From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Movie poster for O Bem Dotado, o Homem de Itu (1978) with Nuno Leal Maia

Pornochanchada is the name given to a genre of sexploitation films produced in Brazil that was popular during the 1970s. Its name combined pornô (porn) and chanchada (light comedy).

Pornochanchadas were initially produced in the downtown quarter of São Paulo that was nicknamed "Boca do Lixo" ("Garbage Mouth"), so the genre is also known in Brazil as cinema da Boca. Later, there were productions in Rio de Janeiro as well, creating the sub-genre pornochanchada carioca. Pornochanchadas were generally in line with "sex comedies" produced in other countries, but also featured some Brazilian peculiarities. The most prominent actresses were Helena Ramos, Matilde Mastrangi, Aldine Müller, Nicole Puzzi, Monique Lafond, Nádia Lippi, Patrícia Scalvi, Rossana Ghessa, Zilda Mayo, Zaíra Bueno, Kate Lyra, and Marta Anderson. After the end of the pornochanchada era, they moved to telenovelas and/or more mainstream genres of cinema. Actresses like Vera Fischer and Sônia Braga have also appeared in pornochanchadas. The most popular actors were David Cardoso (presented as the symbol of Brazilian machismo, who was also a director and the owner of the production company Dacar) and Nuno Leal Maia. Among the distinguished directors of the genre were Ody Fraga, Tony Vieira and Jean Garret.

In spite of strict censorship by the government at the time, since pornochanchadas were not critical of the government and did not depict explicit sex, state-run film company Embrafilme was usually eager to prop them. Producers became increasingly dependent on pornochanchadas to compete with American films and to guarantee immediate returns. With the prevalence of the genre, the term began to be indiscriminately applied to various types of films that focused on sexual relationships. Some Nélson Rodrigues adaptations were among such films. By the 1980s, with the availability of hardcore pornography through clandestine video cassettes, the genre suffered a considerable decline. After the end of the military regime in 1985, repressive measures on cinema were lifted, marking a virtual end for pornochanchada.

• Brazil: Cinema, Sex and the Generals