The world of pornography has changed so much since I was
young. Back then it was a taboo item, something sold from beneath the counter
at the local drugstore or with boards covering all but the titles of the
magazine. Movies were 8mm reels sold from those magazines. They moved on to
feature films shown in seedy locations in larger cities until the late
seventies when an air of respectability was bestowed on them as couples rather
than raincoat wearing men began to frequent those theaters.
With the age of video pornography got a fast forward into
more mainstream areas. Now people could order these movies delivered in brown
paper wrappers to their homes where they would watch in privacy over and over
again. So invasive was the world of porn that the formats chosen down the line
were determined by the industry since more porn films were sold than mainstream
ones.
Now the world of pornography has taken over the internet
with the majority of online websites offered one form or another. There are
numerous stars of the industry now where once there were only a few
recognizable names. Mainstream Hollywood and celebrities have also embraced
some members either dating, marrying or featuring these stars in mainstream
roles. They’ve become millionaires. But once it wasn’t like this.
That early world of porn was filled with wayward teens
looking to earn money while living on the streets. Committing unspeakable acts
and at times placing their lives in danger it was a seedy world. And from that
seedy world writer/director Paul Schrader showed us how bad it could be in a
movie that will stick with you long after the final credits role.
George C. Scott stars as Jake VanDorn, a strict conservative
Calvinist raising his young daughter Kristen in the heartland. When she goes
missing on a planned youth trip to California, Jake hires private detective
Andy Mast (Peter Boyle) to find her. What Mast discovers is that Kristen is now
involved in the porn business. Jake heads to LA to learn more about what
happened. When Mast shows him the footage he came across Jake is crushed but
still determined to find his daughter.
Feeling that Mast isn’t doing as much as he can Jake delves
into the world of hardcore pornography, posing as a director in search of new
talent with the hope of coming across one of the “actors” in the film he saw.
His intent is to get a lead from one of them as to who has his daughter and
where he can find her. Along the way he gains the help of a porn actress Niki
(Season Hubley) and more help from Mast.
Jakes journey into the scummier side of the porn industry is
what makes up most of the film. Backroom screening locations of films that show
the worst there is to find as well as a snuff film eventually would deter the
most hopeful father. Jake qualifies as he continues his search. The men he
comes into contact with leave him disgusted and fearing the worst but he
carries forward. Whether he will find his daughter or if she will become the
latest victim in a snuff film isn’t answered until the film is near an end.
The movie takes off the glamour image that many tried to
paint on the pornography business at the time it was released in 1979. It
showed behind the scenes glimpses of what life was like in the industry
composed of drug addicted stars, criminals with no care for human life and
uncaring individuals who feigned affection while caring for little more than
the cash they could derive from their casts. Many now claim that the business
better than ever and that criminal elements are no longer involved. After
watching this that’s hard to believe with the amount of money to be made now.
Scott turns in his usual amazing performance here. As the
tormented Jake he has such a strong conviction of faith that is tested on every
level. It is his faith that holds him together both in God and in the hope that
his daughter is still alive. We feel both his frustration and his anger as he
begins to piece together the puzzle of where his daughter is. We hope as deeply
as he does that she has survived and is merely waiting to be rescued.
The rest of the cast does an equally commendable job. Boyle
is particularly sleazy but a hero none the less. His character is one who has
lived on these mean streets and understand them, passing no judgement on the surface
but retaining something inside. Hubley may not be the “hooker with a heart of
gold” type character here but she too has something buried inside of her that
makes her want to do what is right. Deep inside she dreams that Jake will
rescue her from her life choices along with his daughter. Her character is
perhaps the saddest of them all.
HARDCORE is a movie that will disturb on a deep level but it
is a movie that needs to be seen. Even more so young people need to see this to
find out more about just how “glamorous” the industry is. It is a cautionary
tale and one that will hold you in its grip from start to finish.
Twilight Time has released a great looking copy of the film
with a blu-ray image that is the best you will find for this film. Included in
the extras are an isolated score track, audio commentary with writer/director
Schrader, audio commentary with film historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer
and Paul Scrabo and the original theatrical trailer. As with all Twilight Time
releases the pressing is only 3,000 copies so if you’re interested pick one up
before they are gone.
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