Customer Reviews

Pornographer, the

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Michael DeGood does an excellent job playing the guy who can't get a date who turns to pornography and the pornography industry as cures for his frustrations with women. He plays a bookish, nondescript paralegal by day in L.A. who starts moonlighting on his own time to shoot amateur tapes. He hires prostitutes and an out of work actor to star in his films. When the expenses get too much for him, he interviews with Craig Wasson, a pornographic producer, in order to get financial backing. That is where his hobby starts having serious repercussions. Wasson considers it part of the director's job to recruit young women, who come to Hollywood with stars in their eyes, into the porno industry and DeGood starts doing a lot of harm by trying to talk Kate, a nice young woman he meets, into doing adult films. DeGood is also seduced by an adult film star who wants to produce her own films with him doing the directing for her. All in all this is a very intriguing idea that is well executed. However, it is not Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights," which remains the definitive work on cinematically exposing the underside of the adult entertainment industry. Anderson, however, was working with a much bigger budget and with an all star cast. Writer-director Atchison does a very admirable job with this small indie film and it is well worth seeing.

Although its title may be misleading, "The Pornographer" presents us with a very interesting theme which stands out among thousands of Hollywood's cliche-filled screenplays. The dialogue, while not carrying any string of "memorable lines", is quite honest and delightful. When it comes to the inside look at the porn industry, however, this indie drama fails to offer a full, convincing picture (probably due to low budget and/or lack of experience). I particularly like Michael DeGood. His portrayal of a next door loser is no less impressive than Mark Wahlberg's characterization of an ambitious young guy in "Boogie Nights". Anyway, had (co-producer) Katheryn Cain tried harder in her acting, had Monique Parent spent some more time studying what Melanie Griffith did in "Body Double", this movie could be much more entertaining. All in all, not a waste of time. You better give it a try.

This movie was actually quite well made. I have seen movies with big stars that look promising and come out awful. "The Pornographer" has no lines that make the movie look dumb, and relatively little actually pornographic scenes. I admit that when I was watching this, I kinda was expecting a B movie, and I wasn't expecting to stay on the channel. I became mesmerized by the acting, drama, and issues of the film. The title more so portrays Paul Ryan's struggle in the industry and the sacrifices he has to make to succeed. All in all, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, going with what he thinks is right. Does he try too hard? We will see.

The Good: Director Doug Atchison attempts to make a very heavy-handed point regarding the exploitation of women by the porn business. I appreciate his point and applaud his efforts. Unfortunately Atchison has created a totally unbelievable melodrama to make his point.

The Bad: The last man to preach to me this heavily was wearing a collar. Atchison should get down off his pulpit and put together a believable movie. His inexperience destroys this movie.

The first half of the movie works ok. You get a feel for this dysfunctional loser and actually feel sorry for him on many levels. DeGood does well at being the loser next door. Halfway through the film everything goes wrong.

This movie is so bad that Bill Maher isn't even listed on the credits. We all know that didn't happen by accident. (...)

I was horrified at how this absolutely incredible movie was not known by any of my friends. I am now purchasing it so I can make sure that they see it. The story starts amusing and light enough to consider a nice movie, but a little after the midpoint the true depth of the ideas presented becomes apparent. This masterpiece is a keeper.

What a treasure this film is.... Well acted and well written. A shocking exploration of one man's descent into the world of adult film-making -- but better and more honest than BOOGIE NIGHTS. This movie is not just about sex -- it's about loneliness and manipulation, love and loss -- and the weird mind games that go on in the flesh biz. Craig Wasson (of BODY DOUBLE fame) is terrific as the seemingly mild-mannered porn chieftan who can turn vicious at the drop of a hat. And newcomers Michael DeGood and Katheryn Cain truly shine. The ending of this movie is poignant and haunting. I was thinking of this movie days after I saw it. A big recommendation for THE PORNOGRAPHER!