Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Inside Deep Throat (2005)

Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Not a rush-job response to last week’s Vanity Fair story, but rather an amusing, if sometimes hysterical, response to an extraordinary blow-job, this documentary takes the moral temperature of ’70s America via the clitoris at the back of Linda Lovelace’s throat in the 1972 porn flick, ‘Deep Throat’. There’s fun to be had from observing the array of associated misfits wheeled out to explain how a $25,000 porn film grossed $6 million, turned the mob into extortionate film distributors and kickstarted a moral outrage that went as high as the Supreme Court. Especially entertaining are the high-trousered director of ‘Deep Throat’, Gerard Damiano, who makes wild claims for his scrappy film; porn star-turned-born-again estate agent Harry Reems; and whiter-than-white prosecutor Larry Parrish who claims to be haunted still by images from the film. The pundits can’t be knocked either; Dr Ruth, John Waters, Camille Paglia, Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Hugh Hefner all contribute their informed twopenny’s worth…But for all its partially interesting conclusions about the sexual revolution and ‘Deep Throat’s’ role within it, this is a schizophrenic film, veering wildly between light, detached nostalgia and indignant mock-gravitas. Historians will baulk at the lack of context and some flippant statements (wrapping up a section on Nixon’s resignation, Dennis Hopper’s sleazy voiceover declares, ‘This national nightmare over, the nation got down,’ cueing the briefest of sections on the rest of the ’70s). The almost complete dismissal of Lovelace’s claims of coercion and bullying on the part of her husband/manager Chuck Traylor are also a little hard to swallow. The directors clearly have Lovelace down as unhinged and untrustworthy. Not that she can defend herself: she died in a car crash in 2002.

Author: DC 2005-06-06 12:00:36

Time Out London Issue 1816: June 8-15 2005


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets with Orange Click Here

Cast & crew

Director: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Producer: Brian Grazer, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Genre(s): Documentaries

Rated: 18

Duration: 90 mins

UK Release: Jun 10 2005

Related articles




Top Stories

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.

London Children's Film Festival

London Children's Film Festival

Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'

Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'

Dave Calhoun met with Michael Haneke in Munich to mull over the details of his Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?

Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations