Shortbus and the new genre, “porndramedy”
You’ve heard of this “dramedy” movie genre where they combine drama and comedy, right? Well now there’s “porndramedy” (that’s what I’m calling it) where they combine drama, comedy, and porn. If you want a good movie to see over the holidays, go down to Kinopalatsi and check out “Shortbus“. It’s about these people in NYC facing problems with relationships, sexuality, depression. A sex therapist is trying to get her first orgasm, a gay couple introduces a third to their relationship, a dominatrix has all kind of issues. They all visit this underground club called “Shortbus” where orgies and drugs take place. (”Shortbus” is the name kids give to the short yellow school bus that the mentally disabled kids take to school)
It’s a great indie film if you can get past the graphic gay orgies, ass sucking, and guys masturbating into their own mouths (and they show *everything*) - If you’re a bit skirmish squeamish about seeing gay men kiss, I promise you’ll quickly get over that phobia after seeing one guy sing America’s national anthem into another guy’s asshole.
But what’s so interesting about it is that it’s the first time I’ve heard of combining hardcore porn with an actual movie. Has anyone seen Shortbus? With the rise in independent films, do you think we’ll see more of this genre?
from 22.12. onwards at kino engel:
http://nyt.hs.fi/menot/haku?newSearch=true&searchDuration=5&searchWord=Shortbus
Comment by m — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
So basically it’s just porn but with slightly better-than-average script and actors? I think mixing porn and drama like this is not going to be very successful. Porn audience want to see porn, they’re bored with the drama part. On the other hand, drama audience do not necessarily want to be faced with hardcore porn, so they might skip this film altogether.
It’s a bit like mixing milk and beer. Why would anyone do that? Some people like to drink beer and others like milk but I bet very few people would think of drinking beermilk. Especially when one remembers that milk tends to coagulate when mixed with alcohol.
Comment by Ã…boy — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 1:45 pm
“But what’s so interesting about it is that it’s the first time I’ve heard of combining hardcore porn with an actual movie.”
Ever heard of Baise-moi, Fuck me in english.
Sort of a very violent hardcore porn version of Thelma and Louise.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249380/
Comment by Blah — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 2:34 pm
And according to IMDB the film was “banned in Australia. It was initially released to a select audience but the Commonwealth government, by use of police force, closed down the screenings.”
Comment by Blah — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
Australia has legalized brothels, but banned this film!?!?
Comment by Phil — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 2:45 pm
Yes according to the IMDB
Comment by Blah — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 2:53 pm
Shortbus and Baise-moi may be the first signs of the totally different sense of intimacy and visuality that the next generation has/will have. Google brings us information on celebrities sex life as easily as on their public speeches and the hardcore scenes may soon affect the audience less than toothbrushing. The barrier between personal and public really can’ exist for very long any more, not after ~150 seasons of BigBrother played worldwide.
Comment by Qtea — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 4:39 pm
Australia has legalized brothels, but banned this film!?!?
It might be the gay content. Some countries have double standards for depicting straight and gay action.
Comment by Ã…boy — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
Shortbus and Baise-moi may be the first signs of the totally different sense of intimacy and visuality that the next generation has/will have.
Always for a reaction there’s a counter-reaction. I don’t think new generations will necessarily be more open in regards of intimacy, their sexuality or about their private life. In the 1960’s everyone thought that the sexual revolution would totally change how people will live. Although some things changed others didn’t.
Comment by Ã…boy — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
Oh and then there is Intimacy but it’s very very mild compared to these two
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256103/
Comment by Blah — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 6:17 pm
do you think we’ll see more of this genre?
So you’ve never seen “French Art Movies”
oh man…
Comment by Hank W. — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 7:02 pm
Australia has legalized brothels, but banned this film!?!?
Anglosphere countries are the champions of double standards.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Dec 20th, 2006 @ 9:37 pm
YIKES!….YUCK!…gag me with a spoon,growdy to the max,i’m so sure…
infinndel finally admits to being offended…
Comment by inFINNdel — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 1:54 am
The film is not banned in Australia at all. Is currently screening at Dendy cinemas.
