The ABC of Love and Sex: Australia Style

Again, another so so documentary from Lamond, but he makes this one very entertaining with a clever start. Picture if you will a class of little girls and boys, and their teacher, presented as clay figures as if the makers of The Wombles were in town. This is a funny scene as our eyes and knowledge about sex is really about to be expanded and what better way as if through the alphabet. This includes lesbianism, masturbation, and even RAPE. I couldn't believe that when we reached the letter P, prostitution wasn't mentioned. We do skip a letter here and there, though. What we got here is a fun documentary, that never bores, with actors so cheesy they're funny, if perfect, and that's what bad acting is, funny, as is some of the male V.O.'s dialogue. One scene has a couple in bed, and when you think the middle aged male is gonna pull out his schlong, he pulls out a bunch of roses. There's a blonde hottie, who looks great, fully stark, massaging the biggest blown up penis I've ever seen. John Michael Howson, a favorite with John Lamond, plays a gay party crasher in biker gear where he makes this hilarious remark, typical of his mouth. What really cheesed me off about this movie was the dance sequence, amidst the big letter blocks, used at the start and it's finish that was just warranted, if bloody annoying. We even have a overseas sex expert give her opinion on the subject. Overall this documentary, a popular hit at the drive in, is a fun way to kill 76 minutes, and Lamond fan, like I am (although Breakfast in Paris nearly bored me to tears) do recommend this for couples in the mood, or for people who just want a good laugh. It's funnier than a few bad comedies, I've seen, I can tell ya. And remember, couples that play together stay together. An all true line for most of it's worth.

I kind of understand that they skipped the letter Q (though they did eXcellence with the letter X, so there is always a solution if you really look for it), but why did they skip the letter V? I mean the easiest option would be to use Vagina for that. Though not all the letters will get the word you may think it deserves or expect.

That being said the sort of documentary tries to break down many things. And I think it succeeds in many regards. That being said, you can not be squeamish or have issues or be offended easily. The movie (in its uncut form) does include quite explicit video of sexual interactions or whatever you would call it. Some would go as far as call it porn. The director obviously makes a distinction in his own mind ... funny he didn't mention the ommission of the letters - or maybe I missed it.

Anyway, this aged a bit, but can still be viewed for entertaining purposes and arousment for some I reckon (except the very harsh letter R - which only shows you, that the movie is not afraid to tackle such topics too)

Major cringe factor here even in the 70's. Supposedly (and hoped for) outrageous semi-doco on the sexual habits of Aussies. (As if they differ much from any other country!)

I recall seeing this at a bucks party for one of my college friends in the early 80's! As I recall, there was way more action in the bedrooms upstairs than on the TV screen.

The "novel" pitch was using each letter of the alphabet to introduce a new point of discussion. "P" for penis, "o" for orgasm - I don't actually recall anyone having one that night!....least not DOWNSTAIRS!

About as much as one would expect from a film with such a title, this Australian documentary provides facts and advice about sex and sexuality with content organised into chapters according to the alphabet. Chapters include "C is for Contraception", "M is Masochism", "S is for Seduction" and so on. While not particularly enlightening, the film offers an interesting snapshot of attitudes and values in the 1970s. Of particular interest are the vary opinions as to just what constitutes pornography and why it has such a social stigma. An interviewee also curiously informs us that sex education has been a mandatory subject in Scandinavian primary schools for a number of years. The segments vary significantly in their effectiveness though. The "H is for Homosexual" sequence is particularly cringe-worthy, packed full of gay stereotypes despite preaching tolerance. The film also bizarrely omits three letters of the alphabet; Q and Z are admittedly understandable omissions, but V has at least a couple of very obvious topics that could have been covered. Even more bizarre though are the stretches made for other letters; "J is for Jealousy" never really seems relevant. There is also something to be said for the copious time spent on chapters such as "D is for Dreams" while "T is for Temptation" is barely twenty seconds long! While a bit of a mixed bag overall, the documentary is arguably essential viewing though for novelty value alone. The stop motion opening sequence set in a primary school classroom is utterly uncanny at the very least.

This documentary comes across as something you might have seen in a progressive sex ed class in the '70s. It gives you a few facts and is extremely dull. If you're expecting something along the lines of a soft porn movie then you'll be disappointed. If you're expecting to learn a lot of interesting things about sex then you'll be disappointed. Plenty of nudity but nothing too steamy (except for a couple of good looking young women making out on a bed together.) I was surprised that they had a very liberal stance on homosexuality but then proceeded to portray all gay guys as flamboyant queens or cross-dressers. Whatever. 2/10