Ideas must be challenged! Barry Mahon is our only hope.
In 1965, the work of exploitation renaissance man Barry Mahon (The Beast that Killed Women) was at a peak. But, the government had a problem with “Adults Only!” films. Mahon had a problem with the government. Fists to paper, Barry Mahon cried, “Where does the fine line between Constitutional freedom and pornography lie?!” Then, he added, -CENSORED-.
Good God. I’ve been Censored!
Predating Faces of Death and the trend of compiling fake footage by decades, Censored promises to show YOU, the audience, exactly what was cut ‘n’ banned from several films in Barry Mahon’s vast arsenal. At the same time, it sincerely attempts to raise awareness regarding the horrors of artistic censorship by The Man. But Mahon couldn’t find any excised footage from his movies. So, he made the whole thing up. Censor that.
Like The Weird World of LSD, Censored is a black-and-white mishmash of random, escalating outrageousness, only bolstered with the unique fervor of Mr. Mahon. Plus a host/narrator straight out of a classroom scare film. You may grow listless with naked girls on the phone, naked girls talking about the weekend, and naked girls sitting on couches. Impossible, but true. Suddenly, Censored dives headfirst into stunning depths of weirdness. Bloodless basement dismemberment by saw. Killers in the ladies’ room. An apartment molester. A man who screams “I HATE TELEVISION!” before pouncing on his girlfriend. Close-ups of bra straps, moles, lesbian petting, and butch Nazi-lesbo torture with a fireplace poker. And so much more.
Chock full of priceless dialogue (“It’s unfortunate that human life, which is so rich in spiritual attainment, has to be conceived in the filth of a bedroom!”), 60s library music, and constant Art vs. Government yuks, Censored is Barry Mahon’s cracked masterpiece. On its own, the concept breaks the mold of innovative huckster filmmaking. Mahon takes his idea to its absolute pinnacle, coalescing creeps, nakedness, boredom, and abnormality into 60 minutes of total disconnection. All for the good of the people.
Barry Mahon has made a statement. Donn Davison, Dale Berry, and Peter Perry would be proud; we should all be grateful.
