Cinekink Presents:
A Comstock Films Double Feature at New York’s Pioneer Theater
MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY (2002)
DAMON AND HUNTER: DOING IT TOGETHER (2006)
Director (that’s me) Q&A to follow
DATE/TIME: December 11, 7PM
SCREENING LOCATION:
Pioneer Theater, 155 E. Third Street (@ Avenue A), NYC
Admission: $10; $6 seniors/students; 18+ only.
AFTERPARTY LOCATION
China, 150 Avenue B (@ 4th St.), NYC
Back in February we submitted our first film, MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY to the Motion Picture Association of America (The MPAA). Since MARIE AND JACK is a film about grown-up ideas, with grown-up imagery, intended for a grown-up audience, we had every expectation that the film would receive (the dreaded) NC-17 rating. From MPAA.org:
“An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.”
(You can read rest the MPAA’s explanation of their rating system on the MPAA website.)
We submitted the film back in February because we knew that sometime this Summer we’d need to make another run (the fifth!) of MARIE AND JACK DVDs, and we also knew that we wanted to update the cover so that it was more inline with the look of our more recent titles (The M&J design was mine, the more recent covers were designed by Peggy. You can guess at which ones I like better.)
The idea was since we were going to be redesigning/reprinting the cover anyway, why not submit the film and see if having an MPAA rating (even the dreaded NC-17 rating) changed the marketablity of our film.
Would the NC-17 rating and MPAA dingbat make our work seem more legitimate? Or would the MPAA rating make people think they were getting a watered-down, censored version of Marie and JACK. (Point of fact, the MPAA didn’t ask us to change a frame, and even said MARIE AND JACK was just the sort of film the NC-17 rating was made for.)
What the MPAA did ask us to change was the cover, both text and images, so that the packaging would be “suitable for all viewers,” and while you and I may disagree with the MPAA about what is or is not suitable for all viewers, it not your or my opinion that counts; it’s theirs. That’s the bargain you make if you want to be in their club. (Actually, I think the MPAA is best thought of as being like a Chamber of Commerce, or local Better Business Bureau. No one forces a merchant to join the Better Business Bureau, but if you do join, they rules they expect you to follow.)
The original re-design of the MARIE AND JACK cover looked like this:
(You can click on it for a larger version.)
The front cover has been redesigned to be in keeping with the look that Peggy developed for the series. The back cover is unchanged from the previous version.
The MPAA had two objections. To begin with, unambiguous nudity is not considered “suitable for all viewers” so the three photos on the upper left side were unacceptable. One solution suggested was that the photos could be cropped, or shadows could be airbrushed on to them sufficient that a reasonable person could say it was not clear whether or not the people were naked.
The MPAA also objected to the word “orgasms” in the quote from Penthouse magazine, but suggested that climaxes could be used in its place. I’ll admit this made my head spin a little, but the MPAA representative’s explanation was that while most people would probably consider our use of the word tasteful and appropriate, if they let us use the word “orgasm” on our cover, then someone else would want to splash it all over the cover in giant pink letters, and that the MPAA wanted, as much as is possible, to avoid making subjective judgments about what was and was not permissible. No doubt this was a reference to the 1997 film ORGAZMO.
The same explanation was given for their request that the back cover photos be altered: yes, most people would find our use of the nudity completely appropriate, but if they allowed unambiguous nudity on the cover of MARIE AND JACK then some other producer would want the same for their DVD packaging, claiming that their use was also “appropriate,” even if most people would find it objectionable.
The MPAA did not object to the close-up of Jack fingering Marie’s clit while they fucked in the spoon position, complete with his cock half inside her pussy that we used to illustrate the “picture in a picture” version of the un-edited, two camera love-scene offered on the DVD. Whether this is because they thought the image was it was sufficiently ambiguous, or because they simply didn’t know what they were looking at, I don’t know.
So here’s the cover the MPAA approved:
(Again, click for a larger version.)
“Orgasms” has been changed to “climaxes”, and the three back photos have been cropped or simply replace with photos that have sufficient degree of ambiguity as to where or not Marie and Jack are clothed. The close-up was removed altogether – maybe they missed it, maybe they didn’t know what they were looking at, maybe they knew, but thought a close-up of clit stroking is “suitable for all viewers” – I don’t know. Whatever the case, I don’t think it’s all-ages appropriate, that’s the standard, so we took it out. This is what the letter you get from the MPAA looks like:
The people at the MPAA have all been very friendly, and I have to admit, seeing that very distinctive MPAA dingbat on our movie is pretty nifty. But the question remains: will going through this process help us make more money? I don’t know. I think the new cover design will sell better, but I don’t know if the NC-17 is going to make much of a difference one way or the other.
