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37 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
Insightful & Important, 21 February 2005
Author: davidbeecher1956 from United States

Deep Throat changed America. It legitimized porn, creating a billion dollar industry in the process, and sent the sexual revolution to dizzying heights. Love it or hate it, Deep Throat was an historical event.

Inside Deep Throat looks back at that amazing phenomenon, it's causes and effects, and how it changed America and the lives of those who made it.

Interviews with Throat director Gerard Damiano & male lead Harry Reems give much insight into the porn biz of those bygone days, a dark world of sex & drug addiction, fly by night productions, and mafia money men. Sexperts Erica Jong, Dr. Ruth & Helen Gurley Brown offer their takes on how society reacted to and was affected by this new sexual openness, while 70s porn queens Georgina Spelvin & Andrea True offer quick sound bites that explain what drew people to the business.

The film covers many bases & covers them well. We see the hypocrisy of Jesus-inspired DAs, who waste millions of taxpayer dollars on frivolous prosecutions of actors, theater managers, and anyone else they see as an easy target in their crusade to "clean up America".

Censorship and free speech issues are discussed by the likes of Norman Mailer, John Waters, Dick Cavett and others, while Gloria Steinen & Susan Brownmiller offer their views on how porn degrades women. Both sides are eloquent and make valid points.

We see the tragedy of Linda Lovelace's wasted life. Unable to escape the stigma of being the film's star, she joined forces with the Women's Movement in denouncing porn. Shortly before her death in a traffic accident, Lovelace briefly returned to the biz because she was flat broke.

Inside Deep Throat is a brilliant film. It takes a time, place and event, a cultural phenomenon of it's day, and puts it under a microscope. Future generations may look at Deep Throat the film and wonder what the big deal was.

Inside Deep Throat explains it all to them.

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48 out of 69 people found the following comment useful :-
The DVD that will give legitimacy to your porn library, 13 February 2005

Author: elcopy from United States

"Inside Deep Throat" is one of the most entertaining documentaries I've ever seen. This film doesn't cover all the aspects you may want to see about the porn-film-turned-cultural- phenomenon, but it is fun to watch -a thing you can't say about most documentaries. The tone is light-hearted, which will make people squeamish about seeing a film related to porn less threatened. It is however, one of the few films I've seen well deserving of the NC-17 rating.

The lessons to be learned from watching it are: The Christian Right is the American Taliban. The Republican Party spent too much taxpayer money and time deciding what you should and shouldn't see. Their silly "American values" platform has been around for decades. The silly obscenity laws are still around, though it'll be a big waste of taxpayer money to enforce them, as it was back then. The movie made so much money because it was banned and people were drawn to the controversy. The mafia was the biggest beneficiary, while most people involved in the film became victims of the movie's success.

I read somewhere the late Linda Lovelace said she realized the feminist crusaders used her more than the porn industry did. You can see a bit of that in this movie. In archive footage, Lovelace is being interviewed, but a feminist next to her doesn't let Lovelace speak and answers all the questions for her. Poor Lovelace was used to push whatever agenda she could be used for. In one part you see her defending the porn industry and free speech, the next you see her as the ultimate anti-porn crusader, and at an old age you see her posing nude for Playboy, defending her change of mind.

This will be a great DVD when it comes out. Many people won't agree with the points of view portrayed here, but we all can agree this is good storytelling.

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33 out of 48 people found the following comment useful :-
Interesting footage, but dishonest, 26 February 2005
Author: (dj_bassett) from Philadelphia

To get the obvious out of the way, yes, the movie's rated NC-17. Yes, it earns it's rating, in part by graphically showing us how DEEP THROAT got it's name.

I have real misgivings about this movie, although ultimately I'll recommend it to those interested in the period or artistic subcultures more generally. It is very well made, with a lot of interesting archival footage. (I especially liked an interview on what sounded like "60 Minutes" with Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, and Harry Reems stuck there right between them.) This is a fascinating story, assuming you like the subject generally. And the filmmakers have dug out all sorts of interesting people, including Gerald Damiano himself (improbably whiling away his twilight years in what looks like Florida) and Harry Reems (who I think comes across really well.) My misgivings basically stem from this: the filmmakers want to simultaneously idealize a moment in time and, at the same time, draw political conclusions from the story. I don't think you can do that; I think that's a contradiction in terms. As such, the movie often comes across as very dishonest. Some of the dishonesty seems unconscious: if you're going to idealize the early Seventies adult film scene as brave busters of restrictive social mores, it seems strange to at the same time castigate those who would uphold them, since it's this very act of upholding them which gives your guys their ennobling quality, no? It's as if the filmmakers want to re-fight the DEEP THROAT wars again, without any sense of perspective.

