Book Description
In this now-classic study, Linda Williams moves beyond the impasse of the anti-porn/anti-censorship debate to analyze what hard-core film pornography is and does--as a genre with a history, as a specific cinematic form, and as part of contemporary discourse on sexuality. For the 1999 edition, Williams has written a new preface and a new epilogue, "On/scenities," illustrated with 25 photographs. She has also added a supplementary bibliography.
Customer Reviews:
an ok read.......2007-03-19
Hardcores author like to use big words and confusing dialog to get her point across. This is a good book if you can get through all the muddle and crap to get to her point. The book definetly reads like a college textbook and it does get tediouse at times. A good book if you have patience
It's not a monolith, it's a muddle.......2005-11-17
Williams' claim is that all porn is not the same, but her book title is very specific which would lead one to believe she will make claims about only hard core and not about the attendant debates over all of porn's place in society.
You have to be suspicious when the majority of reviewers of an academic book have not graduated high school. I can barely get my university students to read academic writing.
blah blah blah.......2005-04-06
The writing is jagged, superfluous and constantly filled with statements on what the author is intending to say in the book without actually saying it. This book is boring, hard to get through and organized in a questionable fashion. Unless you need to read it for a college course I strongly recommend against it. Frankly I don't understand the other reviews on this page praising the book.
Interesting.......2004-05-08
This is an easy to read, comprehensive analysis of visual pornography. Williams is thorough and openminded, and clearly shows that this isn't a homogenous and stereotypical genre. On the contrary, she maintains that all trends visible in other types of movies exist in pornography as well. An interesting read.
eXXXtremely provocative.......2001-07-20
I should probably look more closely at the covers of the books that I am ordering online. Any reasonable individual might naturally assume a book entitled "Hard Core" would contain information regarding the apple harvesting industry; however, such is most clearly not the case with Doctor William's book.
Despite the initial mix-up, I found this work to be quite titilating. Prior to reading Hard Core, I was only familiar with pornographic films (or "pornos") as an avid viewer. Hubby Rick and I now devote a significant amount of money and time on pornos in the hopes that we might one day fully appreciate, as does Linda Williams, the pornographic film. And our marriage has never been better!
Amazon.com
From the nudie cuties of the 1950s to celebrity porn in the late 1990s, The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry offers an insider's view of the adult film industry's transition from a shady, backroom business to a $10-billion-per-year money machine and mainstream acceptance. The story is told through interviews with hundreds of actors, directors, law enforcement officials, and other participants, all edited together with expert skill and pacing.
The industry exploded in the early 1970s with the success of the Mafia-backed Deep Throat, which reportedly grossed $100 million after an initial $22,000 investment. Featured at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973, the film ushered in the rise of "porno chic," making it fashionable, for a time, to take a date to a porn film. One industry insider described Deep Throat as "the Blair Witch Project of its time." Filled with sleazy intrigue, vivid details, and many heartbreaking--and even touching--stories, The Other Hollywood covers the actors, the numerous legal challenges to the industry, FBI sting operations, the Mafia connection, rampant drug use, rock stars, celebrities, the opposition by religious and political groups, the emergence of AIDS (that claimed the lives of porn superstars such as the famously endowed John Holmes), and the explosion of the video market and its overnight fortunes. Even at 600 pages, this is a quick and engrossing read that is hard to put down. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
A raucous and revealing oral history of the birth of the adult film industry, The Other Hollywood peels back the candy coating to let the true story be told -- by the stars, movie makers, and other industry players who lived it. And what a story it is: Through hundreds of original interviews, contemporary newspaper accounts, police reports, court testimony, and more, Legs McNeil and coauthors Jennifer Osborne and Peter Pavia trace today's billion-dollar industry from its makeshift, mob-connected origins to the Internet age. Along the way we encounter porn stars such as Linda Lovelace, John Holmes, Traci Lords, and Savannah -- along with countless mainstream stars, politicians, FBI agents, and more.
Epic, hilarious, and moving, The Other Hollywood contributes to the porn industry the one thing missing in all previous accounts: a vivid, tragicomic, irresistible humanity.
