Preaching to the Perverted is a 1997 British sex comedy-drama film written and directed by Stuart Urban.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Preaching to the Perverted | |
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Directed by | Stuart Urban |
Written by | Stuart Urban |
Produced by | Keith Hayley |
Starring | Guinevere Turner Tom Bell Christien Anholt |
Cinematography | Sam McCurdy |
Edited by | Julian Rodd |
Music by | Magnus Fiennes Maya Fiennes |
Production companies | Cyclops Vision PTTP Films |
Distributed by | Entertainment Film Distributors |
Release date | 4 July 1997 |
Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The film stars Guinevere Turner as Tanya Cheex, a New York dominatrix. Tom Bell plays Henry Harding MP and Christien Anholt plays Peter Emery. In addition, several well-known BDSM performance artists appear, including Chaos Clowns, Luci the Axle Grinder, also known as "Lucifire", Miss Kimberly, The Fetish Nun, Suzi Woodroffe, and Tutu.
The film was originally developed by the BBC, but they later dropped the script, believing it would never be suitable for broadcast on UK TV. However, in April 2004, the film was shown on terrestrial TV in the United Kingdom on BBC One.
The film was banned in the Republic of Ireland by then-film censor Sheamus Smith on 28 October 1997;[8] he also banned the subsequent video release of the film.[9] The trailer caused a mass recall of the rental VHS release of Donnie Brasco (which had been passed as an 18), because the trailer had not been classified. 3,300 copies of that cassette were withdrawn and replaced, with a potential fine of €1000 to stores providing it.[10][11]
In 2013, the film became the first European feature film to be restored and remastered on crowd-funding site Kickstarter by its fans. The remastered Blu-ray became available in August 2013. The film also inspired the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show Darkest Fantasy, based on the character Tanya's wedding fantasy.
Henry Harding MP, a British government minister on a moral crusade, hires an inexperienced young computer whiz kid, Peter Emery who works for a Christian computer company called Holy Hardware, to infiltrate the UK BDSM scene. Harding is set on putting a club called "House of Thwax" run by Mistress Tanya Cheex out of business, and is sure that Peter's secretly videotaped evidence of the club's activities will do the trick. However, the virginal Peter takes a liking to Tanya Cheex and finds himself falling for the Mistress. Amongst the locations used Layer Marney Tower in Essex plays a pivotal role for a party scene.
"Witty and kitsch". Among The Top 10 BDSM Movies. The Guardian, Anna Smith. 10 February 2015.[12]
"Turner makes Sharon Stone look like a mother superior, fiendish cameos from Tom Bell, Ricky Tomlinson etc. ... put on your mask and enjoy the party. This ballsy British independent deserves respect". Empire Magazine, Jake Hamilton.
"A mesh of glamour and hilarity ... slick, with an excellent cast ... great dialogue". 'Dillie Tante' The Independent on Sunday.
"Enjoyably offbeat" The Times 27 April 2004 (TV preview).
The CD contains: