The Sin Syndicate

Someone's Favorite Productions

The Sin Syndicate is a podcast hosted by writer Gentry Austin and adult film historian Casey Scott focused on the Golden Age of American sexploitation, when the morals were loose, the laws were murky, and the intercourse was all simulated. Join us semiweekly as we peer into adults only theaters and sticky floored cinemas looking for colorful nudies, B&W roughies, and softcore sex films.

  1. The Most Popular Gal In Town

    15H AGO

    The Most Popular Gal In Town

    To know her is to love her. Meet Francy. Or better yet, meet Curt Ledger, a name you may recognize as being attached to a notorious sexploitation film (often called the roughest roughie) called She Came on the Bus. While that film is a “classic” voice-over narration-style piece of artless trash, Ledger was also involved with another picture, a very different, and surprisingly, very good film, called It’s…Francy’s Friday, a coming-of-age dramedy about a not bad lookin’ chick played by the Teenage Tramp herself, Alisha Fontaine.   Joining us to discuss all things Ledger, Fontaine, male co-star Ken Chandler, and everyone’s favorite long-haired business babe, Linda Boyce, is researcher and forgotten film explorer, Shawn D. Langrick. SDL has a personal connection to these two films, especially Francy, but you’ll have to listen to learn more. What I can tell you is that we all agreed this is a special, criminally underseen movie made with real care; a tender-hearted sex film that belies its bonafides as just another quickie Curt Ledger project. So join us for Episode 34, “The Most Popular Gal in Town” as we kick start the ignition, engage in a little backseat action, and discuss all things Ledger, Bus, and Francy. Oh, and there’s also this other side-character named Hal Stone. Links: Subscribe to our Patreon Instagram with us at The Sin Syndicate Follow us on Letterboxd: Gentry & Casey Check out the Something Weird Channel Listen to other podcasts on Someone's Favorite Productions Contact us: thesinsyndicatepodcast@gmail.com Special thanks: Shawn D. Langrick Episode Specific: New Beverly Cinema March calendar Watch She Came on the Bus on Cultpix

    2h 30m
  2. More Deadly Than The Male

    FEB 26

    More Deadly Than The Male

    A bold attempt by a smut publisher and an exploitation director at melding fetishism with general release melodrama, Satan in High Heels is a film that aims big with its sophisticated lounge jazz LP and its lesbianic novelization tie-in. But maybe the world wasn’t ready to get fully Bizarre just yet. A few years later, One Shocking Moment would open with a sharp heel to the back of a hand, among other sadomasochistic things, but in the early 60s, exploiteers were still testing the waters of acceptability, and legality. Olga and her House of Shame were still a few years away, so temper your expectations for leather, lingerie and bondage, and you’ll find something just, if not more, interesting—a seriously well-made film featuring Hollywood players, a mononymous pin-up queen, and that lady from Dark Shadows with the crazy eyes and smoker's scream. Behind the camera is the incredibly talented Bernie Hirschenson, who made William Mishkin’s super-smash nudie, Orgy at Lil’s Place, infinitely more watchable than it had any right to be. It all comes together surprisingly well, even if it doesn’t fully capture fet-publisher Leonard Burtman’s original vision (for that, maybe read the book). Taking us through all this and more is our special guest, our pompadoured tour guide, Alex DiSanto, the headmaster of the incredible account paperbackgrindhouse. So sink into your stilletos, grab your stiffest riding crop, and join us for Episode 33: “More Deadly Than The Male.” Links: Subscribe to our Patreon Instagram with us at The Sin Syndicate Follow us on Letterboxd: Gentry & Casey Check out the Something Weird Channel Listen to other podcasts on Someone's Favorite Productions Contact us: thesinsyndicatepodcast@gmail.com Special thanks: Alex DiSanto, Richard Pérez Seves Episode Specific: Get tickets to the SECS Fest screening with Jane Garrett Watch the restored trailer Order Scuro 08 Listen to In Film We Trust #148