Customer Reviews:
Weird perspective.......2007-07-17
This is an oral history of the Porn industry taken from a huge number of sources. In a lot of ways it exposes our hypocrisy about pornography, the "yeah I did but I didn't inhale" sort of thing. Interesting stuff, it traces how the early "Hippie" free love culture evolved into a drug crazed, biker gang and organized crime thing. It touches on some of the high profile disasters, Shauna Grant, Savannah, Traci Lords and John Holmes but virtually ignores how the porno industry evolved into big business with large corporations dominating the industry. There's very little discussion of the shift from New York to California production. There's virtually no mention of the impact of the Internet. Well written and well worth reading though. A sequel picking up in 1985 would be nice.
The best book on the subject ever.......2007-03-19
The Other Hollywood is the most indepth book on the history of adult films ever written. Legs Mcneil interviews everybody involved in adult films both pro and con and gives them equal time to express their views on the subject. He delves deepm into territory that could be considered dangerous iterviewing ex mafia and fbi alike. The only real problem is the book seems to end in the mid ninties. I would love topo see a sequel dealing with modern porn and its big buissness persona that it has become.
well worth the cash.......2007-03-16
this is a good buy especially for the resoanble price it asks....
interesting stuff involving the adult business...my only complaint is that it didnt shed to much light with the porn business in the 80's..it did for a lil bit but not enough especially since my childhood was based mainly on 80's porn so im more familiar with those stars than the 70's folks but i am aware of them...than again it is the "history" of the business so its all justified...
good book..
4 stars-5 if it had more stories from the 80's...
The Real Life Boogie Nights .......2006-12-14
The Other Hollywood is more or less a history of the porn industry from the 1950's through the mid to late 90's done in an interview style using direct quotes from the interviewees. Its a huge book although I think a lot more stuff could have been covered. This book starts the early days of pin up models, Russ Meyer movies and the bizarre nude volleyball film genre. Then it moves on through the evolution covering a wide range of people and topics that were involved. Criminal involvement from the top of the food chain mafia down to the petty hustlers and criminals that gravite towards the porn world, femanazi, Christian and especially FBI harrassment, drug abuse and other self destructive behavior being the norm from the porn stars themselves, the sagas of Linda Lovelace, the Mitchell brothers and John Holmes are covered at length, the general process of making and distributing the movies themselves, the heyday of porn theaters, peep shows and porn shops, the outbreak of AIDS are topics covered in this among other things. This was a good fun at times and depressing at times read.
Porn stars are my friends.......2006-10-09
Read in a fortnight, compulsively and earnestly, this book is a must buy for several reasons. Oral (pun intended and not intended) histories are the best way to handle such topics as Punk Rock (covered by the same author) and the Porn industry, because there are so many stories to tell, so many plotlines running congruently and so many voices that demand to be heard, that to try to weave them into one narrative would be nearly impossible and would be difficult to read. While some of the FBI, Mafia and other criminal plotlines aren't quite as interesting as the behind the scenes of the actual films, they are still pertinent to the overall story.
Growing up with porn and looking at it probably much younger than I was suppossed to, the people in the first half of this book almost seem like friends, like some strange relatives that don't always appear at holiday dinners, that not all of my relatives approve of.
My bias of course is to the first half of this book and the stories of Marilyn Chambers, John Holmes, Linda Lovelace, etc. Some amazing tales that span the gamut of human experiences and emotions.
It's not that the 80's and 90's are not as fascinating, but these people seem more distant, less heoric (strange, I know), and also in many ways, less human than the pioneers that started the industry.
There are some voices that are missing or are not given full voice (Hugh Hefner, Larry Flynt and the publishing industries that they forged in general), but the drive of the narrative is certainly the "visual" medium of the industry as oppossed to the written word (as well as the fact that those subjects could be books in and of themselves). There is also little discussion of current trends of the last decade (the internet primarily), but the real genius of this book, is that you could say that in many ways the story is still continuing, and the book could never be finished and could always be updated. Volume 2 would certainly not be as fascinating, but would certainly be entertaining.
I think in general, people who came of age in the 1970s or early 80's will find this book much more intersting than those who came after. In some ways, the innocence (yes, again, strange) of those early years (before aids, before video, before the internet) make this an oddly nostalgic work whether intended or not. In some ways pornography is less about the personality and the novelty these days. For those who have never watched a porno film in a theatre or in a peep show, it's hard to explain that experience. That makes me for one, nostalgic for those early (and yes, sleazy) days. This book brought back those days and those feelings in many ways. It made me miss my old friends.
Book Description
Porn is more mainstream than ever witness recent bestsellers by Jenna Jameson, Traci Lords, The Vivid Girls, and Pamela Anderson. Continuing this fine tradition is The Big Book of Porn a friendly, funny celebration of adult movies. Chapters include:
- Know Your Classics: The 25 most important adult films.
