The Pornographer

This movie captures something special. To bring a seemingly normal man into the porn world through film must be a very tough thing to do. This is exactly what Doug Atchison accomplishes. He brings us down a route that could be easily taking by so many people. Not many realize this. The movie has some superb acting, and what a great treat to see Craig Wasson from Body Double enter the film. The movie also boasts a soundtrack that fits perfectly into the film. The trailer for the movie on the DVD is nearly perfect. All I can really say is go rent this DVD at Hollywood video and check it out. You won't be disappointed in any sense. Great job Doug. Good luck with future projects.

I have just seen this movie not 5 minutes ago and was absolutley blown away by this peice of art. Yes I used piece of art, cause this is ultimately what it is. I am in the film and theatre buissness and have not been touched, moved, and overjoyed over a film since I first saw Memento and before that was the first time I saw clerks. This work was an amazingly shot and acted piece it left me in tears. The fact that it was an indie flick makes it that much more clear to me that the best work in the business is coming out of independent film. The film showed the touching story of corruption in a man that seems like he can't be. You feel for every character in this film including the pornography producer. If you want a film that is just a joy to watch and makes you feel something get this one instantly

It doesn't take much thinking about the porn industry to realise that the issues involved with it are complex. To its credit this film manges to present most of the issues lucidly and without moralising. There are a heap of problems with the coherence and logic of the script, but the characters are strong and credible, which helps to overcome this to some extent. The film attempts to analyse users and makers of, and participants in, porno videos and continues with this as the theme throughout until the concocted ending, which like a few other situations within the plot (for example the arranged second meeting with the girl in the park) is quite irritating. No doubt like a lot of other viewers I kind of wish that I could have taken the script and ironed out the problems with it, as it does have a lot of strengths.

This was a decent movie. It is unique in that the main character is very likable. He loves his dream of making something unique as a filmmaker and money lover. There are some great scenes that could actually be real. It is very realistic in parts and in other parts it is very dark,,,too dark in fact. So dark that you know that there is no way that this could actually be the way adult film making is. Boogie Nights and X Rated are far better. If you want to see a good independant film, this is a good rental. It's on the SUNDANCE channel quite often. Good for a weeknight view. It just doesn't deliver all the goods.

Every so often, a distinguished film comes out of the independent ranks. This is such a film. This is a story about a young man's descent into the sordid world of pornography. Paul Ryan (Michael DeGood) is an ordinary guy who works in a law firm as a paralegal. Paul is socially inept and a loser with women so he turns to pornography to dissipate his sexual needs. Ultimately he becomes obsessed with pornography and when the market can no longer fill his needs, he decides to make his own films using a hooker and an out of work actor. He visits Spano (Craig Wasson), a major porn producer who tells him he will let Paul direct his films if he brings Spano some fresh talent. This leads to his meeting and ruthless seduction of Kate (Katheryn Cain), a sweet and naïve girl from Tennessee who came to Hollywood in search of fame.

The story by first time writer/director Doug Atchison was penetrating, raw and real. This was a far more serious and realistic treatment of the pornography industry than the highly popular `Boogie Nights'. While `Boogie Nights' was more of a light, comedic lampoon of the industry, this film is a dark, hard hitting look at the culture and psychology of the makers and users of pornographic material. While there is a certain amount of sexual content, most of the film focuses on the characters and their helplessness within the vortex produced by the porn industry. Atchison captures the sense of hopeless desperation that exists among the consumers and actors, and the callous exploitation of these human emotions by the powerful porn magnates.

This film was released direct to video after a film festival release. From a production standpoint, it is about what you would expect from a low budget independent film, cheesy sets, uneven sound, and boring music. However, Atchison has a knack with the camera and his script is smart and incisive. The scenes were well directed and the actors, most of whom had very short resumes, were nicely orchestrated and insightfully presented.

The cast had numerous pleasant surprises. Craig Wasson is a veteran actor who has done a lot of TV and some minor movie roles. He was very convincing as the callous porn producer. Michael DeGood was outstanding in the starring role. He played Paul as insecure and desperately lonely, while also being obsessive and determined. He was extremely effective at portraying both the lows and highs that the character required. As far as I can determine, Katheryn Cain was the personification of her part in the story, an utterly fresh face. She was outstanding as the inexperienced small town girl who desperately wanted to be a star, and was susceptible to the unscrupulous manipulations of those who wanted to exploit her.

This is a superb film, especially by an independent filmmaker and a first time director. I rated it an 8/10. This first-rate film noir offering requires a thick skin and tolerance for disturbing sexual themes. Viewers offended by the idea of pornography should steer clear.