The Other Hollywood (1999)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Anders Dalgaard

Writer:

Anders Dalgaard (writer)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Ever wonder what it's like to be a porn star?

Plot:

"The Other Hollywood" is an in depth documentary of the adult film industry in the San Fernando Valley shot by young...

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Government | Lobbyist | Sex | Pornographer

Cast

Brooke Ashley	...	Herself
Seymore Butts	...	Himself
Capri Cameron	...	Herself
Chloe	...	Herself
Mark Croner	...	Himself
Gregory Dark	...	Himself
Misty Dawn	...	Herself (as Laurie Holmes)
Max Hardcore	...	Himself
Veronica Hart	...	Herself
Jenna Jameson	...	Herself
Ron Jeremy	...	Himself
Katie June	...	Herself
Bud Lee	...	Himself
Sharon Mitchell	...	Herself
John Stagliano	...	Himself

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Denmark | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Noir Films

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Sexmodellerne - det andet Europa" (1999)

Much better than I expected but not totally legit

A documentary looking at the porn industry from a variety of points of view of those who work within it in LA. The film interviews several actresses, including one new comer and several retired actresses (who of whom has AIDS). Producers and directors talk about their approaches to the industry, how they feel it has changed and what it is really like for them and others.

This film was screened on channel 5 in the UK and, while the subject was interesting to me, I feared this would be yet another `jerk-umentary' with scenes from movies taking up more time than anything else. However this film is actually interesting for the contributions rather than the sex. The film still has far too much in the way of scenes of sex and so on, and it taints itself a little bit as a result, however the interviews are very good.

The film mixes very honest interviews to good effect - showing that the business is simply not `bad' or `good' but all things in-between. We see a girl before her first shoot talking about her hopes and dreams for her career, then see her freeze before her first BJ and vomit into the nearest basin. On the other hand we have the girls who say they found happiness in the industry - but they are honest enough to say what they expected and have to put up with. Most distressing is Brooke Ashley, who is very balanced about her experiences but who is filled with regret and pain - not to mention the fact that she has had AIDS since 1998. Her sections are the most moving and very affecting.

The directors and producers are able to talk about what they have seen from their vantage point above all the sex. Their comments are very brutal and honest - they dismiss any girl's hopes of wider stardom and acknowledge that many girls will be used, destroyed and disposed of rather than having lasting careers. One thing I did like to see was a couple of them really hating on people like Max Hardcore - he is very cruel and openly boasts about `first we mesmerise them with promises, then we break their will'. Butts was very clear on how he hates that type of porn, as were a few others.

However, regardless of whether or not they actively set out to hurt the girls, they all openly admit that the girls are disposable - they are used until they have nothing left and then they are replaced. Black is a very cruel director but I have seen him in several documentaries and he is always honest and frank. Here he is the most cruel but honest when he talks about why the adult industry turned it's back on Ashley when she got AIDS - what do you expect? he says, they don't care - it's just one girl or another, they are simply pieces of meat. Brutal but honest and real.

Overall this is a very good film that manages to get above the fact that it overuses the clips of movies. The contributions are all honest and refreshing. If you are a regular porn watcher then it is likely this will put you off a little bit - the film leaves you with no illusion that, while some people get very rich off it, this is predominately a harsh industry that doesn't see people as people but as meat to be filmed. Whether it is the `funny' gonzo stuff of Butts or the horrid stuff of Max Hardcore, this is not an industry that I want to get any closer to than watching this documentary.