Refinements in Love at the Fox

Chatted with "porn archaelogist" Dimitrios Otis at the Ed Wood screening the other week (see below); enjoyed his presentation and enjoyed the film, though jeez, closeups of genitals do tend to look a wee bit disgusting on the big screen - especially those pimples-and-all '70's genitals, y'know? (I always think of Terry Southern's phrase from Blue Movie, I believe it was, where he calls the "master shot" - of a ginormous, hairy male ass with thrusting baggage and appendage below doin' the old in-and-out - the "monster shot"). Still, the film (and Otis' presentation on the same) was very entertaining and indeed very Ed Wood. Nice to see he's doing another event while he's still in town, on the 28th at the Fox with Robin Bougie (who will also be at the free Vancaf event this weekend at the Roundhouse, see below for more on that, too). This new event seems pretty self-explanatory - obscure horny 70's pseudo-documentary on sex, with personable presenters present - so I'm not going to trouble him for another email interview, but this is cut and pasted off his Facebook page... I should also mention, however, that people have actually written a bit on this film on IMDB and you can get more information about it there, that there are a couple of stills from the DVD release of the film here, too, and again, a bit more description; Robin Bougie's Facebook page for the event is here. Here's Dimitrios:

Another slice of Vancouver-as-X-rated-museum screens at The Fox Cabaret on May 28, presented by “porn archeologist” Dimitrios Otis and Robin “Cinema Sewer” Bougie.

Refinements in Love is an obscure 1971 porn-documentary directed by the legendary Carlos Tobalina. Unavailable for decades, an original 35mm print of it was found by Otis behind the screen at the late Fox Cinema – now the restored result will show at the now-Fox Cabaret in this year’s most lurid homecoming.

Refinements in Love contains everything you’d ever want in vintage porno---garish colour, aging sexpot hostess, earnest folky theme song, behind-the-scenes footage, quasi-academic narration about the positive effects on society of free love (and, apparently, nuclear war if we do not get sexually liberated), bizarre medically-oriented fantasy-sex sequences, and an early uncredited screen appearance by cult sex actress Rene Bond.

And of course you will HEAR the remarkable story of how a gang of white porn hounds were handed the keys to the last 35mm porn theatre one night and unreeled this funky celluloid gem to their shock and awe---and you will SEE the amazing panels of the original mini-comic book created by artist Phil Barrett to commemorate the event.

Refinements in Love – Thursday May 28 @ 8:00pm, The Fox Cabaret, 2321 Main Street
Introduced by Robin Bougie and Dimitrios Otis w/ Q&A