent pornography
Male supplicié. PC: Star Maker Video. Released by Dèmonia. D: Janus Rainer. CAST: Destiny, Deanne, Timmy. 52’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Actual assault and battery.

Traci Lords värsta
R-003851 / banned / US / 1984 / Traci Lords / / underage pornography
Traci Lords värsta. Released by Max’s. CAST: Traci Lords, Christy Canyon, Ron Jeremy, Robin Cannes, Tom Byron. 123’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Traci Lords (born 1968) made some 80 porn films while under 18. They are banned in the Western world, except for Holland, Denmark, and Sweden. In porn films, the models have to be over 18 years of age, and the proof has to be found on file. - In Finland, dozens of Traci Lords films are in circulation, courtesy of the Swedish, Danish, and Dutch distributors. - Traci Lords quit porn after a few years, but it seems difficult for her to get rid of her error of youth.

Tori Welles bästa
R-003852 / 18 / US / 1988 / Tori Welles / / pornography
Tori Welles bästa. Released by Max’s. CAST: Tori Welles, Jamie Gillis, Victoria Paris, Peter North, Randy Spears. 119’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 9 April 1998. - Tori Welles started her porn career in 1988.

Mercury Rising

100689 / 16 / US / 1998 / Becker, Harold / / thriller
Mercury Rising / Salasana: Mercury. © Universal. D: Harold Becker. SC: Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal - based on the novel Simple Simon by Ryne Douglas Pearson. DP: Michael Seresin. CAST: Bruce Willis (Art Jeffries), Alex Baldwin (Lt. Col. Nicholas Kudrow), Miko Hughes (Simon), Kim Dickens (Stacey). 110’. Scope. MPAA 35891. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Eirik Udd. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. *** An autistic boy cracks the code of a secret government agency. Now the boy’s life is in danger, but maverick FBI agent Bruce Willis comes to the rescue.

Maailma Video - Ukraina 3

R-003810 / 18 / FI / 1997 / / / pornography
Maailma Video - Ukraina 3. PC: PNG. 120’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998.

Porn video watch, 8 April 1998

Jo Hammar: Rubber Ghost I - The Configuration

Global 4
R-003811 / 18 / NL / 1994 /  /  / pornography
Global 4 / Doma Video Special 4. PC: Doma. Released by Scala B.V. 58’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - S/M. No assault or battery.

Fitness Domination
R-003817 / 18 / NL / 19-- /  /  / pornography
Fitness Domination. PC: Doma. Released by Scala B.V. CAST: Mistress Kimberly, Slavegirl Linda. 58’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - S/M - fetishism - Lesbian. No assault or battery.

Ecstasy of Payne, The
R-003818 / banned / US / 1994 / Seven, Bruce /  / violent pornography
Ecstasy of Payne. PC: Bruce Seven Productions. Released by A.S.V. Video. D: Bruce Seven. CAST: Alexis Payne, Casee, Suzie Matthews. 62’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - S/M with actual assault and battery.

Maso 10
R-003819 / banned / FR / 1996 / Master, Eric /  / violent pornography
Maso 10. PC: Concorde. D: Eric Master. 61’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Masochism with actual assault and battery.

Maso 11
R-003820 / banned / FR / 1996 / Master, Eric /  / violent pornography
Maso 11. PC: Concorde. D: Eric Master. 59’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Masochism with actual assault and battery.

Sado 3
R-003821 / banned / FR / 1996 /  /  / violent pornography
Sado 3. PC: Concorde. 57’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Sadism with actual assault and battery.

Crazy Times
R-003822 / banned / US / 1995 / Seven, Bruce /  / violent pornography
Crazy Times. PC: Bruce Seven Productions. 64’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Sadism with actual assault and battery.

Mandy’s Slavery
R-003823 / banned /  / 19-- /  /  / violent pornography
Mandy’s Slavery. PC: Real People Video. 85’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Sadism with actual assault and battery.

Rubber Loving Housewives
R-003824 / 16 / GB / 1996 / Roberts, Dave /  / pornography
Rubber Loving Housewives. PC: G&M Fashions. Released by Shiny Films. D: Dave Roberts. CAST: Karen, Sue. 61’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, mild spanking.

Rubber Ghost 1 - The Conjuration
R-003825 / 16 /  / 19-- / Hammar, Jo /  / pornography
Rubber Ghost 1 - The Conjuration. PC: Jo Hammar Productions. Released by Shiny Films. D: Jo Hammar. CAST: Natalia Mulhausen, Ria Ashley, Susan Herzog, Sierra Sharon. 37’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Rubber Ghost 2 - Bizarre Breakfast
R-003826 / 16 /  / 19-- / Hammar, Jo /  / pornography
Rubber Ghost 2 - Bizarre Breakfast. PC: Jo Hammar Productions. Released by Shiny Films. D: Jo Hammar. CAST: Natalia Mulhausen, Ria Ashley, Susan Herzog, Sierra Sharon. 36’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Rubber Ghost 3 - Rubber Melody
R-003827 / 16 /  / 19-- / Hammar, Jo /  / pornography
Rubber Ghost 3 - Rubber Melody. PC: Jo Hammar Productions. Released by Shiny Films. D: Jo Hammar. CAST: Natalia Mulhausen, Ria Ashley, Susan Herzog, Sierra Sharon. 49’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Kinky Dancers
R-003828 / 16 / GB / 1996 / Roberts, Dave /  / pornography
Kinky Dancers. PC: G&M Fashions. Released by Shiny Films. D: Jo Hammar. CAST: Melissa Richmond, Sara Regan. 58’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Amateur Model Spectacular
R-003829 / 16 / GB / 19-- / Roberts, Dave /  / pornography
Amateur Model Spectacular. PC: Shiny Films. D: Roberts, Dave. CAST: Vicky Lee, Elizabeth Leather, Lisa, Victoria. 44’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism, Lesbian.

Rubber Riding
R-003830 / 16 / GB / 19-- /  /  / pornography
Rubber Riding. PC: G&M Fashions. PC: Shiny Films. CAST: Lucy Lockett, Linda Lovett, Holly Claymax. 50’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism.

Hidden Delights 4 - Security Camera Secrets
R-003833 / 16 / GB / 1995 /  /  / pornography
Hidden Delights 4 - Security Camera Secrets. PC: Pure Platinum. 52’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 8 April 1998. - Fetishism.

Reign of Terror

Anthony Mann: Reign of Terror (US 1949). Wade Crosby (Danton) and Richard Basehart (Robespierre). Cinematography: John Alton.

031110 / 16 / US / 1949 / Mann, Anthony / / historical thriller
Reign of Terror / The Black Book / Yllämme giljotiini. © Pathé Industries, Inc. Presented by Walter Wanger Pictures. P: William Cameron Menzies. D: Anthony Mann. SC: Philip Yordan, Aeneas MacKenzie - based on the story by MacKenzie. DP: John Alton. PD: Edward Ilou. M: Sol Kaplan. CAST: Robert Cummings (Charles D’Aubigny), Arlene Dahl (Madelon), Richard Basehart (Robespierre), Arnold Moss (Fouché), Jess Barker (Saint Just). 89’. B&w Academy. MPAA 13481. British 16 mm print carrying the title The Black Book and the Eagle Lion distributor’s logo. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 7 April 1998. **** A Dumasian adventure plot is mixed with a film noir ambience. It is about a race against time - the quest for Robespierre’s black book. The whole film is based on a chase, often on horseback. The dialogue is sharp and the production design effective. Most memorably, the cinematography is masterful and can be appreciated even in this 16 mm print.

Gattaca

100687 / 12 / US / 1997 / Niccol, Andrew / / science fiction
Gattaca / Gattaca. © Columbia. D+SC: Andrew Niccol. DP: Slawomir Idziak. M: Michael Nyman. CAST: Ethan Hawke (Vincent / Jerome), Uma Thurman (Irene), Alan Arkin (Detective Hugo). 112’. Scope. MPAA 34793. PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 7 April 1998. *** Intelligent science fiction thriller about the world of tomorrow governed by new elites created with genetic manipulation.

My Son the Fanatic

100684 / 16 / GB / 1997 / Prasad, Udayan / / drama
My Son the Fanatic. © Son of Zephyr Ltd. P: Chris Curling. D: Udayan Prasad. SC: Hanif Kureishi - based on his short story. CAST: Om Puri (Parvez), Rachel Griffiths (Bettina), Stellan Skarsgard (Schitz). 86’. Finnish subtitles by Cinema Mondo. DIST: Cinema Mondo. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998. *** Pakistani / British cultural clash in Northern England. Om Puri is the taxi driver whose son turns into a religious fanatic.

Porn video watch, 6 April 1998

Tracey Adams: Glasnost with Love (FI 199X), Kullervo Koivisto Production. Hard core pornography made in Finland.

