Hbo Funding Porn Documentary

[Mike AI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ilm_nm/throat_1 (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030116/film_nm/throat_1)

HBO digs "Deep" to fund porn documentary
Thu Jan 16, 5:09 AM ET Add Movies - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Michael Fleming

NEW YORK (Variety) - HBO has stepped up to provide the majority of financing for the Imagine Entertainment-produced documentary on "Deep Throat," the 1972 porn classic that helped fuel a sexual revolution.



It's the first time the network has funded a documentary meant for theatrical distribution.


Imagine co-chairman Brian Grazer had several offers, but HBO has already worked with the filmmakers Grazer hired, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato: They most recently directed the Monica Lewinsky documentary "Monica in Black and White."


Grazer, producer of last year's best picture Oscar-winner "A Beautiful Mind," "certainly didn't need to be doing a documentary, but we were so impressed by his passion," HBO executive veep of original programming Sheila Nevins said.


HBO usually gets into the feature financing game by accident, when a documentary like "Amandla!" or a TV movie like "Real Women Have Curves" gets exhibitors clamoring for a theatrical window.


The most unusual case came when HBO decided to put up half the $5 million budget of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," an investment that will prove highly lucrative for the network from equity participation and also control of pay cable and other TV rights. The cabler did it because of a relationship with Tom Hanks (news), whose wife, Rita Wilson (news), championed the film.

[Dianna Vesta]

In the past 6 months I've had a bunch of investor who were in non-adult internet who looked to invest money into proven adult companies.

I really needed a partner who had more or different experience then me and most of them wanted to invest smaller amounts, see you jump hoops and produce in 3 months.

That's on a smaller scale... I definately see larger companies becoming more risqué .

I'm really interested to see how far this reality TV goes and wonder when someone will push that envelope.

I'd like to do a fetish fear factor.

DV

[kath]

I gotta hand it to HBO - they really are bringing a lot of good porn-biz related things into the "mainstream" through their specials. Some of it is shit and WAY off base, but it's interesting nonetheless and kind of nice to see some of the things profiled.

Hey - at least somebody is *trying* to work "with us" instead of just lumping the whole industry (net and off) as a bunch of junkie perverts trying to corrupt every man, woman and child. So yeah, some mainstream dude is making a buck off it - but didn't we all start out as some "mainstream dude," surfer or someone trying to take advantage/make a buck off porn on the net? More power to 'em. Hopefully they'll do a good job.

[RawAlex]

Video / film porn has been around clearly for about 30 years now, and it isn't going away. Most people have at least seen a porn movie (at a stag, as an example) and pretty much everyone is aware we exist.

Much like Star 80, Boogie Nights, the Mitchell Brother's movie, this is a nice mainstream view of the adult industry, and I am sure it will gloss over a few things to make points... but anything that puts us into the publics eyes and makes us look less intimidating is a good thing.

HBO is proof that Americans want MORE, not LESS. I wish Asscroft would listen.

Alex

[kath]

Originally posted by RawAlex@Jan 16 2003, 02:35 PM
Much like Star 80, Boogie Nights, the Mitchell Brother's movie, this is a nice mainstream view of the adult industry, and I am sure it will gloss over a few things to make points... but anything that puts us into the publics eyes and makes us look less intimidating is a good thing.

HBO is proof that Americans want MORE, not LESS. I wish Asscroft would listen.

Well said! :awinky:

[sarah_webinc]

ah, but does he care what we want so much as he thinks we shouldn't want it in the first place?