The Last Janus Movies - Moral Welfare Parts 1 & 2

‘Moral Welfare' which combines 'Moral Welfare 1’ and ‘Moral Welfare 2’ is available at http://www.janusworldwide.com/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=171.  Copies of Janus 28, which announces the two movies and Janus 26, Janus 43 and Janus 65 which contain related stories are also available from the Janus WorldWide website.

 

 

 

‘Moral Welfare 1’ and ‘Moral Welfare 2’ were released by Janus in 1984 and there wouldn’t be another Janus movie until 2017.  The first part of ‘Moral Welfare’ runs 23:30 and the second part runs 15:30. The two parts were sold as separate movies but they were obviously intended to be viewed together.

In the early 1980s a group of tabloid newspapers, religious organizations, social activists and other groups like the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association launched a campaign against the distribution of "video nasties" (videos that contained violence or sexual content that the activists deemed unacceptable) in the UK.  This campaign led to the Video Recordings Act of 1984.  This Act introduced a requirement that commercial video recordings, such as Betamax and VHS video tapes, must be rated by the British Board of Film Classification (which had been responsible for the motion picture ratings since 1912) before they could be offered for sale or for rent in the UK.  The Board had the authority to refuse to rate films, which effectively banned them, or to require edits.  Several producers of spanking films, including Janus, Roue and Blushes, stopped making movies altogether after this Act was passed while others moved their offices out of the UK to EU countries such as Holland to escape the restrictions.

‘Moral Welfare 1’ opens almost three minutes of woman, Stella Castle, siting alone in an empty room accompanied by the sound of the ticking of a very annoying clock.  Finally, a doctor walks in and tells her to stand up.  He gives her a medical examination, of a sort, that lasts over 5 minutes to confirm that she is fit for punishment.  Towards the end of the examination she offers ‘to do anything’ to escape punishment but that attempt backfires.  After the examination she puts on a hospital gown and then she’s taken to see the Moral Welfare Officer, who is dressed in a tuxedo and bow tie for no obvious reason.  Thirteen minutes into the movie he begins her caning with an unusually long and flexible cane.   He quickly administers 25 strokes (the opening scene of her waiting lasts longer than the punishment) and then she is sent back to the doctor for a quick after-punishment examination and which is complete just after the 17-minute mark in the film.  

The second woman a small dark-haired girl of Middle Eastern decent, Jackie Habib, who is dressed in school pinafore and sash.  She receives a quick examination from the doctor and then the Moral Welfare Officer gives her a hand spanking of about 20 smacks.  Part 1 ends immediately after her hand spanking and Moral Welfare 2’ continues from where the first part ended.  Jackie receives a 15-stroke caning over her panties and then she too is sent back to the doctor for a very brief final scene which ends at the 2-minute mark of the second movie (I don’t understand why they would split the two movies where they did).

The third segment involves a punk rocker who has been called back for a second punishment session.  She, Lorraine Simmons has spiked hair and garish makeup, and she is wearing the studded clothing, belts and waist chains typical of the eighties’ punk scene.  Her story is predictable, a visit to the doctor for a ridiculous examination last much longer than the punishment session which is followed by a hand spanking by the doctor for calling him a lecher and then a session with the Moral Welfare Officer and the tawse.  One final difference is that Lorraine lies on a table for her final examination.

I wish I could say that the Janus movies ended on a high note but I think the two ‘Moral Welfare’ movies may be the worst movies ever released by Janus; they fall far short of the level of most of the earlier films.  The pace is slow, the three segments are repetitive and the whole movie is simply boring.  The sets are simplistic with black walls and a few dark set pieces.  The lighting is dim and several characters are wearing dark clothing so the disappear into the background.  There really is little reason to watch this movie and it probably better to just skip it and remember Janus for their early films.