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[JohnIan101]

Past Tense - Trouble (The Good Kind) Across The Way Part II


[An earlier version of this PT was originally posted on September 29th, 2011 on JoBlo's "DVD, Blu-Ray & Home Theater Discussion" forum. Too big, have to break this up into two parts.]

Footnotes.

There was some controversy before its release - not from conservative groups, but from the blue cinema industry.

XXX journalist and screenwriter (yes, they have scripts), Gene Ross (formerly of AVN - adult trade publication) was seriously thinking about suing Regency pictures.

???

Copyright infringement, he believed the studio stole his idea. Dead serious.



Penned and produced in 1994 were the shot on video flicks, "The Girl Next Door" and sequel "The Girl Next Door 2", both directed by Mitch Spinelli for Video Team. The two VHS cassettes (later on DVD), starred Lexus Locklear (retired).

Frank Meyer, AVN Online (Associate Editor) interviewed Ross...

It's the same title. It's about the same identical subject matter. They can argue coincidence, but it can also be argued that it's more than that. Mainstream has attacked porn in the courts for ripping off ideas. Maybe it's their turn to squirm.

(Locklear - left, Cuthbert - right)

Ross added that star of the Hollywood film (Cuthbert) has a strong resemblance to his starlet, Locklear. He IS correct, both women could be sisters - a decade apart. But that's a weak argument for copyright violation.

First installment; a girl who moves in next door only to be discovered by her neighbor that she's a porn star. Cue-in wakka chikka wakka chikka music. Similar yarns? Sure. But the second video ditches continuity for an entirely different story involving mobsters. In the end, Ross declined to file.

If he had, his case would've been the very first of its kind. The semi-usual is Hollywood threatening to sue over XXX titles, sounding too much like the real deal.

The Locklear photo I wanted to use was very different; sweet/wholesome. But I couldn't find any Cuthbert pictures that were comparable (body pose and hair style), so I went with sexy.

For the Video Team full page ads I dig up my old issues of AVN (Adult Video News). What I found online was crap quality, ended up scanning. These came from the December 1994 and January 1995 issues. Sure, both videos scored AAA 1/2 out of five.

A sample of potential suits from Hollywood to porn:

"Backside To The Future" (Zane Entertainment Group, 1986), "The Sperminator" (Video-X-Pix, 1985), "Super Hornio Brothers" (Midnight Video, 1993), "Invasion Of The Booty Snatchers" (JM Productions, 2010), "The Texas Dildo Masquerade" (Heatwave, 1997), "Forrest Hump" (Homegrown Video, 1995), "Fast Times At Deep Crack High" (Celestial, 2001), "San Fernando Jones And The Temple Of Poon" (Metro, 2000), "Miracle On 69th Street" (Heatwave, 1992), "Honey I Blew Everybody!" (Midnight Video, 1992), "Muffy The Vampire Layer" (Las Vegas Video, 1992) and of course "Itty Bitty Titty Gang Bang" (Filmco Releasing, 2003).

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Is Ross' claim BS?

James Cameron's "The Terminator".

The director was sued by science fiction writer Harlan Ellison. And won!

He believed that Cameron stole the concept from an episode of the original ABC series, "The Outer Limits" (which he wrote), "Soldier" (September 19th, 1964). Ellison's suit also cited pirated elements from another "The Outer Limits" episode, "Demon With A Glass Hand" (October 17th, 1964). And the classic "Star Trek" episode, "The City On The Edge Of Forever" (April 6th, 1967).

A run down...

"Soldier": A random convergence of events transport a trooper (Michael Ansara) in combat from Earth's distant future into the then present. The man is armed with a lethal ray weapon and an exaggerated instinct to kill. Caught after a disturbance, he is taken into custody for examination. Linguistics expert, Tom Kagan (Lloyd Nolan) gradually learns that this man is quite literally the perfect soldier, breed and taught for one purpose only - destroy the enemy. Kagan befriends the man hoping to learn more and arranges for the soldier's transport to his home. The taming of the savage beast appears to be working until it is discovered that this soldier was not alone, the Enemy (Alan Jeffe) is here as well.

