Fleshbot: documentary

CNBC Talks To Sasha Grey In "Porn: Business Of Pleasure"

Lux Alptraum — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:30:01 EDT

From the channel that brought you "Dirty Money: The Business of High End Prostitution" comes "Porn: Business of Pleasure," an apparently well-rounded look into the adult industry. It airs Wednesday at 9pm ET—you can bet we'll be watching.

Below, a preview clip from an interview with Sasha Grey. Looks good so far (CNBC's no Tyra Banks, that's for sure).

· Porn: Business of Pleasure (cnbc.com)

"The Naked Feminist" Opens A Porn Time Capsule

Gram Ponante — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:30:01 EDT

Completed in 2003 and a South by Southwest honoree in 2004, women-on-porn documentary "The Naked Feminist," considering a handful of porno-generations has passed, plays like an old science fiction movie in which the future we're living in is different from the one it imagined. It is a treat nonetheless.

The Naked Feminist

Director: Louisa Achille
Featuring: Veronica Hart, Nina Hartley, Christi Lake, Chloe Nicole, Candida Royalle, Annie Sprinkle, Ginger Lynn, Marilyn Chambers, Seymore Butts, Betty Dodson, Veronica Vega, Mischa Allen, Abby Ehmann, Kylie Ireland, Sharon Mitchell

Review by: Gram Ponante

Aussie filmmaker Louisa Achille did something wonderful and revolutionary with this movie: she was able to present anti-porn feminists in a way that didn't make them seem shrill while giving a podium to some of the adult industry's most levelheaded and articulate champions, particularly Veronica Hart, Nina Hartley, Betty Dodson, Carol Queen, Sharon Mitchell, Annie Sprinkle, Candida Royalle, and Kylie Ireland.

Despite the widening blur dividing porn from mainstream entertainment, docs about the adult industry tend to lionize one side while demonizing the other. Unfortunately, this does nothing to convince the choir of the other's point of view. "Naked Feminist," while clearly pro-porn, neither paints porn's detractors as ridiculous nor shies away from showing porn stars exhibiting doubt.

Shot in 2002 and 2003, "The Naked Feminist" makes the obligatory AVN convention trip to Las Vegas for interviews with Hartley, Julie Meadows, Ginger Lynn, and the one of a kind Chloe Nicole, tracks down Veronica Hart at her office at the late, lamented VCA Pictures (VCA and Adam & Eve seemed to have a lock on the porn talent and clips presented), and found Dodson, Sprinkle, and Queen elsewhere around the country.

Seymore Butts appears briefly, but the remainder of the dozens of interviews are with women, who discuss everything from how porn affects relationships to the notion of solidarity among female performers (the doc devotes a chapter to "Club 90," a support group for porn actresses). We also hear some scary stories (Sharon Mitchell's rape by a crazed fan, Veronica Hart's first scene, in which the director went too far), some unsurprising ones (Chloe was high in her first scene), and a standard issue Dodson heartwarmer, in which she explains to her electrician why his unsatisfied girlfriend left him.

Of all the quotes that illuminate the ambivalence of attitudes about porn, my favorite is Carol Queen's:

"The notion that a woman who revels in her sexuality is free and open to anyone is really the toxic heart of the slut role or epithet and it's the part that the conservative feminists - and we - agree is problematic and wrong and needs to be trained out of the culture," Queen says. "And the culture is reluctant to do that because that is what keeps the slut role dangerous."

"Naked Feminist" has not found wide distribution,so its debut this week on iTunes (rent it for $2.99) will be the best opportunity the hour-long movie has had to attract eyeballs since its release.

Since so much time has passed, however, the new-porn aspirations of interviewees have either already come to fruition and just as quickly become something else - How is Hart's feminism different from Joanna Angel's, which might itself be different from Sasha Grey's? - or faded altogether. Hart is no longer making porn movies, which is a shame (luckily, Candida Royalle is), Chloe is no longer in the business, Marilyn Chambers is dead, and Annabelle Chong's hope that the solo-woman Internet site as a ticket to financial security might have been true in 2003, but is not now.

That said, "Naked Feminist" provides generous dollops of all the women in the adult industry who have something to say about it (circa 2003) and the message is still a compelling one today.

· "The Naked Feminist" on iTunes (itunes.com)

"Naked Ambition" Documentary Takes An R-Rated Look At An X-Rated Industry

Lux Alptraum — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:30:01 EDT

Back in 2007, we were drooling over photographer Michael Grecco's new book of pornstar portaits, "Naked Ambiition." Little did we know, Grecco was also in the process of making a documentary of the same name.

"Naked Ambition: An R-Rated Look At An X-Rated Industry"—which comes out next month—expands on Grecco's book, with plenty of footage from the Adult Entertainment Expo and AVN Awards, and a whole slew of pornstar interviews (including one with our dear Supreme Commandress, Joanna Angel). Since it was shot two years ago, some of its stars have since moved on (and some of our current favorites had yet to debut), but it's still a fascinating look at our favorite industry. But hey, you don't have to take our word for it—check out the trailer below.

· Naked Ambition (nakedambition.com, via hustlerworld.com)

"American Swing" Pages Through The Sexy, Seedy History Of Plato's Retreat

Lux Alptraum — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Some thirty years ago, a magical place existed on the Upper West Side of New York. A place where all your sexual fantasies could be fulfilled, in one single night. A place called Plato's Retreat.

A palatial nightclub, complete with a swimming pool, shows, and all the naked bodies that could cram into one place, Plato's Retreat was a libertine's dream—at least for the first few years. In the early eighties, Plato's was struck by a series of troubles, beset first by charges of tax evasion, and then permanently shut down by an HIV-inspired public health crackdown.

"American Swing" tracks the rise and fall of this swinger's paradise, using exclusive interviews with former patrons, employees, and family members and archival footage from the center of the action to tell the story of Plato's Retreat and its larger than life owner, Larry Levenson.

Because it contains (gasp!) uncensored footage of actual sex action, "American Swing" has had some difficulty achieving wide release; but if you're in New York City or LA, be sure to catch this riveting documentary about a very important part of swing (and American) history.

"American Swing" opens March 27th in NY at the Quad Cinema, and April 3rd in LA at the Sunset 5.

· "American Swing" (magpictures.com)

If "Sex Art" Happens, And Someone's Watching, Is It Obscene?

Lux Alptraum — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST

We've never been ones to call something obscene (unless we're talking about the price of coffee at Starbucks). Being called obscene, on the other hand—well, that's something we're old hand at.

So it was with great interest that we checked out the trailer for "Sex Art," a movie that examines the nebulous grey area of sex-infused art and arty sex, seeking out where, exactly, "obscenity" exists. With commentary from Betty Dodson, Eric Kroll, Eon McKai, Carol Leigh, and Julie Atlas Muz, the documentary offers a fascinating discussion of one of the most discussed, but never satisfactorily answered, questions of our time: what, exactly, is obscenity?

· "Sex Art" (sexartfilm.com)

Dacia And The Love Machine: The Movie

Jonnobot — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:50:28 EDT

When Fleshbot contributor and all-around sexy lady Audacia Ray reviewed the Fucking Love Machine for our Marital Aid Test Kitchen a while back, little did we know she was doing it for more than just the free orgasms: apparently she was also taking notes for a short film about her experience, which she released today. OK, so actually the film is about her experience trying to get rid of the damn thing and costars an eager buyer she found on Craigslist who ... well, we don't want to spoil the fun, so you'll just have to check out the short version of the video after the jump to find out.( And we hope you'll spring for the modest download fee to watch the longer edit too. After all, a gal can't rely on freebies for all her sex toy needs, you know.)

