Inside Deep Throat

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's documentary has nothing to do with Mark Felt or Watergate, but rather Gerard Damiano's infamous 1972 porno flick, after which Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein named their secret source. Inside Deep Throat combines the equivalent of a “making-of” featurette with an account of the movie's historical impact and a sometimes-poignant treatment of the later careers of its director and stars. The excerpts selected from the original picture, including the graphic scene that earned it both massive notoriety and the opprobrium of the custodians of public morality, demonstrate beyond a doubt that the film was really lousy--cheap, ineptly made, and brutally unfunny. But the often-humorous observations here from those associated with the movie--combined with added footage to provide historical context--are generally enjoyable, while the examination of Damiano's failed vision of marrying hardcore sex with mainstream Hollywood fare (something that once seemed plausible until the rise of cheaply-made videos) offers interesting food for thought. Served up with a lighthearted, flippant tone, and stylistic bravado--jazzy edits, garish colors, and splashy montages, as well as a bouncy music score--Inside Deep Throat is a reasonably well-done profile of a significant, if not especially savory, episode in American popular culture, and it's certainly better than the movie it's about. Recommended. [Note: Available in either R rated or NC-17 widescreen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by directors Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the featurette “The Binghamton Trial: Cliterally Speaking” (8 min.) on the first town to put the film on trial, a “Legends of Erotica: Remembering Linda” featurette (7 min.), “The Tucson Trial: Where Gerry Met Annie” (6 min.), “The Last Word for Now”—featuring interviews with Bill Maher, Wes Craven, Hugh Hefner, and others (6 min.), the trial segments “Beverly Hills: Holly Gets Wood” (4 min.) and “Quincy House: Poison Ivy League” (4 min.), the featurette “Princeton: Deep Throat in the Suburbs” (4 min.), a verbal “how-to” featurette “The Zen of Deep Throat” (4 min.), the “Linda Does Hollywood” featurette on Lovelace’s attempts to become a legitimate actress (4 min.), and additional featurettes: “Cut Throat: Where in the World is Bobby De Salvo?” (3 min.), “Harry Reems’ Athletic Club” (3 min.), “Linda’s Exit: What’s the Big Deal?” (3 min.), “Freedance with Me” (2 min.), and “Women Against Pornography” (2 min.), as well as trailers. Bottom line: although the DVD jacket only lists the commentary and three featurettes, the disc includes much more, making this an impressive extras package for a solid doc.] (F. Swietek)