Twice Told Tales

The critics at the Baltic Times found Inside Deep Throat so nice they reviewed it twice:

Inside Deep Throat
The porno film “Deep Throat” caused a great stir when released in 1972. A symbolic token of the sexual revolution, many American officials fought to shut down the movie and shut up the people behind it, taking them to court for their rebelliousness. This documentary draws a vivid picture of American society in the 1970s, a time of radical change that didn’t come easy. The doc also gives an in-depth account of how the lives of those involved with “Deep Throat” changed dramatically as a consequence of the film. Thorough research, a colorful visual style and good narrative structure make “Inside Deep Throat” intelligent and enthralling. The political and social issues portrayed correspond to our time in several ways, giving the doc plenty of weight.
***1/2 (Julie Vinten)

The 1972 porn film “Deep Throat” was made for $25,000 and went on to gross some $600 million, making it the most profitable film ever made. The movie was banned by the Nixon government, while its lead actor was imprisoned for his part. This brilliantly made HBO documentary looks at the people and issues surrounding the film, and the result is utterly absorbing. The likes of Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Camille Paglia, Erica Jong, Hugh Heffner and Alan Dershowitz ponder over the film’s social and political impact, while its cast and crew reminisce about the making of the film and the almost surreal drama it inspired in American society, which involved the mafia, the government, the Christian right and vast queues lining up outside movie theatres. Riveting and thought-provoking stuff.
**** (Tim Ochser)