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• "Dacia's Love Machine" (YouTube)

• See also: "Dacia's Love Machine: My New Short Film!" (wakingvixen.com)

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Previously: Marital Aid Test Kitchen: The Fucking Love Machine

Naked Girls & Graffiti: What More Do You Need?

Lux Alptraum — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:50:01 EDT

Remember that documentary about naked girls and graffiti that we mentioned a few months ago? Well, we found a clip of it, and as promised it's totally full of naked girls! And graffiti! In addition to behind the scenes footage of a shoot with Baby Sinead, there are plenty of shots of other naked girls (including some of our favorite Crush Objects and our very own Supreme Commandress Joanna Angel) posing in front of all kinds of colorful street art. Oh, and photographer The Lovely Brenda talks a bit about photographing naked girls in front of graffiti too, if you're into that kind of stuff. (Perv.) Clip after the jump.

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· The Lovely Brenda and Baby Sinead from "The Lyfe" (vimeo.com)

"9 To 5" In Porn: What A Way To Make A Living

Dashiell Bennett — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:45:49 EDT

As disappointed as we were to learn that current Fleshbot Extreme Pornstar Showdown contestants Sasha Grey and Belladonna are not starring in a hardcore remake of the of the 1980s Lily Tomlin/Dolly Parton/Jane Fonda workplace comedy classic, we're still intrigued by the trailer for this "behind the scene" porn documentary. Tes, we know it's been done before—but this one looks well shot, well done and ... what's the word? Oh, yeah ... interesting! In addition to our other extreme candidates, Mia Rose, Audrey Hollander, John Stagliano and other assorted Porn Valley characters might wander through. We're not sure yet when it will be playing somewhere we can see it, but you'll probably find us waiting in line when it is.

· 9 To 5: The Movie (9to5-themovie.com)

Larry Flynt Fights For Our Right To Fap In Peace

Lux Alptraum — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:40:39 EDT

You've seen "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" countless times and read every issue of Hustler cover to cover. But believe it or not, there's a lot about Larry Flynt that you just don't know—and IFC aims to school you with their tell-all documentary "Larry Flynt: The Right To Be Left Alone," which airs tomorrow night. Focusing on some of the less sexy (but still fascinating) aspects of Flynt's life, the movie offers an insider account of Flynt's freedom fighting in the name of free speech with rare footage of the infamous Supreme Court case against Jerry Falwell, Flynt’s prison sentencing for refusing to name his source in the FBI entrapment tapes of John DeLorean, and, best of all, Flynt’s gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Check out the trailer after the jump.

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· Larry Flynt: The Right To Be Left Alone (ifc.com)

"Barcelona Sex Project": Real People, Real Orgasms

Dashiell Bennett — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:45:00 EDT

During our time on this job, we've found that the best way to get people to talk about their sex lives is simply to ask them. (Or don't, because most of them will tell you even if you don't want to know.) But an even better way to learn about what makes folks tick sexually is to get them in front of a camera, find out what they're into ... and then maybe have them get naked and masturbate in front of you. That seems to have worked for director Erika Lust and her latest effort, "Barcelona Sex Project." Three men and three women talk about their private lives and sexual feelings and then oblige the audience with an on-camera orgasm. It's simple, it's honest, and way more interesting than any "Real World" confessional. (Watch the trailer below.)

· BARCELONA SEX PROJECT (dailymotion.com)
· BARCELONA SEX PROJECT (lustfilms.com, via pussycalor.com)

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Previously: Erika Lust's Cinco Historias: Porno Para Ellas

"The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal": Heidi Fleiss Forever!

Jonnobot — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:50:22 EDT

If you miss seeing Heidi Fleiss taking up tabloid column inches as much as we do, you won't want to miss the new HBO documentary tonight by our pals Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder in which the former Hollywood Madam and current bird fancier crosses the state line to open a brothel in Nevada ... and hilarity ensues! Actually, it's not so much hilarious as an affectionate and occasionally poignant look at a woman who is still chasing her dreams: as Heidi herself says, "Heidi Fleiss is kind of synonymous with sex and money and that's the big deal, but really, I'm just your average convicted felon." "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" premieres tonight on HBO; catch some preview clips after the jump.

