Don’t worry, James Cameron is still alive. So are George Lucas and Christopher Nolan. But someone who may have been more important in the grand scheme of things has gone on to his eternal reward (which, by all reports, will not be pleasant): Gerard Damiano is dead.
You may not know his name, but you know his work. He is the guy who directed Deep Throat, the most popular porn film of all time. Titanic, the number one box office movie in history, has a return on its budget of around 10 to 1. Deep Throat, on the other hand, boasts a return somewhere along the lines of 25,000 to 1. And that’s a guess – because the film came from Mafia money, nobody was exactly reporting profits to the IRS. At any rate it’s the single most financially successful film in the history of the medium.
And it might be one of the most important movies ever released, on a sheer cultural level. Deep Throat kicked off the trend of porno chic, where people from all walks of life would brave the scum of Times Square and see people fucking on film. Jackie Onassis went to see Deep Throat! That’s a big deal.
Deep Throat and the mainstreaming of porn had a profound impact on our culture, for good or ill. We’re still feeling the shockwaves today as a major mainstream movie is hitting theaters this weekend with the word ‘Porno’ in the title. Deep Throat changed the porn game forever, and it’s arguable that porn changed our sexual mores forever as well.
Pretty impressive for a Bronx-born hairdresser. Deep Throat was Damiano’s biggest acheivement, but he also directed the seminal Devil in Miss Jones. I’m wary of commenting on the rest of Damiano’s oeuvre because it was common practice in the 70s to slap his name, as he was the auteur of the porn world, on any smut picture regardless of whether or not he worked on it. The second CHUDsploitation film, Water Power (yes, it’s coming!), was originally sold as a Gerard Damiano picture despite being directed by the incredibly prolific Shaun Costello.
I can’t recommend Inside Deep Throat enough for those curious about the movie and its place in history. You can order the DVD through CHUD by clicking here.
21 comments
And I never even got to masturbate to this movie while he was alive. That's a lack of respect and I feel ashamed! *sniff
You scared the absolute fucking shit out of me. I thought Spielberg.
You are a very cruel individual Devin Faraci… Never write a headline like that again unless you mean it.
Just goes to show how arrogant some people are with their opinions. How far did Jackie O. have to go to untangle her tingle anyway?
I was shocked too – thinking you were going say Lord Darth Lucas had croaked. Now I'm kind of disappointed he hasn't. Talking of Deep Throat, what's the deal with George Lucas' neck!? Bah-dum! I'm here all week, try the veal.
I also thought Spielberg.
George Lucas' neck is where he stores your soul after he sucks it from your eyes.
And Damiano never made a dime from the movie. Damn Mafia.
I thought Spielberg too… George Lucas never came to my mind
I thought Spielberg initially. Then I remembered War of the worlds, the terminal and KOTCS and actually kinda wished he was dead. Inside Deep throat is a great doco, btw. They show that bitch take the whole wang down her throat and everything. Awesome.
I was thinking Uwe Boll… Oh well.
My first thought was Woody Allen (he's getting old), but i guess I really should have been thinking Spielberg.
I thought Roger Corman.
You pimp Damiano's demise and yet not a word on this site about Rudy Ray Moore?
Wow, Spielberg and Lucas? Typical faggot, fanboy answers. Werner Herzog.
Devin thinks Seth Rogen has talent. Who gives a fuck what he thinks.
@ #15 – On a cost-to-profit ratio it runs something like: Deep Throat, Blair Witch Project and Star Wars. That's why "Lucas", you stuck-up cunt. In terms of the name most widely associated with filmmaking around the world, then it's "Spielberg" isn't it? So fuck off! Even Herzog would kick you in the nuts for your lame attempt at being an "Real Cinema" elitist on what is primarily a genre film fan site.
Herzog shares my favorite director spot with Kubrick but I gotta agree with Taco Cheese… there's no way shape or form that you can consider him "the most successful filmmaker in history"
kubrick is already dead
Actually, recent FBI studies show Deep Throat's numbers might've been largely inflated, and put the earnings closer to $100mil. In fact it's impossible for it to have made $600mil as it means 120 million tickets would've had to been sold.
I thought the title was referring to Len Wiseman. He does get to fuck Kate Beckinsale you know.
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