Amanda Seyfried’s Bravest Role Ever!
Acting in movie bios can be the best way to win an Oscar – see Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles as a recent example – but taking on a controversial person’s life is also fraught with danger…I mean, look at Seyfried HERE!
The actress has taken on the star of the most notorious XXX-rated movie of all time!
Amanda Seyfried has shown amazing range in films like “Mamma Mia” and “Les Miz”, but now she takes on her most challenging, adult work ever – playing Linda Lovelace!
“HOW FAR DOES A GIRL HAVE TO GO TO UNTANGLE HER TINGLE?”
The most notorious adult film of all time is now getting a Hollywood bio-pic! Yes, one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars has taken on the life story of “Deep Throat” star Linda Lovelace….Amanda Seyfried has bravely taken on a controversial, tragic subject in the new movie being released Friday.
An Terrific Supporting Cast Joins Her!
The story of Linda Lovelace is a fascinating, tragic one – and it is a brave choice to take on such a role – Seyfried’s co-star is Peter Sarsgaard, who was also willing to take on the very difficult role of Chuck Traynor, Lovelace’s abusive husband…along with James Franco, who plays Hugh Hefner in the film…
This is a story that is so sad on so many levels, yet it is also the story of an amazing time of social upheaval in our country, so let’s take a look!
Meet Linda Boreman AKA Linda Lovelace!
Linda Boreman was born on January 10, 1949 – and was better known by her stage name Linda Lovelace, made instantly famous for her performance in the 1972 XXX film “Deep Throat.” Boreman later denounced her pornography career and became a spokeswoman for the anti-pornography movement.
An Actress At The Forefront Of The Sexual Revolution…
The story of Linda Boreman really begins when she meets Chuck Traynor. He woudl become her husband AND Manager. These pictures show a happy couple, but according to Boreman, Traynor was violent and controlling.
Boreman said that Traynor forced her to move to New York, where he became her manager and husband, and got her into the then-underground porn business.
Allegedly coerced by Traynor, Boreman was soon performing as “Linda Lovelace” in hardcore “loops”, which are short 8mm silent films made for peep shows. At the time, XXX movies were an underground industry, shown in the grimiest movie theaters on 42nd street in New York.
In 1972, Boreman starred in “Deep Throat”, in which she famously performed the film’s eponymous act. “Linda Lovelace” became a household name, as the film achieved unprecedented popularity among mainstream audiences. In fact, the movie became front page news, and even got a review in The New York Times.
Bring On The Pickets!
“Deep Throat” was prosecuted for obscenity all across the country, and picketed by religious groups as well – but the film opened the doors to XXX-movies being screened everywhere…and the sexual revolution was underway…
At one point, the movie industry trade bible Variety actually included the box office gross for adult films on their box office chart…and pornography made it into the mainstream…
Deep Throat – The Poster!
While this is certainly the most notorious adult film of all time, I don’t think the poster gets much attention. Or respect – but this poster perfectly summed up a time when the sexual revolution was allowing women to express themselves as never before.
“How far does a girl have to go to untangle her tingle?” Look at the imagery here – a woman raising her arms up in the air – happy and smiling! The poster’s yellow color and happy smile suggested a sunny, fun movie – certainly NOT pornography. This ushered in a new freedom in film – an era when triple X went mainstream and never looked back.
Cue A Sequel! “A Depressing Fast Buck Attempt…” Indeed!
In 1974, Boreman starred in the R-rated sequel “Deep Throat II”, which a critic writing in Variety described as “the shoddiest of exploitation film traditions, a depressing fast buck attempt to milk a naive public”.
Linda also became a published Author at this time – twice!
In 1974, she published two “pro-porn” autobiographies, “Inside Linda Lovelace” and “The Intimate Diary of Linda Lovelace.”
And Now, Things Turn Grim…
Even with these books out, the real story apparently wasn’t being told…but that was about to change…Linda Boreman changed her tune soon after, and her stories became much more serious and tragic.
In her suit to divorce her husband Chuck Traynor, she claimed that he forced her into pornography at gunpoint, and that in Deep Throat itself, bruises from his beatings can be seen on her legs. She made the assertion that her husband “would force her to do these things by pointing an M-16 rifle at her head.”
Boreman also claimed in her later autobiography that her marriage had been plagued by violence, rape, forced prostitution, and private pornography.
Ordeal!
Later, Linda Boreman published a book that described her ordeal…and she became an outspoken advocate against pornography.
And Then, A Tragic Death…
On April 3, 2002, Boreman was involved in a serious automobile accident, suffering massive trauma and internal injuries. On April 22, 2002, she was taken off life support and died in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 53.
And now, this tragic story has become a new film!
Look at this cast: Amanda Seyfried, with Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Traynor…the film also stars James Franco, Sharon Stone, Chris Noth and more…and the first reviews out of the Sundance film festival have been strong…
Here’s what one review said: “Amanda Seyfried captures much of the artless appeal of Linda Lovelace in this handsomely mounted biopic of the 70s porn star.”
The film arrives this weekend, and you can see more of this story by checking out the 2005 documentary, “Inside Deep Throat”, which took a look at the “Deep Throat” phenomenon…
A sad, tragic story – the biography of Linda Boreman should make for a fascinating movie…
Harry Reems Has Died!
Lovelace’s co-star in “Deep Throat” – adult film star Harry Reems died as well…he also went through many difficult times as a result of his involvement in the film:
This is his mugshot from when he was arrested for having been in the film, and his story is also very tragic…here is the story…
http://dailygrindhouse.com/thewire/actor-harry-reems-dies-at-65/
This from the New York Times Obit: “For the film, which was widely reported to have grossed more than $600 million, Mr. Reems was paid about $250.
However, as he told it, there were other compensations: parties at the Playboy Mansion, hobnobbing with celebrities and fending off (or not) throngs of adoring women.
Then, one day in 1974 Mr. Reems was arrested in New York by federal agents. The next year he and 11 others, many of them organized-crime figures, were tried in federal court in Memphis on charges of conspiracy to transport obscene material across state lines. (“Deep Throat” was widely reported to have been financed by associates of the Colombo crime family.)
It was during the trial, Mr. Reems said, that he began drinking heavily.
After he and his co-defendants were found guilty in 1976 Mr. Reems became a First Amendment cause célèbre, with a string of Hollywood celebrities speaking out on his behalf.
“Today, Harry Reems; tomorrow, Helen Hayes,” Warren Beatty was reported to have declared.
Represented on appeal by Alan M. Dershowitz, Mr. Reems had his conviction set aside by a federal judge in 1977.”
Here is the entire NY Times obit:
The sad story surrounding all of those involved in “Deep Throat” should make for a fascinating bio-pic, and congrats to the entire creative team for taking on such a controversial subject!
Categories: 70's Cinema, Awards, Books / Media, documentary films, Exploitation films, Grindhouse, Independent Cinema, Movies, Movies About Movies, Politics, Sexploitation Movies, Talent/Celebrities, Uncategorized
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