As it stands now, most places that won’t show unrated films won’t show NC-17 films either. Most places that won’t sell unrated DVDs won’t sell NC-17 rated films either. In a surprisingly candid conversation with an MPAA rep last Winter, he told me “we dropped the ball when we introduced the NC-17 rating. We didn’t explain or promote it the way we should have.”
As a result, the NC-17 is sort of a no-man’s land. The only thing you get for accepting an NC-17 rating from the MPAA (aside from the chance to write the MPAA a hefty check,) is the obligation to submit your advertising and packaging for their approval.
No doubt that’s why films like 9 SONGS and SHORTBUS decide to go out unrated; not (necessarily) because the MPAA advertisement approval process is so odious, but if the NC-17 rating isn’t going to help the movie make money, who needs the hassle? In fact, the advertising and packaging on unrated movies with sexual theme tend to emphasize that they the unrated, uncensored, uncut version, even when no other version exists. In the art-house world “Unrated” has come to connote uncensored and uncompromised filmmaking.
So then why did we do it?
Well if nothing else, it’s given us a chance to experience the MPAA process, not as observers, not as critics or pundits, but as participants. Having been run through the mandatory ratings processes in other countries, I have to say I much prefer dealing with the MPAA, especially the fact that it’s voluntary. We have four other films, each unrated, each completely legal to sell or screen, and they’re doing just fine.
I’m not thrilled about the changes to the MARIE AND JACK cover, but neither am I broken-hearted. I understand why the MPAA insists on maintaining some sort of control for where and how their trademarks appear, we do the same thing here at Comstock Films. There are venues available to people who have different ideas about is appropriate or what is in good taste, or even whether or not that’s a relevant question.
In the bigger picture it’s about continuing to take risks, continuing to poke around in the places other people overlook to see if we can find opportunities. Most producers consider the NC-17 rating a stigma, a scarlet letter, but who knows, maybe (maybe) we can make it a badge of honor. We’ll play by the MPAA’s rules with MARIE AND JACK and see if it helps us. If it does, we’ll consider submitting our other films. If it doesn’t, we can always surrender the rating and go back to what we’re already doing.
Or hey wait! Maybe we’ll even redesign our packaging and make sure the words “unrated,” “uncut,” and “uncensored” appear in the biggest, pinkest letters possible! 
Our first film, MARIE AND JACK: A Hardcore Love Story has been picked up by Amazon.com, where it’s listed as being a part of the Comstock Films “Real People, Real Life, Real Sex Series. The Amazon listing is also the first time we’ve been able to show off MARIE & JACK’s spiffy new NC-17 rating.
Many thanks to Ellinoz and Emerald for their very nice reviews of MATT AND KHYM: Better Than Ever. With their help, Amazon is doing brisk business on that title, and we hope some of you out there have some nice things to say about MARIE & JACK as well!
Press release speak:
MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY earns an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.This February, MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY, the first erotic documentary from Comstock Films underwent review by the Motion Picture Association of America and was assigned an NC-17 rating for it’s explicit sexuality.
“I’m satisfied with the rating,” says director Tony Comstock, “and participating in the MPAA’s process is going to open up some commercial possibilities that would otherwise be closed if we hadn’t been able to secure the rating.”
In receiving the NC-17 rating, MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY joins just 48 other films the MPAA has assigned the rating to since the rating was first introduced 1984. The list includes some of Hollywood’s most famous, and notorious productions, including LAST TANGO IN PARIS, IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES, and SHOWGIRLS.
“One of the first question people as me is if the MPAA asked us to make any cuts or other alterations to MARIE AND JACK and the answer is no,” said Comstock. “In fact, when the MPAA rep called me to let me know the film had been reviewed and rated, he said that MARIE AND JACK was “well-made, entertaining film that really delivered the goods.” He also said it was just the sort of film the NC-17 was made for.”
MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY is the multi-award winning first release from Comstock Films. It offers an intimate glimpse into the private sex life of Marie Silva (aka Aria) and her husband Jack Bravo. Since the film’s release in 2003, MARIE AND JACK, along with other Comstock Films titles have continued to break new ground both creatively and commercially, pioneering new approaches to erotic filmmaking, and bring erotic films to venues and audiences outside the traditional markets for sexual explicit entertainment.
Comstock Films produces award-winning, documentary-style erotic films that acknowledge the role of sex in human relationships, depict it graphically, and celebrate its power. Comstock Films titles have enjoyed worldwide recognition as outstanding achievements in cinema, appearing in festivals and taking home prizes in Canada, Australia, Sweden, Germany and here in the US.
