Psychotic Cinema

Genre: Porn Documentary

“This is the story of the girls who are America’s fantasy turn-ons”

reads the prologue.

Most of us males have probably fantasized at one time or another of acting in a porno film; with lots of sex with beautiful girls and at the end getting paid for it. Well, your fantasies may be dashed after you have seen the reality in Fallen Angels.

It’s 1983 and the movie begins at the World Modelling Agency in Los Angeles. Jim South, the agent, sits behind his desk taking calls from hopeful applicants. He tells them with his clear well-rehearsed mantra the info needed to work for him. Previously Jim was an insurance salesman, but now finds those skills put to better use renting out models

Enter a new hopeful, Kim, aged 21. He takes her to a side room studio where she undresses and he photographs her with a Polaroid.

Jim South

Audition in Hal Freeman’s office

Of the girls featured, you can’t help but feel sorry for Kim. As a single mother, she is trying desperately to earn enough money to move out of her mother’s house with her young child. You can’t help but feel that she is going into modelling for all the wrong reasons.

We are then introduced to porn movie producer, Hal Freeman, who sits behind his desk as movie hopeful, Diane, strips while horrendously singing a country western song accompanied by someone on an acoustic guitar. The day to day office business and banter carries on around Diane as she removes each item of clothing.

Kimberly takes part in a screen test

Another Hollywood producer, who’s face has to be blotted out, does a screen test and you can’t help but cringe when Kim explains her true reasons for wanting to be in his film is her desperate need for money to help her child and herself.

Another hopeful is Asian beauty, Kimberly (more famously known as Kristara Barrington). Kimberly comes across as a true performer, relaxed, sexy and self-confident. She explains how she likes to be an exhibitionist.

Next we see Kim, Kimberly and another girl participate in an all-girl lesbian loop for producer Bruce Seven. All looks fine until they return to the modelling agency and explain to Jim how Bruce Seven broke their agreement by making them use dildos after the documentary crew had left.

We briefly meet a few of the male models and we listen to one guy’s story of upsetting a producer by accidentally ejaculating over the camera.

Bruce Seven

Next we view one of Hal Freeman’s big shoots with porn legend, Ron Jeremy and Eric Edwards. They come across as real professionals and explain how difficult it is to perform in such a film.

In this documentary we also get to meet the girl’s boyfriends where they discuss their relationships with the girls.

Then we jump 18 months ahead. The girls' careers, except Kimberly’s, are over, their boyfriends have left, they’ve gone off sex and are now emotional wrecks. In a fast moving business, where success is short lived, they have become a disposable commodity.

Ron Jeremy and Eric Edwards compare dicks in an issue of Playgirl

On discussing the end of the girls’ careers, Jim holds out his hands and explains:

“You weigh the amount of money in one hand and the amount of crap in the other. If the crap out weighs the money you get rid of the crap - right?”

The interesting thing about this documentary is that the girls really do seem to open up to the documentary makers with their feelings and emotions about the business. You can’t help but feel sorry for them.

The only girl who seems to have any real success is Kimberly, who continues to be in control and self-confident. She later became a top performer in the adult industry and we are treated to a clip of her in the ground-breaking New Wave Hookers.

Incidentally her career continued on into the early 1990’s where she eventually left the porn industry to become a veterinarian.

Eric Edwards discusses the correct angle

Made by porn director Gregory Dark (NEW WAVE HOOKERS), it makes me wonder if he approached his own porn shoots differently.

Incidentally Gregory Dark went on to develop a documentary style in his own porn movies where between the sex scenes the actresses would be interviewed about their deep inner feelings – sometimes bringing them to tears. The viewer/voyeur can then probe them mentally as well sexually with nothing left for the girl to hide.

N.B Erections and penetration were blotted out.

Fallen Angels (1985)