. . .

• "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" (hbo.com; see more preview clips @ dailymotion.com)
• "Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam Of Crystal" (blog archive @ worldofwonder.net)

"My Big Breasts And Me": Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Boob?

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:20:41 EDT

Big boobs are pretty much the greatest thing ever in the history of everything, but apparently there are some people out there who believe that some boobs are just too big ... and they want to do something about it. It seems that these people are also attached to these giant boobs and think that oversized funbags cause problems, like "embarrassment" or "searing back pain," and they kind of have an issue with that. Weird, right? Well, maybe if you watch this BBC documentary about huge knockers and the women who don't love them as much as we do, it will make more sense—but we're still baffled. After all, we lovebig boobs enough to watch an entire BBC documentary about them! It's hard to find a more compelling argument than that.

· "My Big Breasts and Me" (full movie @ guba.com, via Blography)

"Sticky: The Movie" Will Touch You In New Ways

Violet Blue — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:30:33 EDT

While we never exactly understood why there had to be a whole month set aside to raise masturbation awareness when we spend nearly every waking moment devoted to the cause, we nonetheless welcome May's status as a worthwhile excuse to dwell on our favorite national pastime. That's why we found the trailer and teaser for upcoming masturbation documentary "Sticky: The Movie" to be so very entertaining. With a swingin' soundtrack, interviews with everyone from adult booth babes and sex toy manufacturers to controversial pro-masturbation advocate former Surgeon General Dr. Jocelyn Elders, we can't wait to see the final edit. No release date is available, but we'll be, uh, jerking around in Sticky's forums until the impending release. Enjoy Sticky's trailer and teaser after the jump.

. . .

"Sticky: The Movie" trailer:

"Sticky: The Movie" teaser:

· "Sticky: The Movie" (stickythemovie.com)

When are sexy robots too hot for TV? Apparently,...

Lux Alptraum — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:58:40 EST

When are sexy robots too hot for TV? Apparently, when they're getting it on with real live people. So much for that Fucking Machines miniseries we were hoping for ... (news.com.au; more on "Obscene Machines"

"Guys And Dolls": RealDolls And The Men Who Love Them

Dashiell Bennett — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:04:02 EST

Moviegoers had a nice chuckle (we assume) at last fall's indie buzz flick, "Lars and Real Girl," about a lonely dude whose best gal just happens to be a highly inanimate object. But the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, because there are a lot of real-life men who find their real-life companionship with their life-size Cyberskin dream girls. This BBC documentary from last year introduces you to a few of these man-doll relationships and maybe gives you a little insight into how they come to pass. Plus, you don't have to look at Ryan Gosling's mustache during it. The whole 47-minute film is after the jump.

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· Guys And Dolls (video.google.com, via sexisthenewblog.com via sex-and-blogs.com)

Previously: "A Perfect Fake" on YouTube, "Lars And The Real Girl", Sex Doll Rental Offers Service With A (Fake) Smile

"This Film Is Not Yet Rated" (But You Can Still Watch It Anyway)

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:52:47 EST

If you missed "This Film Is Not Yet Rated"—the documentary that examines how sex determines which movies are NC-17 and which ones are R—you can watch the whole thing here (for now.) Plus, this film was literally not rated, so that must mean it's pretty hot, right?

· "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" (video.google.com)
· "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" (imdb.com)

Lucy Pinder's "Body Hell"

Fleshbot — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:50:11 EDT

Being a British glamour model might seem like an enviable career choice, what with earning £100,000 a year and all those shoots in exotic beach locations and jillions of lad mag readers drooling over every inch and pore of your cleavage. But pity poor Lucy Pinder, who according to this interview from new UK documentary series "My Body Hell" found early on in life that having a pair of 32GGs wasn't all it's cracked up to be: between "depressing" shopping trips looking for the right size bra and not being able to wear tank tops in the summer, it's a wonder that she ever got through puberty with enough self-esteem to be the successful model she is today. Fortunately, Lucy (and her mum) tell us that she's made peace with her ginormous rack, and that she wouldn't want things any other way. We guess that makes at least two of us.

