Inside Deep Throat Directors' Journal

THURSDAY JULY 3 2003

Driving along Santa Monica boulevard in the early morning sunshine to get some general views of the Pink Pussycat theatre where Deep Throat had played - now the all-male Tom Kat - it seemed like nothing could go wrong.�

But things immediately went awry at the interview with James Clancy, an elderly� anti-porn activist. Age has not dulled his enthusiasm for his crusade. He arrives at the office with stacks of papers, court transcripts, and speaks for a solid hour before we can so much as get in a question.� He pulls out his time motion studies that cover our conference room table, documenting stills from porn films on the vast sheets in front of him. His goal is to make the corporations accountable for the spread of pornography into hotel rooms. But then he talks about straight cops being brainwashed into masturbating each other by subliminal frames cut into the film, and how he fears we might be in league with the Kennedys, so it all becomes much less clear.

That afternoon we interviewed Rod McKuen, famous - among other things - for creating the slogan MAKE LOVE NOT WAR. He gave a committed interview as the first amendment champion of the rights of Harry Reems.

Along with local news anchor Chuck Ashman, he organized a benefit screening for Harry Reems at the Pink Pussycat, generously attended by Hollywood royalty. He was a little coy about the A-list stars who showed up to the event - respecting their retrospective right to privacy, and covering for the fact that many have subsequently regretted their public association with the movie. Still, great stuff!

But then at the end of the interview he wouldnt sign the release but said he'd have his representative look at it.

Next day, Chuck Ashman called, who we had also interviewed and who, it turns out, was also Rod's rep. And in return for a signed release he wanted a fee of several thousand dollars that we simply couldn't pay.