Sexually explicit documentary Inside Deep Throat caused a sensation at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, but that's nothing compared to the hysteria that surrounded the mainstream release of porn flick Deep Throat in 1972. It's a subject that makes for "entertaining viewing" courtesy of co-directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato even though they were criticised for not probing deep enough (into the story).
Extra Inches
Making up the bulk of this package (no sniggering, please) are 13 deleted scenes, which don't raise many new issues but expand on what's already been said. There's brief discussion about attempts to convict the distributors of Deep Throat on charges of indecency in the "backwards" town of Binghampton and even in Beverly Hills. Meanwhile Hollywood producer Lili Zanuck reflects that sex siren Linda Lovelace prompted the first instance of "performance anxiety" in American women thanks to her (literally) jaw dropping on-screen exploits.
Perhaps most intriguing of all these excised scenes is the story of shady porn peddler Bobby De Salvo. As retired FBI agent Bill Kelly tells it, he went missing after trying to put the squeeze on his associates when Deep Throat scored big at the box office. Kelly confesses paranoia after he failed to track De Salvo down and amusingly recalls, "Every morning I'd give the car keys to my wife and send her out to start the car..."
Let's Talk About...
"Sex has been exiled from the cinematic experience," says the ironically named Randy Barbato, adding, "That's part of the reason we wanted to make this film." Not surprisingly it's an opinionated commentary, which he shares with co-director Fenton Bailey and spends a lot of time addressing the sexual hypocrisy still rife in America. He points to Janet Jackson's nipple (or liberation of it at the 2004 Superbowl) as evidence and expresses surprise that their documentary made it past the censors without significant cuts.
Later, the duo counter accusations of glossing over Lovelace's claim that she was forced into shooting explicit sex scenes for Deep Throat. "We definitely spoke to enough people to feel very comfortable that she was not forced," insists Barbato, "It hijacks the debate." Bailey illustrates the point by saying that a New York critic condemned him for "promoting rape", which he describes as "a bully tactic designed to close down the exchange of ideas" - the essence of what this documentary is supposed to be about. Whether you agree or not, this is a commentary that encourages a thoughtful engagement with the film.
While this DVD doesn't boast a wide range of extras, there are a good many laughs to be had and the commentary is unusually thought provoking. Anyone looking for other kinds of stimulation should check out the top shelf...
EXTRA FEATURES
