‘After Porn Ends 2 ’ Review
Stars: Brittany Andrews, Lisa Ann, Aubrey Gold, Darren James, Johnnie Keyes, Chasey Lain, Bud Lee, Janine Lindemulder, Ginger Lynn, Georgina Spelvin | Directed by Bryce Wagoner
As you can probably tell by some of the reviews I have here on Nerdly, I am a fan of classic pornography. Between the early 70’s and mid 80’s, there were many classics not just being churned out, but being released with as much care and attention as some of the biggest “legitimate” films of the era. Performers who could genuinely act, directors with actual artistic vision, script writers and talented individuals behind the scenes. These were actual films. Fast forward to today and although there is still some genuine talent, one can’t help but feel that the industry has lost some of its artistry and craftsmanship. Instead of performers who can deliver lines, we now have a pretty face with a shelf life no longer than a quick fling. Let’s face it, with even the quickest of Google searches you can find pretty much what you are looking for so why pay for memberships when the exact same content is being delivered on a platter? Don’t get me wrong, I still view contemporary offerings from time to time… I won’t go any further than that…
When I heard about Wagner’s documentary, I thought that this would be another one of those one-sided anti-pornography offerings. I’m not an idiot, I know that there are some genuine problems and scumbags in the industry, but not every performer is forced in to doing pornography. Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus’s Hot Girls Wanted is one such documentary that you should avoid. After Porn Ends 2 however, is a much more open and balanced look in to the industry and what happens to those who leave it. Before we begin, I would like to say that you don’t have to have seen the first After Porn Ends documentary to watch and enjoy this one. It’s more of the same, but in a good way!
We kick things off Lisa Ann, arguably still the highest rated starlet who has starred in plenty of films and won plenty of awards. She found mainstream success when parodying Alaska’s favourite political lunatic; Sarah Palin multiple times in her Nailin’ Pailin series. Since then she has forged a career on sports radio, released a memoir, mentored newcomers in the industry and campaigned about problematic and stigmatised issues within the industry itself, to name just a few things. A real success story I think you will agree and a shining example of how you can not only dominate the industry in a positive way, but make it an easier and safer industry overall. Much like Lisa Ann’s story, the legendary Ginger Lynn and Georgina Spelvin have an equally positive experience. Both of them enjoyed what they were doing and had plenty of success in their prime. They also came out the other side pretty much unscathed. Ginger now has a successful auction website makes a nice amount of money from her paintings and has never been ashamed of her name in porn. Georgina is enjoying her retirement with her husband. Arguably my favourite segment is dedicated to the legendary Johnnie Keyes (pictured above) whose life did start out very rough, but he was again someone who chose to enter the world of porn, especially after the success of the legendary Behind the Green Door. I could have sat through a whole documentary dedicated to this guy. Charming, funny and one hell of a singer. Aside from almost moving me to tears when talking about his early life and relationship with his father, there are more than a few laughs to make up for it. There are plenty of success stories throughout the documentary, but I’d be here all day if I covered everyone involved!
Like I said earlier, this is a well balanced piece of documentary filmmaking and of course there are some genuinely bad experiences. The most devastating has to be Darren James who talks about his experience of contracting HIV whilst filming in Brazil and unknowingly passing it on to fellow performers. Naturally, it destroyed his career, but more importantly destroyed his life. Although he attempted suicided he thankfully didn’t let it win and he used his experience to become an advocate for safer practices within the industry. Another notable tragedy is the tale of Janine Lindemulder whose life during and after a successful stint in the industry saw her being imprisoned over failing to pay taxes and losing custodial rights of her daughter to the oh so pleasant Jesse James. Her story is a classic example of how being in the industry can stigmatise you and work against you when it comes to public institutions.
All in all, the documentary paints a realistic picture. Some people join the industry for the wrong reasons. Some people make a name for themselves and come out of it on their own terms and pride, but some don’t. It’s a far from perfect industry, but what isn’t? A common point that is made throughout is how porn in general has changed for the worst. The likes of Ginger Lynn, Herschel Savage and Brittany Andrews all share the same notion that if they were to be starting now, they wouldn’t and the ironic thing is there are short interviews dotted about with relative newcomers like Ariana Marie and Ashley Adams who say they enjoy what they’re doing, but don’t see themselves staying in the industry as performers. I think it just shows you that even some of those working today realises that in this generation of watching clips online, that they won’t last too long regardless.
After Porn Ends 2 is a really simple documentary in its narrative structure, the interviews are great, honest and show the ignorant that there are people who do porn who think for themselves, have a personality and are just like you and me. I really hope that we see more entries in to this series because I’ll keep watching them! In fact, this was probably one of the most entertaining documentaries on the subject and definitely worth a watch no matter what you think or know about the porn industry.
After Porn Ends 2 is available on all good streaming services now.
