American Stag - ACMI Cinemas July 20, 2007

Plundering his own personal archive of 'stag' films, award-winning director Ben Meade's entertaining documentary provides a fascinating reflection on the 'naughty' aspect of American filmmaking - when 'blue movies' were exhibited in smoke-filled, men-only rooms in halls or Elks' lodges.

Spanning over five decades of cinema history, from the 1920s to the 1960s, Meade traces the lost and forgotten history of the popular erotic movie, from the scratchy, the silent, the out of focus, the under-the-counter, the raunchy, the downright sleazy to the even openly exploitative.

These fossils of underground sex culture are hilariously interspersed with commentary and recollections from cinephiles to sex experts, including the likes of Melvin van Peebles and Barbara Hammer.

Is the thrill of 'stag' dead? We invite you to decide.

Official Website: http://www.acmi.net.au/freaky_american_stag.jsp