Product Description

HEAVY PETTING is a hilarious and salacious exploration of the sexual mores of the 50s as seen through the eyes of a generation that lived through the Sexual Revolution. Creative baby boomers--including musician David Byrne, performance artist Spalding Gray, comedian Sandra Bernhard, radical activist Abbie Hoffman, and poet Allen Ginsberg--candidly and hilariously recall their sexual coming-of-age tales in intimate interviews. Joyously campy and refreshingly carefree, HEAVY PETTING blends humorous, unbelievable footage of unhelpful sex ed videos with classic snippets of The Wild One and Elvis’ hip gyrations, not to mention Bernhard talking about playing "doctor," a less-than-straight Ginsberg on a disastrous encounter with a girl, and Byrne on the childhood myths of masturbation. Eternal mysteries such as the female orgasm, the universal appeal of Marilyn Monroe, and the rituals of high school are laid bare by this lovable group of characters.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54018 in DVD
• Brand: New Video
• Released on: 2007-05-29
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 75 minutes

Customer Reviews

Noblsavaj is an idiot
First off, Spalding Gray is just one of the many interviewees in this zippy, fun look at teen sex issues in the '50s. This documentary doesn't purport to be a Spalding Gray film so your comment regarding him is totally irrelevant.

Secondly, this was an important though often overlooked film (released the same year as Michael Moore's "Roger and Me") that did much to reinvigorate the documentary format that has since become so popular, challenging and yes, entertaining today.

Lastly, I don't even know where to start with your comment that "These are times when we should use our money on necessary culture." WTF is that? Who decides what parts of the culture are necessary? That's the most blatantly fascistic comment I've heard from a preening social elitist like yourself in a long time. Get off my InterWebs!!!

In conclusion, I highly recommend this well-crafted and entertaining film to all documentary enthusiasts, young filmmakers and those who enjoy unnecessary bits of culture.

This film is very funny, but the extras disk is really great
The clips are crazy... some seem like they were recreated.... I love the scene where the father slaps his teen daughter in the face for wearing a slip in the living room!!! Uh, dad, do we have a problem here? These characters interviewed are totally on target. Ginsberg's story of the girl with big breasts is classic. So watch it!

I was equally enthralled by the longer interview takes with Ginsberg, Burroughs, David Byrne, Spalding Gray, etc. And the VD films from WW2 are amazing... .

Funny and interesting
The film is fun and funny.. terrific music and fast paced. Some of the sex ed clips are so wild you can barely believe they were made for real. Ginsberg and Burroughs seem like an intelligent, ascerbic couple. Abbie Hoffman is full of manic energy. Spalding Gray tells evocative stories. David Byrne is honest no matter how embarassing. Josh Mostel (Zero Mostel's son) is the star.

Regardless, the extras are fascinating. The dancing in EASY TO GET is some of the best I've ever seen, and this is an all black film from WW II! And I love the Kansas teens shocked by the "sore down there", not to mention the "tall aggressive blond" hunting for sex partners at the ballpark.

The long interview segments are worth it too, as they give a real sense of who the key characters are. The Burroughs and Ginsberg interview is historic.

So, my vote: watch it, but don't miss the additional materials!!