But more seriously, I think the movie shows a lot of bad faith. It's one thing to properly make fun of a ridiculous evangelical prosecutor who spearheaded the DEEP THROAT trial; it's another to make fun of an FBI agent, who after all (as the movie reluctantly admits) was investigating the Mob's connections with DEEP THROAT. It's one thing to celebrate Hollywood's defense of the movie and Reems when he was in trial, but the movie makers rather glibly skate over the fact that Reems's descent into alcoholism was kicked off by his realization that Hollywood wouldn't hire him. As for Linda Lovelace, the movie has convinced me (rather unwillingly, frankly, and I'm not sure they intended to do it themselves) that she was at least pressured into performing in the movie. There's a still of her with bruises that's hard to gainsay.

Most importantly, the movie acknowledges that porno is a huge industry nowadays, but doesn't seem to want that realization to clutter up it's thesis that things are more repressive now. One could argue, after all, that the success of the current adult industry means that Damiano and friends have essentially won. The movie seems to want to say just the opposite, that these guys were doing more artful stuff that isn't represented by current fare, but leaving aside the question of whether that's true or not, the movie begins with a clip of Damiano himself admitting that the movie isn't that good. And the merits of DEEP THROAT seem linked to it's more-busting power, not anything intrinsic in the film itself.

I would have preferred either a straightforward idealization of that adult film era, with Waters, Jong et. al. commenting, or a straightforward examination of DEEP THROAT's sociological impact, which would have meant a more unsparing look at the realities, I fear. As it is, the movie makers try to straddle things too much. Still, if you're interested in the era, adult films or more generally "underground art" you'll probably want to check this out. Has a limited release, but I think will eventually play on HBO.

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24 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
A light look at a dark world, 16 February 2005
Author: John DeSando (jdesando@columbus.rr.com) from Columbus, Ohio

Yes, there is fellatio depicted inside the documentary Inside Deep Throat. About 3 seconds. So go see the original groundbreaking porno flick of 1972, Deep Throat, if you want to be deeply titillated and experience a poorly made movie that grossed over $600 million and sparked a sexual revolution that resulted for exhibitors and actors in stiff penalties that carry through today in Nikon's' wet dreams.

Today fortunately is also a world where videos allow private viewing of private parts and only a handful of "art" houses even try to offer porno films. So why go back to those carefree days of free love and iconoclasm? Because conservatives have taken up Nixon and Reagan's call for a purer world, a world suited to George Bush's values-laden regime. Inside Deep Throat is a cautionary tale that implicitly argues, sometimes humorously, that young Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty are on to something when they complain our rights are being stolen.

Much bigger mirth arrives with the interviews of the retired director and project manager, among others, in their cheesy Florida print shirts and garish bungalows pontificating about the film's greatness emerging out of a mere $25,000 into film history. Not funny is star Linda Lovelace's return to the business, after disavowing it by taking an anti-porn feminist position with Gloria Steinem to speak for her and then going back to make a buck.

Sadder still is star Harry Reems' long association with substance abuse after being hounded by the feds as a scapegoat eventually cleared of obscenity charges. His current license to sell real estate in Park City, Utah, is a rich bit of irony. However, the humor continues with profundities by pop culture stars John Waters, Erica Jong, and Gore Vidal. Only a wry Dick Cavet puts it all into ironic perspective to ask if he could see the original now since he missed it and to aver that he always does what Nicholson and Beatty recommend.

Inside Deep throat is not as artful as Boogie Nights or as thoughtful as Kinsey; it is, however, a light look at a dark world that still thrives on privacy regardless of the public hunger for sex.

