In The Price of Pleasure, directors Miguel Picker and Chyng Sun take a serious look at the ways in which pornography is shaping society, particularly as the multibillion-dollar industry expands its reach into everyday lives and relationships. Now that everyone is online, material that used to be more difficult to obtain—including hardcore porn—is both readily accessible and not just the work of fringe producers, but rather of major corporations such as HBO/Time Warner, which broadcasts Real Sex and its spin-off, Pornucopia. Porn stars have become regulars in the videos of mainstream musicians, and adult entertainers are routinely featured on Howard Stern's radio show. Picker and Sun interweave graphic clips with footage from conventions and film sets, while also interviewing directors, performers, publishers, producers, media scholars, clinical psychologists, social workers, and college students, all the while presenting a broad picture of the ill effects of pornography, including links with sexism, racism, and sexual abuse. DVD extras include filmmaker audio commentary, clips from an interview with Noam Chomsky (who describes pornography as “humiliation and degradation”), extended conversations with experts, and several featurettes. A no-holds-barred look at a realm where raw power and blatant commercialism intersect with the most intimate aspects of human identity, The Price of Pleasure features sexually explicit imagery and language. Still, this is recommended for relevant academic collections and more adventurous public libraries. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships
(2010) 57 min. DVD: $19.95. Cinema Libre Studio (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 2
The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and Relationships
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