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Released by: Strand Releasing
Released on: 5/4/10
Director: Jens Hoffmann
Cast: Belladonna, Sasha Grey, Otto Bauer
Year: 2008
Buy at Amazon here
The Movie:
9 To 5: Days In Porn takes a look into the lives of some higher profile current day porn performers and directors in the Los Angeles area, featuring such names as Belladonna, Sasha Grey, Audrey Hollander, Otto Bauer, Mia Rose, Roxy Deville, and noted talent agent Mark Spiegler. The focus of the picture is talking with the actors mainly in their homes (but also on set) about how they are viewed by family, how they made the decision to screw on film for all to see, and what the future plans are concerning their current careers. Along for the ride, but in a business setting, and talking more about their roles in the game rather than personal stuff, is Dr. Sharon Mitchell (when did her boobs get so big?), Nina Hartley, John Stagliano, and Andrew Blake.
The performers are showcased here in mainly a positive light, being shown as the regular people they are as opposed to how the media likes to portray porn stars as degenerates. And some of them are pretty likeable, some of them not so much. One of the angles concerns the boyfriends/husbands of the female stars, and how they cope with the fact that three guys with huge dicks might be railing their little angel at the precise moment they themselves are sitting in a cubicle sifting through work emails. That must be pretty tough to get past. Kudos to them.
Also on the screen is a lot of nudity, male and female, and even some hardcore footage. The hardcore isn't prominently displayed, but it's there. There's no shortage of full frontal nudity, enemas, erect penises, and jizz on the faces. In a way it kind of too bad, because without the hardcore footage this could easily play on HBO and be seen by a lot of people, and without the nudity it could easily play on basic cable and be seen by even more people. In all honesty the nudity and hardcore stuff really takes away from the narrative and seems more like a gimmick than anything else. The film is quite interesting on its own without the aforementioned items and should be seen by a lot more folks than the ones who will see it in its current form. The filmmakers do a great job of delivering a number of different types of people, specifically where the women are concerned, showing different types of performers and their being in the porn game for different reasons. Sasha Grey, for example, got into the business because she wanted to make porn that would arouse her to watch, and she didn't see much of that as a consumer. She sees the male actors as props, and nothing more. Roxy Deville is in it to make money and have fun, but she is reportedly one of the only people who refuses to perform anal sex and she stands by it.
Don't put this in the player looking for a documentary on making porn, but instead get ready for a piece on the players and the effects their professional lives have on those who love them. It's a nicely orchestrated film that stays interesting throughout, and gives the viewer a slice o' life period of time with these people. It would be a good thing if the makers were to provide a tv-friendly version and sell it to a channel, because this is something that would appeal to a large audience, porn fans or not, and more people need to see it.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The movie is presented here in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen. It was shot in 16mm and with a hi-def camera so the image varies, but is never anything less than sharp and clear. The colors look great, and the overall picture is very satisfying. No imperfections were noticed, such as artifacts, and there doesn't appear to be much grain. No complaints.
The sound track is a 2.0 Dolby Digital one and it sounds clear, with no problems to report. The balance seems a bit heavy on the music side, which is a bit of a nuisance, and even though they are usually short-lived moments there are a lot of them. But overall it's a track that does its job well and leaves no room for any real bitching.
There are a few items in the extras that help the disc along in the value department. There are eight deleted scenes with a “play all†option, totaling about 28 minutes in length. Some are extended scenes, some are completely different, and they must have been cut for time reasons because they are simply more footage that is just as interesting as the feature. There's a “Bonus†scene (4:09) which features the AVN Awards show a few years ago when they were filming the movie, and as with the deleted scenes, it's a good piece. Then there's a Q&A session with the director at a screening that's a good watch (15:49). He explains his intentions with the movie, why he didn't go into the internet world of smut, why he kept it focused on the L.A. scene, and why he didn't delve into the gay porn arena. Lastly is a trailer for the feature. A great bunch of items all worth watching.
The Final Word:
A well constructed documentary on the topic of the adult industry, which reveals the performers to be more than just slabs of meat. It should keep the viewer's interest from start to finish. Overall, the entire disc is worthy of consideration and should appeal to a range of viewing tastes, other than the hardcore portions.