- Great Moments in Porn History: From the first stag movie to the invention of the VCR.
- The Pantheon of Porn: These mini-bios of mega-stars like Seka and Ron Jeremy are filled with surprising trivia.
- It's a Porn World, After All: Adult movies from Canada, Japan, even Afghanistan.
- Make Your Own Porno: All you need is a video camera, a willing partner, and these simple pointers ("Tell a story," "Start with a bang," "Parody a real film title").
Best of all, The Big Book of Porn is illustrated with classic posters, stills, and production shots from the smutty '70s to the present day. Provocative, authoritative, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Big Book of Porn is a proud celebration of history's most scandalous art form.
Customer Reviews:
A thorough and fun examination of porn history.......2007-08-05
The Big Book of Porn lives up to its subtitle--it is a penetrating look at the world of dirty movies. It is a glossy, high-quality paperback with screenshots, actor portraits, vintage advertising posters, and glittery sidebars. Publisher Quirk Books has been known to release some wacky joke books in the past, but this thorough examination of a hobby with more viewers than sporting events (yes, it's true) is well worth the $20 cover price and a place on your history/anthropology bookshelf.
The book opens with a timeline of the invention of still and motion pictures, the ratings administered by the MPAA, the history of obscenity rulings by the Supreme Court, and the evolution of the stag film, peep show, dirty movie theater, and home video. The author is thorough in his examination of history, from the printing press to dime store novels to VHS to the Internet and on to...virtual reality? Grahams-Smith alleges that all the high-falutin' academic research in virtual reality is founded in a desire to invent the Holy Grail of porn. He decries our prudishness about "wardrobe malfunctions" and celebrates the mainstream influence of Madonna, men's magazine Maxim, and the rise of S&M-inspired fashion.
For anyone looking to advance their porn education, the author has a list of 20 all-time classics (Taboo, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, Insatiable, Alice in Wonderland, and more). The list explores the cultural and cinematic significance of each entry. Other lists include five modern classics and the two weirdest classics of all time (my lips are sealed, so pick up the book to find out the titles). The top list of leading ladies is impenetrable (who can argue with Annette Haven at #1?). Sidebars explore the magic formula for determining your porn name, the classic crossover actors, the international perspective, 20 sacred porn movie rules, and who's who in upcoming stars. Includes a glossary.
Page Turner.......2007-01-10
This is a great book written in a humorous and witty style. It will entertain you as well as educate you. It reveals a lot of real names of porn actors and actresses. Also, it is packed, and I mean packed with pictures. This book is a page turner, and hard (no pun intended) to put down. I would highly recommend.
If Cliff's Notes gave a crash course on porn..........2006-04-05
Remember when you used to ride the bus to school and there was that one tough kid who sat in the back seat who was wise beyond his years?
He was the go-to guy when you wanted to know about where to buy fireworks, what beer tasted like, and most importantly: what does "S-E-X" mean? You could ask him anything, and though he may chide you a bit, you'll get your answers.
Author Seth Grahame-Smith is THAT guy.
The Big Book of Porn has the answers to all those questions you were too lazy to search the internet to find, and too embarassed to ask your friends at the poker game. With a sharp and humorous slant to his writing, Grahame-Smith plows through the decades to make the Big Book of Porn an overview that's not only informative, but laugh out loud funny.
The Big Book of Porn isn't the end-all, be-all for the history of porn, but if you want a crash course in what was, is, and will be, it's a must-read primer. Before you know it, you'll be the tough kid everyone is coming to for answers.
I met my wife reading this book!.......2006-02-07
There she was, sitting just beyond the creamer
counter at Starbucks and she was reading the exact same page!?!
It was kismet. We clicked immediately.
I'm a porn history buff, but I had never known
some of these amazing facts and true stories!
Natalie loves the pictures and the do-it-yourself section.
The book is written with a great deal of humor, having
some fun with what is - too often - a very drab topic.
Great interviews, brilliant insights by the author,
and excellent descriptions consistantly make this
book an everyday read for this critic.
One word of advice though:
DO NOT BORROW THIS BOOK FROM A FRIEND.
Go out there and buy your own! It's a better idea!
Oh...and by "clicked"? I meant had sex with each other.