"Demon With A Glass Hand": A man from the 30th century (Robert Culp) journeys to the mid 20th through a time-mirror. He is pursued into the past by the Kyben, an alien race which conquered Earth - in a would be war. The aliens are desperately trying to capture the last homo sapien, to learn where the entire population of Earth disappeared to, on the eve of their invasion. The survivor is also trying to uncover what happened to his people and identity, his only assistance comes from from his incomplete left hand, a segmented computer, housed in glass/clear plastic. When fully assembled it will reveal a great truth.

As for "The City On The Edge Of Forever", Ellison alleged that the scene where Dr. McCoy (Deforest Kelley) time travels back to early 20th century Earth is remarkably like the scene in "The Terminator" where Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) first appears from the future, down to the same dark, back alley with a disheveled bum on a doorway.

In the end Cameron's camp settled out of court for $72,500. In addition to the reparation, Ellison demanded his name be on the end credits of all existing and future prints of the film. He got it.

The producers wish to acknowledge the works of Harlan Ellison.

So, Ross' claim isn't all improbable. Nowadays nobody really gives a crap. So much of what's made is derivative; fragments, concepts and/or imagery.

Today it has to be such a blatant rip-off to get attention. A note, Ellison made a litigious name for himself. He wrote many of the original notions that have become the foundations of sci-fi cinema and television. And sued everyone he thought used his ideas without consent.

- - -

In 2007 20th Century Fox Home Video gave some of their existing DVD library new slipcovers. This was one of them.



It was a lenticular that reproduces the concept of the original '04 partial. I have replaced the mini slip with the lenticular, looks sway. Wal-Mart sold the re-release for $9.99. No I haven't thrown away that mini slip, it's in a box with other exclusives; exclusives that can't be stored with their DVDs.

At the time I thought this was a Wal-Mart exclusive, the store has a long history of masquerading older titles with new slipcovers - tricking people into buying. It did surprise me; remember that at that time, the store was quite pro-Christian; they didn't carry racy DVDs and sell censored music. They have since toned down significantly.

I was quite surprised when I saw season five of "The Girls Next Door" in 2009 in their stores Times have changed.

That was the former E! series on Playboy life; Hef's then three girlfriends, Holly, Kendra and Bridget. Lot of nudity, lots. Funny too.

- - -

Emile Hirsch's recent actions which landed him fifteen days in jail (sentenced on August 18th, 2015)?

The actor attacked Daniele Bernfeld of Paramount Digital VP, choking her (from behind) inside Tao Nightclub (January 25th, 2015; 3:30AM); so hard, she momentarily blacked out. Both were there in Park City, Utah for the annual Sundance Film Festival.

Besides jail time he got fined $4,750 and fifty hours of community service. What brought it? It appears that he's a evil drunk. He claims he has no memory of it and has apologized to Bernfeld. Since then Hirsch (twenty-nine) has complete alcohol rehab.

- - - - - - - - - -

Easter Egg.

There is a hidden vintage educational short, "Parent To Child About Sex" (1966).

Side B

Special Features -> highlight "Gag Reel", press right; highlight "XXX" - ENTER.

When a boy grows up and is ready to be a father, he is able to put his penis into the vagina [mimics action with fingers]; that special opening mother's have - and when he does this, he can plant the seed that starts a baby to grow.

I see, sometimes his seed ends up on a woman's belly or bosom, her rear or occasionally in her mouth. When this happens, the couple can expect a lesser probability of a baby growing. These actions are shunned by the community and women who engage in such activities are considered 'sluts' and or 'whores'. Though these behaviors increases a woman's popularity among less than reputable men... and women.

Vagina!

- - - - - - - - - -

Just Because.



Above are the DVDs from Japan and United Kingdom. I prefer the Japanese to the U.S. wraparound. I can see it working. Have a clear plastic slipcover with film slate printed - remove it and see Elisha Cuthbert in a bikini or tube top. I would buy that.

That's all for now. On October 1st, 2015 - the annual, Limited Edition Horror begins. See freakish puppets moving, all by their own accord - one frame at a time!