Taboo -1-4- Taboo American Style -1-4- Collec... ❲8K❳
Taboo American Style series, also known as Taboo American Style: A Mini-Series
, is a four-part saga released in 1985 that chronicles the complex, interlinked lives of two families—one wealthy and one poor—as they navigate infidelity and moral decay. Directed by Henri Pachard, it is widely considered a high-budget, classic drama of its genre. Part 1: The Ruthless Beginning The story centers on
(Raven), a teenager in an upper-middle-class family. Her "sexual awakening" begins when she has an affair with the brother of her best friend,
. This revelation shatters her family's moral facade, leading to a chain reaction of infidelity: The Mother (Emily)
: Played by Gloria Leonard, she tries to uphold a standard of morality while secretly having an affair with the family's handyman, (R. Bolla). The Father (PT) Taboo -1-4- Taboo American Style -1-4- Collec...
: Played by Paul Thomas, he discovers his wife's infidelity but chooses not to divorce. Instead, he retaliates by exiling his wife from their bedroom and sending their son, , to college. Part 2: The Story Continues
The tension in the household escalates as Nina realizes the power her sexuality gives her. To exact revenge or perhaps out of pure manipulation, Nina seduces her mother’s secret lover, Jack. Meanwhile, the handyman's daughter (Taija Rae) falls into a tragic spiral, eventually ending up as a prostitute in a massage parlor. The film emphasizes the hypocrisy of the characters, contrasting their "soap opera" lives with their dark reality. Part 3: Nina Becomes an Actress Nina’s manipulation extends to her own brother,
, whom she seduces. She also begins using her sexuality to climb the social and professional ladder, eventually involving a movie producer, Joey Silvera , and his wife, Sarah Bernard
. The chapter ends with Emily (the mother) breaking down and seducing Tom herself after revealing the father's own "taboo" relationship with Nina. Part 4: The Exciting Conclusion Taboo American Style series, also known as Taboo
In the final installment, Nina achieves her goal of Hollywood stardom. She ruthlessly abandons her family and those who helped her, including a journalist and her own father, whom she ruins financially. The series concludes on a downbeat note, showing Nina as a glamorous but hollow adult who has satisfied her every whim at the expense of everyone else. Taboo American Style_Baiduwiki
The series ends with a meta twist: The family discovers they are being filmed for a "documentary." This fourth wall break anticipates reality TV by nearly a decade. It is the rarest of the eight films to find in original packaging.
Collector’s Note: The "Taboo American Style 1-4" collection is even rarer than the original set. Many bootleg DVDs combine these four into a single disc. Authentic collections will have the Caballero Home Video or VCA Pictures label. Later represses by Alpha Blue Archives are the most reliable.
Directed by Kirdy Stevens and starring Kay Parker, the original Taboo broke every rule in the book. The plot follows Barbara, a middle-aged divorcée who embarks on an incestuous affair with her own son, Paul. Unlike the plot-light loops of the era, Taboo focused heavily on psychodrama. Her "sexual awakening" begins when she has an
"Taboo" is a popular word-guessing game that was created by Elaine Mares and first released by Hasbro in 1989. The game is designed for teams of players and involves describing a word without using certain "taboo" words or phrases that are listed on a card.
While the original Taboo series was steeped in a distinct, almost moody West Coast atmosphere, the mid-80s saw the release of Taboo American Style. This four-part series (often packaged as a mini-series or "collection") represented a shift in the industry.
Moving away from the film-first mentality of the early 80s, American Style leaned into the burgeoning home video market. It was brighter, faster-paced, and arguably more cynical in its storytelling. Where the original Taboo aimed for psychological drama, American Style often leaned into the "naughty" and the sensational, reflecting the changing tastes of a video-hungry audience.
The Distinction:
