Inside Deep Throat offers a historical look at the legendary film Deep Throat, which debuted in porn theaters back in 1972. Running at just over an hour long, Deep Throat was a silly, crudely made film about a woman (Linda Lovelace) whose clitoris is in the back of her throat, and therefore she must give blowjobs to achieve orgasm. The film became a pop-culture sensation, as audiences that included celebrities and politicians lined up to see Linda Lovelace eagerly gobble cock. Most of what fueled the frenzy surrounding director Gerard Damiano's skin flick were the attempts by law-enforcement organizations and the government to quash the porn industry. By attempting to make an example of Deep Throat, prosecutors, cops, FBI agents and conservatives helped draw attention to an otherwise bad movie, and in the process helped make it one of the most profitable films in motion-picture history.

Deep Throat was part of cultural revolution that swept through the nation in the 1960s and 70s. Inside Deep Throat not only looks at the history of the film itself, but attempts to place the movie within the larger societal context. This documentary is less about the film, and more about the looks at the controversy that accompanied it — including prosecution charges leveled at actor Harry Reems, who stood trial for various charges just for appearing in the movie. At the end of the day, porn wasn't on trial as much as the First Amendment, and the cases surrounding Deep Throat – in particular Reems' case – stood to make performers accountable for the work they appeared in. In other similar cases, director Mike Nichols non-porn classic Carnal Knowledge face obscenity charges not unlike those leveled at Deep Throat.

With its major theatrical release (at least as major as NC-17 movie can get), and its high pedigree producer Brian Grazer, Inside Deep Throat is probably the most mainstream cockumentary to come along (pun intended). And while filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato barely scratch the surface of the whole Deep Throat story, they have still managed to craft a compelling film. The interviews are shot well and the editing is great, but its as if more attention was spent making the documentary look good than really going for the jugular.

For those with any working knowledge of the porn industry or the history of Deep Throat, the documentary doesn't shed any new light on the topic. We hear about all the money the film made, the mafia connections, and Lovelace's claims she was forced at gunpoint to "act" — an accusation that has never been confirmed. Ultimately, Inside Deep Throat emerges as a basic crash course for the curious. In that regard, the documentary is very much like the film it profiles, which catered to a viewers who wanted to see something they'd never experienced before.

Video:
Inside Deep Throat is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality on the newer interview conducted for the film is beautiful, but much of the archival footage is understandably beat up.

Audio:
Inside Deep Throat is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, with a clean, even mix that makes it easier to hear and appreciate David Benjamin Steinberg's music (a cheesy homage to the porn music of the 70s).

Extras:
Inside Deep Throat comes with what could be mistaken for 14 featurettes, when in reality this is nearly an hour of deleted material from the documentary itself. Several of the deleted scenes deal with various trials and community backlash surrounding the Deep Throat. "The Zen of Deep Throat" is approximately four minutes of different women talking about blowjobs, with former porn star Marilyn Chambers offering a hilarious advice on how to perform deep throat. Some of the scenes work better than others, but as with most deleted material, there's a reason for the deletion. Directors Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey have an audio commentary, with frequent long silent pauses, they seldom cover territory not explored in the film. A second audio commentary features sound bites from interview participants that didn't make it into the film. This track is just plain confusing and annoying, as all you really get is director Bailey telling you his talking, and then someone saying something that may or may not relate to the subject matter on the screen. It would be better if there was a collection of clips with the same excised quotes that was presented as a larger collection deleted material.

Final Thoughts:
Some will find no doubt find Inside Deep Throat to be highly informative and some who may even be offended by the film. It's up you to determine which you are. If, however, you are looking for the be-all-and-all of cockumentaries, this film is not it. Inside Deep Throat is a good film, but not a great film, it's worth watching, but not necessarily worth owning.