Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

Ron Jeremy, the hirsute, pudgy porn icon is limned in this…um…revealing film that is being offered in both R-rated and unrated versions (the R-rated one features brief full frontal nudity and the charming blurry-area-over-the-naughty-bits gambit, while the uncut version is pretty, well, raw). The former Ron Hyatt's main claim to fame lies in the fact that he has appeared in over 1,700 porno flicks, a considerable filmography. Combining interviews, stills, home movies, and "acting" clips, filmmaker Scott J. Gill's portrait of the man nicknamed "The Hedgehog" also offers some insights into the workaday pornographic film industry (which, not incidentally, was the engine that drove the home video industry in its days of infancy), a once shadowy, back alley type of business that has undeniably become part of the mainstream today (in fact, I bet an informal poll of your coworkers would reveal a large percentage who've heard of Ron Jeremy; perhaps not surprisingly given his guest appearances with Ted Koppel, Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien). Sure to be popular, this often engaging portrait is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary with filmmaker Scott J. Gill and star Ron Jeremy, eight deleted scenes, text crew biographies, Jeremy's text filmography, and a DVD catalog with selected trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a sure to be popular documentary.] (M. Tribby)