Sexymodels 2 R-001463 / 18 / FI / 19-- / Adams, Tracey / / pornography Sexymodels 2. PC: Banana Production. P: Kullervo Koivisto. CAST: Martta. 78’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998.

Three Blondes R-003788 / 18 / ES / 19-- / / / pornography Three Blondes / Blondit 1. PC: Papillon Films. Released by Calbourne Trading. CAST: Sabina, Kristina, Linda Thorén, Ricky Great. 81’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998.

Glasnost with Love R-003789 / 18 / FI / 199X / Adams, Tracey / / pornography Glasnost with Love. PC: Kullervo Koivisto Production. 116’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998.

Gorbi’s Töchter R-003790 / 16 / DE / 1991 / Mattinen, Heikki / pornography Gorbi’s Töchter / Gorbas Sisters. PC: Pictures & Roba. Released by Photorama / Tele Team / Banana-Foto. 89’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998. – Soft-core.

Tutti Frutti R-003791 / 16 / DE / 1991 / Rex, T.C. / / pornography Tutti Frutti. PC: Roba Hamburg, Photorama. Released by Tele Team / Banana-Foto. 74’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 6 April 1998. – Soft-core.

NB. Kullervo Koivisto = Heikki Mattinen.

Wishmaster

V-003428 / 16 / US / 1997 / Kurtzmann, Robert / horror
Wishmaster / Wes Craven’s Wishmaster. © Live Film and Mediaworks. P: Pierre David. EX: Wes Craven. D: Robert Kurtzmann. DP: Jacques Haitkin. M: Harry Manfredini. CAST: Tammy Lauren (Alexandra Amberson), Andrew Divoff (The Djinn), Robert Englund (Anthony Beaumont). 90’. MPAA 35576. Rated R = 17. Letterboxed VHS projection in VET, Helsinki, Friday 3 April 1998. ** Fantasy horror nonsense well produced but lacking a director’s touch.

Eurodisc Playlist For 12.41.03

100682 / G / US etc. / 1998 / various / / music video
Eurodisc Playlist For 12.41.03 / Musiikkikooste 12-41-03. Compiled by Pioneer Video Manufacturing. DIST: Ulkokaupat Oy. Laserdisc projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 3 April 1998.
Backstreet Boys: All I Have To Give **
Wes: Alane ***
Metallica: Unforgiven II ***
Imani Coppola: Legend Of A Cowgirl ***
Robyn: Show Me Love **
Solid Harmonie: I’ll Be There For You ***
Huff & Herb: Feeling Good **
Shania Twain: You’re Still The One ***
Enya: Only If **
Aaron Carter: Crazy Little Party Girl **

German Natdisc Playlist For 19.81.03

100683 / G / DE etc. / 1998 / various / / music video
German Natdisc Playlist For 19.81.03 / Musiikkikooste 19-81-03. Compiled by Pioneer Video Manufacturing. DIST: Ulkokaupat Oy. Laserdisc projection in Helsinki, VET, Friday 3 April 1998.
Nana: Too Much Heaven **
Epsen Lind: When Susannah Cries **
Groove Gangsters: Funky Beats ***
Gil: Round ‘N’ Round (It Goes) **
Spektacoolär: Du bist abgehau’n **
Sweetbox: Everything’s Gonna Be Alright **
Tic Tac Toe: Bitte küss’ mich nicht
X-Perience: Game Of Love **
Lisa Loeb: I Do **
Largo: Tango Passion **

Porn video watch, 2 April 2008

Blue Movie
V-003525 / 16 / US / 1995 / Zen, Michael / / pornography
Blue Movie / Michael Zen’s Blue Movie / Paparazzi saa tulikasteensa. © Wicked Pictures. D: Michael Zen. CAST: Jenna Jameson, Jeanna Fine, Steven St. Croix. 81’ PAL. DIST: Mondeeni. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. - Soft version without genitals.

Hamlet - For the Love of Ophelia
V-003524 / 16 / DE / 1995 / Sarah Young / / pornography
Hamlet - For the Love of Ophelia. © Sarah Young Communications. D: Luca Damiano. CAST: Sarah Young (Ophelia), Christophe Clark (Hamlet). 85’ PAL. In German. DIST: Mondeeni. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. - Soft version without genitals.

A Clockwork Orgy
V-003523 / 16 / US / / Cramer, Nic / / pornography
Clockwork Orgy, A / Kellopeliorgiat. PC: Pleasure Productions. D: Nic Cramer. CAST: Kaitlyn Ashley, Rebecca Lord, Nicole Lake, Isis Nile. 66’ PAL. DIST: Mondeeni. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. - Soft version without genitals.

Red Corner

100678 / 16 / US / 1997 / Avnet, Jon / / thriller
Red Corner / Punainen labyrintti. © MGM. D: Jon Avnet. SC: Robert King. DP: Karl Walter Lindenlaub. CAST: Richard Gere (Jack Moore), Bai Ling (Shen Yuelin), Jessey Meng (Hong Ling). 122’. 1,85. MPAA 35271. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Anna-Lisa Holmqvist. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. *** American TV businessman is framed for murder in China while trying to close a huge satellite deal. Caught in the net of Chinese jurisdiction he is helped by a female attorney. The theme of the clash of the cultures is a strong one, and also as a court drama this of course treads new ground.

Porn video watch, 2 April 1998

Euro Clips 11
R-003714 / 18 / DE / 19-- / / / pornography
Euro Clips 11. © MTC. Released by Magma. 60’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. - Compilation.

Heisse Rammel-Tour
R-003719 / 18 / DE / 19-- / Crawali, Jack P. / / pornography
Heisse Rammel-Tour. PC: Silwa Film. Released by SVK-Copy / Scala B.V. / Videorama. D: Jack P. Crawali. CAST: Britt Lung, Ria Love, Tom Baron. 236’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998.

Transbizarre Spiele
R-003720 / 18 / DE / 1995 / Moli / / pornography
Transbizarre Spiele. PC: Topsy / Magma. Released by Razzel / Sandbergs. D: Moli. CAST: Claire, Yvette, Christoph. 76’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998. - Transvestites.

Exzesse ohne Grenzen
R-003723 / 18 / DE / 19-- / Bannol, Ronald C. / pornography
Exzesse ohne Grenzen. PC: Silwa Film. Released by Scala B.V. / Videorama. D: Ronald C. Bannol. CAST: Jordi Crown, Karen Leeb, Buck Ives. 237’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998.

Kinky Debutante Interviews 5
R-003777 / 18 / US / 1994 / / / pornography
Kinky Debutante Interviews 5. PC: In X-Cess Productions. Released by Inner View Video. CAST: Dallas D’Amore, Golden Jade, Arnold Schwarzenpecker. 112’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998.

Schwanzgeile Nymphen
R-003778 / 18 / DE / 1994 / Moli / / pornography
Schwanzgeile Nymphen. PC: Magma / Metrofilm. Released by Razzel / Sandbergs. D: Moli. CAST: Annette, Sophie, Sendrine. 86’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 2 April 1998.

Desperate Measures

Barbet Schroeder: Desperate Measures (US 1998) with Andy Garcia (Frank Conner) and Michael Keaton (Peter McCabe).

100675 / 16 / US / 1998 / Schroeder, Barbet / action
Desperate Measures / Piinaavat hetket. © Mandalay Entertainment. D: Barbet Schroeder. SC: David Klass. DP: Luciano Tovoli. CAST: Michael Keaton (Peter McCabe), Andy Garcia (Frank Conner), Marcia Gay Harden (Samantha Hawkins). 100’. 1,85. MPAA 34792. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia Finland. 35 mm print viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 1 April 1998. *** San Francisco cop Andy Garcia can only help his terminally ill son with bone marrow transplant from psycho killer Michael Keaton. Non stop overkill of spectacular action. The title of the film is more apt than the producers might want it to be. 

So Dark the Night

028451 / 16 / US / 1946 / Lewis, Joseph H. / thriller
So Dark the Night / Pimeä oli yö. © Columbia. P: Ted Richmond. D: Joseph H. Lewis. SC: Martin Berkeley, Dwight Babcock - based on the story by Aubrey Wisberg. DP: Burnett Guffey. CAST: Steven Geray (Henri Cassin), Micheline Cheirel (Nanette Michaud), Eugene Borden (Pierre Michaud). 70’. B&w Academy. MPAA 11451. A 16mm Screen Gems TV print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 31 March 1998. ** A routine thriller made on a shoestring budjet with unexciting performers.

Viimeinen koulupäivä

A-027850 / G / FI / 1998 / Naukkarinen, Lasse / documentary
Viimeinen koulupäivä. PC+ DIST: Ilokuva, Naukkarinen & Co. D: Lasse Naukkarinen. 16mm. 30’. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 31 March 1998.

