Videotique opened its first store in a bustling gay neighborhood and thrived by offering everything from lesbian porn to foreign films – its Dyke Dramas series was instrumental in cementing its place as a cultural hub.
Retailers that rely on adult films say it is crucial for them to ensure that these titles do not breach obscenity laws and keep customers coming back for new releases.
3D Adult Films
Adult film producers appear to be enthusiastically welcoming 3D stereoscopic technology into their productions. Some producers, like Hustler Video’s This Ain’t Avatar XXX 3D are starting to release movies featuring it; Penthouse Magazine has begun filming some new 3D material; while an iPhone company offers glasses-free technology to enable viewers to experience 3D without glasses.
3D cinema has been around for nearly 100 years, but sexually explicit movies using it did not debut until the 1960s. Many may remember Stewardesses and Prison Girls which hit theaters using anaglyph 3D while others may recall watching some XXX 3D flicks such as Lollipop Girl in Hard Candy or Disco Dolls in Hot Skin from this era.
Vidmax produced three 3D films during the 90s that featured both straight and gay erotic titles using Sequential Field 3D technology, which required viewers to wear cumbersome electronic shutter glasses. Unfortunately, their popularity quickly dissipated as most consumers found these glasses uncomfortable and inconvenient; soon thereafter Vidmax went bankrupt shortly after releasing these first three 3D films.
More recently, adult filmmakers have tried to capitalize on James Cameron’s success with Avatar by producing 3D porn. But due to lower budgets and greater dependence on video sales than Hollywood studios do, adult film projects don’t see as quick a return on their investments as mainstream films do.
Adult 3D films are slowly making their way into video stores. London Gunn Films’ 2009 title Tommy Gunn’s Cummin’ At You can now be purchased in 3D format and will subsequently be rereleased as a polarized version once enough viewers purchase TVs compatible with 3D technology later this year.
Further, numerous companies now make headsets designed specifically to watch 3D content while traveling. While most require that users have compatible phones, one such as VRotica DVVR is designed specifically for viewing pornographic material in Virtual Reality.
X-Rated Movies
While X-rated movies are usually associated with explicit sexual content, some have also won critical acclaim for their artistic quality and exploration of sensitive issues. From controversial to classic titles, here are some of the greatest X-rated films ever made.
Before the MPAA rating system was implemented, films were either approved or rejected by the Production Code Administration based on strict censorship guidelines that forbade depictions of certain topics – such as sexuality and interracial relationships. Once this new rating system was introduced, X-rated movies became allowed and this allowed filmmakers to explore various themes previously banned by their production codes.
Pornographic movies prior to the 1980s were typically distributed outside of normal studio distribution channels and sold at independent video stores and adult movie theaters, often known as video porn or adult films. A typical X-rated movie would typically be advertised both in newspapers and on television with one sheet posters that listed its title, cast members and details regarding its plot – often featuring posters that could be found either within an adult section of newspapers or specifically dedicated erotica films.
The X rating was initially developed as a means of alerting audiences that a film was only suitable for adult viewing and no children should enter theaters showing it. Unfortunately, this classification became synonymous with pornography. Over time it has been replaced with NC-17 ratings which still bear some stigma associated with them.
There are many free X-rated movies you can stream online for free, such as Cumination, FapZone APK, Jizztagram, Empflix and Video Devil. These streaming services work on devices including Amazon Firestick, Apple TV PCs Macs Android phones tablets with some offering free trials or low monthly rates while some can even be integrated into Kodi using different applications or addons.
Independent Video Stores
With Redbox kiosks now popping up everywhere and Netflix DVD deliveries infiltrating mailboxes nationwide, niche-focused video stores are increasingly finding themselves at an economic disadvantage. If they survive at all, they must adapt or face becoming extinct; but independent stores still hold great appeal for many who love browsing rare anime or foreign film titles and discussing them among patrons who share recommendations or air grievances.
As the industry evolves, longtime video shops have adapted by trying new ideas and reinventing themselves to remain viable. Scarecrow Video in Seattle stands out by offering one of the nation’s largest selections online cataloging titles; other stores focus on events or entertainment by adding a cafe or screening room into their offering.
But overall, the industry is declining. Consumers spent $4.1 billion on X-rated rentals and sales in 1998 – down from its peak of $5.11 billion eight years earlier.
Consumer spending patterns have changed, shifting toward other forms of media including online gaming. Furthermore, video game companies do not release adult content as quickly or frequently.
The decline of X-rated movies has had an adverse impact on traditional video stores, which were once their main source. Key providers like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video have since gone under, while small independent stores were slow to adopt streaming video services like Red Box, Netflix and on-demand cable compared with large chain stores.
Last month, Epic Games made history by becoming the first major gaming company to ban such content from its marketplace – as part of an attempt to make their platform safer for their users – including hateful, fraudulent or sexual titles that violate it.
High School Students
High school students can be exposed to pornographic material both at home, online and at school. Exposure can have detrimental effects on mental health and lead them down a path toward depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts as well as engaging in sexually aggressive behavior or using drugs. Parents and teachers need to remain aware of this issue so they can provide effective assistance to their students.
One teacher at Titusville High School in Brevard County, Florida was placed on paid leave following a virtual class session that was interrupted with inappropriate images. A student approached their desk asking questions when they observed an iPhone with adult male pornographic websites open. Immediately terminating Zoom session and notifying district administration immediately about inappropriate material being shown on screen, she quickly ended Zoom session quickly; and district is investigating why such material appeared there.
Dearborn, Michigan witnessed another incident when a substitute teacher was showing a video on Lewis and Clark when pornography began playing on her computer screen. While she managed to shut it off quickly, some students may have been exposed for 30 seconds; as part of an ongoing investigation by district and police.
Parent group Power2Parent in CCSD claims one of the books on a reading list for 10th graders contains explicit images depicting sexual acts, genitalia and profanities that is pornographic and must be removed immediately from reading list for 10th graders. Power2Parent released screenshots from „Fun Home”, graphic novel used as reference, to demonstrate this claim and demanded its removal immediately from reading lists for 10th graders.
A recent study indicates that high school girls who watch violent pornography are more likely to become victims of intimate partner violence. Furthermore, viewing such material has been linked with dating violence among SMAs as well as sexual aggression among female SMAs – although whether causal relationships exist is unknown at this time; nonetheless it’s an area for further exploration as there’s an urgent need to combat the widespread exploitation of children and adolescents by pornographers.