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36 out of 60 people found the following comment useful :-
A slick, brilliantly made, important cultural document., 30 January 2005

Author: showbizguy from United States

Review by: Todd David Schwartz, Arts & Entertainment Correspondent for "The Paul Mitchell Show," a newly launched, nationally syndicated talk radio program. INSIDE DEEP THROAT gets Four Stars (highest rating). DEEP THROAT, released in the early 1970's, is considered the first major porn film. It became, to say the least, quite a "cause celeb." This documentary, INSIDE DEEP THROAT, explores the impact of the film on society, and shows how sex, culture, politics, and morality all collided to explosive effect. INSIDE DEEP THROAT is an utterly fascinating cinematic experience, amazingly thorough, ceaselessly entertaining. I grew up during the time depicted in the film (over 30 years ago), but for those of you young 'uns who weren't around then, this will prove particularly eye-opening. The filmmakers were able to gather an impressive group of big-names to throw in their two-cents worth on the subject: Norman Mailer, Camille Paglia, Erica Jong, Dick Cavett -- names, again, that may be unfamiliar to those of you who weren't around during the time of DEEP THROAT's release. My only complaint about the film (an admittedly minor one) is that the filmmakers don't spend more time delving into allegations made by Linda Lovelace (DEEP THROAT's star) in her book ORDEAL, where she essentially claims that she was forced at gunpoint to perform in the film by her husband/manager Chuck Traynor. ORDEAL is quite a juicy read. It was originally released by a major publishing house, but has long been out of print. INSIDE DEEP THROAT certainly mentions the book, and shows how Lovelace did a turn-around and became an unexpected spokeswoman for anti-porn feminists. But the documentary generally leaves unexamined just how accurate ORDEAL's claims may have been. In the documentary, Hugh Hefner pontificates grandly about DEEP THROAT's cultural impact. NOT mentioned in the film is the allegation Lovelace makes in ORDEAL that, at the height of her popularity, she was invited up to the Playboy Mansion where Hef tried to get her to have sex with a dog, while people stood around and watched. Rather exploitive of you, Mr. Hefner, is it not? (Assumimg the allegation is true.) Also in the book and not mentioned in the film, is Lovelace's wild sexual relationship with entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. Not only did Davis have Lovelace demonstrate her deep throat fellatio technique on him (according to Lovelace), but Davis performed fellatio on Lovelace's hubby Chuck Traynor! I would have personally liked to see the film examine the book's allegations a little more closely. As it is (and as I indicated earlier), the film IS impressively thorough with the information it does provide, and it's presented with tremendous flair. INSIDE DEEP THROAT is rated NC-17 for a reason: The film includes an explicit scene from DEEP THROAT of Lovelace performing the fellatio technique for which the porn film was named and for which she became famous. Including this scene was a smart and important choice on the part of the filmmakers. It would have been a cop-out to have people sitting around talking about one of the primary reasons why DEEP THROAT became a must see, without actually showing it.

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15 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
If you aren't offended by porn, you'll really like this movie, 28 April 2005

Author: J_Wal from United States

All I can say is wow, this was a great documentary. Because of the subject matter it isn't for everyone, and the fact that it has an actual X-rated scene in it doesn't help either. But if you can get past that, this is an insightful, fascinating look at adult films and our society. And there is a lot of humor in it as well. I wasn't surprised that several people in the audience walked out, since even I didn't realize how graphic the language/visuals would be. Showing how Deepthroat brought the "BJ" into the mainstream of adult films was interesting, and the interviews with the people actually making porn were very insightful.

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13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
The Boogymen of her time are still with us., 17 November 2005

Author: Tim Johnson from Fremantle, Australia

I was impressed with this marvelous doco after watching it yesterday and unlike Dick Cavett I remember watching the film in the heady days of the 70s in San Francisco-perhaps not as brave and revolutionary as watching it in Oklahoma City but a political statement none the less.

My thoughts about the film are coloured by this historical connection but that in no way diminishes the strengths of the film. After all these years to see the players in the flesh talking about such a phenomenon made for an enjoyable morning of film watching. You cannot view the film without seething anger at the religious conservatives that made virtually all the player's lives far more difficult than those lives should have been.

