Cinema Connoisseur: A probing look at the porn business

Sex Sells (2005)

Porn is big business. How big? Try 100 billion dollars a year — at least that's what the Internet told me, and it has never lied before. While that number may seem staggering, what's even more unbelievable is that the combination of Tiger Woods and Jesse James account for less than 12 per cent of that spending. Sex truly sells, and appropriately enough, the title of the film I'll be taking a look at is called Sex Sells.

Sex Sells is a mockumentary in the same vein as the classic comedy This is Spinal Tap. It is clear that they are trying to do for pornography what Tap did for rock ‘n' roll. Well, mission accomplished.

Sex Sells coverIn Sex Sells, legendary adult film director Chuck Steak is set to direct his last film. He plans on going out with a bang (of the gang variety). His upcoming film Touché features androids, ninjas and the biggest orgy ever filmed. Basically it's just a Mr. T cameo and some 3D technology short of being the greatest film of all-time.

A documentary film crew is on set to capture the behind the scenes antics that occur during the making of a skin flick. Fortunately for them, this happens to be far more interesting than your typical porn set.

Steak must not only deal with drama amongst his cast, but also a group of angry protesters. He quite rightfully asks the question of why violence seems to be glorified in our society, but sex is taboo? I agree — why is a movie like Rocky, where characters repeatedly punch each other in the face considered family entertainment? And why is a film featuring, for example, two sexy college girls with low self esteem, losing their virginity to a pizza delivery man that they met minutes before frowned upon.

The cast Steak has assembled is an interesting one. Leading lady Roxy Free is a veteran of the porn business. She is played by Priscilla Barnes, who some older readers may remember as Terri Alden, the roommate of Jack and Janet during the final years of Three's Company. She's not the only retro star in the cast though. Adrian Zmed, one of the stars of the classic 1980s cop show T.J. Hooker plays Lance Long, an actor with a 24 inch penis. Really, he had to become a porn star as his hand was forced. If you have a penis any longer than 12 inches, throw away any silly ideas of becoming a doctor or a lawyer — you're going to be working in porn.

The cast isn't comprised entirely of fifty year olds however. Pursey Galore is a young lady who is just breaking into the business. At first she seems like any other young actress who is just trying to pay the bills. But the documentary filmmaker does some probing (both literally and figuratively), and finds that she's quite the computer wizard, and isn't doing this for the money. Her reason for doing this is pure and good — she entered the world of porn to meet the woman who gave her up for adoption. This movie has so many levels to it.

Sex Sells is a remarkable film. While I was expecting it to be nothing but tawdry sleaze, it turned out to be so much more. It is all at once hilarious, titillating and thought provoking. Sex Sells is a rare film, much like Jurassic Park 3 that can make you think while masturbating. Sex does sell — in this case, it sold for $1 in the bargain bin at Giant Tiger. That's a bargain at twice the price!