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· "If These Boobs Could Talk" (thighswideshut.org)
· "My Body Hell" (series info @ tvthrong.co.uk)

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Previously: Lucy Pinder's Video Boob-O-Rama, Lucy And Michelle Together Again, For The First Time, Lucy Pinder Lets It All Hang Out

Meet "The Indian Playboy"

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:11:41 EDT

Richard Manon bills himself as a self-made entrepreneur who gave up a cushy corporate finance job to become the first American of Indian decent to direct his own porn movies, a claim that is so unverifiable that it has to be true. We can't seem to figure out what the titles of any those movies might be, but we do know that he's turned his porn endeavors into an interesting little vanity project called "The Indian Playboy," a pseudo-documentary about his life and career that (judging by the trailer below) brings new meaning to the phrase "independent film." We don't know a lot of playboys who have a wife and a roommate, but we confess that the idea has us intrigued, mostly because we want to know how you shoot a 65-minute film about the making of a porn movie that doesn't contain any actual nudity or sex. It does contain Charlotte Stokely in a bikini, however, which at the very least deserves a Golden Globe nomination.

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· The Indian Playboy Movie Trailer (YouTube)
· The Indian Playboy (theindianplayboy.com)

Wet Spots: Not Endorsed By Jenna Jameson

Dashiell Bennett — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:11:04 EDT

· Jenna Loves Hillary ... and you don't even have to go to hell to see it all happen! (justhillary.com)

· Gawker has more from the Cooch Party about how and where New Yorkers like to get busy. Apparently the only boundary is, like, Westchester County. (Gawker)

· Penthouse Pet turned real estate mogul turned high-class madam Lisa Ann Taylor turns featured strip club dancer to keep busy. Hey, a girl's gotta make a living (and pay all those legal bills). (accessatlanta.com)

· A new documentary shows a man contemplating the futility of life ... with a small penis. The world is what you make of it even if you can't make as much of it as you'd like. (smh.com.au)

· This website demands to know which celebrity has the best butt. We await the answer with bated breath. (javno.com)

· Some states in India don't like the way sex education is carried out, so they're just getting rid of it completely. If you don't teach them, they'll never figure out how to do it, right? (msnbc.msn.com)

· This just in: Sex appeal is an important part of success for female singers. The singing? Not so much. (forbes.com)

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Previously: Morning Wood Archives/Wet Spots Archives

Wet Spots: Hard Bodied Flavor

Dashiell Bennett — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:55:43 EDT

· We all love it when athletes get naked, but did you also know that they occasionally play sports, too? (nerve.com; see the entire non-censored 2002 Brazilian women's soccer team Playboy spread @ beerandtotty.co.uk)

· Big Brother Australia fans trying to spy on the TV housemates got tricked into watching porn instead. We wonder how many of those voyeurs could tell the difference. (news.com.au)

· Sotheby's plans to sell a Gerhard Richter painting of naked prostitutes for $12 million. Just think how many real prostitutes you could see naked for $12 million! (indiatimes.com)

· Here's ten not very well thought out reasons to watch porn. As if you needed more than one. (sundial.csun.edu)

· A new documentary shows how easy it is for kids to access porn online. It's already the most popular documentary ever among kids. (wishtv.com)

· Bahrain's "Spring of Culture" festival—featuring actors in "skin-tight clothing embracing suggestively"—is surprisingly not a hit among members of the Islamist government. They can't say they didn't see that coming. (kuwaittimes.net)

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Previously: Morning Wood Archives/Wet Spots Archives