Aphrodisiac!: The Sexual Secret of Marijuana

Early porn features are often quaint by virtue of their fear-laden dependence on socially redeeming or educational content as justification for being obscene. This hokey fake-documentary is typical of the trend.

The black & white archive footage and historical material about marijuana is familiar and boring, but fortunately a bevy of early porn stars make the scene and provide explicit material for the fans to enjoy.

John Holmes and Andy Bellamy, evidently filmed around the time they co-starred memorably in his first JOHNNY WADD feature for Bob Chinn, play boss and secretary in a quality porn scene, notable for the Wadster's purple prose narration that pretends to be self-effacing. Its drawback is a minimizing of hardcore content, with Ms. Bellamy not even permitted to demonstrate her blow job skills.

Sandy Dempsey is similarly amusing as she explains the power of Mary Jane to help her achieve orgasm. My own favorite actress of the pre-DEEP THROAT era, Maria Arnold, gives a strong dramatic performance as a frigid wife likewise loosened up and fulfilled after eating brownies laced with weed, kindly provided by her frustrated hubby.

Suzanne Fields is completely wasted in a softcore segment poorly demonstrating the "sexual encounter group" fad of the era -see the classic TOUCH ME on the subject in which both she and Bellamy starred instead.

Eve Orlon provides invigorating mixed combo action as a free-loving co-ed making it in the grass (the other kind) with a Black dude, when not engaged in some protest march.

This film was a pet project of Tom Parker, an early pornographer remembered for his mediocre output under the Topar Films banner. Most successful later on with drive-in staples (IF YOU DON'T STOP IT...YOU'LL GO BLIND) he missed the boat with his early (1969-71) XXX features which failed to later upgrade into the classic and profitable porno chic material post-DEEP THROAT.

This would-be documentary mixes stock footage, lame street interviews, 1975 fashion and bad acting to defend (and teach) marijuana use in terms that seem pretty commonplace today.

Its major claim (the "secret" of the title) is that marijuana enhances sex, though it includes a few dissenting voices.

The sex scenes are all very tame by today's standards, and the tone is pure Playboy. DON'T see it for the sake of John Holmes' famous member, which appears only briefly, flaccid in the background at a nude "sensitivity training" session remarkable for its insensitivity ("First, all please disrobe.").

As a classic case of blow-dried hair, flares and words like "balling", it's mildly amusing, and the cast deliver a few unconscious one-liners.

The film lasts just over one hour. If you pay full price, you'll be ripped off, but it would go well with "Reefer Madness".