U.S. Marshals

100674 / 16 / US / 1998 / Baird, Stuart / / action
U.S. Marshals / Takaa-ajajat. © Warner Bros. P: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson. D: Stuart Baird. DP: Andrzej Bartkowiak. CAST: Tommy Lee Jones (Chief Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard), Wesley Snipes (Mark Sheridan), Irène Jacob (Marie). 133’. 1,85. MPAA 35906. PG-13. Finnish / Swedish subtitles: Timo Porri. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 30 March 1998. *** Sequel to The Fugitive (1993). - The director Stuard Baird made an excellent and surprising action film, Executive Decision, a few years ago. Compared to those two this is just a well-produced roller-coaster ride.

The Game

100673 / 12 / US / 1997 / Fincher, David / / thriller
Game, The / - oletko valmis peliin? © PolyGram. D: David Fincher. SC: John Brancato, Michael Ferris. DP: Harris Savides. CAST: Michael Douglas (Nicholas Van Orton), Sean Penn (Conrad Van Orton), Deborah Kara Unger (Christine). 128’. Scope. MPAA 35106. R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles: Hannele Vahtera. DIST: Buena Vista International Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 30 March 1998. *** Extremely well-produced thriller which, however gets too tricky. All involvement is lost.

The Tall Men

044242 / 12 / US / 1955 / Walsh, Raoul / / western
Tall Men, The / Taipumattomat miehet. © 20th Century-Fox. D: Raoul Walsh. SC: Sydney Boehm, Frank S. Nugent - based on the novel by Heck Allen. DP: Leo Tover. M: Victor Young. ”The Tall Men” sung by Jane Russell. CAST: Clark Gable (Ben Allison), Jane Russell (Nella Turner), Robert Ryan (Nathan Stark), Cameron Mitchell (Clint Allison). 122’. De Luxe colour, CinemaScope. MPAA 7476. TV Nelonen PAL transmission on Saturday afternoon 28 March 1998: in sawed-to-half ratio, with Finnish subtitles by Simo Tikka / Movision, with commercial breaks. Caught later on VHS. *** ”Montana territory 1866. They came from the South, headed for the goldfields… A story of tall men - and long shadows”. Ben and Clint, the desperate brothers from Texas, are about to rob the wily moneyman of Montana, Nathan Stark, but he persuades them to become partners, instead, in the business of driving 5000 heads of cattle from Texas to Montana. They face every adversity: Oglala Indians, jayhawkers, harsh winter in the mountains, and wild rivers. Ben and Nathan also battle for the woman, Nella. This is a ”tall story”, told with a sense of humour by Walsh. On TV the film loses its epic grandeur.

Frida - naturaleza viva

096010 / 12 / MX / 1984 / Leduc Rosenzweig, Paul / biography
Frida - naturaleza viva / Frida. PC: Clasa Films Mundiales. D: Paul Leduc Rosenzweig. SC: José Joaquin Blanco, Paul Leduc Rosenzweig. DP: Angel Goded. CAST: Ofelia Medina (Frida Kahlo), Juan José Gurrola (Diego Rivera), Salvador Sánchez (David Alfaro Siqueiros), Max Kerlow (Lev Trotski), Claudio Brook (Father Kahlo). 107’. Colour, Academy. A worn, faded print from SEA / Gaudeamus Elokuva with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Tarja Härkönen / Eirik Udd viewed in Helsinki, Cinema Orion, Saturday 28 March 1998. *** A series of vignettes follow the life of Frida Kahlo from the horrible accident she experienced as a little girl to her funeral: the loving father, the womanizing Diego Rivera, the national and international politics, the relationship with Trotsky, the Lesbian affections, et cetera. Everywhere there are mirrors. Frida Kahlo’s paintings are prominently displayed (but suffer here from the color definition of the print). The soundtrack is a stirring, first rate melange of period hits, Mexican traditional songs, opera, and political marches. Even Sibelius (The Swan of Tuonela) is included. And as Frida enters the opening of her exhibition on a stretcher, she has a theme song being sung. Please tell me where to get the CD and I’ll buy it at once.

Fallen Angel

026707 / 16 / US / 1946 / Preminger, Otto / / thriller
Fallen Angel / Langennut enkeli. © 20th Century-Fox. P+D: Otto Preminger. SC: Harry Kleiner - based on the novel by Marty Holland. DP: Joseph LaShelle. ”Slowly” by David Raksin, Kermit Goell. CAST: Alice Faye (June Mills), Dana Andrews (Eric Stanton), Linda Darnell (Stella), Charles Bickford (Mark Judd), Ann Revere (Clara Mills), John Carradine (Professor Madley). 97’. B&w Academy. MPAA 10940. Extremely beautiful print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Thursday 26 March 1998. **** A lyrical thriller focusing on the shifting tensions between the main characters. Eric Stanton is thrown out of the night bus in the small town of Stanton between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He gets mixed up in a web of intrigue, and has himself to blame for the results. There is little action, but the gliding, flying camera keeps it all visually exciting. The dialogue is brilliant.

Jenseits der Stille / Beyond Silence

Caroline Link: Jenseits der Stille / Beyond Silence (DE 1996) starrig Sylvie Testud.

100667 / G / DE / 1996 / Link, Caroline / / drama
Jenseits der Stille / Beyond Silence / Hiljaisuuden takana. © Claussen + Wöbke Filmproduktion; Roxy Film. D: Caroline Link. DP: Gernot Roll. Klezmer music: Niki Reiser. ”Elokim eli ata”. Clarinet by Claudio Puntin, Michael Heisler. CAST: Sylvie Testud, Tatjana Trieb, Howie Seago, Emmanuelle Laborit. 113’. Colour, 1,66. DIST: Kamras Film Group. Viewed in Helsinki, Bio City, Thursday 26 March 1998. **** A beautiful film about the musically talented daughter of deaf parents. This story really cares about its characters and their relationships. It is about growing up and becoming independent, and at the same time about caring for others and learning one’s way to self-expression through art. The film is made with simple but true means. A large part of the film is communicated via sign language, like in Children Of a Lesser God; this is a much better film.

Valkoinen taivas

A-027848 / G / FI / 1998 / Helke, Susanna etc. / documentary
Valkoinen taivas / ((((( ((((. © Kinotar. P: Lasse Saarinen. D+SC+ED: Susanna Helke, Virpi Suutari. DP: Tuomo Virtanen. Featuring: Igor Maljukov, Natalia Maljukova, Katja Maljukova. Filmed in Monchegorsk on the Kola Peninsula. 56’. Colour, 1,85. In Russian with Finnish subtitles by Jussi Väntänen. DIST: Kinotar. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Steenbeck, Thursday 26 March 1998. ** An intimate portrait about life in the middle of ecocatastrophe.

Porn video watch, 26 March 1998

Gier nach Doppel-Lust
R-003485 / 18 / DE / / Holder, Marc / / pornography
Gier nach Doppel-Lust. © ZBF. Released by Videorama. D: Holder, Marc. CAST: Andrea Poweri, Antonia Tower, Dragan Bektiar, Ivor Tonic. 118’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Piss Society
R-003016 / 18 / / / / / pornography
Piss Society. © DBM. Undercover. 89’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Blondes With Great Asses
R-003530 / 18 / US / 1990 / / / pornography
Blondes With Great Asses. © Raunch-O-Rama. CAST: Sasha Strange, Peter North, Carol Cummings, Jessica Hawn, Fetish, Blondee Bee. 116’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Anal clips.

Breathless
R-003537 / 18 / US / 1989 / Der Meer, G.V. / / pornography
Breathless. © Cinderella / CDI Home Video. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. D: G.V. Der Meer. CAST: Deborah Diamond, Busty Belle, Marc Wallice, Staci Lords, Randy West, Charli. 84’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Amatööri Video 1
R-003569 / 18 / FI / 1996 / Jylhä, Mikko / / pornography
Amatööri Video 1. PC: Calbourne Trading. Released by Banana Production. D: Mikko Jylhä. CAST: Ilona, Virpi, Leena, Kylli, Sepi, Martin. 81’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - The models are over 18.

The Master Of Pleasure
R-003571 / 18 / US / 1988 / Bone, John T. / / pornography
Master Of Pleasure, The. © VIDCO. D: John T. Bone. CAST: Samantha Strong, John Leslie, Kim Christie, Billy Dee, Mike Horner. 74’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Rasierte Nymphen
R-001334 / 18 / DE / / / / pornography
Rasierte Nymphen. © MTC. A Magma release. CAST: Francoise, Colette, Nadja, Janette. 99’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - The models are over 18.

Dirty Women
R-000433 / 18 / DE / / Svensson, Carl / / pornography
Dirty Women. © ZBF. Released by Viola Film. D: Svensson, Carl. CAST: Barbara Miller, Jayne Horseman, Mary Jones. 91’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Indulging in vinyl and drinking urine. No actual assault or battery.

