Molly house

Molly-House was a term used in 18th and 19th century England to define a meeting point for homosexual men. These meeting places were generally taverns, public houses, coffeehouses or even private rooms where men could either socialize or meet possible sexual partners.

Even if these clubs tended to display a heavy sexual connotation, some critics are cautious to classify them as mere brothels: Rictor Norton, for example, argues that the regular customers could have been in fact mutual friends, at least at the beginning, since consistent evidence concerning male prostitution seems to be insufficient until the 1780s. At that time homosexual sexual activities were included in the offence categories of buggery and sodomy (terms which were often used interchangeably) and were heavily prosecuted (in the United Kingdom they remained capital offences until 1861). In this context, particularly during the 1720s, Molly-Houses came to be the scenario for raids and arrests, and their customers the ideal target for blackmailers.

Direct-to-video

Direct-to-video or straight-to-video (also known as direct-to-VHS, direct-to-DVD, direct-to-Blu-ray, direct-to-digital, etc.) refers to the release of a film to the public immediately on home video formats rather than a theatrical release or television broadcast. Because inferior sequels or prequels of larger-budget films may be released direct to video, references to direct-to-video releases are often pejorative. However, this belief is changing, with direct-to-video releases having become something of a profitable lifeline for independent filmmakers and smaller companies.

Reasons for releasing direct to video

A production studio may decide not to generally release a TV show or film for several possible reasons: a low budget, lack of support from a TV network, negative reviews, its controversial nature, or a simple lack of general public interest. Studios, limited in the annual number of films to which they grant cinematic releases, may choose to pull the completed film from the theaters, or never exhibit it in theaters at all. Studios then generate revenue through video sales and rentals.