Kane Kandid Kamera

‘Kane Kandid Kamera’ is a 1-hour long movie made by George Harrison-Marks (GHM) about 1986.  It was released by Kane International (catalogue number 9) in the UK and a collection of photographs from the movie appears in issue number 31 of Kane magazine.  The movie was also released by CalStar (English Spanking Classics #25) in the US and that release is currently available on several ‘video on demand’ site such as www.hotmovies.com.

This movie is another of GHM’s dives into realism since the story takes places during the filming of a spanking movie.  His later film ‘The Kane Assignment’ follows the same pattern except that it takes place during the course of a spanking photoshoot.  There are advantages to this approach, since anything that happens can occur simply as ‘part of the movie’ which eliminates the need for any of the familiar scenarios (schoolgirl, office, workplace, etc.) that have been done to death.

‘Kane Kandid Kamera’ is also one of only two movies that I know of that features Kane magazine staffer ‘Jenny’ who occasionally wrote a column called ‘Just Jenny’ for the magazine.  The other movie is ‘The Caning Club’ which was featured in issue 37 of the magazine.  The opening cards for ‘The Caning Club’ proclaim that it is Jenny’s first appearance in a film.  This creates something of a dilemma because the photostories in the magazines are one of the clues I use to date the movies and this becomes questionable if Jenny’s first movie was featured in issue 37 while this later movie was featured in issue 31.  I have decided to date all seven movies that are featured in issues 31 through 37 to 1987.  These are ‘Kane Kandid Kamera’ (31), ‘Girls in Trouble’ (32), ‘The Punishment Man’ (33), ‘The Audition’ (34), ‘The Errant Daughter’ (35), ‘The Maid in Tears’ and ‘The Maid Upstairs’ (both 36) and ‘The Caning Club’ (37).

The movie opens with GHM and Jenny in the Kane offices discussing an application of a woman who wants to appear in a movie.  GHM decides he wants to met her so he asks Jenny makes the arrangements.  Before she can do that the door bell rings and Jenny admits Benji, a dark-haired woman who has worked for Kane in the past and Sue, her blonde friend who is looking for a first job.  GHM decides to audition them together and he sends them off to ‘wardrobe’ with Jenny who is never seen again.

Soon Benji, now dressed in a white teddy, walks into the living room where she meets the ‘TV repair man’ (a familiar face who is only called Peter) and she immediately starts aggressively flirting with him.  Before long Sue walks in and catches the two on the floor in front of the fireplace.  They argue and Sue decides to teach Benji a lesson.  Sue takes Benji over her knee with the help of the TV repair man but they barely begin giving her a spanking when GHM’s dog ‘Janus’ (although he is also called by a couple of other names) makes his entrance.   GHM calls cut and it turns out that this has all been part of filming a movie.  They chase the dog out of the room, reset the scene and resume filming the hand spanking, eventually Sue and Peter take turns spanking Benji.  This segment ends at about the 15-minute mark of the movie.

The next segment opens between ‘takes’ with the three actors (and the dog) in a pile on the living room couch then Benji and Sue are joined by two more women (Kathy and Jane) for a few posed photographs.  These two brief scenes.  These two brief and largely uneventful scenes last about 7 minutes in total.

Another scene break and then Sue is siting with GHM (she is dressed as she was during the filming but he is wearing a different shirt) and she tells him about how she became interested in working for Kane.  They also talk about her experience in her first scenes and her only complaint is that she didn’t get a spanking.  GHM is only to happy to correct this oversight and a leisurely 3-minute hand spanking, complete with a few breaks and another visit by Janus, follows.  This scene ends with GHM breaking character and asking the cameraman if ‘he is going to say cut or not’?

After one more break the next scene opens with GHM (in a third shirt) and Peter talking about the days shooting over a drink on the couch.  They start to talk about the plans for the next day when Kathy walks in and tells GHM that Benji is waiting for him downstairs.  Peter and Kathy both leave while Benji joins GHM for a long conversation that includes another short hand spanking and a few more appearances by Janus before it is interrupted by the telephone.  It continues after a black out with another conversation between GHM and Benji about her future with the magazine (I’m not sure if any of the things they discuss ever came to be) that brings this segment of the movie to nearly 10 minutes.

