It was better.

[DavidS]

I have a wide range of interests other than that which we discuss here, and I do get annoyed with some people who constantly tell me that these things, particularly sporting ones, were much better in the past. Sadly, however, I have to say that with regard to porn, things were better a quarter of a century ago. I have a Herzog video called 'Best of the seventies' featuring extracts from German porn films of that period. The film includes excerpts from 'Kasimir dem Kuckuckskleber' and 'Samenraeuberinnen'. Present day films do not remotely approach the standard of these. The actresses were much more attractive, the actors could act and overall production standards were much higher. Society has changed of course. Then, particularly in Germany, appearance in a porn film did not necessarily fuck up a career in the ordinary cinema or theatre. Films were made for the cinema so you could not fast forward the boring bits like you can now and the directors came from making other types of films into the business. In other words they knew how to make films not just porn films. Can anyone suggest other reasons why we seemed to have lost the plot?

[mark shanon]

in those times there were also loops, don't forget it. what i regret most of those times are the actresses, because i don't like surgery and tattoes. but they were all the same ones. now you have a wider choice. and though in the '70's there were some remarkable movies. don't ever forget that the production was smaller and we are talking of the few movies that survived because of their qualities. but what about the rest? they were as bad as most of the current production and not as varied. so the alternative is really between a largely monotonous production with a few masterpieces; and a much more varied production with no good movies at all. i think that who has to jerk off doesn't care about "cinematic" qualities and goes for the second kind of porn: which is exactly what the porn producers give to consumers.

[al ramone1]

i think the problem with today's xxx rated movies is that while there's probably thousands of these movies that come out every year, there's very little eroticism to be found. the movies aren't sexy and to me, it seems like many of these films do the opposite and find ways to make sex unsexy, unappealing and painful.
it's impossible to objectively say what's sexy or what's unappealing but it seems like films from the 70s and 80s simply tried harder to be sexy. they spent more money to create an erotic mood and situation instead of focusing simply on the act of sex itself.
i recently disovered the german-made "busen" films from that era, which are chock full of gorgeous, super-voluptuous women in wonderfully erotic situations. very little of what's made today holds a candle to that stuff and
i agree the biggest reason for that is that there's been an overall change in society. in the 1970s, x rated movies like barbara broadcast and deep throat were gaining mainstream recognition and i think porn threatened to become a visible, mainstream commodity. this freaked people out and through laws and other means, porn was ghettoized, and with few exceptions is now made in the cheapest ways possible. ironically, this has made porn into a pervasive billion dollar business.
i think in the future we may see a backlash against conservatism, in porn and in society in general and talented filmmakers may come forward to change how porn is made. they may see that x rated movies, far from being perverted or unerotic, can actually be artistic and sexy.




DavidS wrote:

> I have a wide range of interests other than that which we
> discuss here, and I do get annoyed with some people who
> constantly tell me that these things, particularly sporting
> ones, were much better in the past. Sadly, however, I have to
> say that with regard to porn, things were better a quarter of a
> century ago. I have a Herzog video called 'Best of the
> seventies' featuring extracts from German porn films of that
> period. The film includes excerpts from 'Kasimir dem
> Kuckuckskleber' and 'Samenraeuberinnen'. Present day films do
> not remotely approach the standard of these. The actresses were
> much more attractive, the actors could act and overall
> production standards were much higher. Society has changed of
> course. Then, particularly in Germany, appearance in a porn
> film did not necessarily fuck up a career in the ordinary
> cinema or theatre. Films were made for the cinema so you could
> not fast forward the boring bits like you can now and the
> directors came from making other types of films into the
> business. In other words they knew how to make films not just
> porn films. Can anyone suggest other reasons why we seemed to
> have lost the plot?

[DavidS]

Although it is true that there were a lot of very poor porn films made in the late 70's, some of the better ones were superb and it is unfortunate that the better films being made today do not really bear comparison with these. Equally it is true that a lot of the outstanding films of the era had a lot of regulars in the cast. However, if we are talking about German films, these regulars were accomplished actors. Has there ever been anyone in porn who could remotely approach the comic acting ability of Sepp Gneissl?

[mark shanon]

However, if we are talking about German films, these regulars were accomplished actors. Has there ever been anyone in porn who could remotely approach the comic acting ability of Sepp Gneissl?

you mean you watch porn for laughs? i think that people who want to have fun watch a regular comedy or some shit program on tv.
of course the production values once were higher (but rarely "that" higher): mainstream filmakers only occasionally did show a certain degree of interest for porn. but if porn didn't make it to establish itself in regular moviemaking must have a meaning. if an important filmaker would like to insert explicit sex in his movies i don't think anybody would care to stop him. the fact that only few did care, cannot be ignored and we can't put the blame on plots by the autorithies. yes, the french government, with the 1975 laws, caused a dramatic lowering of standards in the newborn porn production. but who were the filmakers dealing with porn in those times? Pierson, Davy, Reinhardt, Leroy: do you think they could have made so much greater movies than they did after 1975?