Miss Italy
R-001077 / 18 / DE / / Dino / / pornography
Miss Italy. © Dolly Buster Video Entertainment. D: Dino. CAST: Dolly Buster, Roberto Malone, Laura Butt, Yves Le Castel. 88’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Gummiklinik Frau Dr. Monteil 2
R-000724 / 18 / DE / / Ditt, Axel / / pornography
Gummiklinik Frau Dr. Monteil 2. © ZBF. Released by Viola Film. D: Axel Ditt. CAST: Francoise Monteil, Monika Elfe, Jayne Horsman, Carl Klein, Barbara Miller. 83’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Bondage, fetishism, and urine drinking. No assault or battery.

Supergeile Fesselspiele
R-001596 / 18 / DE / / / / pornography
Supergeile Fesselspiele. © Ekstase Video. 81’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Bondage. No assault or battery.

Countdown der Perversion
R-000377 / 18 / DE / / / / pornography
Countdown der Perversion / Countdown der Perversionen. © Power Video. CAST: Laura Donovan, Jenny Hartley, Reny Silver, Peter Bax, Jo Keppler. 86’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998.

Extrem versaut 13
R-002858 / 18 / DE / 1993 / / / pornography
Extrem versaut 13. © VTO. 84’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Rubber fetishism, whippings by a Domina, and nipple pinchers. A chained man is penetrated anally with a huge stick. The whippings leave visible marks. A borderline case: no sufficient evidence for a case of assault or battery.

Gummiklinik Frau Dr. Monteil 1
R-000723 / 18 / DE / / Ditt, Axel / / pornography
Gummiklinik Frau Dr. Monteil 2. © ZBF. Released by Viola Film. D: Axel Ditt. CAST: Francoise Monteil, Monika Elfe, Sandra Einsvoorf, Carl Klein, Yvonne Doyet. 83’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 26 March 1998. - Rubber fetishism, bondage and urine drinking. No assault or battery involved.

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

/ / US / 1950 / Douglas, Gordon / gangster
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye / Jäähyväiset huomiselle. © Cagney Productions. A Warner Bros. release. P: William Cagney. D: Gordon Douglas. SC: Harry Brown - based on the novel (1948) by Horace McCoy. DP: J. Peverell Marley. CAST: James Cagney (Ralph Cotter), Barbara Payton (Holiday Carleton), Helena Carter (Margaret Dobson), Ward Bond (Inspector Weber), Luther Adler (Cherokee Mandon). Sources: 102’. Duration of screening: 98’. B&w Academy. MPAA 14661. Horribly disfigured 16mm print viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 25 March 1998. **** This film has been previously seen in Finland only on cable and on the satellite. - The furious gangster film gives us James Cagney at his manic best as the unstoppable outlaw who breaks from a high security labor camp, infiltrates the police and is about to get married with the daughter of Mr. Big. It is a high voltage James Cagney show, not particularly harmed by the impersonal touch of the director.

Porn video watch, 25 March 1998

John Stagliano: Rock'n'Roll Heaven (US 1989) starring Rene Morgan, Keisha, Fifi Bardot, Jeannie Pepper, Sasha, Cheri Taylor, Jessica Bogart, Stacy Lords, Sharon Kane, John Further, Woop, Chris Hager, Punky Peru, Jesse Adams, Brandy Alexandre, Tom Byron, Gene Carrera, Donnie Dixon, Alex Horn, Jeff James, Brockton O'Toole, Don S. and Randy Spears.

Scharfe Lesbo-Miezen
R-002933 / 18 / DE /  / Sorel, Tonia /  / pornography
Scharfe Lesbo-Miezen. © ZBF. Released by SVK-Copy / Videorama. D: Tonia Sorel. CAST: Sonia Port, Lena Titi, Paola Sellion, Lisa Trimi. 115’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Brassiere To Eternity
R-002969 / 18 / US / 1994 / Spinelli, Mitchell / pornography
Brassiere To Eternity. © Pepper Productions. Released by Scala B.V. / Videorama. D: Mitchell Spinelli. CAST: Kaylan Nicole, Juli Astin, Isis Nile, Sahara Sands. 143’ PAL. Dutch subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Lesbian.

Grenzbereich 5 - friss Scheisse du Sau!
R-002975 / 18 / DE /  / Moneto, Manni /  / pornography
Grenzbereich 5 - friss Scheisse du Sau!. PC: Szene X Grenzbereich. D: Manni Moneto. 96’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Wallowing in excrement and urine, with milk and potato salad added. No actual assault or battery.

Legendary Clips 12
R-002977 / 18 /  /  /  /  / pornography
Legendary Clips 12. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. 60’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Lesbian clips.

Schoolgirls Holiday 1
R-003024 / 18 /  /  /  /  / pornography
Schoolgirls Holiday 1. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. 69’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - The schoolgirls are over 18.

Freshman Fantasies
R-003030 / 18 / US / 1986 / Leon, Michael /  / pornography
Freshman Fantasies. © Marathon Films. Released by Pan Pacific Distributors / Apple Video. D: Michael Leon. CAST: Matthew Wilde, Cody Ray, Eric Stauff, Dave Martin. 88’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Gay.

Crazed
R-003038 / 18 / US / 1988 / Jeffries, Frank /  / pornography
Crazed. © Adam and Company. Released by GERO Video. D: Frank Jeffries. CAST: Rod Lance, Randy Cochran, J.D. Slater, Mike Rock. 84’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Gay.

Rock’n’Roll Heaven
R-003073 / 18 / US / 1989 / Stagliano, John /  / pornography
Rock’n’Roll Heaven. © Evil Angel. Released by Filmbox AB. D: John Stagliano. CAST: Woop, Renee Morgan, Keisha, Fe Fe Bardot. 92’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Hurts So Good
R-003110 / 18 / US / 1991 / James, Rex /  / pornography
Hurts So Good. © Video Exclusives. Released by Cal Vista. D: Rex James. CAST: Savannah, Frenchie, Rustie Rhodes, Deja, Cal Jammer, Sean Michaels. 73’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Kotikuvaukset 1997 - sexiä
R-003112 / 18 /  / 1997 /  /  / pornography
Kotikuvaukset 1997 - sexiä. 29’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Amateur solo performance by a young woman who may be from Russia.

Fick-Sahne Shakes
R-003124 / 18 / DE /  / Palm, Joerg /  / pornography
Fick-Sahne Shakes. © ZBF. Released by Videorame - Spezial Abgespritzt. D: Joerg Palm. CAST: Linda Times, Shone Stones, Rea Corner, Angy Topp. 115’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Extrem pervers 32
R-003125 / 18 / DE /  /  /  / pornography
Extrem pervers 32. © DBM. Undercover. CAST: Mary Boobs, Geraldine Santos, Richard Prick, Larry Holmes.. 86’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Wallowing in extrement and urine. No actual assault or battery.

Schoko-Stecher
R-003372 / 18 / DE /  / Tipop, Antony /  / pornography
Schoko-Stecher. © ZBF. Released by SVK-Copy / Videorama. D: Antony Tipop. CAST: Sandy Berge, Pamela Prown, Sibille Crown, Pete Coren, Tim Surer. 115’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Blue Magic
R-003379 / 18 / US / 1981 / Revene, Larry /  / pornography
Blue Magic. © Lunarex / Quality X. Released by Image Video / VTO. D: Larry Revene. CAST: Jack Wrangler, Candida Royalle, Samantha Fox, Ron Hudd, Veronica Hart. 69’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Handy Randy Guys
R-003421 / 18 / US / 1984 /  /  / pornography
Handy Randy Guys. © Le Salon International. 44’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Gay clips.

Falcon Pac 23
R-003425 / 18 / US / 1983 /  /  / pornography
Falcon Pac 23. © Falcon Studios. Released by Le Salon International / Videorama. 60’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Gay clips.

Deadly Blows
R-003428 / 18 / US / 1982 / Jai /  / pornography
Deadly Blows. © Le Salon International. D: Jai. CAST: Jeff Blacké, Ric Starr, Duro Sudd, Peggy P, Vicki D. 44’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Gay.