The final segment, set the next day, begins at about the 36-minute mark of the movie.  Kathy, Jane and Peter all return and they start out lounging on a bed while they have a drink with GHM.  After a few false starts they begin the lesbian sequence that GHM included in most of his movies going back to his 8-mm films in the sixties (which I’ve never seen).  That scene begins at around 42 minutes and runs, with a few breaks, through the rest of the movie.  I’m not nearly as much of a fan of girl-on-girl scenes as GHM was so much of the last 18 minutes is lost on me.  There are a couple of short hand spankings but they are nothing special.

‘Kane Kandid Kamera’ is not a great movie but it is one that stands out in my memory, mostly for its novelty.  There must be thousands of spanking movies with 2 or 3 characters and one set that follow a very predictable story line; some misdeed leads to a hand spanking, followed by a strap, a paddle and then the cane.  I’ve seen so many of these over the years that I can’t even remember most of them.  ‘Kane Kandid Kamera’ is very different.  There are 7 actors, several sets (some biographies of GHM say that he filmed many of his movies in his own house in London and this is probably one of those) and a novel story line.  It has the feel of a ‘behind the scenes documentary’ and that is the part that I remember most.  But, if viewed strictly as a spanking movie, it would probably be a disappointment.

Problem Girls

‘Problem Girls’ is a 40-minute-long movie made by George Harrison-Marks (GHM) about 1986.  It was released by Kane International (catalogue number 20) in the UK and by CalStar (English Spanking Classics #16) in the US.  I have seen one report that the movie was also released by Bizarre Video (a company that did release some of the later Kane International movies) but I have never been able to confirm this.  'Problem Girls' is the subject of a photostory in issue 30 of Kane magazine.  The CalStar release of this movie is currently available on several ‘video on demand’ site such as www.hotmovies.com.

GHM started including photostories based on his movies in Kane magazine with a photostory based on his 1986 Imprint movie ‘Gone to Pot (A Schoolgirl Special)’ in issue 17.  Photostories of two other Imprint movies followed: ‘Sugar Cane Jane’ in Kane 21 and ‘Marigold Academy’ in Kane 23.  The first photostory based on a Kane International movie was ‘Mandy Bait’ in Kane 29 and they became a regular feature of future issues of the magazine.  Larry Barnes lists six previous Kane movies in his soliloquy at the end of ‘Maid for Tears’ that were all the subject of Kane photostories and this sequence certainly helps in determining the production dates of the movies.  The six are: ‘Problem Girls’ (photostory in Kane 30), Kane Kandid Kamera (Kane 31), ‘Girls in Trouble’ (Kane 32), ‘The Punishment Man’ (Kane 33), ‘The Audition’ (Kane 34) and ‘The Errant Daughter (Kane 35).  ‘Maid for Tears’ and its sequel ‘The Maid Upstairs’ were the subject of a photostory in Kane 36.  I have already reviewed that last 4 of these movies but I have yet to cover the earlier movies.

‘Problem Girls’ opens with Mrs. Spencer working in the kitchen when the phone rings.  Her stepdaughter (Jilly) has been caught sketching spanking scenes in class and her Headmaster wants to discuss the matter.  Mrs. Spencer asks the Headmaster to have Jilly escorted home and she soon arrive sin the company of Mrs. Pringle (Anne Proto), a school board officer.  Jilly soon arrives home in the company of a teacher and the teacher and stepmother immediately recognize each other from a former lesbian affair.  Jilly is quickly sent off to her room so the two women can get reacquainted.  Mrs. Spencer complains that she doesn’t know what to do with Jilly and Mrs. Pringle asks if she has tried corporal punishment.  She considers it and she suddenly remembers that her husband just happens to keep some appropriate implements stored in a cupboard over their bed.  The two women agree that this is the best course of action so Mrs. Spencer calls Jilly into the room.  They make Jenny strip completely then they pin her down on the bed for a session of discipline that includes hand spanking, tawsing and caning (filmed from a very poor angle).  Jilly’s punishment ends at the 15-minute mark of the movie.

Afterward the ladies turn their attention to each other (this is a George Harrison-Marks movie after all) and cloths are quickly coming off.  They are soon rolling around on the bed and some mutual spanking follows.  Dave (Mr. Spencer) returns home after nearly 10 minutes of girl-on-girl action and Jilly meets him in the hallway to tell him what has happened.  They go upstairs together and surprise the two women together on the bed.  He quickly sends Jilly out of the room and then orders the two women, still in the nude, to go downstairs and he takes the cane and tawse with him.  There is a brief struggle between Dave and Mrs. Pringle, who wants to leave, but he gives her a choice between the tawse and losing her job and she is soon bent over the back of a chair.  His wife is next and she is soon over another chair.  These punishments produce a strong reaction but there are relatively few strokes, that don’t appear particularly severe, but they are drawn out over nearly 10 minutes.  They movie ends with the two former lovers consoling each other and the end card reads 'To be continued' but I've never seen a sequel (however, there are two KI movies released soon after this one that I have never seen).
 

I like the concept but the execution leaves room for improvement.  Dave plays most of his scenes in a monotone while Mrs. Spencer is unbelievably passive in the beginning of the final segment of the movie.  Poor cinematography mars several of the scenes but the quality of the prints that are currently available doesn’t help.  I have two copies of this movie.  One is the CalStar release of this movie that is available from HotMovies.com and the other is a bootleg that has been circulating around the internet but neither are good prints.  The brightness on the HotMovies print is set very dark which makes some scenes hard to watch (the vidcaps in this post are from that print) while the bootleg is normal brightness but the aspect ratio has been altered so the picture is distorted.

Maid for Tears and The Maid Upstairs

‘Maid for Tears’ and ‘The Maid Upstairs’ are two movies made by George Harrison-Marks (GHM) at the same time in about 1987.  ‘Maid for Tears’ is 55:30 long and ‘The Maid Upstairs’ is 27:25 long.  They are described as a series but they really don’t have much in common beyond a common premise so I don’t understand why they weren’t treated as two separate movies.  The two movies were released by Kane International (catalogue numbers 1 and 6) and both were the subject of a photostory in issue number 36 of Kane magazine.  I don’t believe that these two movies were ever released by CalStar in the US in any form and, to the best of my knowledge, these two movies are not currently available from any distributor or ‘video on demand’ service.  These two movies are unrelated to the 1992 Kane movie ‘Maids in Uniform’ (KI catalogue number 38) which featured one of the first appearances by Alison Payne in a spanking movie.

The movie opens with a businessman (Eric) and his wife Frederica, their butler Benson (to describe him as ‘elderly’ would be an understatement) and Kate, the maid, preparing for a dinner party.  Frederica is a large busted, dark haired woman who kneels on her dressing table chair while outing on her makeup just to make sure that we get a good look at all of her assets.  Finally, Sir Larry (Larry Barnes) and his wife Fiona arrive.  Dinner begins about 10 minutes into the movie but it is soon interrupted by the sound of a tray falling on the floor.  Benson investigates and finds that the maid has dropped the dinner on the floor so, after phoning for pizza, he begins to berate her and soon takes her over his knee.

Eventually Frederica goes to find out what’s keeping dinner and, when she finds Benson spanking the maid, she puts a stop to it and sends him back to the kitchen.  She returns to tell her husband what has happened, tripping over more than a few lines in the process, and he immediately concludes that it is ‘all her fault’ and worries what it will do to his reputation.   Eric asks Larry for advice and the two men go off to discuss the situation over cigars.  As the two men talk Larry mentions that there seems to be some tension between Eric and his younger wife.  Larry tells Eric that he has reached an agreement with his own younger wife; he provides her with a standard of certain living and in return she agrees to abide by the rules of his household.  Larry says that, when his wife tries to deviate from that agreement, he deals with the matter using the ‘punishment pack’ which he just happens to have in the trunk of his car and it goes on to explain its use.

