We need more erotica on Blu-ray

[McCrutchy]

Hi all,

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the double-standard, both in the USA and elsewhere, when it comes to erotica.

I use the word "erotica" to encompass all sorts of material, from erotic mainstream films, to softcore titles, all the way through to XXX.

It strikes me that there are three large Blu-ray markets in the world: The USA, Germany and Japan. The USA is the only one not to routinely release erotic films on Blu-ray.

Germany has recently released almost twenty Jess Franco and Erwin C. Dietrich titles to Blu-ray (including ones indexed by the German FSK for various reasons) and more are coming shortly. They have a thriving market of softcore titles, and a decent number of hardcore titles, according to the FSK18 section of Bluray-disc.de. Mascotte Film will begin releasing classic Euro hardcore titles in July.

Japan has an even more diverse market of Blu-ray erotica, which runs the gamut from mainstream-type to XXX. Unfortunately, most of the narrative content is not English-friendly, and hardcore titles are censored and not sold directly outside of Japan.

The USA has very little, by comparison. Yes, Redemption produce a small amount of erotic mainstream or horror titles, and Cult Epics have released Tinto Brass films, but beyond that, there is practically nothing.

I remember reading years ago for instance, that Playboy had no plans to release on Blu-ray, and indeed, they have not released a single title. None of the softcore cable movies or series we have produced are coming either, and even Kino is releasing the Red Shoe Diaries titles on DVD-only.

It even gets hypocritical with Asylum titles. This release magically disappeared and went DVD-only, and this one went DVD-only from the beginning. So a label that will release the scourge of narrative films on Blu-ray (including tons of monster and horror titles) suddenly gets cold feet from some T&A?

Hardcore companies seem to have dropped the ball entirely, and if you look on the adult side of DVD Empire, almost all of the Blu-rays are of Asian girls. That's great, but more variety is needed.

I know we have this stupid double-standard in the USA, and everybody is embarrassed to admit that they like seeing naked people...whatever. I have very little shame left, and since I'm a straight guy, I want to see women, but hey, I also totally get wanting to see hot guys in 1080p as well.

I really think that erotica is meant to be enjoyed in high quality, and I would love to see more labels step up and release erotic content of all types and genres on Blu-ray...so here is an anonymous poll: Vote if you agree or disagree.

I promise your mother/father/dog/cat is not going to find out if you vote "yes" if you don't want them to.

[Se.Vero]

you forgot to mention (or dont know) vinegar syndrome! i think you will like this label.;-) worth checking!

[Jar Jar Stinks]

Isn't it the conventional wisdom that pornography is the driver of technology? If that was true, we'd have all kinds of titles on BD. It was certainly the case with the proliferation of vhs and DVD; however, that was before streaming video fully bloomed. Most pornography today is ephemeral. In many cases, story has been eliminated and it's just sex. With the availability of porn on the web, who really wants to own this stuff besides obsessive perpetually single guys?

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Se.Vero

you forgot to mention (or dont know) vinegar syndrome! i think you will like this label.;-) worth checking!

I know Vinegar Syndrome, but yes, they did slip my mind.

I guess I don't think of them immediately when it comes to erotica on Blu-ray. Most of their Blu-ray titles are less erotic and more horror.

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Isn't it the conventional wisdom that pornography is the driver of technology? If that was true, we'd have all kinds of titles on BD.

Pornographic companies have moved online, and as I understand it, most of them are fighting for survival because their online-only distribution makes them an easy target for pirates. They are hardly at the forefront of technology. If this was true, you would have seen hundreds of pornographic titles on LaserDisc, back when that was the enthusiast choice over VHS.

Personally, I would be happy to buy pornography on Blu-ray, if it was well-produced and erotic.

[Jar Jar Stinks]

I think demand drives what ends up on Blu-ray. If it's economically viable then it will get produced. Production values in porn typically fall short of just about any other type of filmed entertainment. With that said, I think most consumers don't care about about Blu-ray quality. And, again, the market has changed. Previously, rentals drove the market for porn on VHS and DVD. That model has disappeared. Unless you can convince Red Box to start carrying porn titles, I believe porn on Blu-ray will be niche thing.

[Kristian Idol]

I dunno, didn't I see a bunch of adult Blus at Fry's a year or two ago? They had a section with a little wooden barrier hiding 3/4 of the covers.

And eBay has an Adult Only section (under "Everything Else" at bottom of category list) that looks like it currently has 2400 listings under Blu-ray...

[TheHighRoller]

Speaking of Erotica, it would be so awesome if Madonna, Steven Meisel, and Fabien Baron decided to scan her Making of Sex footage in 2K (as I think they used 8mm and 16mm) or even 4K, and release it on Blu-ray as an art piece. They could release it as a limited edition with proceeds going to AIDS charities or something.

Apparently she gave out copies on VHS to close friends for her book launch party.

[TheHighRoller]

By the way, I feel that XXX is best if it's on files/streaming. Like who still buys that stuff on discs? lol.

Erotica titles (and art in the form of film) is ok though I guess. Although I wouldn't buy any of it since it's not my thing.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

Speaking of Erotica, it would be so awesome if Madonna, Steven Meisel, and Fabien Baron decided to scan her Making of Sex footage in 2K (as I think they used 8mm and 16mm) or even 4K, and release it on Blu-ray as an art piece. They could release it as a limited edition with proceeds going to AIDS charities or something.