Check out the director’s other film Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Comment by helsidni — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 4:44 am
If I ever want to traumatise Daniel for life and make him sing loud LALALALALA for months, I’ll get this on DVD and show it to him without a content warning.. LOL (Not that he’s homophobic at all, but he’d NOT want to see something that graphic) =D
Comment by Stello — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 5:30 am
#14
Do you mean Baise-moi or Shortbus, as according to the IMDB Baise-moi is or was banned in Australia
Comment by Blah — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 12:16 pm
Shortbus was not banned. Not sure about Baise-moi.
Comment by helsidni — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 2:39 pm
Anglosphere countries are the champions of double standards.
I just heard this morning that Finland gives out needles for free to IV drug users, yet if we catch you with heroin we throw you in jail. Talk about a double standard! (although, I think all modern countries do needle exchange)
Comment by Phil — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 3:54 pm
#18
You know why they do these needle exchanges? Do you think the same way about sex education, that teaching how to use the condom promotes sex among teenagers? And thats just wrong isn’t it?
Comment by Blah — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 4:40 pm
You should write a separate post on needle exchange, Phil ;).
Comment by Qtea — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 5:30 pm
A good Australian Film for you guys to watch is “Bad Boy Bubby”
Comment by Hank W. — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
I just heard this morning that Finland gives out needles for free to IV drug users
You just heard this morning? Given that you’ve expressed an interest in drug policy, this is pretty shocking. You need to get out of the barrel you’re apparently living in (Espoo certainly qualifies) and step up your efforts to learn Finnish OR Swedish. Lest you become a welfare-statist zombie brainwashed by Hesari, you might want to consider subscribing to HBL to get an alternative viewpoint.
Yes, the needle exchange/drug counseling centres (called “Vinkki”) have been in operation for about 10 years now. They were set up as a response to the mid-to-late 90s HIV epidemic among IV drug users. Initially they raised quite a ruckus among the flower-hatted aunties who argued that by providing clean needles they are encouraging CRIME. (As in: now that I have this shiny new syringe that I spontaneously decided to pick up, I just gotta go buy me some heroin and shoot it up, man). The health officials laid out the hard numbers: how many HIV infections we’ll have in a given time is something is not done. This shut the aunties up. The epidemic was quickly put under control.
Contrast this with Estonia, which has left dealing with the HIV problem to the invisible hand and now has the highest HIV infection rate outside Africa. Yes, higher than e.g. Thailand.
Of course, I am not in any way suggesting that Finland is dealing with drug problems in an optimal manner. For instance, there are no decent maintenance treatment programs with either buprenorphine or methadone. One guy (Dr. Pentti Karvonen) tried to offer buprenorphine maintenance treatment and was jailed for a long time. Shameful.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, Dec 21st, 2006 @ 9:02 pm
Human sexuality is a powerful thing, and it makes sense to try and depict it accurately in drama. I’m not too keen on the gay porno part though. No offense to the other team, but that stuff usually makes me sick to my stomach.
Comment by giustino — Fri, Dec 22nd, 2006 @ 5:24 pm
Special ed, hardcore porn, drama and comedy. Sounds like Idioterne (a.k.a The Idiots) by Lars von Trier: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0154421/
“Group fuck! Group fuck!”
Well it only has that one scene, but still.
Comment by saempy — Sat, Dec 23rd, 2006 @ 6:35 am
The concept of combining film genre is intriguing, and I believe would be welcomed by a large audience. The combinations of situations, emotions, and reactions are much wider range.
There will always be devotees to any pure film category. The more simple-minded people that ONLY watch porn, or romantic comedy, or frat-house comedy, or disaster, or war movies, or whatever, will not consider ANY of the other forms of entertainment, and certainly not an unconventional mix.
However, other audience members, already quite familiar with the “pure” styles… as viewed gain and again, have grown to find the plots, jokes, rescues, whatever, quite predictable and ready for a fresh approach. A blending of reality and fantasy, as porn, comedy & drama, does actually more closely reflect real life, and is equally unpredictable.
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