Kate enters with a heavy belt obviously askew in a manner that suggests future possibilities (which, unfortunately, are never explored).  Eric offers her a few pounds for her silence about her treatment by Benson but Kate asks for more.  After she leaves, Larry warns Eric of potential future problems but he a solution that would require the cooperation of their wives. 

Frederica and Fiona are talking upstairs and Frederica is complaining about how her husband treats her.  She goes on to tell Fiona that she shouldn’t tolerate Larry’s treatment of her either but she refuses that advice just as Larry walks in.  He commends her for her response and soon begins to describe his plans for Kate but the scene cuts to Frederica calling Kate to ask her to bring a bottle of wine to the bedroom.

The two women are trying on lingerie when Kate arrives with the wine and the soon suggest that she tries on one of the items.  She models it over her clothes but Frederica and Fiona decide that isn’t suffice and they start to undress her.  Before long all three are naked around on the bed and the three start to spank each other.  Fiona admits that Larry spanks her but Frederica says that her husband is too much of a wimp to do that.

At the prearranged time (about the 35-minute mark of the movie) the two men walk in and ‘catch them in the act’.  They are, of course, outraged and it turns out that this hadn’t actually been the plan.  Kate is given a few pounds and sent away to visit her family while the two wives are told to dress and come downstairs when they are finished since Larry has something that he wants to discuss with them ‘at great length’.

When they come down Larry send Fiona out to get the punishment pack from the car and she soon returns with it.  While Fiona is away Larry explains to Frederica what he is planning.  Once Fiona returns Larry begins to demonstrate the techniques with Frederica and Eric tries them out on Fiona.  Larry begins with a hand spanking, followed by a heavy strap, a flogger and finally the cane.  The instruments appear to be applied with more than usual force and the reactions are quite believable (and quite possibly real).

‘Maid for Tears’ ends with Larry alone on camera with a copy of Kane magazine issue 35 explaining that Kate left service and was replaced by Judy who appears in the sequel ‘The Maid Upstairs’ which begins with a solo sequence with Larry where he largely repeats his final soliloquy from the previous movie then it abruptly cuts to a flashback.

Kate has been fired and replaced by Judy and Larry has been left to train her while Eric and Frederica go on holiday to Spain.  Judy is a heavy set, busty blonde who displays an insolent attitude in her first scene.  Larry decides that a spanking is in order and, after some argument, she submits.  This leads to a 4-minute long scene of a spanking entirely filmed with the camera closely focused on her bare backside which quickly becomes boring.  Afterward Larry sends her to change into a red teddy and then set the dining room table for a dinner for 6.  He gives her a 10-minute time limit to finish.  We get to spend several minutes watching her set the table while she falls out of her top before Larry arrives to check on her progress.  Of course, he finds her work unsatisfactory so a series of hand spankings follow.

Around the 17-minute mark of the film the scene shifts to a bedroom upstairs.  Larry orders Judy to remove what little she is wearing (when she can stay in it).  Another argument ensues and it is followed by another hand spanking and this sequence is repeated twice before she complies with his order.   Then two more hand spankings follow before he finally moves on to a leather strap that he finds in a bedroom drawer.  Finally, he has her bend over a dressing table chair for a brief session with a flogger and yet another hand spanking.

I liked ‘Maid for Tears’ and I generally like movies with group scenes; ‘Heirs to Misfortune’ (Shadowlane) and ‘The Vacation’ (Spanking Epics) are two examples that come to mind.  ‘Maid for Tears’ certainly fits into this group and it offers a story line that is out of the ordinary but it would benefit from some editing to shorten a few scenes that drag on a little too long.  On the other hand, ‘The Maid Upstairs’ is a disappointment.  It is one of those movies that I watched when I first found it but then never watched again until now.  I find it both conventional and tedious.  It is supposed to be a sequel to ‘Maid for Tears’ but the two movies have very little in common.  I wonder if the original plan for the sequel was to have Kate return from vacation to be confronted by Eris and Frederica but maybe the woman playing Kate backed out when she saw the punishments inflicted on Frederica and Fiona at the end of the first movie.  Unfortunately, I doubt that I will ever know.