Henry Miller's notorious book was banned in 1934 because of its raw, explicit language. For all its controversy, the movie has a lot of frontal nudity, but not the graphic sex seen in movies released the same time and later. The language is as Miller wrote it: shocking. The sex talk earn the flick an X rating, which was re-rated R two decades later.

Rip Torn and James Callahan's performances breathe the life into Tropic of Cancer, which chronicles Miller's lascivious -- and mooching -- life in 1920s Paris. Torn portrays Miller as a likeable mooch preoccupied with sex and shattering the taboos of his day. The movie updates the time to the late 1960s; however, contrary to some reviews, I thought Torn slid into this role like slipping into a comfy pair of shoes. Well, he's a wonderfully salacious old fellow if anyone saw Marie Antoinette. Fans of Torn might like to see what he was like as a younger man taking on some daring roles. See a scene from our YouTube upload here!

Tropic of Cancer has its place in history: efforts to ban it went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and as a result some crucial First Amendment protections were set down. This DVD is a new release in 2011. Of course menus and scene selection. But I was hoping the updated re-issue would have a few features. I am guessing the re-release came after the death of director Joseph Strick in 2010. The movie runs 1:34 minutes, is uncut and features in the first scenes a young and beautiful Ellen Burstyn as Mona, Miller's wife. We ship internationally. To Canada it's $5, and $6 to Europe, Asia and Australia.