Tales Of the Backside
R-003435 / 18 / US / 1985 / Hollander, Bobby / pornography
Tales Of the Backside / Hautnah von hinten… © VCR. Released by Video DAX / Sandbergs Video. D: Bobby Hollander. CAST: Lili Marlene, Jessie Adams, Kelley Andrews, Linda Mallin, Joey Horner, Tom Byron. 89’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Greif meine Titten
R-003440 / 18 / DE /  / Parker, Jonathan / pornography
Greif meine Titten. © ZBF. Released by Videorama / Big Tits Special. D: Jonathan Parker. CAST: Sandy Town, Bopa Torr, Bess Klein, Tom Prei, John Bold. 115’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Phone Sex Girls - Australia
R-003443 / 18 / AU / 1989 / Bone, John T. /  / pornography
Phone Sex Girls - Australia / Australian Phone Sex. © Down Under Productions. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. D: John T. Bone. CAST: Kelly Blue, Deidre Holland, Alice Springs, Randy West, Jon Dough. 73’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Gang Bang
R-003445 / 18 / US / 1985 / Stagliano, John /  / pornography
Gang Bang / Gang Bangs 1. © VCR. Released by Video DAX / Bestseller. D: John Stagliano. CAST: Erica Boyer, Christy Canyon, Susan Hart, Bruce Seven, Peter North. 90’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Lovin’ Spoonfuls
R-001558 / 18 / US / 1987 /  /  / pornography
Lovin’ Spoonfulls [sic] / Lovin’ Spoonfuls / Sperma-Flut. © 4Play. Released by Video DAX / Bestseller. Hosted by Blondi. 85’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Cum shot compilation.

Excuse Me… 2
R-003447 / banned / NL /  /  /  / pornography
Excuse Me… 2. © Seventeen. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. CAST: Henry Harry. 178’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998. - Models under 18.

Ghostly Love
R-003473 / 16 / HK / 1990 / Wu Kwo Rem /  / erotic ghost story
Ghostly Love. © TVB. Released by Eastern Heroes Video. D: Wu Kwo Rem. CAST: Hui Tien Chee, Emily Chu, Lam Wei, Lung Tien Hsia. 94’ PAL. In Cantonese, with Mandarin and English subtitles. BBFC: 18. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 25 March 1998.

Calzonzin inspector

092842 / 16 / MX / 1973 / Arau, Alfonso / / satire
Calzonzin inspector. © Estudio Churubusco Azteca. D: Alfonso Arau. Based on the play Revizor by Nikolai Gogol. DP: Jorge Stahl, Jr. M: Leonardo Velazquez. CAST: Alfonso Arau (Calzonzin), Pancho Cordoba (Don Perpetue), Carolina Barret (Doña Pamposa), Virma Gonzales (Enedina). Sources: 83’. Duration of screening: 91’. Colour, scope. Beautiful print with English subtitles viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 24 March 1998. *** This belongs to the best Gogol adaptations with Shinelj (Kozintsev and Trauberg), La maschera del demonio (Mario Bava) and Vij (Aleksandr Ptushko) - but the one above all is still the Ukrainian Vetshir nakanune Ivana Kupala (Juri Iljenko). - This is a frantic, absurd farce. The director himself portrays the drunken Indian whom the corrupt village believes to be the feared, cunning Inspector. Produced on a big budget, the film boasts several spectacular scenes. Perhaps a bit less of the good thing would have been even more wonderful.

Porn video watch, 24 March 1998

Geile Rosenkavaliere
100662 / 18 / DE / 1998 / Bridge, Roy / / pornography
Geile Rosenkavaliere. © MTC. Released by Magma. D: Roy Bridge. CAST: Sarina, Evamaria, Katalin, David, Zoltan. 85’ PAL. DIST: Moneypenny AB. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Unbekannte Fick Objekte Alarm
100663 / 18 / DE / 1998 / Powers, Jim / / pornography
Unbekannte Fick Objekte Alarm / UFO Alarm. © MTC. Released by Magma. D: Jim Powers. CAST: Missy, Tabitha Stevens, Suductions, Sofia Ferrari. 77’ PAL. DIST: Moneypenny AB. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Spritzgeil & fickfreudig
100664 / 18 / DE / 1998 / Moore, Nicholas / pornography
Spritzgeil & fickfreudig. © MTC. Released by Magma. D: Nicholas Moore. CAST: Rossawa Doll, Nikita, Stefania Sartori. 81’ PAL. DIST: Moneypenny AB. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Sylvana - Lady Of Lust & Passion
100665 / 18 / DE / 1998 / Moli / / pornography
Sylvana - Lady Of Lust & Passion. © MTC. Released by Magma. D: Moli. CAST: Lea Martini, Steffani Brindisi, Kathy Divine. 81’ PAL. DIST: Moneypenny AB. VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Spritzige Party
R-0002610 / 18 / DE / / Goldwin / / pornography
Spritzige Party. PC: Gentleman Video Vision. Goldwin. 87’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. A trailer compilation.

Nymphomane Arschsau
R-002612 / 18 / DE / / Black Edition / / pornography
Nymphomane Arschsau. PC: Black Edition. 45’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. Wallowing in excrement, drinking urine, fist fucking; no actual assault or battery.

Naked Afternoon
R-001164 / 18 / US / 1976 / Goldberg, Alan B. / pornography
Naked Afternoon / Nymphoman und hemmungslos / Liebe am Nachmittag. © Westwood Films. Released by Tabu Video. D: Alan B. Goldberg. CAST: Abigail Clayton, John Leslie Dupre, Anette Haven, Sarah Mills, Kenny Cotton. 64’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

This Is America 2
088520 / 18 / US / 1980 / Vanderbes, Romano / mondo
This Is America 2 / Tämä on Amerikka 2. © International Talent Marketing. D: Romano Vanderbes. 100’ PAL. A copy of the 1982 video release by American-European Films / Starvideo. Finnish / Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. Includes an actual execution in an electric chair presented as entertainment. - There are several versions circulating of this title. The copy on hand is somewhat shortened. The cuts for the Finnish release were ordered by the Supreme Court of Administration in 1981.

Sinderella 1
R-000327 / 18 / US / 1992 / Thomas, Paul / / pornography
Sinderella 1 / Cinderella / Syntinen Tuhkimo. © Vivid Video. Released by Joker / Avidium. D: Paul Thomas. CAST: Savannah, Raquel Darian, P.J. Sparxx, Randy Spears. 74’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Bizarre Desire… Behind Private Doors
R-000166 / 18 / DE / 1990 / Videorama / / pornography
Bizarre Desire… Behind Private Doors. Aus der Serie Bizarre Hausfrauen. © Videorama. CAST: Dietmar Wileder, Norbert Schwarzbär, Marion Prax, Mareike Op De Keer. 70’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Submission
R-002619 / 18 / US / 1994 / Lincoln, F.J. / / pornography
Submission / Lydnad. © Wicked Pictures. A Max’s release. D: F.J. Lincoln. CAST: Chasey Lain, Jon Dough, Sahara Sands, Tiffany Mynx, Shelby Stevens, Randy West. 83’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

19 And Nasty
R-002621 / 18 / US / 1990 / Fox, Scotty / / pornography
19 And Nasty / 19 år och olydig!. © Moonlight Entertainment. Released by Bestseller. D: Scotty Fox. CAST: Lauren Hall, Mike Horner, Brigitte Monroe, Randy Spears, Sabrina Dawn. 75’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Seventeen 4
R-002641 / banned / NL / 1989 / Seventeen / / pornography
Seventeen 4 / Channel 17 - Seventeen 4. © Coer Est. Scala B.V. / Videorama. 63’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. - The models are under 18.

Mystic Museum
R-002662 / 18 / US / 1990 / Lee, Edward / / pornography
Mystic Museum. © Infinity Video. Released by SVD (Tampere). D: Edward Lee. CAST: Hans Mueller, Lon Flexx, Brian Estevez, Gino Colbert. 75’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Gummi pervers
R-000727 / 18 / DE / / Black Edition / / pornography
Gummi pervers. © Black Edition. 43’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. Rubber masks, geisha balls, feces eating. No actual assault or battery.

Assinine
R-002683 / 18 / US / 1991 / Davis, Mike / / pornography
Assinine / Mitt i stjärten. © Hole In One / Rectum Wreckers. Released by Metro-Film of Sweden. D: Mike Davis. CAST: Tabbetha Foxx, Johnny Angel, Tawnee, Don Fernando, T.T. Boy. 73’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Erotic Specials 7
R-002687 / 18 / / 1989 / / / pornography
Erotic Specials 7 / Das Superding 2. Intex B.V. / Scala B.V. / Videorama. 173’ PAL. No sound on tape. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Onanie
R-002780 / 18 / DE / / Moli / / pornography
Onanie / Onani - gör det själv. © MTC. A Magma release. D: Moli. CAST: Madeleine, Frederique, Gina, Jean, Stan. 158’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Das Fick-Atelier
R-002785 / 18 / DE / / Leigh, Maxwell / / pornography
Fick-Atelier, Das. PC: Goldwin - Victory Love. D: Maxwell Leigh. CAST: Genie, Melanie, Anett, Markus, Freddy. 70’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

All Star Climax Review
R-002813 / 18 / US / 1987 / / / pornography
All Star Climax Review. © VSX Home Video. Released by Intex / Scala B.V. 61’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Beverly Hills Exposed
R-002820 / 18 / US / 1985 / McCallum, Robert / pornography
Beverly Hills Exposed. © Essex. Released by Bestseller. D: Robert McCallum. CAST: Colleen Brennan, Harry Reems, Bunny Bleu, Tamara Longley, Mindy Rae, Jerry Butler. 80’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

La Parisienne
V-001727 / 18 / / / Dino / / pornography
Parisienne, La. PC: Moonrise Pictures. D: Dino. CAST: Karin Schubert, Gaelle Pererra, Solange, Christoff Grosso, Rocco Siffredi. 82’ PAL. Finnish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998. - This is the long version. The short 55’ version has been passed for 16.

