''The Love Epidemic'' is a 1975 Australian semi-documentary about

venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral se ...

directed by

Brian Trenchard-Smith Brian Medwin Trenchard-Smith (born 1946) is an English-Australian filmmaker and author, known for his idiosyncratic and satirical low-budget genre films. His filmography covers action, science fiction, martial arts, dystopian fiction, comedy, w ...

. It incorporates clinical case studies and sex health instruction with comedy sketches. It was shot on 16mm for $33,000 and blown up to 35mm for theatrical release.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production'', Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998 p284

Cast

*Michael Laurence *

Ros Spiers Rosalind Speirs (born 1951) is an Australian former film and television actress. She starred on several television series during the 1970s, including '' Silent Number'', ' and the television miniseries ''Power Without Glory''. It was her role as ...

*Peter Reynolds *

Grant Page Grant Page (born 1939) is an Australian stuntman who worked mostly during the seventies and eighties. Page was the stunt coordinator for the popular Australian action movies ''The Man from Hong Kong'' (1975) and ''Mad Max'' (1979), as well as othe ...

*Tim Lynch *

John Ewart Jon Ewart (06th May 1996) is a British television and film actor. Ewart attended the prestigious National Youth Theatre, Identity School of Acting and has appeared in many successful Television shows. Biography Career Ewart, who was born in M ...

*Barry Lovett *Jane Lister *Luda Apinys *Ken Doyle *

Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney, New South Wales. The group enjoyed success in the mid-1960s, but split in 1967. They re-emerged in the early 1970s to become one of the most popular Australian hard-roc ...

Release

In January 1975 two members of the cast, Luda Apinys and Ken Doyle, sought an injunction to have the film withdrawn on the grounds that it was a pornographic film and they had only agreed to make an educational one. Their attempt was unsuccessful. The movie was rated "R".David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p265 According to Trenchard-Smith the film "did okay... getting its money back and making a small profit."

References

External links

*
''The Love Epidemic''
at Oz Movies 1975 films Films directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith Australian sex comedy films 1970s English-language films 1970s Australian films {{1970s-Australia-film-stub