Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture: Volume 1
Overview -
Protect the children! The youth of America is at risk by the scourge of unplanned pregnancy and social diseases in Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture: Volume 1 Mom and Dad. An elaborate hygiene film, Mom and Dad lays it out bare that parents need to be much more involved in educating their children about sex education and the consequences of abstinence-only ignorance. Kino Lorber and Something Weird joined forces to deliver Mom and Dad to Blu-ray with a solid A/V transfer and a host of bonus features to pick through. If you love graphic educational exploitation material - Mom and Dad is Recommended.
Mom and Dad: In the 75 years since its initial release, Kroger Babb’s Mom and Dad has achieved mythical cinematic status. It was a film that, during the height of the Production Code, not only dared to address issues of venereal disease and unexpected pregnancy but presented graphic footage of bodies scarred by syphilis and multiple unobstructed views of childbirth. So sensational was the film (and so different were the audiences’ motivations for seeing it) that screenings were commonly segregated by gender. Furthermore, screenings were presented with a live sex hygiene lecturer, who underscored the film’s educational value and sold informational pamphlets. It became one of the highest-grossing films of the 1940s, yet for decades has been unavailable for screening. The original negative has succumbed to nitrate decomposition, but this authorized presentation has been mastered from three separate 35mm elements. It is presented with a wealth of supplemental material to illuminate why Mom and Dad became such a phenomenon, and continues to fascinate audiences even now.
Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take
The moral lesson movie is nothing new. As soon as someone could mic a pompous dolt on a crusade, there's been a movie about their personal passion project of which they take a highfalutin stand for the good of the people. Mom and Dad is that sort of a movie but one that is actually a benefit to society. Sex education. Not just what goes where, but more importantly the risks of unprotected sex from young women becoming "in trouble" as well as the scourge of social diseases - shown in graphic and often uncomfortable detail.
Mom and Dad - the movie portion - plays much like a Mystery Science Theater 3000 short - Jimmy from the I Accuse My Parents episode is even the boyfriend that gets the poor young high school girl "into trouble!" The acting is about as wooden as a fresh cut oak. The themes and moralizing of the film are just as thick - but most impressively is how frank this film was for the 1940s. It's almost refreshing to see a film like this that doesn't shy away from the obvious.
When Mom and Dad was originally released it became a midnight favorite because youngsters were interested in trying to see some nudity. Little did they know what they were in for! The entertainment value of this movie lays squarely on the overly dramatic melodrama movie. It's great for some inebriated riffing. The education movie after is sobering to say the least! If you're at all squeamish best keep your hands ready to cover your eyes. Kino Lorber and Something Weird's partnership for their new line of Forbidden Fruit titles is off to a great start!
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture: Volume 1 Mom and Dad arrives on Blu-ray thanks to Kino Lorber in a single disc release. Pressed on a Region-Free disc, the disc is housed in a standard Blu-ray case. The disc loads directly to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.
Video Review
This transfer was sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm archival elements from the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Overall this 1.37:1 transfer is damned impressive - especially when you consider films of this genre and vintage weren't intended to last very long. Their tenure of service was limited. It's the fact that this film became an often-banned must-see event movie that kept it alive this long. As a whole, it's pretty nice looking but there are cooked in scratches and some sporadic speckling throughout. With the modest - and expected - age-related damage out of the way, details are impressive giving clarity to the drama film as well as the often horrific medical scenes. If you're a student of this sort of educational exploitation film this transfer offers a lot to be appreciated.
Audio Review
With a DTS HD MA mono track, Mom and Dad enjoys some auditory liveliness. This is largely a dialog/music movie with very little action or anything else to give the mix any bounce. As such any spoken word is crystal clear and the music can be mighty dramatic worthy of your favorite daytime soap opera. In the last half of the movie when the "hygiene" portion kicks in it's 100% voice-over dialog that can sound a bit flat without much inflection. There's some modest hiss but it doesn't distract. There is the to be expected pops and cracks here and there, but nothing serious.
Special Features
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Audio Commentary featuring author Eric Schaefer
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Sex Hygiene - directed by John Ford
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Sex Lectures
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The Story of Bob and Sally
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Not Wanted (The Wrong Rut
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Life and its Secrecies
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Human Wreckage
Final Thoughts
Kino Lorber and Something Weird's new line of Forbidden Fruit Golden Age Exploitation movies is off to an interesting start with Mom and Dad. One part moralizing melodrama one part hygiene film, it offers the sort of tantalizing exploitation content that curious youngsters of the 1940s would find hard to resist - and wish they had! Kino Lorber delivers a great Blu-ray release featuring a strong A/V presentation as well as a bunch of extra bonus features including an audio commentary and some extra sex lecture films worth taking a look at for the curious. Recommended.
