Inside Deep Throat DVD Review (Dennis Hopper) Empire Movies

INSIDE DEEP THROAT DVD REVIEW

Inside Deep Throat
(Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

The Movie

The Extras

Reviewed by

7/10

7.5/10

Brendan

Inside Deep Throat is a documentary about the most famous hummer of all-time. Despite the fact that this sort of activity has become standard fare in modern pornography and on the internet (or so I'm told), when Deep Throat was released in 1972 it caused a social and political uproar like never before seen in the history of film. Made in only six days and costing only $25,000 to make, Deep Throat claims to be the most profitable movie ever made with revenues over $600 million. The documentary focuses on the film's creators and its stars Harry Reems and Linda Lovelace and the price they paid for making this movie. There are interviews and footage from the 70's. There are comments from modern day icons like Hugh Hefner, Bill Maher, Wes Craven and Dr. Ruth. We learn about the ties the mafia had to this movie. Inside Deep Throat is basically an in-depth look at the movie Deep Throat and the impact it had on American society, the evolution of pornography and the effects it had one the lives of the people who made the movie.

The DVD also includes a plethora of bonus features and extras. I'll run them down briefly:

The Binghampton Trial: Cliterally Speaking is about seven minutes on the first trial against Deep Throat which took place in a sleepy upstate New York town. It includes interviews with some of the movie's supporters and detractors.

Beverly Hills: Holly Gets Wood - Another trial against Deep Throat, this time in Beverly Hills. Interviews with the lawyers and judge involved in the case. Ironically, this case ended with a "hung jury".

Quincy House: Poison Ivy League - A group of students at Harvard screen Deep Throat and two students get arrested! Interviews with Alan Dershowitz, a couple of Harvard tutors and the two students who were arrested.

Princeton: Deep Throat in the Suburbs - A former county prosecutor tells the story of how the state's governor tried pulling Deep Throat from a suburban theatre but the prosecutor refused. Instead, he took his wife to see it!

Cut Throat: Where in the World is Bobby De Salvo - A national porn distributor wants a bigger cut from the movie and disappears off the face of the earth. Considering the mob's involvement in the movie, let's assume he is sleeping with the fishes.

Harry Reems' Athletic Club - Harry Reems has a fan club that meets every year - almost 45,000 members. Very odd indeed.

The Tuscon Trial: When Gerry Met Annie - A Tuscon, Arizona theatre manager gets charged with transporting porn across state borders when he orders a new copy of Deep Throat (his copy was worn out) and a porn star is born when the theatre's ticket girl meets Deep Throat's director Gerry Damiano at the trial and recruits her.

The Zen of Deep Throat - Various authors and porn stars discuss the art of giving head. Great stuff except for the fact that it's wrinkled old women talking about it.

Linda Does Hollywood - Linda Lovelace moves to Hollywood and tries to put her porn career behind her and become a legitimate movie star. She fails miserably.

The Legends of Erotica: Remembering Linda - Some folks in the porn industry pay tribute to Linda Lovelace and comments from her daughter as well.

Firedance With Me - Some chick fire dances for Deep Throat director Gerry Damiano. It might be his daughter but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Women Against Pornography - Comments from the co-founder of WAP and Dershowitz. Booooo!

Linda's Exit: What's the Big Deal? - Friends, daughter and sister talk about Lovelace.

The Last Word For Now - Al Goldstein (porn icon), Bill Maher, Paul Mazursky (porn director), Wes Craven, Richard Dreyfuss, Lili Zanuck (film producer), Annie Sprinkle (ticket girl turned porn star), Dr. Ruth, Hugh Hefner and Norman Mailer talk about porn and sex.

There is also a theatrical trailer, a commentary that is made up of audio tracks and interviews that did not make the final cut of the movie and another commentary by the movie's gay directors, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

Overall, Inside Deep Throat is an interesting look at an influential movie and the effects it had on film, society and the people associated with the movie. There's plenty of old footage, interviews and comments from people giving their opinion and trying to explain how this movie caused such a ruckus. There's lots of sex talk, plenty of nudity and of course, a clip of the famous moment, which in this day and age seems pretty standard but obviously was extremely controversial in the 1970's. There's also a boatload of bonus features that are sure to keep fans of Deep Throat busy and happy.

Features
The Last Word For Now, The Binghamton Trial: Literally Speaking, Quincy House: Poison Ivy League, Commentary Track

Video
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Audio
English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish

Release Date
September 20, 2005

Rating
NC-17

Length
90 mins.

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