Product Details

• Actors: Arben Bajraktaraj, Djemel Barek, Gérard Bezaud, Jean-Louis Coquery, Dominique Daguier
• Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Strand Releasing
• DVD Release Date: February 5, 2004
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001DCYGE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,055 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Porn Theatre" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Sector the Kinsey Report Missed: The World of Genet and Gide, February 7, 2006

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Porn Theater (DVD)

'La Chatte à deux têtes' (PORN THEATER) is a somber study of a sector of life few know, an aspect of human sexuality that didn't make it into the Kinsey Report, a part of the underbelly of city life most would rather not accept existed. Does that mean it should not be examined, should not provide the impetus for an art film? Writer/director and actor Jacques Nolot thinks otherwise. In this dark little film we are invited into the inner sanctum of a dirty old movie house in Paris that shows only straight pornography for a clientele of men of various types: military men, straight men look for gay sex, married men in need of exploration of their senses, transvestites, old men for whom such places provide the only sexual outlet, and the regulars who spend their evenings in the dingy darkened atmosphere for anonymous sex.

The theater is a theater of life for these people, and the 'stage manager' is the sole female Italian ticket cashier (Vittoria Scognamiglio) who has seen every aspect of sexuality, embraced it, and therefore is wholly non-judgmental. She converses with her straight projectionist (Sébastien Viala) who is attracted to her on several levels, and with one of her regulars (Jacques Nolot), a man of fifty who is living with AIDS in a responsible way, but finds his only sexual outlet to be this theater scene. During the course of the film the cashier manages to discuss her open views of sexuality with these two men and the three of them seem headed for a communal experience.

This open view of human behavior is set with the background of the various acts within the theater. We watch transsexuals ply their wares, group encounters in bathrooms, and various odd approaches and rejections for gratification that in the end represent a group of men who find connection to each other as human beings far more difficult (?impossible?) than quick satisfaction in the dark. There is considerable frank acting out of encounters that are usually not seen on film and that may be more than the regular viewer can tolerate. But at least one director has the courage of Genet and Gide and Burroughs et al to tackle this subject matter in a wholly realistic way. The result is a film of social significance, even though it may not be for everyone. It is an art film, very well made, with a brave cast and an even braver writer and director. To not see it is to miss some important messages about human sexuality and about human needs too frequently dismissed as non-existent. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, February 06

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provoking and enjoyable, April 26, 2007

By 

James Michael Murphy "garp97" (Newmarket, NH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Porn Theatre (DVD)

My brother questioned my taste in movies when he saw this DVD in our apartment, but after viewing it- I am glad that I did! The director takes us out of "common decency" and into a Parisian adult cinema to view the comings and goings of the crowd and their guide- an Italian woman of advanced age selling tickets, the only employee. Beyond the visible sex and nudity (nothing like this in American cinema!), there are many stories of human longing. People who desire the touch and intimacy that only another person can give them, but fear gets in the way. Fear of infection, fear of learning about one's true self, fear of being left alone again....the list goes on and on. No one group is focused on- there are soldiers, transgendered people, gay, straight, bisexual, all walks of life. Because desire is the same across the board- desire to be loved, to be touched, to be aroused, to arouse, and to make that human connection that often seems to escape us. Kudos to the people behind this film- it is truly an intelligent, beautiful and provoking look at human nature.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Slice of Life, July 12, 2005

By 

NYC critic "Mac" (NEW YORK, NEW YORK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Porn Theatre (DVD)

Unlike the other reviewers, I enjoyed a glimpse into the quiet lives of desperation these characters lead. Depressing and unappealing at times? Yes. But that's life. It's what isn't said that makes this movie work. Thank God Europeans can still make films in which nothing explodes into fiery oblivion or pretty boys preen and rule the roost. I viewed this twice in a row and found the second time even more rewarding. Look between the lines, and you'll find that the search for human connection comes in different shapes and forms.