Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Its no Catch 22, but.........., 28 Aug 2002
The book, in essense, is a Story of two late 20 something, middle England (dare i say "nottinghillesqe?) writers who - after a stint of reviewing porn films for an erotic magazine - decide that they could do better and decide to embark on a journey to make the "greatest porn film ever". The book spans the period of coming up with the idea in London, to venturing on a fact finding mission in the Porn Mecca of LA, and finally the casting and filming in Amsterdam. The description of this book by some critics a "rip roaring, thigh slapping comedy" falls a little short. It is more than that. It is also a moving, dark and often sad self discovery process for the authors and also the reader as they explore the 'darker' side of humanity...in the form of rent boys and whores with no money, no prospect and no passports just trying to get by in the city of sin - of people taking advantage of others - and of people seeing and living this dark side and then trying to make a difference. There are some witty, profound, sexy and occasionally downright weird characters that Vicky and Charlie (the authors) pick up along the way, but all are given a chance to explain themselves and their industry, and i think the authors give them a very open minded (if not slightly tongue in cheek) hearing before handing down judgement. The authors also seem to maintain an almost psychotic sense of optimism even in the most dire circumstance (actors walking off set...refusing to do certain backdoor scenes etc) which only adds to the affection you feel for them by the end of the book!! The only thing that slightly bogged the book down (i think) were the slightly lengthy asides the authors were prone to on the morality of making such a film...they obviously discovered it wasn't going to be the pg swashbuckling adventure they had imagined and it starts to take its toll on their conscience. Anyway - in a nutshell - a great, funny, poigniant novel with a dark, shaddy and rather sexy underside. Its no catch 22 but give it a read just the same.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A funny tale of utter filth!, 27 Mar 2003
This is the account of two friends, Vicky and Charlie, who got bored with the terrible plotlines of the porn films that they had to review, so they decided to make their own. They packed their bags and headed for America to pick the brains of the top stars and directors of the adult movie scene, before going to Amsterdam to make their porn masterwork.
This excellent book tells of their plight of being first time film makers and the issues of finding a cast at escort agencies, location scouting at some Amsterdam's seedier nightspots, arguments over the script, their inner moral turmoil and embarrassment, and what their friends, colleagues and families will make of it all.
This is an extremely funny book, which I can highly recommend - just don't let your Nan read it!
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blue and Black, 21 Aug 2002
By A Customer
I think this is one of the funniest, sexiest and most touching books I've read in ages. True, the cover does make you think you're about to enter a sleazy world of porn and moral debauchery, but you come out of this oddly refreshed about humanity - and a lot more knowledgable about the porn industry.
Coren and Skelton are two likeable, attractive, bright young writers who land a job reviewing porn films for the Erotic Review and then, when they've had enough of applying their witty and critical skills to every variety of porn imaginable, decide to make their own film and write this book about it.
Some porn is just funny to start with - the titles, the actors' stage names, the plots (where they have them), so you'd expect two writers who are pretty funny themselves to make the most of it as they try to realise their bizarre and often hilarious script with a memorable assortment of naked Europeans in various locations around Amsterdam.
Those who are a bit frightened of porn should probably stick to cooking and gardening books, but I think that the script for the film itself is worth the price of the book and as an intelligent, sometimes painfully honest tour of the porn world it's a cracking good read. As a cleverly layered account of friendship, sex, love, loss, art, artifice and more sex, it's equally engrossing and would delight the likes of David Lodge readers with it's subtle plays on structure. The pictures are pretty good, too.
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