The narrator speaks in the sort of stentorian tones that used to explain photosynthesis, democracy, or continental drift in eighth-grade classroom films. But this time, he says: "This is marijuana. Official name, cannabis sativa. Its mind-expanding power has been known for two thousand years. The secret of its sexual power has only been whispered about -- until now!"
Shortly thereafter, a perky, ’70s-era woman tells the camera, as if endorsing a new brand of detergent: "I'm sold! Marijuana is the greatest sexual stimulant since they invented the 12-inch penis. And a hell of a lot easier to find!"
Thus begins Aphrodisiac! The Sexual Secret of Marijuana, a riotous specimen of what might be called the docu-porn -- or maybe pornumentary? -- genre of the ’60s and ’70s, in which droolingly prurient, even hardcore, material is presented in the guise of earnest educational enrichment. This 1971 artifact includes appearances by luminaries ranging from little-person actor Billy Curtis, famed for being small, to John Holmes, famed for being large.
The 1973 flick The Hottest Show in Town rounds out the double feature.
Fri., Aug. 8, 9 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 9, 9 p.m., 2008