If there was a villain in the movie it would have been the Tennesee prosecutor who doubled as a lay preacher when he wasn't trying to make America into his own little brand of religious conservatism. Their kind of dead-head sociology and politics is still rampant in the States and the only difference is they've changed their target from sex to terrorism-or at least their definition of political terrorism.

The directors, Bailey and Barbato, have crafted a superb film inter-cutting old film clips with current interviews in order to create an excellent vision of all the threads between the personalities and opinions of the players. The hilarity of these characters come through when they speak with a forthrightness that generally ends up on the cutting room floor.

If you are an old guy like me-see the film for its historical look at a time that we can remember. If you are a young person interested in politics, look at the film to see the nature of the bad guys around us now but with new crusades to fight.

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Good look at the film and the times., 18 February 2006

Author: dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York

This is the story of the film that changed our culture and how our society looks at sex. Inside Deep Throat takes us behind the scenes of the making of the film,tells us how it became a huge blockbuster, and how it changed the lives of all of the people involved.

This is a very good primer to understanding Deep Throats impact on sex and censorship. This film does a very good job at laying out the story of the film and placing it into the context of the times. If you don't know what the big deal was when this film came out, you'll get a very good understanding of just why and how the film became so big that even small kids knew its name (though not its content). You'll also get a good over view of the battle to censor and to keep the film from public view, and an idea of how it shaped our world today.

I really did like this film a great deal. My one real reservation is that this film focuses a too much on the one film. Certainly the with Deep Throat in the title, I expected it to be mostly focused on that, but the censorship wars that were being fought at the same time involved other films and other media,for example the battle over George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words was happening at about the same time and was just as important.

But I'm nit picking. This is a good movie. Its a good starting point for learning about the film and the times that made our times what they are.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
brilliant, 20 April 2006

Author: vocal_warchild from Australia

i am an unashamed porn fan, not in the sense that i sit around all the time watching th stuff, but in the sense that i find the people involved in the making and distribution of the stuff to be very interesting, if not somewhat shady and bizarre people but none the less they have a story to share that not many people can lay claim to and so i like to give any material broaching the subject, particularly in its formative years, a listen.

so i haven't seen deep throat, and i don't really want to, if I'm going to watch people engaging in sexual acts i will buy something a little more intense and modern without all the premise of having a plot for arts sake. but this documentary is not about the film persae, it is about the people involved with it and how it affected their lives.

we see and hear from a lot of people who's lives have been both positively and negatively affected by this film over the years and it gives the viewer an insight into what really makes these people get involved in the business to begin with, and surprisingly enough its not just the money as there wasn't much money in it for the actors as such back in the 70s.

so i suggest that anybody that has an interest in rights and freedoms should really watch this as it gives a deeper appreciation of these simple gifts that we have to live by today and are so readily taken for granted.

if you like this kinda stuff also check out a film called Wadd which is about the life and death of john Holmes and also read How to make love like a porn star, the autobiography of Jenna Jameson.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Funny, technically appealing doc. on 1970s phenom., 28 March 2005
Author: andrew_lapointe from Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Inside Deep Throat" is a funny, extremely well directed, edited and presented documentary on the 1972 porno film that broke box office records and brought in otherwise "respectable" citizens into theaters to see a film featuring actual acts of oral sex performed by a cute, naive brunette named Linda Lovelace. The film simultaneously furthered America's love/hate relationship with smut (political power attempting to suppress and end pornography and others trying to gain access to it) Dennis Hopper provides narration to the story of how Deep Throat was produced, distributed and how it grossed millions of dollars and made porn a household term. Colorful and sometimes telling and very funny interviews with director Gerald Damiano, star Harry Reems, etc. make this glitzy doc. full of 70s eye candy well worth seeing.

Some critics complained that this documentary didn't dig deep enough into the subject matter and that it contains information already well ingrained in today's pop culture time capsule. That all depends on your age and knowledge of the matter (being born in 1985 myself, I had no idea that in the 1970s there were medical tests conducted to see if pornography caused physical harm to those viewing it!) File footage of 1970s newsreels, old stag loops and porno flicks, etc. make this film an honest, unflinching and kinda cutesy look at a time when VCRs were futuristic and porno stars looked like soccer moms.

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