Average customer rating:
|
Cinema Hard
Vittoria Perzan
Manufacturer: Erotic Print Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Erotic Photography
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photographers, A-Z
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
| Adams, Ansel
| Avedon, Richard
| Bourke-White, Margaret
| Brady, Mathew
| Bubley, Esther
| Callahan, Harry
| Capa, Robert
| Caro, Anthony
| Carroll, Lewis
| Cartier-Bresson, Henri
| Clark, Larry
| Cunningham, Imogen
| Doisneau, Robert
| Eisenstaedt, Alfred
| Evans, Walker
| Feininger, Andreas
| Gatewood, Charles
| Geddes, Anne
| General
| Goldin, Nan
| Goldsworthy, Andy
| Hamilton, David
| Haskins, Sam
| Hine, Lewis Wickes
| Hurrell, Geoerge
| Jackson, William Henry
| Kenna, Michael
| Kern, Richard
| Kinsey, Darius
| Lange, Dorothea
| Leibovitz, Annie
| Leonard, Herman
| Mann, Sally
| Mapplethorpe, Robert
| Mark, Mary Ellen
| Miller, Lee
| Modotti, Tina
| Muybridge, Eadweard
| Newton, Helmut
| Orkin, Ruth
| Ray, Man
| Ritts, Herb
| Seymour, David
| Sherman, Cindy
| Steichen, Edward
| Stieglitz, Alfred
| Sturges, Jock
| Uelsmann, Jerry
| Wegman, William
| Weston, Edward
| Wiggins, Myra Albert
Erotic
| Other Media
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Pornography
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Italian
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Italian
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Italian
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Italian
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Italian Books
| Italian
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Beyond the Top Shelf: The Private Photographs of Eric Wilkins
-
F**K FASHION: The Erotic Photography of Ben Westwood
-
Spank!
-
Fresh: Girls of Seduction
-
Richard Kern: Action
ASIN: 1904989152 |
Book Description
Can pornography ever be art? With unique access to the closed world of Italian porn movies, this is the question urgently posed by the remarkable work of Vittoria Perzan, fashion model turned photographer. Taking a series of porn shoots as their subject matter, the photographs in Cinema Hard find beauty where so many claim it cannot exist, discover humanity in a notoriously heartless industry and reassess a medium that is now so demonised as to be considered past redemption. In black and white, and in colour, Perzan's talented eye captures a rich diversity of images that shock and stimulate in a way that is both sexual and aesthetic. Most would have thought that art simply couldn't exist in the context of porn. But it can and does, and in over 250 exquisite shots Perzan proves this with great style and verve; she documents the excitement and passion, the sadness and laughter and, most importantly, the human story of one of the greatest obsessions of our age.
Customer Reviews:
Artistic Hardcore Porn.......2007-07-31
I loved this book, but I'm a pervert. I bought this book for my wife - she loved it too! No, she not a pervert - BUT she's not a prude either! We are both 50 ish, married for over 30 years, and still "passionately" in love. We MUST be doing something right! So, if you enjoy explicit, hardcore photographs,shot in a stylish kind of way,then you'll like this book. If your looking for some boring, hi-brow, art - then look else where
Book Description
Hailed as "a paradigm shift in feminist responses to pornography" when first published in 1993, Dirty Looks was instantly lauded as a landmark volume. This new edition adds to the core of the original selection no less than eight new accounts of recent transformations in the politics and presentation of porn. Drawing on the radical work around gender, identity and sexuality within critical theory, the book continues to argue for the significance of porn in debates around gender, feminism, and masculinity and the importance of the topic in our understanding of issues of power and cultural identity. Above all, it insists on the categorical imperative and critical necessity to continue the study of an area with such immense symbolic and social significance.
This new extended edition with several specially commissioned contributions -including several now from male contributors-extends its coverage to include issues as diverse as: women's use of porn; transnational gay porn; lesbian webcam porn; the cultural and intellectual "economy" of porn; and the presence of genre and narrative in porn texts.
Book Description
Porn is big business. By some estimates, it grosses more revenue per year than the entire 'legitimate' film and entertainment industry. Most large hotel chains offer pay-for-view adult movies, many video stores have adult movie rental sections, and Internet porn sites have proliferated by the thousands. With porn so ubiquitous in mainstream American culture, why is it that when 'respectable' people talk about this phenomenon, they act puzzled, as if they cannot imagine who would watch such worthless and meaningless smut?