Schulmädchen - heisse Hüpfer
R-002849 / 18 / NL / 1987 / Hansen, F. / / pornography
Schulmädchen - heisse Hüpfer. © Silwa Video. Released by Videorama / Scala B.V. D: F. Hansen. CAST: Linda Lundberg, Inga Petterson, Arne Lund, Eric Johnson. 80’ PAL. Swedish subtitles. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 24 March 1998.

Porn video watch 23 March 1998

Klaus Neumann: Geile Stuten - willige Hengste (DE 1992).

Spezialklinik Frau Doktor Kukumber Teil 3
R-002408 / 18 / DE / 1992 / Gum, Gustav / / pornography /
Spezialklinik Frau Doktor Kukumber 3. © Viola Video. Inkognito Produktions. D: Gustav Gum. CAST: Nataschka Kukumber, Schwester Karin, Pfleger Johannes, Tina Wilde. 87’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Young Girls - Best of Magma 2
R-002424 / 18 / DE / 1996 / Magma / / pornography
Young Girls - Best of Magma 2. © MTC. A Magma release. 178’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998. A compilation involving young girls, who are, however, over 18.

Bi & Beyond
R-000143 / 18 / US / 1987 / Norman, Paul / / pornography
Bi & Beyond. PC: Paladin Video. Released by Razzelvideo / Videorama. D: Paul Norman. CAST: Jeanne Fine, Kurt Bauer, Barbie Dahl, Michael Vincent. 77’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998. Bisexuality.

Geile Stuten - willige Hengste
R-002426 / 18 / DE / 1992 / Neumann, Klaus / pornography
Geile Stuten - willige Hengste. © MTC. D: Klaus Neumann. CAST: Anja Entinger, Hans Degen, Siggi Entinger, Mike Summer. 82’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Titten-Markler
R-001690 / 18 / DE / 1992 / Hunter, Roy / / pornography
Titten-Markler. © BB-Video. D: Roy Hunter. CAST: Jay Anja, Jeanette Ines, Alex Dieter, Jürgen Benny. 85’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Forbidden Lust
R-000618 / 18 / DE / / Alexander, Sascha / pornography
Forbidden Lust. © VTO. D: Sascha Alexander. CAST: Anne Marie Sommer, Ines Bergmann, Andre Vinouze, Jean-Pierre Armaud. 93’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Bondage Video 19
R-000240 / 18 / US / 1991 / California Star / / pornography
Bondage Video 19. © California Star. A Gold Medal release. 58’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Savage Ladies
R-001387 / 18 / / / Boss, Walt / / pornography
Savage Ladies. A Dorian McGray release. D: Walt Boss. CAST: Mona Lisa, Kristi Leigh, Nasty Heart, Stacy. 77’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Sweet Little Teeny 1 - je jünger, je geiler!
R-002512 / 18 / / / / / pornography /
Sweet Little Teeny 1 - je jünger, je geiler!. © ZBF. CAST: Simone Laboe, Juliane Duval. 85’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998. The models are over 18.

Big Tits - Peeping Tom
R-000156 / 18 / DE / / Moli / / pornography /
Big Tits - Peeping Tom. Released by Razzel Video / Sandbergs Video. D: Moli. CAST: Susi Dewall, Pat Fuchs, Katja Gillessen, Sonja Klaes. 84’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Jumbo Tits
R-002516 / 18 / US / 1987 / Keith, David / / pornography /
Jumbo Tits. © Big Top Video. D: David Keith. CAST: Trinity Loren, Lotta Topp, The Cajun Queen, Ron Jeremy. 79’ PAL. VHS projection for police investigation in Helsinki, VET, Monday 23 March 1998.

Der letzte Mann

013059 / G / DE / 1924 / Murnau, F.W. / / drama
Letzte Mann, Der / Viimeinen mies. PC: Ufa. EX: Erich Pommer. D: F.W. Murnau. SC: Carl Mayer. DP: Karl Freund. PD: Robert Herlth, Walter Röhrig. CAST: Emil Jannings (The Hotel Porter), Maly Delschaft (His Niece), Hans Unterkircher (The Hotel Manager). Music for live accompaniment composed by Giuseppe Becce. 2315 m /20 fps/ 101’. Silent b&w. There are several original versions of this film. - Yleisradio TV2 PAL transmission at midnight on 22 March 1998 of a ZDF reconstruction from 1983 by Gerd Luft and Jürgen Labenski, with a score by Giuseppe Becce and Werner Schmidt-Boelcke, based on a print from Münchner Filmmuseum, with Finnish subtitles by Pirkko Vikkula. Caught on Easter Sunday on VHS. **** This was the first viewing of this film for the general audience in Finland since its premiere. In the meantime, it has been a part of the basic film archive programming. - The ZDF version is complete, nothing is missing. Probably the pictorial quality has been enhanced in later restorations. The music was not bad, but I was happy to quickly turn it off. - ”All the tenants, in particular the female ones, are awed by his uniform, which, through its mere presence, seems to confer a mystic glamour upon their modest existence. They revere it as a symbol of supreme authority and are happy to be allowed to revere it” to quote Kracauer. As a storyteller Murnau is crude: he hammers home every point, overstating the obvious. As a creator of visions he still reigns supreme. His sense of composition is startling, and the space is kept alive with rain, steam, smoke, and moving reflections. The mobile camera, introduced in Scherben and Sylvester, was perfected here. The roving camera creates a sense of vertigo, which fits the theme of rise and fall - downfall and resurrection.

The Wings of the Dove

100659 / 12 / GB / 1997 / Softley, Iain / / drama
Wings of the Dove, The / Kyyhkyn siivet. © Miramax; Renaissance Dove. D: Iain Softley. SC: Hossein Amini - based on the novel (1902) by Henry James. DP: Eduardo Serra. PD: John Beard. ST: Sandy Powell. CAST: Helena Bonham Carter (Kate Croy), Linus Roache (Merton Densher), Alison Elliott (Milly Theale). 102’. Scope. DIST: Scanbox Finland. *** The novel by Henry James has never been translated into Finnish, so this is the first time this work is widely introduced in the country. - The Portrait of the Lady started the current cycle of Henry James adaptations; Washington Square is yet to be seen in Finland. The oblique style of Henry James is almost impossible to translate into cinema. The Portrait of the Lady lacked electricity. The Wings of the Dove is more moving. As I haven’t read the novel I’m not able to make comparisons, but I suspect that the more cinematic these films get the further they have to distance themselves from the novels. The strengths: the two female leads and the brilliant costume design. The weakness: the weak male lead. The final scene is very moving. But I prefer Softley’s debut film Backbeat very much to this.

El lugar sin limites

/ / MX / 1978 / Ripstein, Arturo / / drama
Lugar sin limites, El / Hell Without Limits.
    PC: Conacine Dos. P: Francisco del Villar. D: Arturo Ripstein. SC: Arturo Ripstein, José Emilio Pachero - based on the novel by José Donoso. DP: Miguel Garzón.
    C: Roberto Cobo (La Manuela), Lucha Villa, Ana Martín, Gonzalo Vega, Julian Pastor.
    110’. Colour. Academy.
    Worn, faded print with English subtitles.
    Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Thursday 19 March 1998.

* I was happy to leave after the first 45 minutes of the film.

It is like a canned play, taking place in a limited number of interiors, recorded by a static camera.

La Manuela is the transvestite who keeps a bordello together with his daughter La Japonita close to the border of Mexico. They are drawn to the brutal macho called Pancho.

El rincón de las vírgenes

/ / MX / 1972 / Isaac, Alberto / / drama
Rincón de las vírgenes, El / Nest of Virgins. PC: Estudios Churubusco. D+SC: Alberto Isaac - based on the short stories by Juan Rulfo. DP: Raul Martinez Solares, Daniel Savage. CAST: Alphonso Arau (Lucas Lucatero), Emilio Fernández (Anacleto Morotones), Rosalba Brambila (Leona Morones). 99’. Colour. Academy. Beautiful print with English subtitles. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Thursday 19 March 1998. *** I missed the first 10 minutes of the film. - The story takes place in the 1920s. A picaresque story of charlatans, this is a feast for the eyes. Bathing in glorious sunshine, the film consists of opulent visual scenes. Very sensual, and well acted.