Apparently she gave out copies on VHS to close friends for her book launch party.

So, there is an erotica title that you want, but then:

Originally Posted by TheHighRoller

By the way, I feel that XXX is best if it's on files/streaming. Like who still buys that stuff on discs? lol.

Erotica titles (and art in the form of film) is ok though I guess. Although I wouldn't buy any of it since it's not my thing.

You make a blanket statement like that?

Why would Sex get released on Blu-ray then? You would buy it, but you wouldn't buy it?

With niche markets, you guys cannot make blanket statements like that. Every distributor reads them and immediately thinks about the titles they own.

And remember this: One person's erotica is another person's pornography.

To take the example from TheHighRoller again, I know many people were shocked by Sex when the book was released, and there are still many who would say that the filmed footage from it should not be on Blu-ray.

And, for the record, I don't believe downloads and files are appropriate for any form of audiovidual content that is meant to be owned or preserved in any way.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

And remember this: One person's erotica is another person's pornography.

I remember when they HAD to show that soft-focus European crap in arthouse theaters, because VHS and Cinemax weren't invented yet, and everyone used "classy import" as a convenient excuse.
(As a result, I was one of the few in the theater who got the "Laura Antonelli" joke in Ghostbusters II.)

I'm not saying we're better off today, but we are less desperate.

[Sky_Captain]

Acne and razor burn in HD. No thanks.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I'll take my porn in the LIVE format thank you very much!

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

Acne and razor burn in HD. No thanks.

Yep, I remember a lot of statements early in the format about how they were discovering HD porn was usually a really bad thing since it was just revealing a ton of flaws that ran counter to the intent of porn in the first place. It made it too "real," haha.

[JeffTheMovieGuy]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

Acne and razor burn in HD. No thanks.

Haha

[I KEEL YOU]

Funny how the blu ray format looks to have been just a fad in the porn industry for a relatively short period in the late 00s and early 10s while plenty of DVDs are still being released.

I guess DVDs are good enough because porn is nothing but close-ups and there isn't a huge difference between the very best blu rays and a DVD in close ups, certainly nowhere near as big as panoramic shots where fine detail is more distinguishable.

It's still weird that so many porn releases are 2 disc DVD sets, when they could easily fit on a single blu ray. I guess even making two DVDs is cheaper than one blu ray for the industry.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Isn't it the conventional wisdom that pornography is the driver of technology?

There's a common assumption that pornography has driven the advances of internet technology. I'm not so sure, though. I have always thought that internet technology was driven by annoying cat owners who believe that the entire world loves their cats as much as they do.

In response to the original post...

I like the idea of certain softcore erotica titles from years past (the Tinto Brass movies, movies starring Christina Lindberg, etc.) being upgraded to Blu-ray, if possible. I'm not sure if I would actually buy such titles, but it would be nice to know that they are around.

As far as hardcore is concerned, there are some things that I have no desire to see in high definition.

In terms of watching sexy people on Blu-ray, my collection of James Bond 007 movies and my classic film noir movies fill the void. The movies have some of the most seductive women out there, and there's plenty left to the imagination.

[HD Goofnut]

Plastic surgery scars in HD. Just what I want.

[Sundance]

Would be great if Synapse (or someone else) were able to release more roman pornos on Blu-Ray but it's probably some sort of a miracle they were even able to release one (Fairy In A Cage). Nikkatsu produced and distributed over 1100 of these but if we ignore the one disc by Synapse, how many of the films are on Blu in the whole world including Japan? Zero.

(Hundreds are on DVD in Japan so it's not like they don't release them at all. In 2014 16 discs out already with 7 of them first time on DVD).

[Todd Tomorrow]

Erotic films aren't really a favourite genre of mine as I only very rarely find them erotic. I have no problem with explicit sex in dramatic films though. I think I prefer for sex in films to shed light on the characters in a drama rather than the drama to be engineered to facilitate sex scenes. I quickly tend to get bored with erotica.

I'm not going to vote though as I respect the wishes of those who would like to see more erotica on film and I'm in no way morally opposed to it.

[TheHighRoller]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

To take the example from TheHighRoller again, I know many people were shocked by Sex when the book was released, and there are still many who would say that the filmed footage from it should not be on Blu-ray.

And, for the record, I don't believe downloads and files are appropriate for any form of audiovidual content that is meant to be owned or preserved in any way.

Wouldn't you think that if I wanted the Making of Sex to be released on Blu-ray, then it is obviously NOT included in the rest of the list of Erotica titles I wouldn't want to own?

Honestly, the only Erotica release I would love to have would be Sex, and mostly because it's art (the rest would be due to it's mythological nature among her community). And it's not even meant to turn people on in the way that porn does, even though it's considered soft core. I first bought the book a few years ago when I was in my early teens, and I didn't see it as porn. It's technically considered Erotica, but I see it as art. Everything from the way it is designed, to presented. And the video is an extension of that.


And who are you to say that "many people" don't want it released on Blu-ray? In fact, I know basically every member of her fan community would love to see this in high definition. In a way, it serves as an extended music video of sorts. Granted, we don't want some low-brow $5 release. Like I said, it would be awesome to have this get a limited pressing with proceeds going to a good cause.


As for porn, I don't believe it deserves to be preserved as it's not artistic. People get off to help others get off. I would personally be ashamed to buy any porn Blu-rays or DVDs in-store.