In this collection of path-breaking essays, thirteen respected scholars bring critical insights to the reality of porn and what it can tell us about ourselves sexually, culturally, and economically. Moving beyond simplistic feminist and religious positions that cast these films as categorical evils - a collective preserve of sexual perversion, misogyny, pedophilia, and racism - the contributors to this volume raise the bar of the debate and push porn studies into intriguing new territory.
The essays are divided into two sections. The first reprints important debates on the topic and traces the evolution of pornographic film, including comparing its development to that of Hollywood cinema. The second part presents new essays that consider current trends in the field, including pornography's expansion into new technologies.
This book separates this compelling genre from the sensation and shame that have long surrounded and obscured it. It will be of interest to general readers and film scholars alike.
Average customer rating:
- I wouldn't want this judge on my jury.
- Pornstar by Ian Gittler [Hardcover]
- i paid less than 12 bucks for this book, so it is worth it.....
- Good read, but bad photos.
- I Liked It
|
Pornstar
Ian Gittler
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Erotic Photography
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photojournalism
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Amateur Production
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Genre Films
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Pornography
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Other Hollywood : The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry
-
Lights, Camera, Sex!
-
XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits
-
How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale
ASIN: 0684827158 |
Book Description
Pornstar is a mesmerizing, definitive examination of life at the epicenter of Americas multibillion-dollar sex entertainment industry.
When Ian Gittler began photographing porn stars, his intent -- however suspect -- was to glamorize and legitimize their lives and work in the same way top photographers generally portray the porn stars' mainstream Hollywood counterparts. Girder envisioned a celebrity coffee-table book with gorgeous. enticing photography that would provoke a reevaluation of fame in our culture.
But as the author journeyed into the surprisingly accessible "underground" world of porn, his glossy, conceptual approach gave way to one of grim resolve. Gittler couldn't ignore the rapidly accumulating evidence of abuse and emotional disconnect. By the time Savannah -- the most famous XXX film star of her generation -- committed suicide, he felt compelled to address the heartbreak and fragile humanity he was learning firsthand are at tile core of this subculture.
Gittler forged relationships with his subjects that irrevocably changed him, and discovered that the world of porn is not only a product of mainstream society, but a parallel universe where all the challenges of emotional intimacy facing humans at tile end of the twentieth century exist.
Pornstar is all extraordinary marriage of memoir, photography, and investigative journalism; its narrative -- in running text and more than one hundred stunning photographs -- spans more than five years. Pornstar is violent, funny, tragic, and uncompromising: a totally unprecedented portrait of tile men and women -- the stars -- who populate the terrain of America's porn industry.
Customer Reviews:
I wouldn't want this judge on my jury........2007-06-04
This was a sad and interesting book with attention to a lot of small details, but I came away with a sense that the author finds his subjects to be less than human and worthy of little or no respect. There is no sense of empathy here; in fact, there are no feelings at all. In the end, I viewed the author as he viewed his subjects.
Pornstar by Ian Gittler [Hardcover].......2005-09-27
SUPER MINT condition; A SURE Collectors item; Visually Stunning Images; This book is an extraordinary marriage of memoir, photography, and investigative journalism and narration. This book is violent, funny, tragic, and uncompromising - a totally unprecidented portrait of adult stars and the beauty, heartbreak and fragility of their humanity. One of Ian Gittler's best works by far; Thank you Ian, and a BIG SUPPORTIVE THANK YOU to the porn industry. May Freedom of Speech keep your stories alive always.
i paid less than 12 bucks for this book, so it is worth it............2005-07-17
there is not much pic to see in this book. if you read the text, then you will see that the author is constantly around naked porn stars, and a lot of the females were showing him the spread beaver. however, you won't be seeing much skin in this book, despite the fact that he apparently took a lot of pics.
the author is more interested in showing off his interactions with the porn stars. in fact, he was at his proudest when he took savannah to bed. he was definitely protective of savannah, after all he had her, so there was not one single nude or topless savannah pic in the book. moreover, he even stand up for savannah against slash's contention that he and savannah were just friends. the one girl who turned the author down was last heard turning tricks. how sad and ironic.
this book reads more like a journal than a collection of photos of porn stars. i do have to hand it to the author on the equal opportunity front though. i think i saw more penis than vagina. i cannot say i am happy about it, but at least i get to share it with my girlfriend with no reservation. the fact that most of the guys were in the unerected condition didn't hurt either.
Good read, but bad photos........2004-08-19
If you are looking for something to read about the porn industry and the difficult lives that are led by its members, then look no further. This books gives us some insight into a world that most of us will never know. And for that reason alone, the book is a decent read. However, that being said, i would not recommend buying this book. Borrow a friends or go find it at an adult bookstore and browse through it. That is the only way it will be worth your money (by not spending any that is). The photos are pretty boring, and they look like they were done by someone without a lot of photo experience. I feel like i could have done better myself with a digital camera. And the subjects themselves are not all that fun to look at or even attractive. This is not the story of some porn star you love. This is the story of some porn star you may not have seen before, and may not care to see again. In plain english, THIS IS NOT AN EROTIC BOOK.
I Liked It.......2003-11-07
Sure, this is an interesting and entertaining story. I couldn't tell where fact ended and fiction began. I was disappointed, being someone who has been both in front of and behind the camera in the adult film world, because it read more like a Hollywood-style script proposal. Again, I did like the book, but it was a big let down because it read like every other book written about this industry as it played to all the "hot buttons" and stereotypes. I was surprised by a little-know book titled Cut Throat Business because it depicts the real inner workings of this industry. So if you by this book, I also recommend that you by the other too, you won't be disappointed and you'll get a broader picture of this intriguing industry.
Book Description
An examination of filmic and Internet representations of transgender from a post-modern perspective, as a phenomenon that challenges conventional demarcations of sexuality and gender on the one hand, while provoking an ambivalent mixture of fear and fascination on the other.
Book Description
Since 1972 and the release of
Deep Throat, the business of making commercial hardcore feature films has grown dramatically. Thousands of films are produced every year. Yet for the most part the industry remains a mysterious commodity, with the people behind it still seen as unscrupulous, vaguely threatening figures.
Now the record is put straight with
The X Factory, an eye-opening trip into adult feature films courtesy of interviews, on-the-set reports and a visit to the World's Biggest Gang Bang 2.
"The best peep-show coverage of the porn-video business."-Screw
Customer Reviews:
not the best book on adult films.......2007-03-19
I have read alot of books on the subject of adult films and this was not one of the best. Its not that its a bad book its just that anyone with web access can read interviews in the same vein with all the porn stars they want. A good Hustler interviewer asks the same questions (i.e. whats your fave position etc). Its one saving grace is the interviews with directors and behind the scenes personnel. If your looking for a good book on porn check out The Other Hollywood or Skinflicks both are great histories of porn films.
Refreshing lack of sensationalism.......2005-08-16
I've actually worked in the adult industry (I work at a production company) for 10 years, and I've read a lot of books and articles about it. I think this book is the one I enjoyed the most.
It offers insights into the personal lives of some of the legends and stars of the adult industry. While it does go into some of the downfalls (drugs, social stigmas, etc), it does so in a realistic manner, rather than a sensationalistic way that modern media is SO apt to do with this subject.
(For what it's worth, I've also read The Other Hollywood, and I know a lot of the people who were interviewed in it, and a lot of them say that their stories and words were twisted around severely.)
So if you want a realistic view of a business that holds a lot of mystery, you might want to give this X Factory one a try.
Complete Rubbish.......2003-09-19
I was so happy to get this book! I am obsessed with "behind the scenes" of tawdry subjects like this, and I had high hopes.
We all know what "X" films are like. This book was supposed to explain things we don't already know about, such as how the actors got into the business, how they feel about it, how much they make, etc.
This book is merely a compilation of interviews, nothing more. The author asks the "stars" what their favorite "scenes" are to perform, and describes the physical attributes of the "stars" with great relish.
Not only is the the absolute worst "documentary" type book I have ever read, it isn't even worth anything as a "X" type read!
I was appalled. I threw this piece of crap in the garbage.
A complilation of interviews that this author didn't even bother to weave into an interesting narrative.
DO NOT waste your time. If you are also oddly fascinated by the real behind the scenes of this type of thing, check out "Brothel: The Mustang Ranch and it's Women." That was an absolutely fascinating read.
Don't bother with this one unless you want to read about the "stars" favorite "scenes" and read about how good they look and how well endowed they are. Hey, we already knew that. If that was what we wanted, we could rent the actual "X" movie. I don't need this guy to tell me!
Customer Reviews:
Reasonable, no more.......2001-04-05
I would advise you to use this guide as a starting point. Though I am not as harsh in my criticism of the book as the previous reviewer, there are obvious weaknesses in the book. The lack of a rating system is one, for sure, though there are comprehensive descriptions which will enable you to form a view of the content. Riley does have his own standards, and in terms of production quality, those standards can be ridiculously high; his concept of feminine beauty is also an intensely personal one which readers of the guide may not share. As an avid viewer and collector of porn, I view this guide as a tool not as slavishly prescriptive of what I will enjoy - I know what I like, and Riley's guide can point me in certain direction, but whether I choose to follow his pointers or not is a matter for me.
Excessively negative and harsh.......2000-02-28
The problem with this book is precisely the glaring, intensely personal standards Mr. Riley employs to evaluate the quality of the movies and formulate his reviews: first and foremost, how good-looking (or usually not good-looking) are the female stars? This is by far the most striking characteristic of this book, in addition to Mr. Riley's redundant listing of which sex acts are performed in each video(who cares?).
As Mr. Riley unabashedly states in his introduction, each movie actress should have world class looks, otherwise, why make any movie at all! As a frequent consumer of adult videos, however, I personally think feminine beauty and type of sex acts is a very personalized and one-dimensional format for evaluating the overall quality of a given film.
As I read his reviews, I found myself continually thinking that what Mr. Riley actually presents here in criticizing the female form--and he criticizes it in the harshest terms in virtually every review-- most closely resembles womanspeak, that is, the characteristically hypercritical outlook of females when either evaluating their own bodies or the bodies of female competitors. I did not find this sort of criticism helpful, as Mr. Riley's reviewing system naively presumes there is in fact some ideal standard of feminine beauty, namely his own! I did not find any parallel between Mr. Riley's unique "fetishes" and my own, that is, when it comes to appreciation of female anatomy and his odd penchant for clinically dissecting each actress into her respective body parts.
Presenting my own counterpoint as a male consumer of adult videos, I believe differing actresses' body types hold differing erotic appeals, depending on how closely they resemble women I actually know and fantasize about, not just a fixation on some idealized body type or parts as Mr. Riley insists. I select my videos based on whether they will be a useful vehicle for fantasizing about the women I know, not women who look good to Mr. Riley!
Riley also maintains that he holds each video to the direction and production standards of a Steven Spielberg movie--I do not believe anyone else has such an absurdly high standard for adult movies. In fact, I believe this was just an excuse Mr. Riley used to consistently trash most of these movies in the name of professional criticism! Such negativity was characteristic and pervasive, and as a true fan of the movies, I did not find such overwhelmingly negative reviews helpful or informative. In fact, I resented it!
I was surprised that Mr. Riley does not offer a stars rating system...1 star... 4 stars, etc. Instead, he offers a short criticism of each movie, a brief listing of the type of sex acts performed in each film, something about the plot(if any), and any obvious editing and plot anomalies.
Fully 50% of the movies in the guide are not reviewed at all, the only details given were director/producer, year produced, actors/actresses, and type of sex acts...
Mr. Riley straighforwardly admits that he uses his own personal arousal levels as the final standard for each film. However, I did not find this helpful in making my own judgments about whether the film was worthy of my time/money.
As a frequent consumer of adult videos, I would have preferred a different rating system, for example, one that states whether or not the box cover presents a fair view of the contents(usually they are just a come-on), budget dollars invested in the production of each film(probably a good indication of quality and production standards), some evaluation of acting ability(there is none), whether or not there is a sustained and developed movie plot, and even whether there is any humor in the movie(which I personally believe makes for more enjoyable viewing of adult films).
Books:
- Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play
- Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play
- Heaven and Earth : Unseen by the Naked Eye
- Hello from Heaven: A New Field of Research-After-Death Communication Confirms That Life and Love Are Eternal
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to In
- Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence
- Computer Animation: Algorithms and Techniques
- Exploring Black and White Photography
- History: Fiction or Science
- Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith
- Hallucinogenic and Poisonous Mushroom Field Guide
- J.K. Lasser Pro Keeping Clients for Life
- Applying International Financial Reporting Standards Enhanced Edition
- In & Out: Year One in the Jumping for Gold Series
Bound and Gagged: Pornography and the Politics of Fantasy in America
The Secret Museum: Pornography in Modern Culture
The Invention of Pornography, 1500-1800: Obscenity and the Origins of Modernity
Feminism and Pornography (Oxford Readings in Feminism)
More Dirty Looks: Gender, Pornography and Power (Television, Media & Cultural Studies)
