: Many users note that the film's cinematography and "memorable score" set it apart from its contemporaries. Taboo (1980) - IMDb
Despite the confusion surrounding the plot, one thing is clear: "IMDB Taboo 1980" is a film that defies easy categorization, blending elements of drama, crime, and exploitation cinema to create a unique viewing experience. imdb taboo 1980
Explicit unsimulated sexual content, incest theme (mother-son), strong language, and nudity. No violence or drug use. : Many users note that the film's cinematography
For those arriving via expecting a cheap, grainy loop, the technical production is a shock. Shot on 35mm film during the tail end of the "Porno Chic" era (when adult films had legitimate theatrical runs in cities like New York and Los Angeles), Taboo boasts competent lighting, deep focus shots, and a surprisingly melancholic score. No violence or drug use
The story is threadbare: Kay Parker plays Barbara, a lonely, middle-aged mother whose husband is cold and whose son (played by a wooden Mike Ranger) is returning home. Through a series of coincidental voyeuristic moments and a whole lot of soft-focus longing, boundaries are crossed. Parker is genuinely compelling—she brings a warmth and melancholy that’s rare for the genre, making you almost believe the emotional turmoil. The infamous “birthday spanking” scene is as awkward and tense as it sounds.
), a sexually frustrated mother whose internal dams begin to break. What makes it "interesting"—and frankly, what gave it such staying power—is that the central "taboo" (an incestuous attraction to her son) is treated with a bizarrely serious, almost Shakespearean weight rather than just sleazy exploitation. Highlights: Performance: