Tuesday, May 08, 2012

PROFESSOR SUSIE BRIGHT'S BRAZENLY CINEPHALLIC, UNAPOLOGETICALLY VULVACIOUS MOVIE PORN QUIZ


At some point along Susie Bright’s fascinating life journey as a pioneering “sex-positive” feminist writer and speaker on the subject of all things sexual, someone at the San Francisco Chronicle referenced one aspect of her career and dubbed her the Pauline Kael of porn.

On the face of it such a description might perhaps scan a little flip or high-concept, but a closer look reveals that the label is actually pretty accurate. Pauline Kael grabbed hold of the subject of movies in a personal, emotional, colloquial way that made the subject her own, at times as much an ongoing autobiography of her relationship with this popular art in attempting to address movies in terms that made them, and the discussion of them, intellectually piquant but always accessible and often more interesting through the vitality of her writing. Kael’s all-encompassing, loose-limbed, masterful style made reading about movies, especially in her collected volumes, seem to reach out and become as much about everything in life that the movies touched, drew upon, addressed and sometimes blithely or clumsily or cynically ignored. In the same way, from her emergence as a cofounder and editor of the first magazine about sex devoted to women, On Our Backs (“Entertainment for the Adventurous Lesbian!”) in 1984, Susie Bright has taken on male and female sexuality as her great subject with vitality, determination, humor and, yes, an abiding spirit of adventure. The magazine ran for seven years, but Bright hardly stopped there. She has been a guiding voice for much of the significant writing on erotica in this country through the female-oriented erotic literature series Herotica and also the Best American Erotica Series, both of which she founded, and her weekly series In Bed with Susie Bright, distributed through Audible.com, is dedicated to the freewheeling, humor-laced discussion of serious social and sexually related topics. Even those who may not be as familiar with her writing may have been touched by her contributions as credited choreographer and consultant on the Wachowski Brothers Bound, which undoubtedly benefited immensely in the eros department through the wisdom she imparted to Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon. Why, she even has her own blog!

But most appropriate as applied to our purposes here, Susie Bright also became, in 1986, the first female member of the X-Rated Critics Organization and in the same year began writing feminist movie reviews for Penthouse Forum, a position she held for three years. It’s refreshing to realize just how fruitful, and how important, this unlikely artistic marriage of feminist thinking and Bob Guccione’s pornography empire actually was. Her tenure writing reviews under the banner “The Erotic Screen” and also as “The X-Rated Advisor” established a unique relationship with readers of both genders who were looking for advice and a fresh perspective that went deeper than a simple flaccid or erect dick icon to signify the quality of a given porn film. Bright engaged readers on everything from the “couples” video market, misconceptions about the S&M sub-genre and documentaries on sex workers to explicit how-to videos, erotic foreign cinema and myriad other subjects, establishing in the process her unique voice-- one which took seriously an aspect of popular filmmaking that had never enjoyed much thoughtful consideration even from (especially from) the majority of those who enjoyed it most, all the while never losing sight of the libidinous fun to be had from indulging in both porn’s mainstream and its extremes.

(Notably, Bright recognizes its stature as a cultural watermark but otherwise has no love for Deep Throat-- “Unless you’re assembling a museum, why bother renting, let alone buying, Deep Throat?” she wrote in 1987. “It’s a terrible movie by which to judge your erotic appetite.”)

I first became aware of Susie Bright in the 1995 documentary made from Vito Russo’s groundbreaking history of homosexuality in the cinema, The Celluloid Closet. The movie is a fascinating, flawed take on Russo’s examination of the coded history of representation of gay characters and themes; it presents attitudes in America and the movies toward these characters unflinchingly, with the appropriate sense of condemnatory precision, but its understandable passion sometimes gets in the way of complete fairness. Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman are not shy about taking scenes from modern films and using them out of context to make their larger point, regardless of whether or not the scene holds up as evidence of intolerance on the part of its filmmakers in its original context. (The use of a scene involving the violent death of a cross-dressing villain in Richard Rush’s Freebie and the Bean from 1973 is a major sticking point, and I wrote about it in more detail here.) But within this sprawling, sometimes difficult history I was immediately attracted to the way Bright, one of the film's frequently referenced talking heads, often comported herself with self-deprecating humor and geniality among the solemn surroundings, and I latched onto the intelligence of her commentary immediately. She seemed to shirk the general heaviness of the film as a whole, regarding its thesis with seriousness but resisting its dirge-inflected sensibility. One sensed there was some room for flexibility, some ambiguity in Bright’s contemplation of the documentary’s concerns, and when the movie finally got around to The Children’s Hour, an adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play which tells the story of two schoolteachers accused of being lesbians, Bright’s own ambivalence about the story, and her own surprising feelings which are still churned up for her when she sees it, became for me the emotional highlight of the documentary.



I’ve followed her career with interest ever since, so needless to say I was somewhat floored when one day, after the posting of yet another SLIFR quiz, I received a link to a list of answers from Susie Bright. The Susie Bright?, I thought to myself. Is it possible? Then a simple click on the link confirmed that, yes, indeed, Susie Bright had answered an SLIFR quiz!!! I was beyond tickled, and she has been a faithful participant ever since, always publishing the answers on her own blog, raising my spirits and those who read her answers every time she does so.

And as for her own film writing, last year Bright published a terrific volume encompassing her movie reviews for Penthouse, her writing as the X-Rated Advisor, and a slew of excellent and provocative essays and interviews with filmmakers like Christopher Rage, Sharon Mitchell and Russ Meyer, all under the banner Susie Bright’s Erotic Screen Volume 1: 1967-1989—The Golden Hardcore & Shimmering Dyke-Core, and damned if that writer from the San Francisco Chronicle wasn’t right. This immensely entertaining book, which demands in the most seductive way possible that the reader see the golden age of pornography, the video revolution, and the very idea of the social and artistic value of sex on film, through the prism of her warm, probing, critically attentive perspective, reads like Bright’s version of I Lost It at the Movies, Pauline Kael’s seminal first collection of essays. (It’s no stretch to imagine that Kael, whose own books were graced with sexually shaded titles and who frequently demonstrated a healthy and witty interest in the subject herself, would have appreciated Bright’s irreverent and forthright intelligence concerning sex and movies.) I’ve devoured Bright's book twice now— once for fun, once so I could scribble notes all over the margins (It’s okay; I got the e-book and printed it out) and, if you’ll pardon me, I had a ball both times.

I was taking the notes furiously because I knew I wanted to talk to Susie Bright about some of the stuff that the book deals with. While I was doing that I got an e-mail from her wondering, since she enjoys the SLIFR quizzes so much, if I’d be interested in collaborating on a quiz of her own composing that would encompass the history of porn and its sometimes casual, sometimes crucial connection to mainstream Hollywood. The quiz would look at both the depiction of sexual material during porn's classic era (roughly, the early '70s) and examine the players and filmmakers who worked both in porn and in “legitimate” cinema at different points in their careers. I thought it was a great idea, providing of course that Susie exercise her voluminous knowledge of the subject and do all the writing; I would relegate myself to the role of suggestion-maker and eventual publisher of said quiz. And so, six months or so later, life making demands on both of our allotted time as it usually does, we’re finally ready to bestow an honorary doctorate and SLIFR staff status upon this sharp, entertaining writer and unveil Professor Susie Bright’s Brazenly Cinephallic, Unapologetically Vulvacious Porn Movie Quiz. Professor Bright’s quiz works just like the usual SLIFR quiz, but this one may make extra-special demands upon both your movie intelligence and your willingness to step out and get conversant in a public forum with some of your personal responses to the soft-and-hard-core genre. On top of that, Susie is offering something no other quiz has ever offered, and I'm not just talking about the opportunity to indulgence in a fun discussion about erotic movies. Yes, Susie's got prizes! (More on that below.)

As a way of warming you up for this very special quiz and encouraging you to read the book, I submitted 11 questions to Susie Bright, which were inspired by The Golden Hard-Core and the Shimmering Dyke-Core. Considering the depths of knowledge and experience she has to share, this is admittedly the interview equivalent of a quickie, but hopefully it is one which will get you in the mood for the more demanding, but no less tingly academia to follow. (I guess that kind of makes me the SLIFR fluffer, doesn’t it? And what is the female equivalent of one who has this job, by the way? Now, there’s a question I should have asked Susie!)

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Dennis Cozzalio: In your view, what is the biggest misconception about porn?

Susie Bright: That it's "all the same." There's far more variety in erotic movies than there's even been in television programming. Also, that porn is separate from the rest of the movie-making business, on its own planet. The cross-over, particularly below the line, behind the camera, is dense.

DC: Is there a classic era for porn in the way that there might be said to be a golden age of Hollywood?

SB: Oh, yes, and it mirrors one of Hollywood's golden ages, the '70s, the Easy Rider-Raging Bull era. The emergence of the "X-rated" title, of sexual liberation, was a creative breakthrough in Hollywood and porn independence. It's impossible to speak of one without the other.

DC: Pauline Kael famously tried to talk her editor into allowing her to review Deep Throat for the New Yorker, with no success. Have you ever “crossed-over” and written about sexuality in mainstream movies?

SB: Oh, sure, all the time. I live-blog the Oscars. I consider it my duty— as well as a lot of fun— to follow big-cinema's love-hate relationship with sex. I feel for Pauline K, one of my heroes. The New Yorker is pretty stuffy. They've only covered my work as a legal plaintiff (ask Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer about what he thinks of my erotica!) -- they aren't keen on analyzing erotic forensics. (Bright was also polled recently by the Criterion Collection for her top 10—DC.)

DC: What makes a porn film great?

SB: It's all the same things as great movies in general: a smoking script, mouth-dropping cinematography, actors that grab you by the throat, movie charisma. With porn, there's this extra "high-wire" aspect to it, the acrobat in fuck instead of in flight. To stay in character, to stay on script, completely believable, while engaged in a tremendous physical effort— it's a rush of its own. That, and a little originality, is what made my years as an early porn critic, exciting.

DC: Critic Howard Hampton wrote that Smoker, made in 1983, is the “one work of authentic pop art in porn’s past” and drew a parallel between that movie and Godard’s Made in U.S.A. Your own writing suggests that porn may have its own standards for what might be considered pop art and that it's possible to approach porn seriously on its own terms, with a mixture of fun, precision and openness to perception. Who’s more resistant to this kind of bridging of sensibilities, film buffs or porn connoisseurs?

SB: I find film buffs and porn connoisseurs are often the same person, as Howard Hampton demonstrates! The people who are resistant are the bean-counters who run the business, whose conservatism and disrespect for their own product is just tragic.

DC: You write about actors Jim-Ed Thompson and Ellen Eddington as the Fred and Ginger of S&M erotica. How else do the parallels between porn and mainstream film extend, beyond parody of popular Hollywood films?


SB: I praised Jim-Ed and Ellen that way because they were so graceful, so effortlessly suave in their demonstration of something that would make most people feel pretty awkward. Robert McCallum, one of the most prolific directors in porn's golden age, was Orson Welles's DP for decades-- his real name was Gary Graver. The man is a genius with a camera in his hands. Who wouldn't want him to shoot sex? That's not a parallel, it's just a case of a great guy working with big budgets and little budgets. An actor like Georgina Spelvin or Jamie Gillis— they are the Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro of their world. Okay, so Spelvin didn't do accents, but she played every kind of character. I would've liked to see Jamie in the upcoming prequel to the Godfather series.

DC: Your piece “Working on the Sex Line” concludes with a question: “I don’t know why the sex industry can’t make a decent film about itself.” Do you still wonder? Or has one emerged since the piece was written?

SB: This is an area where there's been a lot of improvement.. I think there are many movies that are far more authentic and nuanced about sex work than the cliché-monsters we used to laugh over. It's not just movies, either— the performances we see on Cable TV about sex work have been some of the most innovative. A small film I saw recently, Meet the Rileys, wasn't any big whoop-de-do, but it captured a moment that has some poignant realism and refreshing absence of moral judgment. The movie I'd like to see now is something that would directly indict the "rescue industry" and how they exploit sex work worse than anyone else.

DC: What did you think of the Hughes Brothers’ American Pimp?

SB: Well, it was very entertaining. I'm sure no one leaves the room when it's playing. And if you're involved in sex work, you feel like you're having a running argument or "you-go-girl" conversation with its captivating subjects. In fact, anyone in the entertainment industry who relies on an "agent" to do their business will relate to these pimping documentaries. They are the no-B.S. middleman. But the Hughes Bros are not feminists, they aren't queer, and they're religious. They miss a lot of the big picture because of their blind spots. Sex work is multi-ethnic-- there are so many overlapping traditions. The line between straight and gay is irrelevant. There are women running women, women running men, every kind of intermediary is doing their little operation. This is one little piece of it, a little bit of eavesdropping.

DC: There seems to be a concern running through the “X-Rated Video Adviser” columns about availability. As you edited the book, how concerned were you about the fact that, despite the development of the Internet, it might still be difficult to locate some of the films you were talking about?

SB: I'm distraught. Many of these films have been destroyed. The masters were destroyed after the Meese Commission prosecutions, much like silent films were destroyed when talkies superseded them. People just flushed away the "product" like it was worthless. This is a situation where only crazed collectors are going to end up saving a legacy.

DC: Clearly video changed things for porn, making it more a private matter than a public one. How else has the move to video been significant for porn?

SB: It brought in a new era of creators, of artists who hadn't been part of the Rat Pack. It brought in women, it brought in the punks, the outliers, multi-media artists. I think video is directly responsible for the end of the Ratings Board for all intents and purposes. NC-17, or being unrated, is a result of video.

DC: Has porn improved since the X-Rated Video Advisor first appeared in 1987?

SB: Oh my. Let me shed a tear. In many respects, the decline has been significant. Certainly erotic "film," real films, have gone the way of the dodo bird. And the scale of video and Internet porn has made big budget affairs, with all their attendant production values, a thing of the past. What's interesting now in video and streaming live performances is the Wild West nature of it, the inter-activity, the intimacy and rawness of it. It's like performance art gone wild. I'll tell you what has improved though, remarkably in porn-- fetish and props. It's been a geek's paradise in sex movies.

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Okay, kids, the wait is over. Time to pick up your #2s and get ready for a real treat, the very first guest appearance by an honest-to-murgatroyd cultural icon writing and hosting a SLIFR quiz. If we had stock to buy and sell, it would most certainly be up at this point, as will be some other things as you dive into the unique interview test that follows. And now, with no further hesitation or interruption, SLIFR is proud to present Professor Susie Bright’s Brazenly Cinephallic, Unapologetically Vulvacious Porn Movie Quiz. Take it away, Susie!

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I sit upon a lonely throne in a singular Hall of Fame: The X-Rated Critics, 5th Estate Division.

It is a rather solitary honor, as there are few people who've reviewed and critiqued erotic film ephemera for decades without spontaneous combustion.

Last year, I published the first volume of my vintage porn memoirs: The Erotic Screen. For those of you who love sleepers, high- and low-brow sex in cinema, the glory days of glory holes, I know it is a special treat.

Now it's time for everyone to share.

Behold the digestif —The first Brazenly Cinephallic, Unapologetically Vulvacious Porn Quiz, a game of memory and sweat-soaked splendor that will test your literary and celluoid wits to their limit.

I dare you to get lost in a thousand peep show wet dreams. Give me your HD money shot. Drown in erotic nostalgia— the very best kind.

How to Play



This is a parlour game, for our mutual amusement and edification. There are no "right" answers, just juicy ones.

Feel free to research questions you don't have immediate opinions on— or skip to those you do!  It's best to settle into our quiz like a good bedtime story or a drive-in movie night.

There are two ways to publish your replies:

1. On your own blog... send us the link in the Comments section below!

or 2. Write your heart out in the Comments Section below. When you answer the quiz, be sure to copy and paste the questions,along with your answers— so readers will not have to constantly scroll up and down referencing what you're talking about!



Inspiration



I was provoked to compose this quiz by the legendary Dennis "There's Nothing Wrong with That" Cozzalio, master of the Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule movie blog, who has posted an array of brilliant movie quizzes for years, in this same vein.

As Dennis says: "We value your your honesty but equally so your loquaciousness, your willingness to participate elaborately.Answers are always much more fun to read if they go beyond the simple one or two-word response. Your logorrhea will not be punished here, only your reticence."

Prizes



Got your blue pencil ready? Everyone who posts answers to at least 20 of my questions will receive a free copy of The Erotic Screen (email me for your freebie, along with the link to your quiz notes or comments!)

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1. Match The Quotes with The Writers-- Or Instead, Just Pick Your Favorite: 


The Quotes


A. “Sweden: Heaven and Hell was probably the best sexploitation soundtrack ever made, but was anybody listening?”


B. “I prefer theaters in which men strip completely bare-ass in the balcony and slouch down in their chairs with one foot on the chair in front of them, whilst other men crawl up up the balcony steps on all fours, meaningfully.”


C. “Then she says, now dig this she says . . .” and he broke up laughing, a strange rasping laugh for maybe the fourth time since he started what was shaping up to be an interminable story, “. . . she says: “Listen, who do I have to fuck to get OFF this picture??1?” And he began his final light, his boss laugh, the kind that quickly, smoothly, turns into a monstro cough


D.  “No Matter What Kind of Porn Movie You make, the audience must always believe the actors are getting off.”


E. “The East Coast has always lagged far behind in the production of sex films, probably due to the lack of experienced people willing to work in this area, plus not enough free-swinging girls.” 


The Writers


1. William Rotsler,Contemporary Erotic Cinema, 1973


2. Boyd McDonald,Cruising the Movies,1985


3. Terry Southern,Blue Movie,1970


4. Jim Holliday,Only the Best,1986


5. Stewart Ziplow,The Filmmakers Guide to Pornography,1977



Blue-movie


2. The First Time You Peered Into a Peep Show— What Did You See?


"Peep Show," Noun

1. a sequence of pictures viewed through a lens or hole set into a


    box, traditionally offered as a public entertainment 


2. An erotic or pornographic film or show viewed from a coin-operated booth


Peep Show 


3. Jamie Gillis vs. John Leslie ?


Jamie and John


4. Your Favorite Genre of Stag Film?



a) Typical Nudist Colony Volleyball Match


b) Candy Barr stripping in Smart Aleck


c) How To Deliver an Enema, a US Navy Production 


Nude ballgame


5. Linda Lovelace BioPic Casting


In the two new Linda Lovelace flicks coming out, several actors have already cycled on and off the casting roles, including Adrian Brody, Demi Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matt Dillon, Mary Louise Parker. 


Forget them. 


Who would you cast— living or dead, porn star or A-List— to play:


Linda Lovelace? 


Linda Lovelace’s Mother?


Evil Porn Pimp/Linda’s Old Man?


Gloria Steinem?


Secret Linda Lovelace Lesbian Lover?



Lovelace


6. For Perfect Art House Masochism, make your case for the very best:


a) Bunuel: Belle de Jour


b) Bertolucci: Last Tango in Paris


c) McQueen: Shame


Deneuve_dejour



7. Name One Classic Element of Swedish Erotica


 (Wanna cheat? Go here.) 



Swedish Vanessa


8. Who's your favorite sex symbol who keeps turning up in the oddest places?


It’s hard to name many actresses like Patti D’Arbanville, below, who has done sex and Hollywood and soap opera with much aplomb— and years without respite.


Patti was discovered by Warhol at 13. At 17, starred in Flesh by Paul Morrissey and Warhol; Bilitis, David Hamilton; Big Wednesday, John Milius; and the TV series Charlie’s Angels, and Rescue Me.) 


Patti D'A 1970


9. What is Your Porn Star Name?


Mine is "Lady McGee."  


Here's how to decipher yours:


Your First Name = Name of First Pet You Remember


Your Last Name =  Name of First Street You Lived On


Put it together and you have something legends are made of.


Candy_barr
"Smart Aleck," starring Candi Barr




10. What Do The Following  Five Films Have in Common?


Peter Berlin in That Boy


Boys in the Sand


LA Plays Itself, by Fred Halsted


The Idol


Pleasure Beach



Peter-berlin-Bild06
Peter Berlin in his usual street attire



11. Annette Haven vs. Seka?



Seka_annette



12. Not the Bradys vs Who's Nailin’ Palin


Palin and Bradys  



13. What is Your Favorite Sex-Drenched Vampire Movie?  


Countessdraculasorgyofblood


14. What Was the First Nude Scene That Made an Impression on You?


Choose a scene from a movie-- not illustration or still photograph.



Last_Tango_in_Paris_01
Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando in Bertolucci's "Last Tango in Paris"




15. Name Your Most Esteemed Cross-Over Director


 Roger Watkins, "Last House on Dead End Street" horror director who worked in XXX as Richard Mahler


Gary Graver, Orson Welle's D.P., who directed in XXX as Robert McCallum


Joyce Snyder, directed XXX "Raw Talent" and horror film "Pledge Night" 



300px-Rwatkins
Roger Watkins in editing room




16. Who's Your Favorite Cross-Over Star? Pick One Male, One Female Lead


So many casual viewers believe porn and civilian-Hollywood never cross paths, but quite the opposite is true. There are dozens of distinguished cross-over actors, of which I've just selected a few for your difficult decision-making.


Female Lead


Marilyn Chambers, Rabid


Traci Lords, Crybaby


Carol Conners, The Gong Show


Sasha Grey, The Girlfriend Experience




Male Lead


Paul Thomas, Jesus Christ Superstar


Aldo Rey, from G-rated Green Berets to X-rated Sweet Savage


Rocco Sifreddi, Anatomy of Hell


Ron Jeremy, Orgazmo


Spauling Grey, the X-rated Farmer's Daughter



PT Superstar
Paul Thomas as the apostle Paul



Chambers Rabid



"Rabid," by David Cronenberg,starring Marilyn Chambers



Aldo_ray
Aldo Ray in "The Green Berets



Siffredianatomy of hell
Rocco Siffredi in Breillat's "Anatomy of Hell"



Orgazmo ron jeremy
Ron Jeremy, in Matt Stone and Trey Parker's "Orgazmo"



Traci cry baby
Traci Lords, in John Waters' "Crybaby" 



Farmers daughterspaldinggray
Spaulding Grey in "The Farmer’s Daughters




Sasha-Grey-in-The-Girlfri-001
Sasha Grey star of contemporary porn video and female lead in Steven Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience."


 


Normal_carol connors
Carol Connors made 20 hardcore films in the Golden Age, starred in the Gong Show in 70’s, and is the mother of Thora Birch.



17. What was first and last X-rated movie you saw in movie theater?


Frisco_Porn_Theater



18. Who's the Best Male Porn Star Who Played both "Gay" and "Straight"?


Bonus Points: Speculate why all these men were known spectacularly for their penis dimensions, more so than their bisexual roles.


Jack Wrangler, pictured above.


John Holmes


Marc Stevens


Jeff Stryker (imitating Aldo Ray, come to think of it, in "Stryker Force")



Jackwrangler
Jack Wrangler



19. Ginger Lynn vs. Bree Olsen 



Charlie bree ginger



20.   Plugz vs. Wall of Voodoo


There are two contenders for Best Song Recorded for an Original XXX Soundtrack.


They are both New Wave classics. Listen and defend your favorite!


 


Plugz, New Wave Hookers 


 


 


Wall of Voodoo, Nightdreams




23. What could a sex film director do right this minute to give you an incredible thrill?


 Forget ratings and just think your "perfect world."



Damiano
Gerard Damiano: Deep Throat, Memories Within Miss Aggie, Devil in Miss Jones. "Discovered" Annie Sprinkle. Not bad!



21. Did You See the following "household name" porn films? In theater or on video, DVD, or streaming? Which is memorable?


 Devil In Miss Jones


Deep Throat


Behind the Green Door


Insatiable 



DMJ Spelvin
Georgina Spelvin in the opening scene of "Devil in Miss Jones"



22. Depending on your mood, what is your favorite or least-loved erotic/porn movie cliché?


My friend Spain says it's the neck scarf that was ubiquitously worn by Swedish Erotica peepshow loop girls.



Green door poster
Poster for "Behind the Green Door," by the Mitchell Brothers, starring former Ivory Snow cover model, Marilyn Chambers





24. Best post-feminist erotic/porn flick you’ve seen yet?


This could include Candida Royalle, the lesbian videos from Fatale, the Crash Pad series, Tristan Taormino's work for Stagliano and Vivid, SIR Video's Bend Over Boyfriend— or anything you might have seen posted in the Toronto Feminist porn awards.


Bend_over_boyfriend_230
Fatale Videos' "Bend Over Boyfriend"




 25. Were there any adult films that you were initially excited about, only to be disappointed with?



Debbie Does Dallas02
Bambi Woods in "Debbie Does Dallas"




 26. On a more positive note, did you encounter any films that you went into expecting the worst and walked out being pleasantly surprised?



Japanese aggie
Japanese box cover for "Memories of Miss Aggie," by Gerard Damiano



27. Last One: Who is your Dream Team for the ultimate erotic movie?


(Actors, actresses, directors, writers, composers, etc.)





It took me 25 years to write, index, and video-hyperlink my book The Erotic Screen a handy reference if you're trying to research this quiz! It took about six months to compose and design this blog post, with Dennis' encouragment. Thank you to all the artists who've been a part of my long strange night at the movie theater! Can't wait to see your replies...



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19 comments:

Anonymous said...

1) Oh dear! I feel so unread! So I’m going to guess:
a) #4
b) #2
c) #3
d) #5
e) #1

2) My first peep show experience was a film in a coin-operated booth…I wish there was a more exciting story behind it!
3) Oh, man. John Leslie is great, but…I’m kinda a sucker for Jamie Gillis.
4) I could be persuaded towards pretty much any genre of stag film (I really dig them all) but you mention Candy Barr, and I’m sold!
5) Recast these films. Oh, I’m terrible at recasting! But no worse than what they did already I guess…
Linda Lovelace: Julianne Moore (I know she already did BOOGIE NIGHTS, but this is my movie & my casting & I think she would do better. She’s a woman & you need a woman’s sex appeal and ADULTness)
Linda Lovelace’s mom: Depends on what OG pix of Dorothy Boreman look like, but you might get an interesting performance out of Bernadette Peters, maybe? Or Shirley MacLaine would be pretty cool.)
Chuck Traynor: Peter Sarsgaard (I’d stick with him. He’s good and would probably do a good job)
Gloria Steinem: Meryl Streep. I think she’d kill it.
Secret Lesbian Lover: Ummm, Sofia Vergara because she’s insanely gorgeous and all kinds of awesome

6) OK, so I pretty much fail on this question, which is ridiculous since I have 2 degrees in cinema studies & am working on a third in film archiving. I have only seen one of these films. Having only seen one (Shame) and having some unique issues with the way that it dealt with the women and homosexuality in the film (even though I really liked it) I can’t argue for it exactly. Just like I can’t argue for Secretary (Steven Shainberg, 2002) because I think that the very ending of the film undoes the revolutionary things that are accomplished throughout ¾ of the film. I can, however, argue for a very hard-to-find and fascinating film called Irezumi: The Spirit of Tattoo (Yoichi Takabayashi, 1982) which mixes fleshy pleasure, embodied pain and the female marked body in ways that I totally enjoyed. I really need to find a copy of that film!

7) One classic element might be Seka?

Anonymous said...

8) That one is really hard…I can’t think of anyone who has crossed over like that except maybe Marilyn Chambers & Tracy Lords. Maybe them?
9) If it’s the 1st pet I remember, then the name would be Loki Plymouth. If it’s my first pet, then it would be White Fang Plymouth. Either way, not bad!
10) Those 5 films are all highly regarded and significant materials within the gay porn genre.
11) Another one where the decision is difficult. Blonde or brunette? And they both went such different directions as their careers progressed (or didn’t). Can I say both, so I can have a 10 and a Platinum Princess?
12) I haven’t seen either, but I have to say that I am very fascinated with the new wave of adult films that is being done that is parodying old TV/film. The HAPPY DAYS one, this BRADY BUNCH thing. I’m really entertained on a critical theory-ish level. It makes me all giddy!
13) NEAR DARK because I think Lance Henrikson and Bill Paxton are sex-drenched (to me). But if we’re talking objectively, THE HUNGER will always have that honor. Ain’t nothing like Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve getting’ it on. And Bowie? Yeah. Someone get me a fan here???
14) First nude (or semi-nude) scene that got me was when I was maybe 11 or 12. I watched DO THE RIGHT THING when it came out on video with my parents, and the opening scene with Spike Lee putting the ice on Rosie Perez’ breasts was just…WOW. Yep. Burned itself into my mind and has stayed with me ever since. Truly sexy.
15) Maybe Wes Craven (Abe Snake)? I’m having difficulties thinking of others at the moment, but I do love his work when he’s good. Self-reflexivity is kinda nifty to me.
16) FEMALE X-OVER: I guess, as I was saying earlier, Chambers or Lord work. But maybe that wasn’t what the earlier question was about…Eep. Well, in any case, those would be my female choices.
MALE X-OVER: I would totally pick Aldo Ray. In fact I had NO idea he went X-rated (unless I saw him a gazillion years ago and didn’t remember, also a distinct possibility). I’m a HUGE fan of his. He’s super hot and I adore him, X-rated, G-rated, no-rated. Aldo Ray all the way! (tho’ to be fair, Rocco is excruciatingly hot as well!)
17) The first X-rated movie I saw in the theater was DISCO DOLLS in 3D at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz, CA. The last one that I saw was probably technically a Russ Meyer film of some sort, but I’m not certain if that falls under the same auspices?
18) I’ll go for Jack Wrangler, on the 1st part. As for the second…I would say that a great deal of that comes with the territory of the time. Bisexuality wasn’t as big a deal as physicality. Expressing one’s self sexually to numerous other individuals wasn’t as threatening to the status quo as it seems to be now, thus bisexuality was not as “impressive.” It was almost like having blond hair or a tan. However, being good with what you had or having “the goods” to be good was a matter of some worth. THAT was something to OOH and AHH over. Not everyone could boast the same physical properties/capabilities/etc, so if you had something “special” like a larger penis, that would’ve been what would’ve been concentrated on. For the folks making the films, it was also a great selling point because of the above reasons.

Anonymous said...

19) Ginger Lynn 4-eva!!!
20) Ooh no. Not fair! I love the Plugz! And New Wave Hookers rules! If I had to defend one against the other, I would defend the Plugz tune based on accessibility and fun/upbeat sensibility. THAT SAID, I now must see NIGHTDREAMS, as I lovelovelove Wall of Voodoo and that clip looked absolutely incredible! My socks are halfway to Europe they were knocked so far off my little feet! Sheesh! Not much of a defense I’m afraid. I can’t defend awesome against awesome. I’m no good when I’m thoroughly loving it all.
21) I don’t really know on this…
22) Heh. The hilarious thing is that I have seen more Avon films than I have Standard Adult Cinema. I own a few of those, I just haven’t watched them yet…does owning them count for anything?
23) I’m not sure if this counts as a cliché, but in the 16mm Starlight reels, I lovelovelove the place card and picture that always comes in between each one as you change them. I wish I could get a blow-up of that and frame it for my room or apartment or something. Least loved cliché is all of the modern body modifications that have become de rigueur for women and men so that their bodies no longer look like their bodies but shiny plasticine…I don’t know. It’s probably the lighting too. I like people’s flesh and humor and people looking like they are enjoying each other and that they are comfortable in their own skin. Sometimes their skin looks like it’s not even real anymore.
24) All of Tristan Taormino’s stuff=awesometown.
25) I try to pick every movie out as carefully as possible, adult or otherwise. However, if I am in a group of people and they throw something on, I may not have a choice. That’s when I have been less than impressed, I think.
26) Some films my ex showed me a long time ago I didn’t think I would enjoy I really thought were keen, funny and smart. It was quite refreshing. Mostly Golden Age stuff.
27) CAST: Annie Sprinkle, Jamie Gillis, George Payne, Vanessa Del Rio, Jack Wrangler, James Deen, Seka, Mickey Mod, Jiz Lee, Dylan Ryan…Maybe a script by Doris Wishman? Maybe Russ Meyers on camera? [ok, so this cast would totally never work out, but whatever. It would be nice if it did.]

Susie Bright said...

Loki Plymouth, Come On Down! You win a prize for answering more than 20 questions... send me your email... to susie@susiebright.com, and I'll send you a copy of Erotic Screen.

I love your casting ideas for Lovelace flick. I had no idea the Rio (just blocks away from me) used to show porn flicks.

I like the whole bi/blonde/tan theory!

Susie Bright said...

SPOILER... IF you want to know the quote/writer answers.....

.........


A 4
B 2
C 3
D 5
E 1

Peter Nellhaus said...

I'm familiar with some of the names but not enough of the films to answer twenty questions. It might amuse Ms. Bright to know that it was my mother who got me out of high school one day to attend a critics' screening of Midnight Cowboy, prior to its opening in Denver.

And my introduction to onscreen nudity was Julie Christie in Darling.

Them were the days.

estienne64 said...

I've put my answers (such as they on) on my blog. Spoiler alert: my porn name turns out to be Percy Trinity. Always nice to mix the sacred and profane.

Anonymous said...

Hang onto your hats, people! None other than Hall-of-Famer Richard Pacheco emailed me his answers and TALK ABOUT INSIDE BASEBALL. He's in half the movies I'm talking about!

Since his answers were so long, I've posted them here:

Richard Pacheco, aka Howie Gordon:

http://susiebright.blogs.com/susie_brights_journal_/2012/05/the-legendary-richard-pacheco-answers-susies-movie-porn-quiz.html

Anonymous said...

1.
Terry Southern, it’s such a classic.

2.
I was 14 in Munich, at Deutsches Museum, where I saw an 18th century zoetrope that featured an illustration of a woman lifting her skirt, over and over again. “Wow,” I thought, “people have been doing this forever.”

3.
Jamie

4.
How To Deliver an Enema 

5.  
Julia Louise Dreyfus as Linda Lovelace

6.
Last Tango in Paris

7.
Cheap garish color and bad prints

8.
Bettie Page

9.
Buffy Sioux Marie

10.
Gay classics

11.
Annette, more down to earth, All American Beauty. Not platinum. Real hair.

12.
Nailin' Palin! Just b/c of the name

13.   
Blackula

14. What Was the First Nude Scene That Made an Impression on You?

"Le Chien Andalou," totally by accident. My parents didn’t know what it was about. They thought it was a story about a dog, and took the whole family.

15.
Radley Metzger

16.
Vanessa Del Rio, in Law and Order!
Paul Thomas, as John the Baptist, he's done iconic work on both sides

17.
I both attended AND picketed porn/erotica that was shown by the so-called “Film Society” series at UW, Madison.

18.
Peter North

19.
I only know Ginger Lynn.

20.
WALL OF VOODOO

21.
Devil In Miss Jones, theater
Deep Throat, video
Insatiable, video

Insatiable was the most memorable, bc of Chambers' sheer intensity from beginning to end. Everything she does and says you have to see.

22.
Fave cliché: In porn, you have to hold your own legs.

Peeve: Guys telling girls who are sucking their dick to “look at me, look at me.” SHUT UP.

23. What could a sex film director do to give you an incredible thrill?

Cast *seriously hot* older actors. Triathletes!

24. Best post-feminist erotic/porn flick you’ve seen yet?

It was called "Bittersweet." It was a lesbian indie released on video that I saw at Frameline film fest in 80s. It featured a song by Tracy Chapman and was experimental, black and white, blood and cutting. Incredible editing, photography, the actors, everything. A whole relationship in a short.

25. Were there any adult films that you were initially excited about, only to be disappointed with?

Most of them.

26. On a more positive note, did you encounter any erotic films that you went into expecting the worst and walked out being pleasantly surprised?

Bend Over Boyfriend 2

27. Last One: Who is your Dream Team for the ultimate erotic movie?

Mr. Marcus, Lindsay Vonn, and Tim Tebow as directed by John Leslie.

Susie Bright said...

1.
Boyd McDonald, his book is my favorite book on Porn and Hollywood. His ode to Jim Lassiter alone makes it.

2.
The Cliff House arcade in San Francisco, I was a kid and you looked into this penny arcade peep machines for a PENNY, yes indeed.

I don’t know if they were nude or scantily clad, but there were definitely racy ladies of the early 1900’s scampering around. It was so quaint I guess they didn’t worry about children looking in the 1960s… now someone would probably call the police and scream about child porn.

3.
Jamie for acting, John for music, both for directing. Being in a closed room talking with Jamie was better than sex I’ve had with most people.

4.
US Navy porn, for sure.

5.
I defer to Loki’s choices, above. I cant think of anyone else now!

6.
Belle de Jour because I never get sick of seeing it; it’s like a poem you can’t get out of your mind.

7.
The neck scarves. The lack of Swedishness.

8.
Justin Vivian Bond.

9.
Lady McGee.

10.
My fave is Artie Bressan’s Pleasure Beach. talk about losing a genius. The original got cut to bits b/c of Meese Commission fallout.

11.
Annette, for sure. I identified with her, with the long brown hair and those long intense looks.

12.
Fuck Jan Brady!

13.
I like a lot of them. The Hunger, but also I’ve wasted a lot of hours on True Blood.

14.
The Graduate. My dad would take me to R-rated movies and I think that was just about the only thing I understood in that movie at the time… that Mrs. Robinson was naughty.

15.
Roger for “Midnight Heat,” that still makes me cry. Gary for “3AM” and the shower scene. Joyce for “Raw Talent,” the funniest laugh-out-loud movie ever made in porn.

16.
Marilyn. What a dynamo. I met her at a funeral and she was the most powerful person in the room.

Rocco Sifreddi KILLS in his French film roles and has not yet rec’d his due.

17.
Can’t remember title, it was at the Bijou on Market Street. Terrible. Couldn’t understand why men came “on the outside.” I'd never seen that before.

Last theater? Not sure. I had no idea they were disappearing until they were gone. Coulda been Market St Cinema in SF, or a Pussycat, or somewhere in Times Square. Prob. SF or NYC.

18.
I've got a crush on Jack.

19.
Ginger. Although I'm sure Bree is very nice.

20.
Wall of Voodoo

21.
I saw and reviewed all of the classics. "Devil in Miss Jones" blew my mind. It was like Brian de Palma film, that opening!

22.
Least-loved: No women coming. NO WOMEN COMING!

Favorite: All those natural, every-walk-of-life bodies, real sex, the incredible moments when it all comes together.

23.
BREAK THE RULES.

24.
I've seen and worked on a lot. Hard to say. I really loved helping out with “Surburban Dykes.”

 25.
Yeah, about a thousand. Debbie Does Dallas and Deep Throat at top of list.

 26.
Richard Mahler/Roger Watkins. Had no idea THAT was coming. Also Veronika Rocket’s “Smoker.”

27.
This isn’t an erotic movie, but i wish I could’ve made a doc of Sharon Mitchell’s AIM clinic. That was an amazing place, one of a kind care.

dorotheo said...

great pictures you got there¡

Unknown said...

1. Holliday. Always the most quotable.
2. I've never peered into a peep show.
3. John Leslie or Jamie Gillis? Have to go with Leslie, always my favorite actor. He's still never been matched: the intensity, the charisma—porn's closest thing to a major movie star. Fine actor, even finer fucker.
4. Those nudist films from the '50s were so sweet—boring but sweet.
5. Don't give a fuck who they cast—they'll all be wrong. What a dismal project.
6: Last Tango. Brando's performance still blows me away.
7. Those garish yellow and red box covers, most featuring a girl's face and an erect penis.
8. Rosanna Arquette, does she count?
9. Using your formula, my name would be Julius Mifflin. Much too hoity-toity for porn.
10. All gay porn classics from the '70s. What else? Was Peter Berlin in all of them?
11. Annette Haven or Seka? The peerless Annette. 1940s Hollywood-level beauty.
12. Not the Brady's—it's actually funny and nails the period perfectly. Lisa Ann's a great sex performer but no Tina Fey.
13. True Blood. It's as close as you can get on cable to hardcore porn.
14. Mainstream, I don't remember. But I remember vividly the first time I saw tits in a movie theater: The Immoral Mr. Teas. (That's how far back I go). I just couldn't believe my eyes. I knew that the times must be a changing.
15. Graver always did good work as McCallum.
16. Female: Sasha Grey in The Girlfriend Experience, which is actually one of my favorite movies. She was the only professional actor Soderbergh cast.
Male: Rocco Siffredi in Anatomie de l'enfer. The movie is almost unendurable but he manages to be believable, even mouthing dialogue that would have defeated Olivier.
17. The first was Mr. Teas (see above). The last was just a few weeks ago: world premiere of Revenge of the Petites at the Regent in Westwood. And it wasn't half bad.
18. Peter North/Matt Ramsay. Why were these guys known for their penis dimensions? Because in porn that always comes first!
19: Ginger Lynn vs. Bree Olson. I suppose it's Ginger for talent and impact, but Bree is probably more likeable. I had some interaction with her while at AVN and found her charming, bright, funny. And those qualities usually came across on screen.
20: Plugz, great Chicano band.
21. I dunno—make a film without sex?
22. They're all memorable.
Devil In Miss Jones
Missed this originally, caught up years later on tape.
Deep Throat
Stood in line to see it at the Pussycat on Santa Monica Blvd. It drew quite a crowd.
Behind the Green Door
Also saw when first released.
Insatiable
Press screening—everyone was thrilled.
23. The dreary, predictable, often mechanical changing of positions, by the numbers, in most sex scenes, especially those in story movies.
24. Sorry, can't pick just one. There's all the Fatale stuff, the San Francisco Lesbians series from years ago, some of the new stuff from Good Vibes, Kimberly Kane's work for Vivid Alt, and some of Candida's later work. Also anything from Annie Sprinkle.
25. Far too many to mention.
26. The New Sensations Romance line. Porn romances are usually yuck and double yuck. But some of the NS releases directed by Eddie Powell are surprisingly offbeat and charming, especially Lost & Found.
27. Oh lord... Director: Early Greg Dark or Jack the Zipper; writer, late great Dave Clark; with Annette, Jeanna Fine, Asa Akira, Leslie, Gillis.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I'm Christian Mann, adult-movie producer at your service. Producer of Edward PenisHands... and much more.

1.

“C” must be Jim Holliday. I assumed it before I saw the writer’s names. I can hear him now, coughing, smoking, drunk. He always called me “Don Christian”, a short-lived nom de porn I used when I “directed” a bi-sexual movie for Catalina Video.

The best opening line of a eulogy ever: John Holmes’ funeral, 1988… Jim Holliday’s started with: “John Holmes was a liar.”

2.
A woman billed as “Morgan LaFey” wearing a corset, boots and a garrison cap. Short shaggy hair like Freddy Mercury circa late 70’s.

It was at Frenchy’s K&T and I was there with Ken Kuhns, the owner’s son. I couldn’t react because I was dating his sister Sandy, but I was oddly smitten.

The bigger shock was going in the basement and seeing several 50 gallon drums filled with quarters.

3.
Knew them both. I met Jamie when he was dating young Amber Lynn in 1984. He would

recite Shakespeare in over-the-top thespian style to the amusement of our coked-out brood (Jerry Butler, Buck Adams, me.)

As for John… too many memories. I worked with him the last two years of his life.

I had breakfast with him and Joey Silvera two weeks prior to his last day.

Jamie vs. John? John.


4.
Nudist Colony Volleyball Match. I love the conceit of nudist films and books as somehow

being a lifestyle thing unrelated to pornography. “I love volleyball. Are the girls naked? I didn’t even notice!”

5.
Linda Lovelace?: Valerie Bertinelli

Linda Lovelace’s Mother? Bonnie Franklin (duh!)

Evil Porn Pimp/Linda’s Old Man? Billy Bob Thornton as Chuck Traynor

Gloria Steinem? (young) Jane Fonda

Secret Linda Lovelace Lesbian Lover? Susie Bright

6.

"Last Tango In Paris." Brando was shameless despite the shoddy script, direction, everything.

The real rape was Maria Schneider’s letdown after the promise of a lead opposite Brando that turned into that piece of crap. After she shot Brando, she should have shot Bertolucci.

7.
The scarf. Credit Noel Bloom for the branding savvy. I love Noel. We still keep in touch.

8.
I may regret answering this…

I loved Kay Lenz in the early 1970’s. Think “Breezy” with William Holden, “Rich Man Poor Man,” etc. I ended up meeting her six years ago through mutual friends.

I didn’t recognize “Kay” her until she wrote down her name and I was so nonplussed because I didn’t want her to know she had been the object of my fantasy when I was 12 years old. I’ve seen her several times since then and I’ve been able to let it go. She doesn’t know and I pray she doesn’t read this. I’m quite sure she doesn’t even know what industry I’m in.

9.
Radames Chandeleur… My mother Aida named the dog “Radames” for obvious operatic reasons. The street was Chandeleur Drive in San Pedro.

10
I distributed them all when I ran Catalina Video.

Anonymous said...

Christian Mann, part 2

11.
Annette Haven.

12.
I hate all those porn parodies, save for one that I produced, “Edward Penishands.”


13.
I work for John Stagliano, so I have to say “Voracious” (releases September 2012.)


14.
I had already seen lots of pornography by the time I was 12, and I fantasized about Kay Lenz who had a nude scene in “Breezy”, but none of those got to me like Susan Sarandon’s nude scenes in “Pretty Baby” when I was 17. That one touched an Oedipal nerve.
Sarandon, Faye Dunaway, Jacqueline Bisset are a source of lust to this day.

15.
Tom DeSimone, a great guy who directed “Reform School Girls” and many movies for me when I ran Catalina. His license plate used to read “X TO R”.

16.
I talk to Rocco Siffredi at least twice a week so I gotta say Rocco. By the way, fix your spelling: it’s two “f”s and one “d”.

17.
The first was the premiere of a William Higgins film at the Century Theater. I hired Edith Massey, the “egg lady” from the John Waters films to sing “Hey, Punks Get off the Lawn” as the pre-movie entertainment. We stayed friends until she died.

The second was also the last: The premiere of “Pirates 2” at the Orpheum Theater in downtown L.A. I sat between Samantha, one of the owner/producers of the film, and oneof my best friends AVN founder Paul Fishbein who is notoriously germophobic.

During the close-up of Belladonna spitting into Jesse Jane’s mouth, about 30 feet tall onthe screen, Paul started to gag and wretch while trying to hide behind me so Samantha wouldn’t notice.

In a strange twist of fate, I now live across the street from that theater.

18.
I met all of them, but only worked with Stryker and Mark Stevens. Even so, I have to say Jack Wrangler was the best -- a gentleman, smart, sophisticated. Read his book. If it’s about the dick, then it’s John Holmes, although Stryker was more aggressive. Stryker once pulled me through a car window in a fit of rage. It’s a miracle he didn’t kill me. I can be persuasive under pressure.

19.
Ginger. It was a different time. “Stars” don’t really happen anymore.

20. Plugz vs. Wall of Voodoo
I liked WoV, but Plugz were one of my all-time favorites. Tito Larriva, Tony Marsico and Chalo Quintana were the lineup I saw live so many times when they shared the bill with my brother’s band.

Tito has “alam”. Listen to his “La Flor De Mal” recorded by the Plugz after they became “Los Cruzados”. Los Angeles Mexi-punks. Theirbreakneck version of “La Bamba” proved that punk could occur in any culture, with any musical idiom.

21.
I never saw “Insatiable”. The most memorable thing to me of any of them is Harry Reems’ ridiculous, accented portrayal of the doctor in “Deep Throat.” I just thought it was stupid.

I love the story about John Lennon sneaking into the AVCO theater in Westwood to see Deep Throat. He left after twenty minutes and as far as anyone knows, he was never interested in pornography again.

22.
The funky wah-wah guitar music. It can be either.

23.
Capture the magical sexiness of Sophia Loren doing a strip tease in “Ieri, Oggi, Domani” (“Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”)

24.
I don’t like any of them.

25.Many of the ones I produced or worked on fit the bill… None disappointed me as much as “Female Aggressors” by Paul Norman, although “The Dream Team” by Jim Enright was also horrible. “Westside” by Ren Savant had great moments but ultimately disappointed me too. I guess I’ve made some real crap through the years.

26.
“Miscreants” by Rob Black. I wanted to hate it. I loved it for reasons too complicated to explain.

27.
Having produced a cinematic piece of dreck named “Dream Team”, I will observe the show-biz tradition of leaving something on the editing floor. In this case, it’s the answer to the last question.

Jeff Gee said...

1. Match The Quotes with The Writers-- Or Instead, Just Pick Your Favorite:

The only book here I read was Blue Movie by Terry Southern. And the quote from that is C: ‘Then she says, now dig this she says . . .” and he broke up laughing, a strange rasping laugh for maybe the fourth time since he started what was shaping up to be an interminable story, “. . . she says: “Listen, who do I have to fuck to get OFF this picture??!?” And he began his final light, his boss laugh, the kind that quickly, smoothly, turns into a monstro cough.’

Isn’t William Rotsler a cartoonist? Or am I thinking of somebody else?

2. The First Time You Peered Into a Peep Show— What Did You See?

I don’t think I ever peered into a peep show qua peep show. The one time I attempted to do so, I was in a Times Square rathole just up the block from the old Embassy, and I went into a booth where you fed quarters into a slot to keep a full length XXX movie going. I misunderstood the sign and thought it was a quarter to see the whole movie. Took me $1.25 to realize (1) this was going to be insanely expensive and (2) there’s lots of down time in these things.

3. Jamie Gillis vs. John Leslie ?

I’m going to say Jamie Gillis, because I saw The Opening of Misty Beethoven, and as far as I know I didn’t see John Leslie in anything.

4. Your Favorite Genre of Stag Film?

Jeepers! I believe that the only stag films I’ve seen that were actually stag films in the classic sense were at the bachelor party held my sister’s fiancé. It was held in the back room of a bowling alley and the films were as classy as you’d expect. I wish they’d shown some volleyball movies. So I will go with the volleyball movies.

5. Who would you cast— living or dead, porn star or A-List— to play:

a) Linda Lovelace? The 25 year old Leslie Ann Warren. b) Linda Lovelace’s Mother? The 55 year old Leslie Ann Warren. c) Evil Porn Pimp/Linda’s Old Man? Charles Napier. d) Gloria Steinem? Tura Satana. e) Secret Linda Lovelace Lesbian Lover? The 35 year old Leslie Ann Warren. And it is absolutely essential that Sammy Davis Jr. is cast as himself, of course.

6. For Perfect Art House Masochism, make your case for the very best:

a) Bunuel: Belle de Jour. Didn’t see Shame yet, and I don’t dig the lighting in Last Tango. Everything looks like it was shot through a stick of margarine. Which I guess is appropriate, but still.

7. Name One Classic Element of Swedish Erotica

I clicked on the ‘cheat’ link. Homina homina homina! I guess “Bibi Anderson” isn’t what we’re talking about here, huh?

8. Who's your favorite sex symbol who keeps turning up in the oddest places?

Mamie Van Doren’s twitter feed is oft times breathtaking.

9. What is Your Porn Star Name? Mine is "Lady McGee." Here's how to decipher yours: Your First Name = Name of First Pet You Remember Your Last Name = Name of First Street You Lived On Put it together and you have something legends are made of.

Using this formula my porn name would be “Cinderella Third,” so I’m going to pass, thanks, but if anybody else wants it, be my guest. Moving along through later streets and pets we eventually get to “Dee Bee East Tenth Street” and that doesn’t seem much better. In fact it seems considerably worse. I’m outta here.

Jeff Gee said...

10. What Do The Following Five Films Have in Common? Peter Berlin in That Boy; Boys in the Sand; LA Plays Itself, by Fred Halsted; The Idol; Pleasure Beach.

Not a clue. When you follow the links it looks like they’re all gay porn, though. Is that it??

11. Annette Haven vs. Seka?

I’m only going by the photos here, but I’ll say Annette.

12. Not the Bradys vs Who's Nailin’ Palin.

Again, just going by the pix here, but I will give the edge to the Not Bradys, assuming that Jan Brady is treated with sufficient respect.

13. What is Your Favorite Sex-Drenched Vampire Movie?

Anything with Ingrid Pitt. I believe it as difficult to make a bad Lesbian Vampire Movie as to make a bad Itchy and Scratchy cartoon.

14. What Was the First Nude Scene That Made an Impression on You? (Choose a scene from a movie-- not illustration or still photograph.):

The girl on the motorcycle in “Vanishing Point,” which played at Cinema 46 in Totowa NJ for two glorious weeks.

15. Name Your Most Esteemed Cross-Over Director.

B) Gary Graver. Not familiar with any of his McCallum work, but it would have to be unbelievably bad to cancel out the Orson Welles connection. And we’re talking esteem, right? Plus, his wife played Fonzie’s girlfriend on an episode of Happy Days.

16. Who's Your Favorite Cross-Over Star? Pick One Male, One Female Lead.

Marilyn Chambers in Rabid, and Spalding Gray in The Farmer’s Daughters. I have seen the former and not the latter. Spalding is my pick in the male category just because it’s such a bizarre idea. I was puzzled that Marilyn never (at least as far as I know) made any attempt to build on Rabid. I thought Sasha Grey was excellent in Girlfriend Experience.

17. What was first and last X-rated movie you saw in movie theater?

First was probably Midnight Cowboy. If we’re talking ‘adult’ cinema, maybe The Devil in Miss Jones (at the Little Cinema, located next to Harmony Hut at the Willowbrook Mall). The last was almost certainly Russ Meyer’s Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens (At the Cinema Village in NYC, I think). It’s possible that I saw Cherry Harry and Raquel or Vixen before Miss Jones, too.

18. Who's the Best Male Porn Star Who Played both "Gay" and "Straight"?

Didn’t one of these guys marry Martha Raye or something? That one, I guess.

19. Ginger Lynn vs. Bree Olsen.

Ginger.

20. Plugz vs. Wall of Voodoo There are two contenders for Best Song Recorded for an Original XXX Soundtrack. They are both New Wave classics. Listen and defend your favorite!

Wall of Voodoo all the way. Although if we were allowed write-ins, I might make a case for “To Hex with Sex,” the title song from the film of the same name. They gave out free 45’s of it when it played at the Montauk Theater in Passaic and a friend of mine got one, and played it into popcorn. It was peppy. The flip side was the same thing, but without the vocals.

Jeff Gee said...

21. Did you see the following "household name" porn films? In theater or on video, DVD, or streaming? Which is memorable? Devil In Miss Jones; Deep Throat; Behind the Green Door; Insatiable.

Saw the first two in theaters. I was shocked that Miss Jones looked so much like a ‘regular movie,’ complete with what seemed like pretty good movie music. (Making it especially memorable: my HS geometry teacher was two rows away) I saw Deep Throat a year or two later (it was always returning to Passaic for a new engagement in the early 70’s) and thought it was pretty much amateurville compared to Jones. I’ve never seen “Insatiable.” In re “Green Door,” my non-encounter with it was told in some detail Here, but to recap briefly: My buddy Chuck interviewed her (for a Montclair State student publication) at the Capital Theater in Passaic, where she was making a personal appearance. I drove Chuck, and circled the block during the interview itself because I was only 17— old enough to drive but not to beat off in public, according to the state of New Jersey. (Also, we didn’t have any quarters). However, Chuck did bring my *brand new* high school yearbook inside with him, and got Marilyn to sign it. That’s what this is.

23. What could a sex film director do right this minute to give you an incredible thrill? Forget ratings and just think your “perfect world.”

Buy me a new windshield. Mine has a mother of a crack in it and I’ve got an inspection coming up in three weeks.


24. Best post-feminist erotic/porn flick you’ve seen yet?

I’ve seen one Candida Royalle movie (Under the Covers), so she wins by default.

25. Were there any adult films that you were initially excited about, only to be disappointed with?

I thought Russ Meyer’s Up was hellishly bad. (Ditto most of his post Super Vixens oeuvre. But after Up, which had a distinct ‘it’s all downhill from here’ vibe to it, my expectations were pretty low)

26. On a more positive note, did you encounter any films that you went into expecting the worst and walked out being pleasantly surprised?

Not really.

27. Last One: Who is your Dream Team for the ultimate erotic movie? (Actors, actresses, directors, writers, composers, etc.): Bringing the quiz full circle, I’d like to see the Coens take a whack (haw) at Terry Southern’s Blue Movie. The composer would be Angelo Badalamenti (no offense to the excellent Carter Burwell) and the DP would be Roger Deakins, on account of nothing is less erotic than shitty lighting.

lrobhubbard said...

1. Match The Quotes with The Writers-- Or Instead, Just Pick Your Favorite: 
C. “Then she says, now dig this she says . . .” and he broke up laughing, a strange rasping laugh for maybe the fourth time since he started what was shaping up to be an interminable story, “. . . she says: “Listen, who do I have to fuck to get OFF this picture??1?” And he began his final light, his boss laugh, the kind that quickly, smoothly, turns into a monstro cough. 
It sounds like Southern, so I'm guessing that it is. Just recently found a copy of BLUE MOVIE, but have yet to sit down and read it.

2. The First Time You Peered Into a Peep Show— What Did You See?
Sad to admit, I've never peered into a peep show. Closest I've come are View-Masters - and have never come across any pornographic reels (although I like the idea that someone might have done a DIY solution to this).
3. Jamie Gillis vs. John Leslie ?
They're both sort of the same, to me... I know that they really aren't, but I haven't seen enough of their work to pick up on the nuances.

4. Your Favorite Genre of Stag Film?
Not truly a favorite, but more exposure to - B. I worked on a project in the late 90's "Superstarlet A.D." that had recreations of stag reels... and the director did two other films of 'neo-burlesque' reels, taking advantage of its resurgence.
5. Linda Lovelace BioPic Casting
Honestly, I really don't care who, what or when about a Lovelace biopic. Sorry...

6. For Perfect Art House Masochism, make your case for the very best:
Shamefully, I have not seen any of these films. The closest I can probably come to would be TOKYO DECADENCE, seen along with SALO.

7. Name One Classic Element of Swedish Erotica
The exaggerated poses... but that's in all porn, come to think of it...

8. Who's your favorite sex symbol who keeps turning up in the oddest places?
I have no idea who'd fit this question...

9. What is Your Porn Star Name?
Rusty Middle

10. What Do The Following  Five Films Have in Common?
A pantload of homoeroticism, judging from the Peter Berlin photo...

lrobhubbard said...

11. Annette Haven vs. Seka?

Have not seen enough of their work to make a value judgement - but if likability is as good, then Annette Haven.

12. Not the Bradys vs Who's Nailin’ Palin

Have seen neither, but I'd choose 'Nailin' Palin' over the porn Bradys...

13. What is Your Favorite Sex-Drenched Vampire Movie? 
 
None... well, NEAR DARK is probably the closest, though there's no explicit sex in the film.

14. What Was the First Nude Scene That Made an Impression on You?

Probably Lesley Anne-Down in THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN. Mostly silhouetted, if memory serves, but to a 12-13 yr old...

15. Name Your Most Esteemed Cross-Over Director

It would be Gary Graver, for working with Orson Welles, though 'esteemed' might be pushing it... A better answer (for me) would be writer, and that's Jerry Stahl.

16. Who's Your Favorite Cross-Over Star? Pick One Male, One Female Lead

Female - Traci Lords. Marilyn had the better roles (Rabid), but drifted back -- also, got to work with Ms. Lords on a gay-friendly family dramedy where she played the mother of two teenage boys... so it was interesting seeing her stretch her range.

Male - Sylvester Stallone

17. What was first and last X-rated movie you saw in movie theater?

Never have. The closest was NC-17 and the movie was CRASH.

18. Who's the Best Male Porn Star Who Played both "Gay" and "Straight"?

Not enough knowledge to answer this question...

19. Ginger Lynn vs. Bree Olsen 
Ginger Lynn. I have no idea about Bree Olson, though they've both had a taste of Sheen in their lives...

20.   Plugz vs. Wall of Voodoo

The toughest choice of this quiz! I love both, but in the context given, Wall of Voodoo's "Ring of Fire" is the clear choice. That clip is nightmarish - in the good way.

21. Did You See the following "household name" porn films? In theater or on video, DVD, or streaming? Which is memorable?

Saw 'Insatiable' on VHS at a high school party; and have only seen clips of GREEN DOOR... have not seen either DEEP THROAT or DEVIL IN MISS JONES.

22. Depending on your mood, what is your favorite or least-loved erotic/porn movie cliché?

least-loved - the money shot
favorite - the wide-eyed look upwards...

23. What could a sex film director do right this minute to give you an incredible thrill?

Nothing.

24. Best post-feminist erotic/porn flick you’ve seen yet?

Haven't seen one...

 25. Were there any adult films that you were initially excited about, only to be disappointed with?

Of what I've seen/encountered (admittedly very few), they were usually viewed for one direct reason only. and usually not considered beyond that reason.
Michael Winterbottom's 9 SONGS was a good attempt, but ultimately, a noble failure.

26. On a more positive note, did you encounter any films that you went into expecting the worst and walked out being pleasantly surprised?

Joe Sarno's ABIGAIL LESLIES' BACK IN TOWN was far better than I was expecting...