Comstock Films titles include MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY , named Best Documentary and Best Overall at the 2002 SinCine New York Erotic Film Festival and Best of the Fest at the 2002 Sexual Health and Pleasure Film Festival; XANA AND DAX: WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT , named Hottest Straight Sex Scene at the 2006 Emma Awards for feminist porn in Toronto, Canada, and official selection of the 2006 Berlin Porn Film Festival; DAMON AND HUNTER: DOING IT TOGETHER , name Best Documentary at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival; MATT AND KHYM: BETTER THAN EVER; and the soon to be released ASHLEY AND KISHA: THE RIGHT FIT .
It’s official! Blowfish is the first US retailer to officially place an order for MATT AND KHYM: BETTER THAN EVER, and we couldn’t be happier!
Blowfish was the first US retailer to pick up MARIE AND JACK: A HARDCORE LOVE STORY (dig the old cover!), and the first retailer to pick up XANA AND DAX: WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT and DAMON AND HUNTER: DOING IT TOGETHER.
But then, that’s what Blowfish does – they find the good stuff, and they find first. Blowfish is where I first discovered theVixen Creations String of Pearls. Blowfish is where I discovered the wonderful work of erotic jeweler Jullian Snelling. And it was back in around 1995, after seeing that not even Blowfish had the kind of sex films that I wanted to see that I concluded that they must simply not exist and that I’d have to make them myself.
Indeed, aside from pleasing myself, one of my thoughts as I embarked on this quixotic journey was “I want to make something that people who shop at Blowfish might like.”
Anyone want to make a bet who will be the first to carry ASHLEY AND KISHA?
In the March 2006 issue, Jane Magazine says:
“Here are nine classics that may do it for you…Marie and Jack: A Hardcore Love Story. You’ll like it if you “make love” instead of “hump”. In this case, a real-life couple tells us how they fell in love, then they take us into their bedroom.”
Also on Jane’s list: Art School Sluts, Jenna Jameson is the Masseuse, John Leslie’s Voyeur series, The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann, Alice in Wonderland, Erocktavision 3, and The Vintage Erotica Collection.
What better way to start the week than with another video podcast installment of Marie and Jack: A Hardcore Love Story.
Having heard what makes their relationship special in episodes 1 and 2, in episode 3 we get a peek at what makes Marie and Jack’s lovemaking special. The focus of this segment is cunnilingus; from both Jack and Marie’s point of view!
For your iPod or iTunes:
pcast://feeds.comstockfilms.com/ComstockFilmsVideoPodcast
All others:
http://feeds.comstockfilms.com/ComstockFilmsVideoPodcast
And of course if you like what you see and want more, full screen and uninterupted, with interactive bonus features and previews, you can buy it from us here!
Enjoy!
-TC
Our second video podcast is up. In episode two, we hear Marie and Jack discus the difference between experience of work sex, and the far more intimate, and usually more pleasurable experience of their personal sexual relationship. Just click on of the feed links on the right and enjoy!
-TC
Okay, enough with the good deeds and crybaby posts. How about some good old fashioned shameless self-promotion!
In their article “Was That Movie Good For You?” this month’s Tango Magazine offers their advice on the never ending search for erotic films that men and women can enjoy watching together, and we’re pleased that for the second time in as many months, Marie and Jack: A Hardcore Love Story occupies the top spot on a films for women/couples list. Says Tango:
“Marie and Jack, porn stars married in real life, have the genuine chemistry and knowledge of each other’s bodies to make this film sizzle. It starts slowly, with the couple discussing the intimate details of their love, before getting down and dirty. “
Tango also gave a nod to Xana and Dax: When Opposites Attract, as well as titles from Libido Films, Candida Royale, Veronica Heart, and Maria Beatty.
Having sex together is fun, and watching sex together can be fun too – if you find the right movie – so these sorts of articles are a perrenials in both men’s and women’s magazines, and I’m please but not surprised to see Marie & Jack and Xana & Dax mentioned.
But what I want to know is which one of these magazines will have the stones to put Damon and Hunter: Doing it Together on the list? A lot of women have been pretty good natured about their husbands/boyfriends enjoyed a little hot lesbo action (Tango’s list includes an all-woman BDSM title). Do you think men are willing to be as indulgent when it comes to their honeys getting off a beautiful man on man love? We’ll soon see.
-TC
The same friend from the Freddy and Eddy message board was kind enough to send me scans of the Men’s Fitness cover and article, and the rumor is true. The August 2005 issue has an interview with Tera Patrick and gives us her list of the ten best adult videos that “are best for for passionate together time.”
Well guess what? Marie and Jack: A Hardcore Love Story hold the number one spot, beating out titles like Stud Hunters from Femme Films and Beautiful from Wicked Entertainment.
Of course it’s just one woman’s opinion, and I’m not sure I agree. Good as Marie and Jack is, I think Xana and Dax is even better. I guess the only thing for you to do, dear reader, is get them both and decide for yourself! 
-TC
