Movie Review: Adventures in Pornoland (2008)

Directed by Brad Brough and Greg Salman

Starring Brad Brough. Greg Salman and Taryn O'Neil

Ethan (Brad Brough) is a Canadian television director who has come to Hollywood to fulfill his dream of making it big. With his fiance (Taryn O'Neil) at his side, they both soon discover that making it big isn't as easy as it sounds. They then realize that they will both have to make concessions if they want to survive. Desperate for work, Ethan hooks up with an old friend (Greg Salman) who happens to be in the porn business and against his apparent prudish morals decides to give it a try. And since he has always found porn to be dirty and taboo he decides he is going to try and make a different style of porn, porn “with a heart” so to speak. Where the actors and actresses can actually convey emotion and tell a “real” story that transcends the sexual act. He soon discovers though, that this is quite impossible.

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Part of the film focuses on how the consequences of his decisions are affecting his relationship with his fiance. It finally boils over when she returns from a doctors appointment, completely hysterical, screaming that she has chlamydia. Understandably she packs her bags and heads back to Canada. From what I am led to believe, Adventures in Pornoland was largely improvised, with only two people privy to the “secret”- that a fictional movie was being made using the players, crew and settings of the adult movie industry as its background. Outside of the lead actors, the rest of the cast is made up of real porn stars, legends and newcomers alike.

As a story, Adventures in Pornoland is not all that interesting, with the focus being on this non-porn person trying in vain to rationalize his participation in something that he really does not believe in. But what was interesting about the movie for me was the fact that everyone else in the film really does think they are just going to another day at work on a porn set. So what we get is a realistic look at how the inner workings of a genuine porn shoot go down. We get to see how porn is nothing like the slickly packaged version sold to the public. And how being a porn actor or actress has nothing to do with knowing how to act, but performing the mechanical act of sex for a living....nothing more.

A couple points of interest were the sex scenes involving porn legends Herschel Savage and Ron Jeremy. They were like watching a plumber with 30 years experience unclog a sticky drain with the precision of a surgeon. I guess it does take some talent to literally cum on cue, so in that respect they epitomized what a true porn star is.

Being an admitted porn fan, I did find the movie entertaining at times but not for the reasons the film makers wanted. The story they were trying to tell was a bit of a yawner but the backdrop of it was fascinating, and it was kind of fun to try and pick out the porn stars that I could recognize. Aspiring porn actors and directors should probably watch this before making any final decisions on that “career choice”.

Extras- There is a commentary track from co-directors/writers/actors Greg Salman and Brad Brough, some bonus clips, including an alternate opening and bonus nudity, and of course the obligatory theatrical trailer is also provided. Pretty standard fare.

5 out of 10~ Reviewed by KennyB