    2h 32m
  3. The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

    FEB 12

    The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

    Rip the curlers from your hair. Peggy’s gone. She was The Most Beautiful Woman in the World. For this episode we planned to discuss Anything for Money with Joe Sarno biographer Michael Bowen, but just an hour before recording we got the news that Peggy Steffans-Sarno had passed away the night before. She was 84 years old. Peggy was many things: she was a New Yorker; she was a mother; she was a muse to artist Tom Wesselman, who was enraptured by her lips; she was a London trained actress that ran in the same circles as Peter Bogdanovich, Polly Platt and director Adolfas Mekas, who put her in his movie; and last but not least, she was a devoted wife and long-time, long-suffering collaborator to husband Joe Sarno, who she truly believed in as a serious artist with a special talent for peering into the depths of taboo eroticism and female sexuality. But as Michael says, “Peggy didn’t appreciate maudlin behavior,” so we did our little part to soldier on, drifting in and out of a film-specific discussion and a celebration of her life, as a Steffans, and as a Sarno. Hell, you may even learn more about Deep Throat 2 than you ever expected, or wanted to. Rest in piece, Peggy. The work continues. Links: Subscribe to our Patreon Follow Michael on Facebook Read the memoriam on The Hollywood Reporter Instagram with us at The Sin Syndicate Follow us on Letterboxd: Gentry & Casey Check out the Something Weird Channel Listen to other podcasts on Someone's Favorite Productions Contact us: thesinsyndicatepodcast@gmail.com Special thanks: Michael Bowen

    3h 11m
  4. Love Land

    JAN 22

    Love Land

    Fasten your seatbelts, don't forget to pack your mother's diaphragm, we're heading to Main Street, USA for an evening in "Love Land." In Episode 31 of The Sin Syndicate, we are joined by author, brick-breaker and long-time exploitation film historian, Chris Poggiali, who personally chose the subject of this week's episode: actor/stuntman Gary Kent's directorial debut, the woozy, mysterious, sensual, Secret Places, Secret Things (1971). Described by Casey as "a special experience," this underrated gem made for the Pussycat Theater chain and distributed by Fineberg & Miranda's Grads Corp feels like it shouldn't exist at all. And for a long time, it looked like it never did. But recently, thanks to film archivists and historians like Joe Rubin and Charles Devlin, this magical little diamond resurfaced in a scratchy but still comforting scan-from-British VHS. It's a rare film that gives popular sexploitation performers Neola Graef and Kathy Hilton more to do than strip and look pretty (though they do that, too), and girl next door Debbie Osborne, unsurprisingly, gives another lovable, standout performance (more akin to Cindy and Donna than Tobacco Roody) as the kind of hippie chick you could bring home to momma.  But maybe the most interesting thing of it all is new information from Chris about two of our leading men: Hollywood-handsome Edward Blessington and The Love Butcher himself, Erik Stern. Of course, there will also be diversions to talk about the irascible duo of Lee Frost and Pete Perry, amongst other things. So, send the porter for a bottle of grog, listen to the thunder outside your window, and join us for a very special look at marriage, love, infidelity, and triumph. Links: Subscribe to our Patreon Get your tickets to Casey's screening: Alice in Wonderland Instagram with us at The Sin Syndicate Follow us on Letterboxd: Gentry & Casey Listen to other podcasts on Someone's Favorite Productions Contact us: thesinsyndicatepodcast@gmail.com Special thanks: Chris Poggiali and Charles Devlin

    1h 59m
  5. On Mighty Monarchs and Lady Bosses

    12/18/2025

    On Mighty Monarchs and Lady Bosses

    It’s a Christmas miracle! It’s been a long time coming, but for the final episode of the year, The Sin Syndicate have been blessed with the immaculate presence of The Boss, Something Weird Video owner and operator, Lisa Petrucci. Ever since we started this podcast we knew we wanted to bring Lil’ Lisa on the show, but we were waiting for the right moment. Well, what better time than now, our last episode of 2025, where we talk with the multi-talented Ms. Petrucci about a subject near and dear to her heart—the Mighty Monarch of Exploitation, David F. Friedman, and the recently announced series of double and triple features from Melusine and Distribpix dedicated to his colorful career.  Besides Uncle Dave, we also chat about the early days of Something Weird, the current state of film censorship, and some of our favorite Friedman films. If you listen closely, you might even catch Lisa drop a couple hints about some upcoming releases from SWV in the new year. So, join us for “On Mighty Monarchs and Lady Bosses,” the first, but hopefully not the last, of our discussions with the small but powerful woman behind an exploitation empire. Links: Subscribe to our Patreon Check out Something Weird Video Purchase The Adult Version Of Jekyll & Hide + The Erotic Adventures of Zorro Instagram with us at The Sin Syndicate Follow us on Letterboxd: Gentry & Casey Listen to other podcasts on Someone's Favorite Productions Contact us: thesinsyndicatepodcast@gmail.com Special thanks: Lisa Petrucci

    2h 10m

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

The Sin Syndicate is a podcast hosted by writer Gentry Austin and adult film historian Casey Scott focused on the Golden Age of American sexploitation, when the morals were loose, the laws were murky, and the intercourse was all simulated. Join us semiweekly as we peer into adults only theaters and sticky floored cinemas looking for colorful nudies, B&W roughies, and softcore sex films.

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