Film distributor Kino Lorber Classics has set a Feb. 25 release date for Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Picture volumes 1-3, including new restorations of classic exploitation films Mom and Dad, Reefer Madness and Sex Madness, Unashamed: A Romance and Elysia: Valley of the Nude.
The collection will be available on Blu-ray Disc at a suggested retail price of $29.95, and will be presented in association with Seattle-based distributor Something Weird Video.
Volume 1 includes Mom & Dad (1945), in which the boyfriend of a pregnant high school girl dies, prompting her sex-ed teacher to show her a film about childbirth and the dangers of venereal disease. The Blu-ray includes audio commentary by Eric Schaefer, author of Bold! Daring! Shocking! True!: A History of Exploitation Films 1919-1959; the original theatrical trailer, Mom & Dad radio spots; the short film Sex Hygiene, and vintage childbirth footage.
Volume 2 presents a double-feature Reefer Madness (1936) and Sex Madness (1938). Both are exploitation films designed to warn teenagers and young adults of the dangers of becoming addicted to, respectively, marijuana cigarettes and the dangers of venereal disease. Special features include audio commentary by Eric Schaefer, a gallery of exploitation trailers, and more.
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Volume 3 showcases two examples of the “nudist film” genre, Unashamed: A Romance (1938) and Elysia: Valley of the Nude (1933). Unashamed: A Romance includes audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, as well as three short films: Nudist-Land (1937, 11 min.), Why Nudism: An Exposé of Nudism (1933, 22 min.), and Hollywood Script Girl (1938, 5 min.).