Spanking Love

Starring:Spanking Love
Studio: Tokyo Shock
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Jeremy Davies, so weaselly as the interpreter in Saving Private Ryan, got his break in this 1994 dark comedy debut by writer-director David O. Russell. Davies plays a college student whose entire future seems to implode when his traveling-salesman father forces him to stay home for the summer and take care of his mother, who is recovering from a broken leg. In anguish, he gives up a prestigious summer internship and moves back to the house where he grew up. There, he distracts himself with masturbation and lots of long walks, and even a half-hearted courtship of a much younger girl. But his proximity to his mother provides surprising preoccupations and impulses, which give this film the best of its squirmy humor. Russell, a sharp-eyed observer of surreptitious human behavior, extracts wonderfully drawn performances from Davies and Alberta Watson as his mother in this unexpected delight. --Marshall Fine

Description

A critically acclaimed, outrageously offbeat look at growing up! Looking forward to a prestigious summer internship in Washington, D.C., pre-med college student Raymond (Saving Private Ryan's Jeremy Davies) has his dreams put on hold when he's forced to stay at home caring for his invalid mother (Alberta Watson, The Sweet Hereafter, TV's 24). Constantly harassed by his domineering, travelling salesman father, Raymond struggles to deal with his mother's bed-ridden anxieties and his first, stumbling attempts to romance the naive girl next door.

Customer Reviews:

A Forgotten Gem.......2007-01-11

This is a bittersweet coming-of-age movie that's more sweet than bitter. Some of the scenes are downright hilarious, thanks to some wonderful, nuanced and well-timed performances from the actors. Just the kind of comedy for viewers fed up with the formulaic stuff churned out by Hollywood's play-safe executives. Made more than a decade ago, this is truly one of those forgotten gems that deserves to be unearthed and enjoyed. A solid 4 stars.

You alright?.......2006-12-08

I have an old laserdisc of this film that, years ago, I used to watch over and over. I popped it in again recently to see if I still liked the film enough to buy the DVD. It's not as funny as I remembered. Actually, it's horrifying. The only reason I'd consider buying the DVD is to give it to a therapist to watch and discuss it.

Ray (Jeremy Davies, "Saving Private Ryan") has to pass up an internship to the Surgeon General's office so he can take care of his mother, Susan (Alberta Watson, "Guilt by Association"), who's bedridden due to depression and a broken leg. His father Tom (Benjamin Hendrickson, "Regarding Henry") is busy traveling around the country selling motivational tapes. Susan and Ray develop an unhealthy relationship.

This is a very angry film. Maybe I didn't notice this before because I was distracted by the in-jokes, like the winky "Shaking Hands" homage to "The Graduate" when Tom confronts Ray -- or maybe I was too angry myself to notice the director's anger. David O. Russell made the very funny "Flirting with Disaster" after this, which in retrospect, "Spanking the Monkey" must have freed him to make. "Spanking" is worth a try if you like disturbing psychological comedy(?), but it's one that probably won't hurt you to miss.

Odd, But Believable.......2006-07-04

In the vein of "Sex, Lies, & Videotape" and written-directed by the guy who wrote & directed the quirky "I Heart Huckabees," Spanking the Monkey is a shocking and just plain wrong look on an Oedipal relationship in modern suburbia. Oddly enough, and I say that due to the film's subject matter, the film won the 1994 Audience Award at The Sundance Film Festival. Don't get me wrong, it's a very entertaining movie; But, I'm surprised it was that widely accepted. Despite the title, the film isn't about...Choking the Bishop. Here is what the movie is about; Jeremy Davies plays Ray Aibelli, is in college and has recieved an internship in Washington. Problem is, he can't go because his pig-headed father is forcing him to take care of his mother Susan (Alberta Watson), an attractive woman probably in her 40's, who has just fractured her leg. Ray is dissapointed about losing his internship, but he still does his best to take care of his mother; While he, meanwhile, tries to woo a naive girl named Toni (Carla Gallo). Anyway, while this would be shocking to a person who began watching the movie and not knowing this, everyone knows this already, so...There's a weird kind of sexual tension we see between Ray and Susan in the beginning of the film. Especially in scenes, where Ray has to help Susan shower. The scenes aren't overly pervertedly sexual or anything, but they're not without a hint of innapropriateness either. Eventually, due to the unhealthy mix of vodka tonics and stupidity, incest occurs between Susan and Ray. Luckily, we don't have to actually observe this. We watch them roll around on the bed and then we have a quick cut to the next morning, where it's made clear something has happened. Writer/director David O. Russell makes it clear in the beginning of the movie that these characters are perfectly sane and normal. Yet somehow, when this incest finally happens we're not disgusted and it's not completely unbelievable. The way Ray reacts to it immediately and then the way he reacts to it later is questionable. Overall, this movie will not hit the right note for some people. A lot of people may be turned off by the synopsis alone, but this is a very good movie; It's entertaining and thought-provoking, in other words...Worth a watch.

GRADE: A-

Pleasant movie with an unpleasant topic.......2006-04-13

Spanking the Monkey is for the open-minded only. Many will find this film horrible, wrong, and disgusting due to the fact it deals with such a forbidden topic: incest, but because of how real and natural the acting and mood of this film achieves, you understand where the main character is coming from. It is not an 'incest movie' but rather a movie about a young man finding himself, in the most bizarre way. A fine debut from director David O. Russell with solid performances from Jeremy Davies and Alberta Watson.

Disappointing.......2006-02-28

Spanking the Monkey was not what I expected. In fact it was a down right horrible. There is not much else to say really, except that I wasted my hard earned money buying this film.

Average customer rating:

"What kind of slave are you? Lick it like you mean it!"
Soft Core Asian Exotica

Spanking Love
Starring: Spanking Love
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Black Glove/The Elegant Spanking
The Story of O
The Image
Wife to Be Sacrificed
Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z

ASIN: B00004U2NL
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Description

Ryo Masuda is a washed up adult video director without a leading actress. Now, he has to find someone to re-place her quick, so he can produce his latest low budget S&M video. When the young Yukie appears to turn the production into an unexpected hit, Ryo becomes drawn to the world of sadomasochism and his newfound star.

Customer Reviews:

"What kind of slave are you? Lick it like you mean it!".......2006-01-04

I'd rather play Hungry Hungry Hippos against a four armed man than have to trudge through this stink bomb again. The description sounded cool: adult film director accidentally makes an S & M hit and gets wrapped up with a group of sadists.

Oh if it could have been just a tenth as hot as I had imagined it to be! The bondage video that catches the attention of "The Velvet Club" is laughable. A woman is tied up and a guy starts whipping her but he quickly gets worked up into such a frenzy that he starts flailing all over the joint and beats the hell out of a couch. It looked like he was having a seizure. At least that part was funny because once they get to "The Velvet Club" time comes to a standstill.

Nothing even remotely cool happens, you get some fat 95% naked guy locked in a cage and around five or so other nearly naked guys beating on some upside down lady who we never even get a good look at.

Lots of pointless talking, very boring and extremely disappointing.

Soft Core Asian Exotica.......2001-08-27

If your expecting a hard core S&M film starring lots of gorgeous Asian Babes, look elsewhere. While the women in this movie are definatly pretty, you won't so much as see a genuine slap. Although there are amusing scenes of gentlemen beating couches behind babes in bondage. There isn't even that much nudity. I rate this at '2' Stars because those attracted to the premise are likely to be somewhat dissapointed. Overall production is on the level of "Spice", perhaps a bit lower.

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