A Place Beyond Shame (1980)

Also known simply as “Beyond Shame,” this movie is at least considerably better than most run-of-the mill porn.  This movie was actually shown at mainstream (OK, maybe a bit artsy) movie theaters, at least in NYC, a few years after its original 1981 release.  During the era of so-called “porn chic” in the early to mid-1970’s or so, it was pretty common to find porn in many mainstream cinemas, but by the end of the decade such movies were again relegated pretty much solely to more sleazy theaters.

The movie stars Seka, who plays a woman named Seka who has apparently become repelled by the idea of having sex.  After confiding with her friend Diana (played by Lori Blue), she is referred to a psychologist named Michael (played by Paul Thomas), who helps her “get in touch with her book of thoughts,” so that she can “complete (the) book,” and overcome the trepidation and shame she associates with sex.  Through a series of psychoanalytic sessions in which Michael employs techniques such as hypnosis, Seka recalls various (predominantly sexual) incidents that occurred in her past.

Although the movie is probably at least three-quarter’s porn, the film’s premise / theme, as well as some of its other aspects make it more than just porn (IMO).  Moreover, if one can ignore (or fast-forward through) a good deal of the porn scenes, the film is rather interesting and quite amusing to watch.  For example, early in the film, after Seka rejects the advances of a boyfriend, Seka calls her friend Diana who is apparently at home with a lover.  Diana tells her lover that she has to go (to see Seka), but “We got time for breakfast…We’ve always got time for breakfast.”  What follows is a sex scene between the two intertwined with scenes of Seka eating toast and drinking coffee.  The music during this and other sex scenes is fairly good, which is nice because the actresses in this movie make way too much noise while having sex.

  • Scene 1. Lori Blue, Jon Martin
  • Scene 2. Bonnie Holiday, Ken Scudder
  • Scene 3. Sonya Summers, Michael Morrison
  • Scene 4. China Leigh, Mai Lin, Billy Dee
  • Scene 5. Diana Holt, Aaron Stuart
  • Scene 6. Lysa Thatcher, Jesse Adams
  • Scene 7. Seka
  • Scene 8. Veri Knotty, Blair Harris, Mike Horner
  • Scene 9. Seka, Paul Thomas
  • Scene 10. Lori Blue, Seka, R.J. Reynolds
  • Scene 11. Seka, Don Fernando