Let’s try this again.

After a day of deliberation, I’ve decided to take down my original cut of After School Special’s third and final episode and replace it with an edited version.

The reason is because (spoiler alert) this final part contains a sex scene. Originally, I included it here, uncut – exactly the way it appears in the theatrical version, but, in this new version I have simply lifted out the racy shots and replaced them with a black title card.

I regret posting the original version. I thought about it a lot and finally decided that, when my actors agreed to be in my movie (the amazing Daniel John McCoy and Crystal Robison), they took a risk in creating a memorable performance and they trusted me to respect their craft. I didn’t make the film for the web, I made it for a movie theatre, and, let’s face it, viewing a sex scene on your personal computer is a much different experience than seeing it on a screen in a movie theatre and you just never know where that clip is going to end up.

I would feel more guilty about my self censure if I didn’t have David Lynch on my side. Lynch airbrushed a full frontal nude shot of Laura Elena Harring in Mulholland Drive’s DVD release. A friend of mine heard that Lynch did this because he was concerned that her image would wind up on websites that lift nude shots of actresses in movies and post them without permission. I’ve seen these sites and they are very creepy.

Other shorts I’ve made contain nudity. I will probably edit these as well. I guess I’m more interested in hearing what people think of the films themselves than debating the ethics of nudity and sex in filmmaking. These elements can distract us from the real meaning of a work of art. It’s most often used to shock and titillate and rarely is it used in an interesting way.

Also, I don’t hate the edited version of ASS. I actually think it’s more funny in some ways. I’m sure that what people imagine is going on in the deleted shots is much more raunchy than what actually appears in the original cut. Guess it depends on how dirty your mind is.

Well, if you absolutely must see the whole short in it’s original theatrical form, drop me a line and I’ll let you know about any screenings that might be coming up in your neighborhood.

Cheers.