Product Description Thinking XXX (DVD)Award-winning director and art photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders brings viewers onto the set of his newest photo shoot and into the private worlds of the top porn stars in the country in this unusual and provocative documentary. From Savanna Samson to Nina Hartley, Sean Michaels to Lukas Ridgeston straight to gay, legends to newcomers. Thinking XXX offers a clothed and unclothed look at some of America's legendary porn stars as they pose in front of Greenfield-Sanders's large-format portrait camera, and then discuss many of the facets of their lives and careers. The film follows these women and men through interviews on and off of Greenfield-Sanders photo sets in New York and LA, delving into discussions of exhibitionism, private and public sex, money, and the business today. Stars are interviewed at home, in the office, at the gym, and with friends and lovers. They discuss their lives, their decisions for going into this business, their hopes and dreams..]]> .com First things first: Yes, Thinking XXX features adult film stars. No, the HBO production is not a porno. Nor does it include any clips. The documentary instead offers an introduction to the biggest names in the business, like Gina Lynn and Lukas Ridgeston. For his book, XXX - 30 Porn-Star Portraits, celebrity photographer Timothy Greenfield-Saunders shot the stars both clothed and unclothed. In the film, they talk about their work while getting their hair and make-up done, posing for pictures, playing with their pets, etc. They're presented as real people rather than actors (which just may destroy the fantasy for some fans). In the print edition, 15 writers, including author Nancy Friday, musician Lou Reed, and filmmaker John Waters, contribute their thoughts on pornography. They also appear on screen (fully clothed, of course). Some are quite critical. The biggest revelation isn't the nude bodies, readily available via videos and calendars, but what they have to say. Unlike Star 80 or Inside Deep Throat, there are no horror stories about physical or verbal abuse, but the talk is still frank and uncensored. Sean Michaels, for instance, opens up about race, while Chad Hunt discusses homosexuality. Interestingly, cover model Jenna Jameson doesnt utter a single word, possibly because she has already told her life story in the bestselling autobiography How to Make Love Like a Porn Star. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
J**S
Not porn
I am a photographer and knew of Timothy Greenfield-Saunders' work so when I heard about this DVD I was excited.If your looking for something oriented around porn, then you should keep looking - this is a comparison between the real people and their on-camera personas. The interviews with non-porn star individuals become wordy and political - but the interviews with the starlets and men of 'the business' are great to gleam an insight into their lives and thoughts.I really enjoyed seeing the women transform from every day good looking women into the bombshells of porn that most people fawn over in one way or another.All in all, a great dvd and one that I recommend to every one who likes porn for more then just the primal actions, photographers, and any one who likes to learn about random things... For example, the one male 'star' talks about how men in porn are just props, the women are the REAL stars.
O**S
One Star
Wrong disc plan to send back and get replacement.
I**N
Is it an industry?
I guess the interviews on the DVD prove it is and that sex for the majority of the participants in the industry is a job to be performed well. I actually felt sorry for the men - envious of their 'size', but sorry for them in their chosen profession as they seem so poorly remunerated.There are naked bodies all over the place, but no sex and that makes this particular DVD all the more authentic. The theme of a photographer creating a book of nudes and essays is not new, the sheer number of naked bodies scanned in detail by the movie cameras make this a good piece of entertainment as well as informative. The bonus bits and pieces make the few dollars well worth spending.
B**R
Intellectualizing Porn
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders has photographed artists, rock stars, actors and presidents. In 2004 he turned his large format camara on another group of celebrities, porn stars. Choosing to shoot his models twice: once fully clothed once naked Greenfield-Sanders creates images that are both erotic and thought provoking.This HBO documentary is essentially a making of feature for his book XXX:Thirty Porn Star Portraits. The stars are interviewed as they prepare for the shoot, at home and even in traffic. What the film does is make the stars real people. Some have great things to say about porn in our culture. They address race, AIDS, money making and the business aspects of porn. These are all stars of the industry and very few have anything negative to say about their chosen profession.The actual film runs an hour in its extended version but the true worth of this package is the extended interviews with all thirty models. The interview segment run about two additional hours and features a lot of insights into the businesss of sex and those who are engaged in it. Also featured is about an hour of interview material with writers and cultural figures who try to explain the porn phenomenon. There is a photo gallery of Greenfield-Sanders work and some clips from the New York and LA gallery openings.While this offering may not be for all tastes there is a wealth of cultural information here that is worth checking out.
M**A
Very nursing
This is one of those documentaries that offer you a diferent and more human view about the world of porn, it is amazingly interesting, full of points but cultivated ones from writers, psicologiest etc,, as well of course the point of view of the sex-workers itself.NOTE: Pardon my bad english i'm in and from Spain
A**L
Lou Reed...
The conceit for this project is trite, and the difference in the respect shown to the commentators and that shown to the performers belies the director's stated aim.However, do rent this, purchase it used, do whatever you need to do to see Lou Reed's hilarious recitation of porn tropes in the "Extras." It's the Lou you thought you'd never see; relaxed, genial, laughing and genuinely funny, playing off his own myth.
B**C
Mindless Spin.
This is a perfect portrait of the way in which our society accepts practically everything from anybody. Personally, I don't have any problems with pornography and I never really have, but I found the rah rah take on the business to be rather offensive. The porn stars profiled here are celebrities and their interviews portray only a kindly spin on the industry as a whole. There is no interlocutor voice so the narrative's angle is entirely positive. In America, people are free to make lifestyle choices and that's what makes it such a great country. However, we should be honest, as for every choice we make there are unanticipated consequences. The film avoids this truth and I found such salesmanship to be rather sad.This video showcases the great morass that is political correctness. John Waters and Gore Vidal are both commentators who provide their opinions about porn, and they make a point of saying that they don't like the straight variety. Waters compares straight condomless sex to being a snuff film (what of barebacking among gays?) and Vidal compares it to the rape of the Sabine women. Of course, these two are rather biased commentators but political correctness apparently prevents us from pointing such things out nowadays. These two icons should tolerate heterosexual diversity and not imply that the love of female breasts is not due to Americans being an infantilized population. Also, female porn stars being self-actualized successes in this world is a concept mutually exclusive with their being exploited and demeaned by men.
R**R
Great documentary
I originally had to buy the book for a class and ended up purchasing the DVD to go with it. Very interesting documentary and supplemental book if you're looking to learn more about the behind-the-scenes production of adult films.
C**N
excellent 2004 doc from HBO
For any lovers of photography and porn stars this is a great documentary , it shows them as people rather than plastic pin ups . There are all here ; Ron Jeremy , Nina Hartley , Jenna Jameison , Belladonna , Seymour Butts , Aiden Shaw. Plus music by Lou Reed and comments by Nancy Friday , Gore Vidal and John Waters , what more could you want to see [ and lots of good looking people not wearing any clothes ].
