Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography (1981)

Documentary about the pornography industry and the apparent violent anti-woman slant much of it takes.

Director:

Bonnie Sherr Klein

Writers:

Andrée Klein, Bonnie Sherr Klein

Stars:

Linda Lee Tracey, Bonnie Sherr Klein, Suze Randall

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Lee Tracey	...	Herself, Stripper 'Fonda Peters'
Bonnie Sherr Klein	...	Herself (as Bonnie Klein)
Suze Randall	...	Herself, Photographer
Kate Millett	...	Herself, Writter / Artist
David S. Wells	...	Himself, Editor / Publisher
Marc Stevens	...	Himself, Porn Actor
Ron Martin	...	Herself, Producer
Richard Snowdon	...	Himself, Member of Men Against Male Violence
Patrice Lucas	...	Herself, Sex Show Performer
Rick Lucas	...	Himself, Sex Show Performer
Robin Morgan	...	Herself, Poet / Writer
Kenneth Pitchford	...	Herself, Poet / Writer
Susan Griffin	...	Herself, Author of 'Pornography and Silence'
Edward Donnerstein	...	Himself, Research Psychologist (as Dr. Ed Donnerstein)
Kathleen Barry	...	Herself, Poet / Writer

Storyline

This documentary is an examination of the pornography industry such as in strip shows, sex shows, film and magazines. Furthermore, the film explores how a large portion of it takes a denigrating view of women, leading up to depictions of sexual violence for titillation.

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Plot Keywords:

sex show | slut shaming | victimization porn | feminist porn | year 1980 | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 June 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Not a Love Story: A Motion Picture About Pornography

Filming Locations:

Club Super Sexe - 696 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Linda Lee Tracey felt she was portrayed inaccurately in the film. She viewed her work as a stripper as a positive, liberating pursuit. Her anger inspired her to begin her own career as a documentary producer and reporter.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Susan Griffin: "Hustler" magazine, which is a pornographic magazine, had a Valentine's Day issue in February. There's a glossy red cover, and there's a woman on the cover and she's wearing chains. She's semi-nude of course, she wearing chains and one of those collars around her neck, and she has glasses in the shapes of hearts. Pornography reveals itself, its real purpose, you know, there you have the heart imprisoned, the heart on its knees, you know, and if necessary the heart rendered silent.

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Connections

References The Black 6 (1973)

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Soundtracks

Piece of My Heart
Written by Bert Berns (as Bert Berns) and Jerry Ragovoy

User Reviews

the galore of porn

First of all, this is a documentary about the XXX scene in the states. Made around a time when horror and the XXX scene became violent. It was the time of the slashers and the porn horrors. Girls were humiliated in that era. As seen in the documentary some directors stated, it's a men's world outside and all movies are made so that men can have fun, and what's more than having pride as a man when a woman kneels down and give it to you. A time when Britain started the hunt for those movies as the so called 'video nasties'. The US didn't follow so women protested against those violent movies. But the fun in this documentary is the fact that it was banned also due the reason that they showed strip acts and some photo shoots of women showing their genitals. Further on they visit 42nd street, visiting the scene and showing explicit parts. So it's hard to find this flick, oh yeah, you can order it in Canada were it was made but you will have to be a teacher to get it and they copy it on VHS. Fun to see that they are talking about the rise of the VHS in which the XXX scene sells three time more than a major Hollywood film, and the fact that there are 4 time more XXX clubs then Mc Donalds. The thing that offended me the most is the part were a psychiatrist explains what XXX movies are doing to your mind. He says, if you watch them a lot were women are raped you will won't get offended about it anymore, so when you see a rape in real life, you won't be bothered. What a stupidity to say, nowadays we know that people who watch XXX don't become rapists and people who collect horrors aren't serial killers. Anyway, a must see but place yourself in the time being. I can tell, I walked around 42nd when 42nd was still as seen in this documentary. And it was indeed sleazy, even my hotel was located in between. 10 years later I was back on 42nd, everything was gone...So watch this one before the last copy has gone.