Synopsis
Dag Yngvesson sets out to the San Fenando Valley to investigate the way the porn filmmaking world works. His first contact is with veteran actor Bill Marigold, who now sees himself as a sort of den father (to coin a phrase) to other performers. With help from Marigold, our documentarist lands one contact after another, some plenty disturbing, and before he knows it, he is being asked to be cameraman on a porn feature himself. The emotional climax follows returning star Jenna Fine’s struggle …o stay off drugs when her ex-boyfriend is released from prison.
As opposed to the interested observer narrative approach of Inside Deep Throat, Yngvesson make his film very much a first-person account, and doesn’t let himself off the hook at all. This is a film unafraid to ask hard questions, and to let those questions haunt the viewer rather than coming up with pat answers. Even the most sympathetic characters here are troubling, and there are others who will have you running to the shower for thorough decontamination. Deeply fascinating, and deeply troubling.
Audio
The audio track is a 2.0 stereo mix, but don’t expect any miracles. The film was made on a shoestring, and makes use of clips from various sources, and the sound is what one would expect, given the circumstances. Mono wouldn’t have been out of place (and after all, conversation is what’s important here), but the score, when it kicks in, sounds quite decent. The interview subjects all come through clearly, but now and then there is some bleed into the rear speakers.
Video
The low budget is even more apparent in the picture quality. The level of grain and overall sharpness vary wildly, with some shots being pretty damn rough indeed. Others are quite sharp, however. The colours are pretty decent, and again, there are plenty of clips from other sources, and the picture quality depends on those, most of which would have been pretty sketchy to begin with. The aspect ratio is fullscreen, which I have no doubt is how the film was shot.
Special Features
There is no commentary track, but then the film’s narration pretty much speaks for itself. There are two deleted scenes of some length, deepening the examination of the role of male actors and racism in porn. There are interviews with then-rising-star Jenna Jameson (the film was shot around 1999), as well as with Nina Hartley (and one wishes one could have heard more from this most opinionated of politically active porn stars) and the inevitable Ron Jeremy. A time-lapse sex scene is presented in its entirety, there’s a still gallery, and the director’s bio. The menu’s intro is animated and scored, and the main screen is scored.
Closing Thoughts
If this doesn’t keep you up at night with troubling questions and thoughts, then you’re probably brain dead.
Special Features List
- Deleted Scenes
- Interviews with Jenna Jameson, Nina Hartley and Ron Jeremy
- Time Lapse Sex Sequence
- Still Gallery
- Director’s Bio
