"That's a nice-a donut."

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Inside Deep Throat (2005)

Back in the early 1970s a cultural phenomenon swept across the country. I'm not talking about the growing anti-war movement or disco music or feminism or anything else of that ilk. I'm referring to porn. With the release of Deep Throat in 1972, adult films were thrust closer to the mainstream of society and an entire industry was reborn and revitalized. Inside Deep Throat, from directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, chronicles how the illicit movie became a smash hit after its initial release in a Times Square, New York theater, followed by fights to keep it out of theaters and its impact on the people associated with it, and how it affected an entire industry.

The movie combines archived footage with new interviews and narration by Dennis Hopper (and, on that note, how in the world can a documentary possibly be successful without voiceover narration by either Hopper, Morgan Freeman, or Keith David?). Some of those interviewed include the films stars and creators, entertainment bigshots like Hugh Hefner, John Waters, and Wes Craven, as well as a host of former adult film performers and directors, plus a number of writers such as Norman Mailer and other experts. In addition, some law-talking folk like Alan Dershowitz and U.S. attorney Larry Parrish (more on that in a moment) are also given ample screen time. One of the more humorous interviews is with the location manager on the movie, a crazy old man who, for some inexplicable reason, is on a vendetta against the film and compares everything in it to feces (but not in such a polite manner).

The documentary uses the widely bandied-about claim that Deep Throat is the most profitable film of all time - given that it was made for only about $20,000 - with a total gross of $600 million dollars. Unfortunately, no further study or mention is made of the dubious nature of that claim. The fact of the matter is, the movie was heavily financed and distributed by members of the Italian mafia. It is quite probable that it was used to launder money from other sources and that the actual grosses will forever be a mystery.

Somewhat ironically, the success of the movie ended up being its undoing as a wave of Nixonian censorship and nationwide crackdowns on pornography eventually sent a vast number of people to court on criminal obscenity charges, including lead actor Harry Reems, director Gerard Damiano, and various people on the distribution and theatrical end of the business. Larry Parrish, the prosecutor in the case, claims he's not a eunuch. Though I see no reasonable evidence to believe him. But to the movie's credit, it tends to treat all the subjects with their due respect and doesn't really take sides in the battle.

At the same time that porn was under fire again in the 1980s, with congressional investigations and a burgeoning feministic movement, porn helped to spur the growth of home video rentals. Draconian laws and persecution brought many associated with the movie down, but yet the popularity and "porn chic" factor surrounding the film helped to take the industry further into the mainstream anyway (along with an "artistic" decline). By the end, Bailey and Barbato seem to lament that despite all this, the laws remain unchanged.

I enjoyed some of the rare footage, such as celebrities at Deep Throat screenings, and even a portion of an old adult educational film ("Hi, I'm Troy McClure..."). The surprise beauty tip was also welcome. I also appreciated the insights and the openness of the nudity and sexuality, but ultimately Inside Deep Throat just feels like a bigger budget version of a television special on the History or Biography channels. At one point it devolves into another episode of VH1's "I Love the 70s." Things are played a bit too broadly by the end, as it goes off in too many directions, trying to focus on a little of everything. The movie is enjoyable enough while it lasts, but rather forgettable when it's over.

The Verdict: B-.

Michael Bentley 2:33 PM

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