Ulee’s Gold

V-003506 / 12 / US / 1997 / Nunez, Victor / / drama
Ulee’s Gold. © Orion Pictures. P+D+SC: Victor Nunez. DP: Virgil Marcus Mirano. CAST: Peter Fonda (Ulysses Jackson, ”Ulee”), Patricia Richardson (Connie Hope), Jessica Biel (Casey Jackson). 111’. Finnish subtitles by Movision. DIST: Scanbox Finland. VHS PAL projection in Helsinki, VET, Thursday 19 March 1998. *** In Florida, independent beekeeper Ulee Jackson is in the middle of the busiest season of gathering honey from the hives. His son Jimmy is in jail, his daughter-in-law is a junkie, his wife is dead, and he has two granddaughters to take care of. Now two partners of Jimmy appear. They are after a stash of money hidden by Jimmy and threaten at least to rape the women. Peter Fonda gives a surprise performance as the sympathetic stiff redneck, just the kind of guy that was caricatured in Easy Rider. It is a fine study in integrity and moral calibre.

L’Armée des ombres

079446 / 16 / FR / 1969 / Melville, Jean-Pierre / war
Armée des ombres, L’ / Tuntemattomat sankarit / Maanalainen armeija (video). PC: Films Corona (Nanterre), Fono Roma. EX: Jacques Dorfmann. P: Robert Dorfmann. D+SC: Jean-Pierre Melville - based on the novel by Joseph Kessel (1943). DP: Pierre Lhomme. AD: Théo Meurisse. CAST: Lino Ventura (Philippe Gerbier), Paul Meurisse (Luc Jardie), Simone Signoret (Mathilde), Jean-Pierre Cassel (Jean-François Jardie), Claude Mann (Le Masque), Christian Barbier (Le Bison). 143’. 1,66. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Mindele London / Maya Vanni. Print: SEA / Kinoyhtiö - short version, colour fading in some scenes, duration: 122’. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 18 March 1998. **** In Finnish cinemas, a short 122’ version of the film was released. The full version has only been seen on TV and on video. - I have never seen the full version of this film, and would rather wait for the chance of seeing it on the screen than checking the video, since this story about ”the army of the shadows” is very darkly lit. - Each of Melville’s three Resistance films - Le Silence de la mer, Léon Morin, and L’Armée des ombres - is very powerful, and they all have a new aspect to reveal. The first two are about passive resistance, and the last one, finally, about the active one, where Melville can draw on his own experience. The fact that the film so closely resembles Melville’s gangster films has been a cause for criticism. I would rather think that the gangster films have a metaphorical dimension: their sadness is based on the experience of the Occupation and the presence of Holocaust.

Out Of the Past

086840 / 16 / US / 1947 / Tourneur, Jacques / thriller
Out Of the Past / Menneisyyden varjot (HTV) / Varjot menneisyydestä (TV3 1987). © RKO. EX: Robert Sparks. P: Warren Duff. D: Jacques Tourneur. SC: Geoffrey Homes [= Daniel Mainwaring] [and Frank Fenton, James M. Cain] - based on the novel Build My Gallows High (1946) by Geoffrey Homes. DP: Nicholas Musuraca. AD: Albert S. D’Agostino. M: Roy Webb. Locations: Reno, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Acapulco. CAST: Robert Mitchum (Jeff Bailey / Jeff Martin), Jane Greer (Kathy Moffat), Kirk Douglas (Whit Sterling), Rhonda Fleming (Meta Carson), Virginia Huston (Ann Miller). 97’. B&w Academy. MPAA Seal 12082. A fine NFTVA print. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 17 March 1998. **** The first 35mm screening of this classic in Finland. Never released in this country in the cinemas nor on video, it has been previously shown at the Archive and transmitted on TV only on 16mm. - For the first time I had the chance to fully appreciate the moody poetry of Out of the Past. It is a dark, slow film, where even the daytime scenes of California invariably seem to take place under cloudy skies. Robert Mitchum gives an extremely powerful, laconic performance as Jeff Bailey, who has taken the effort to cut himself from his criminal past, but is caught again in the web of fate.

Going To Kansas City

A-027841 / 12 / FI / CA / 1997 / Mandart, Pekka / / drama
Going To Kansas City. © 3318991 Canada Inc. D: Pekka Mandart. CAST: Mikko Nousiainen, Michael Ironside, Melissa Galianos. 98’. 1,85. In English and Finnish. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Movision. DIST: Mandart Entertainment. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Tuesday 17 March 1998. ** The adventures of the Finnish exchange student in violent Kansas. Michael Ironside is good as the grim Sheriff and Melissa Galianos shows talent in the role as his daughter. Unfortunately, Mikko Nousiainen lacks the power it takes to carry the lead. Filmed in Québec.

Scream 2

/ / US / 1997 / Craven, Wes / / horror
Scream 2. © Miramax. D: Wes Craven. SC: Kevin Williamson. DP: Peter Deming. ”Cassandra Aria” by Danny Elfman. CAST: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox. 120’. Scope. MPAA 35667. DIST: Scanbox. Pre-examination as a VHS projection in Helsinki, VET, Monday 16 March 1998. *** More of the same: knowing teenage meta-horror expertly mounted by Wes Craven with a good cast. The soundtrack is excellent.

The Man In the Iron Mask

100653 / 12 / 9 / US / 1998 / Wallace, Randall / historical adventure
Man In the Iron Mask, The / Rautanaamio. © United Artists. D: Randall Wallace. Based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas. CAST: Leonardo Di Caprio (King Louis XIV / Philippe), Gabriel Byrne (D’Artagnan), John Malkovich (Athos), Gérard Depardieu (Porthos), Jeremy Irons (Aramis), Anne Parillaud (Queen Mother Anne), Judith Godrèche (Christine). 125’. 1,85. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Outi Kainulainen / Ditte Kronström. DIST: UIP Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Friday 13 March 1998. *** Exciting story about the last adventure of the Musketeers. I haven’t seen the versions with Douglas Fairbanks or Louis Hayward. This one is a reliable entertainment product. Historically it does not feel true, not even as a fantasy.

Macario

Roberto Gavaldón: Macario (MX 1960) starring Ignacio Lopez Tarso as Macario.

/ / MX / 1960 / Gavaldón, Roberto / fantastique
Macario. PC: Clasa Films Mundiales. P: Armando Orive Alba. D: Roberto Gavaldón. Based on the story by B. Traven. DP: Gabriel Figueroa. M: Raúl Lavista. CAST: Ignacio Lopez Tarso (Macario), Pina Pellicer (Macario’s wife), Enrique Lucero (Death), José Galvez (The Devil), José Luis Jiménez (God). 90’. B&w Academy. Print had bad definition. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Thursday 12 March 1998. *** It takes places on the Day of the Dead. The poor wood-cutter has been starving as long as he can remember. As his wife gives him a whole turkey to eat he meets Death, who gives him a vision in matters of life and death. As a miracle man he gets in trouble with the Inquisition. The final confrontation takes place in Death’s hall of candles. It is an effective sequence resembling Fritz Lang’s Der müde Tod.

Karmapa - Two Ways Of Divinity

A-027840 / G / FI / 1998 / Halonen, Arto / / documentary
Karmapa - Two Ways Of Divinity / Karmapa - jumaluuden kaksi tietä. © Art Films Production. D: Arto Halonen. SC: Arto Halonen, Viliam Poltikovic. DP: Timo Heinänen, Jari Pollari. M: Vesa Mäkinen. Narration: Peter Coyote. Featuring: Dalai Lama, Zhu Xiaoming, Shamar Rinpoche. 58’. 35mm, 1,66. DIST: Art Films Production. ”The Karmapa. A high leader of Tibetan Buddhism. A living Buddha. Now there are two of them. One in Tibet, a country occupied by China. The other exiled in India.” to quote the production notes.

Enamorada

/ / MX / 1946 / Fernández, Emilio / melodrama
Enamorada / A Woman In Love. PC: Panamerica Films, S.A. D: Emilio Fernández. DP: Gabriel Figueroa. CAST: Pedro Armendáriz (General José Juan Reyes), Maria Félix (Beatriz Peñafiel), Eugenio Rossi, Fernando Fernández. 99’. B&w Academy. English subtitles by Eurofilm USA. Print had good definition, reel 4 out of synch. Duration of screening 94’. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Wednesday 11 March 1998. ** A brutal revolutionary general arrives in town and falls desperately in love with a fine woman. Story has resemblances with The Taming of the Shrew. The most effective sequences are based on visual composition and music: the church scenes with ”Ave Maria” and the serenade scenes with ”Malegueña salerosa”.

