Inside Deep Throat (2005)

How sad is this?

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Even if you've never actually seen the movie in question, you've heard of "Deep Throat". And the beauty of "Inside Deep Throat" is that the movie's place in American history is a fascinating story. For one, it's the most profitable movie ever made (it cost $250,000 and made 600 million), sparked national outrage and brought smut to the fore, was at one point banned in 23 states, and is probably the most iconic porn film in existence. And there are some riveting ins and outs to this tale; the mob ties, costar Harry Reems' exoneration due to Nixon's resignation, and the fact that the government led a moral crusade against this movie drove up interest to maddening heights. And what's hilarious is the prosecution's unbelievable ignorance during the trial. The documentary moves at a fast clip, with Dennis Hopper's assured narration. The interviews are insightful, archival footage a nice time capsule trip; it's well-produced, informative and surprisingly involving ... even if you're not a porn fan. 7/10

This was a fascinating documentary about the movie Deep Throat, which was made for $25,000 and grossed over $300 million. While it does present a clip or two from the movie, it is mainly focused on the impact the film had on America, the people involved, and the film industry.I have not seen the original movie. I was in Vietnam when it came out, and by the time I got my first VCR 10 years later, there were many more interesting films such as Debbie Does Dallas, that I never went back to view the pioneers like Deep Throat or The Devil in Miss Jones.But, it is not the movie that is important, but what it did to open up discussion of sexuality in America. There was even a merger of sorts between the new independent filmmakers" in the porn industry and Hollywood over the trial of Harry Reems, the male lead in the film. I would think that all the publicity and trials over this film had to contribute to Hollywood loosening up a bit in films.The people involved in the film did not fare so well. Reems became a drunk and drug user, Linda Lovelace died penniless, and the principles in making and showing the film seemed to be running away from organized crime, who provided most of the original $25,000.This was an interesting look at the industry and movies and changing mores in America. Yes, it does show the deep throat, which may turn some off, but the rest of the skin is pretty tame. It is the discussion that is interesting. And, you gets to see scads of Hollywood people in the discussion.

Is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, it isn't a porn movie. But it revolves around one, you see the prudes that America once was, and still is. We see the evolution porn made and the loses it made in the way, how the politics failed to close porn down.And how they again dismiss evidence in a case that is not good for there cause. We see the actual uprising of porn movies here, and see how it affects peoples lives. You can see how the mob does have a hand in everything in the porn business those days, how they dealth with people who don't listen. If you don't see this movie you will have misted up a really great thing.

I have seen two other films by documentarian (well, he is not exactly in the Frederick Wiseman mode) Fenton Bailey_ "Monica in Black and White" and "The Eyes of Tammy Faye." All of his film that I've seen focus on sex and scandal, and "Inside Deep Throat" proves to be no exception. This film is a fairly solid period piece_ taking place in the 1970s, and there are very startling interview clips with those involved with the original adult film, including 'actor' Harry Reems, and from celebrities, like John Waters and Hugh Hefner, who comment on the film's cultural impact. The doc also shows how both feminists and right-wingers attacked "Deep Throat." Ultimately, it seems that the controversy and the actual banning of the film in the United States made it more of a commodity with the public. There is actual footage from the original adult film, and while I seriously doubt that it has any artistic merit at all (have not seen "Deep Throat"), the political debate it stirred still seems relevant today and the film illustrates this well. Bailey is no serious documentary filmmaker, like Barbara Kopple, at all- he's even used sock puppets in his films_ but this material is a perfect for this formula. "Inside Deep Throat" also shows America's psychological hangups about sexuality though it does not examine why we are collectively more uptight about sex than most Europeans. This film would also make a great companion piece to Caveh Zahedi's surreal, narrative doc "I'm a Sex Addict." I have personal reservations about adult films. A PBS documentary "American Porn" revealed how abusive the industry is towards its 'actresses,' in a very brutal, shocking manner. But, one also realizes that ultra-conservatives' efforts to use the issue to legislate morality has dire consequences which lead to political/creative censorship in more legitimate documentary forms. For this reason alone, Bailey's latest film is quite a thought-provoking one.