Taking Advantage of the First Amendment: MIDNIGHT BLUE: THE DEEP THROAT SPECIAL EDITION

From 1975 until 2002, New York City cable access television was home to perhaps the most vulgar, obscene, and profane TV show ever to run. Started by Screw Magazine publisher and pornographer Al Goldstein, Midnight Blue would focus on interviews with adult entertainment personalities, but also would feature celebrity interviews and just about anything dealing with sex. Goldstein himself would frequently contribute to the programs, usually ogling over the female subjects of the program while generally spew obscenity and filth.

DVD company Blue Underground set about in 2005 releasing several DVDs of vintage episodes from the Midnight Blue series, and while the discs are of questionable quality (the original source material for these programs is obviously in pretty bad shape), the results are quite entertaining and oftentimes enlightening. In capturing the world of sexuality as it existed in the "Golden Age" before the AIDS scare would take free sex out of the equation, Midnight Blue would celebrate the permissive sexual atmosphere that accounted for the various swingers clubs and escort services that would advertise during the show.

Volume one of the Midnight Blue DVD series provides interviews with people associated with the landmark adult film Deep Throat. Obviously, this DVD release was coordinated to capitalize on the release of the Randy Barbato/ Fenton Bailey documentary Inside Deep Throat, as well as the re-release of the original film for a limited theatrical run (both the documentary and the original porn film screened in Philadelphia during 2005). While the Midnight Blue: Deep Throat Special Edition may lack the professional allure of the theatrical-release documentary, it's no less interesting capturing many of the people associated with the film in revealing vintage interview footage, and the program is as equally entertaining as Bailey and Barbato's documentary.

The Deep Throat Special Edition starts out with an interview with Deep Throat's "other" star, Carol Connors, who initially was promised the Linda Lovelace role until Lovelace's talent was revealed. As it played out, Connors would play one of the film's other main female roles, but would achieve little of the popular recognition that her co-star received. In the interview, Connors talks about her association with Lovelace and the circumstances of her casting in the film. She comes off as a very complex woman, quite the contrast to Goldstein's as the lecherous interviewer. While Goldstein proceeds to ask Connors how she likes to give and receive sexual pleasure, Connors merely answers his questions, while retaining an aura of class that Goldstein blatantly lacks.

The Carol Connors segment was recorded for the program in 1975, and was banned from appearing on TV by Manhattan Cable due to the show "appealing to prurient interest." While Midnight Blue got away with a lot during its run (filled with profanity, frank sexual language, simulated sex acts and full nudity), apparently the Connors episode hit a nerve. The Connors segment is contrasted with previous Blue episodes which feature similar content that were screened on cable without incident. While the segment contrasting what is or is not allowed on the program at various times is somewhat self-serving, the fact that any of this programming was allowed on TV is mind-boggling.

The Connors segment ends with a striptease, with Connors stripping out of a nurse's outfit. This segment features full nudity and is rather explicit, no doubt part of the reason why the Connors show was prohibited from airing.

The next segment on the DVD features Gerard Damiano, the director of Deep Throat. In this program, also from 1975, Damiano talks about the nature of his film making, his use of imagery, the changing face of the adult industry even at this early stage, and his latest film The Story of Joanna. Damiano comes off as a really thoughtful guy; he is just about the opposite of what you would expect a porn director to be, quite an intellectual and clearly concerned with more than just making a "f_ck film."

Following this is a rather unnecessary conversation with Linda Lovelace's former manager and husband Chuck Traynor. Traynor was singled out by Lovelace later as being abusive and manipulating, and really comes across as one shady dude in his segments on this disc. The first interview with Traynor discusses the male star of Deep Throat's legal problems. Harry Reems was convicted of a federal conspiracy charge in connection with the film simply for being an actor in the picture. While Traynor doesn't really have anything to add to the discussion, I guess his segment does add one more central figure to the making of Deep Throat to the program.

A 1982 interview with Harry Reems himself is next on the DVD. Reems is interviewed by a demeaning Al Goldstein and the two of them discuss Harry's newest porn work, the experience of working with Linda Lovelace, and Reems's view on pornography in general. Reems seems a little antsy and comes across as a real horn ball, but still makes some pretty interesting comments on the porn industry. While his involvement with porn, if we're to judge from his comments here, was based on his interest in getting laid and getting paid, he clearly is aware of where the industry was going at the time, i.e. home video.

The final two segments on the program are a second interview (from 1987) with Chuck Traynor, in which he comments on Lovelace's allegations of abuse as well as his relationship with porn actress Marilyn Chambers, and a demonstration of deep-throat techniques with "sex counselor" Jackie Park, in which she uses various objects to instruct viewers how they can prepare to give deep throat.

In between the segments on this DVD, we are treated to vintage commercials for various adult-oriented businesses, including massage parlors, swingers clubs, adult emporiums, escort services, condoms, a hilarious commercial for "synth-coke," as well as saucy personal ads. Really, this DVD is put together very well, providing a window into a particular time and place when sex was accessible and decidedly mainstream.

The Deep Throat Special Edition should be a gas for people interested in the adult film business. While the feature documentary about the Deep Throat phenomenon mainly looked at the issue from a contemporary viewpoint, this Midnight Blue DVD is based on vintage footage and really pinpoints popular attitudes towards sex and sexuality in the mid to late 1970s.

Obviously, this program is not for all viewers, however, containing language that frankly is ridiculously filthy, and graphic sexual content. Goldstein himself will likely polarize viewers; while I find his ranting and language, and his cable program in general, to be hilarious (it's hard to imagine anyone being this obscene all the time), he is a complete scum bag with a whiny voice who is constantly trying to get some action from any female he comes across. It wouldn't surprise me that aversion to Goldstein would cause some viewers to shut this DVD off.

The DVD contains two extended interviews with Damiano and Reems as extras. Both are fairly interesting and add some additional insight into these two founding figures of the porn industry.

As I mentioned, this program was put together from some pretty lousy source material, so the disc frequently has problems with the picture and sound; as a note before the program begins states, "you can't shine sh!t." There are numerous lines, and inconsistencies, but ultimately, I think the disc is above average considering the material and this really doesn't distract from viewing. If anything, it makes the program seem more authentic and "dirty."

Midnight Blue: The Deep Throat Special Edition really would have a specialized audience. While those interested in the history of pornography and the adult industry will have a field day with this program, many viewers will be turned away by the obscene nature of the DVD and graphic content. Others simply won't have an interest in the program in the first place. That said, I found this DVD to be extremely entertaining and containing some vintage interview footage that reveals the people behind Deep Throat as they were. It also is instantly apparent viewing this disc that the producers at Blue Underground put this disc together with the viewers in mind; the program is well constructed, informational and amusing. This disc has a high recommendation from me.