The Ugly

100649 / 16 / NZ / 1996 / Reynolds, Scott / / drama
Ugly, The / Ruma. © Essential Films. For New Zealand Film Commission. D: Scott Reynolds. CAST: Paolo Rotondo (Simon, the killer), Rebecca Hobbs (Karen, the psychologist), Roy Ward. 91’. 1,85. DIST: Kamras Film Group. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Wednesday 11 March 1998. * The psychologist’s journey inside the mind of a pathological killer. Extremely stylized, this film concentrates on the mental only.

House of Strangers

Joseph L. Mankiewicz: House of Strangers (US 1949). Poster found on CineMaterial.com.

031703 / 16 / US / 1949 / Mankiewicz, Joseph L. / drama House of Strangers / Muukalaisten talo. © 20th Century-Fox. P: Sol C. Siegel. D: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. SC: Philip Yordan [and Joseph L. Mankiewicz, n.c.] – based on the novel I’ll Never Go There Any More by Jerome Weidman. DP: Milton Krasner. M: Daniele Amfitheatrof.
    CAST: Edward G. Robinson (Gino Monetti – father), Richard Conte (Max Monetti – son), Luther Adler (Joe Monetti – son), Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (Tony Monetti – son), Paul Valentine (Pietro Monetti – son), Susan Hayward (Irene Bennett), Debra Paget (Maria Domenico).
    101’. B&w Academy. MPAA Seal 13652. A fine NFTVA print. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 10 March 1998.

**** Since the premiere this film had not been re-released, nor transmitted on TV, nor been available on video, nor shown at the Archive before this. I saw it for the first time now. It is an extraordinary, powerful, compact drama about the fight between four brothers as their father loses grip of his banking business. It is related to The Brothers Karamazov and King Lear but has an original cinematic dynamic of its own.

Las abandonadas

/ / MX / 1944 / Fernández, Emilio / melodrama
Abandonadas, Las / Abandoned Women. PC: Films Mundiales. D: Emilio Fernández. DP: Gabriel Figueroa. CAST: Dolores del Río (Margarita Pérez), Pedro Armendáriz (Juan Gómez), Víctor Junco (Julio Cortázar / Margarito). 101’. B&w Academy. Light definition brilliant in reel 1, inconsistent during the rest of the film. English subtitles. Duration of screening 97’. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Tuesday 10 March 1998. ** Story of abandoned mother told with magnificent visual composition. Excellent performers and cinematography.

Mexican Non-Fiction From Pancho Villa To the Present Day

Nine non-fiction films from the collections of the Cineteca Nacional of Mexico, presented by its director, Alejandro Pelayo Rangel. Only some scattered documentaries remain from the silent era, but in them we meet the legendary revolutionary generals. Each general had a film unit, and Pancho Villa is said to have waited for the ideal lighting conditions before commanding his troops to attack. The print quality of all titles was poor. The b&w films had weak definition, and the colour of the colour films had faded. The prints were in Spanish, shown without subtitles or translation. The prints had the labels of the Filmoteca de la UNAM. Viewed in Helsinki, SEA, Cinema Orion, Monday 9 March 1998.
Entrevista Diaz - Taft (Porfirio Diaz Meets Taft, Hermanos Alva, 1909) 6’. 35mm b&w silent. One of the eldest surviving Mexican films.
Villa en Zacatecas (Pancho Villa Takes Zacatecas, 1914) 5’. 35mm b&w silent. Villa conquers the city of Zacatecas.
Banquete de Villa, Zapata y Vasconcelos (The Banquet of Pancho Villa, Emilio Zapata and Vasconcelos, 1914) 5’ 35mm b&w silent. The unique historical meeting of Villa and Zapata
Petroleo National, El (F. Gregorio Castillo, 1940) 8’. 35mm b&w. The history of oil in Mexico.
También ellos tienen illusiones (They Have Their Illusions, Too, Adolfo Garnica, 1954-1956) 15’. 16mm b&w. Two poor boys on a railway station.
Pulqueria ”La Rosita” (The Bar La Rosita, Esther Morales Gálvez, 1964) 17’. 16mm b&w. Boy & alcoholic dad.
Mural efimero (The Moment of the Mural, Raúl Kamffer, 1968) 9’. 16mm colour. Political mural in 1968.
Estrellas sobre Acapulco (Stars Over Acapulco, 1968) 2’. 16mm colour. The massacre in Mexico City in 1968.
Quinto jinete, El (The Fifth Horseman, Alfredo Gurrola, 1980) 21’. 35mm colour. A collage on pollution.

Welcome To Sarajevo

100645 / 16 / GB / 1997 / Winterbottom, Michael / drama
Welcome To Sarajevo / Tervetuloa Sarajevoon. © Channel Four Films; Miramax Films. P: Graham Broadbent, Damian Jones. D: Michael Winterbottom. SC: Franc Cottrell Boyce - based on the book Natasha’s Story by Michael Nicholson. DP: Daf Hobson. M: Adrian Johnston. CAST: Stephan Dillane (Henderson), Woody Harrelson (Flynn), Marisa Tomei (Nina), Kerry Fox (Jane Carson), Emira Nusevic (Emira). 101’. Scope. In English and Bosnian. MPAA R = 17. BBFC: 15. Sweden: 15. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Janne Staffans. DIST: Buena Vista International Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 9 March 1998. *** Sarajevo 1992 has been announced by the UN ”the 14th most dangerous place on Earth”. ITN reporter Henderson finds an orphanage near the front lines and decides to adopt Emira, one of the children. This is a stark drama about journalists keen on hot coverage while people are bleeding under their very eyes. It is also about the possibilities of true commitment.

Wag the Dog

100647 / G / US / 1997 / Levinson, Barry / / political satire
Wag the Dog / Häntä heiluttaa koiraa. © New Line Productions. P: Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Barry Levinson. D: Barry Levinson. SC: Hilary Henkin, David Mamet - based on the novel American Hero by Larry Beinhart. DP: Robert Richardson. M: Mark Knopfler. CAST: Dustin Hoffman (Stanley Motss), Robert De Niro (Conrad Brean), Anne Heche (Winifred Ames), Woody Harrelson (Sgt. William Schumann), Denis Leary (Fad King), Willie Nelson (Johnny Green). 97’. 1,85. MPAA 35158. R = 17. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 9 March 1998. **** Brilliant political satire about media wizards who can manage any situation when the President’s reputation is at stake. It is 11 days to the election, and the President has been implicated in an intimate encounter with a Girl Scout. The President’s spin doctor (De Niro) hires a major Hollywood producer (Hoffman) to manage an international crisis with Albania where the President has several opportunities to show off. The story is brisk and devilish, and the dialogue is so full of sharp jokes that one has to see the film a few more times to fully enjoy them.

Straw Dogs

080285 / 18 / GB / 1971 / Peckinpah, Sam / / thriller
Straw Dogs / Olkikoirat. © ABC Pictures. P: Daniel Melnick. D: Sam Peckinpah. SC: David Goodman - based on the novel The Siege of Trencher’s Farm by Gordon M. Williams [= J. Anderson Black]. DP: John Coquillon. M: Jerry Fielding. CAST: Dustin Hoffman (David Sumner), Susan George (Amy Sumner), David Warner (Henry Niles the village idiot), Del Henney (Charlie Venner), Ken Hutchison (Norman Scutt). - The title comes from Lao-Tse: ”Heaven and Earth are ruthless and treat the countless creatures like straw dogs. The wise man is ruthless and treats people like straw dogs”. The ancient Chinese sacrificed straw dogs instead of living animals. - Filmed on location in the west of England and in Twickenham Film Studios. - Original version 118’. US release version: 113’. TV Nelonen PAL transmission with commercial breaks on Friday, 6 March 1998 (midnight). This was a special in-between cut: subtracting the commercial breaks it would run 115’48” at 24 fps. Finnish subtitles by Jari Bohm / Pre-Text. Caught on VHS in Helsinki. *** The Finnish TV premiere of a film which is not available on video because of the Finnish Video Act. - The astromathematician David and his wife Amy seek peace from the turbulence of the U.S. campuses in Amy’s little home village in Cornwall. They soon meet the village idiot and five hellraisers who get dangerous when drunk. The violence escalates - Amy gets raped and the teenager Nadine strangled - and in the final bloodbath the small, peace-loving David has to defend himself. ”I don’t know my way home”. ”Me neither”. This grim tale, no longer scandalous at least in the version transmitted, neither condemns nor glorifies violence as self-defence. Violence is shown as necessary in an extreme situation, but violence is not entertaining: it just depresses and brutalizes everybody who survives. - The film has a Jewish subtext; having had a double Scotch David quips to the priest that Christianity has not been able to put a stop to bloodshed.