Barbara Broadcast is an American adult erotic film released in 1977. The film was directed by Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris")[1][2] and filmed in several elaborate locations in New York City, including the Olympia ballroom and restaurant in the Royal Manhattan Hotel.[3][4]
| Barbara Broadcast | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris") |
| Written by | Radley Metzger (as "Jake Barnes") |
| Produced by | Ava Leighton |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Chico Carter Larry Revene (uncredited) |
| Edited by | Gene Perry |
| Music by | various (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Audubon Films (USA) VCA Pictures (USA) Distribpix (USA) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editBarbara Broadcast, a world-famous liberated woman and best-selling author, is interviewed by a journalist about her successful career in an elegant Manhattan hotel restaurant, where gourmet food and erotic activities are on the menu:[5][6] a surrealistic "Buñuelian" atmosphere, according to one film reviewer.[7] Afterwards, other Manhattan moments in New York City are featured, including a corporate office encounter and a casual meeting in a busy night club.[5][6]
Cast
edit- Annette Haven as Barbara Broadcast[8]
- Bobby Astyr as the Maitre d'
- C. J. Laing as Roberta, the interviewer
- Constance Money as a Slave
- Jamie Gillis as Curley
- Michael Gaunt as a Client
- Sharon Mitchell as a Waitress
- Susan McBain as a Diner
- Wade Nichols as a Cook
- Zebedy Colt as a Diner
Reception
editAccording to an X-Critic film reviewer, Barbara Broadcast is "... a playful, funny and beautifully made film for grownups, a celebration of carnality and earthly delights shot with an artist’s eye for composition and set to an excellent [music] score ...".[9] Barbara Broadcast, according to another reviewer, "... is a fun, witty, and charming film ...".[10] Another reviewer notes, " ... [the film has] plenty of electric atmosphere and [music] ... This is porno chic! ..."[11] Paracinema film critic Heather Drain writes, "Metzger’s work is known for its eye candy and this film is no exception, with every frame looking like a perfectly composed piece of art ... Barbara Broadcast may not be heavy on plot, but is an exquisitely crafted film from one of the best American directors to have emerged [since the 1970s] ... Radley Metzger is truly one of a kind."[4]
History
editBarbara Broadcast was released during the Golden Age of Porn (inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol's Blue Movie) in the United States, at a time of "porno chic",[12][13] in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope)[14] and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert).[15][16]
Notes
editAccording to one film reviewer, Radley Metzger's films, including those made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle".[17] Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".[18] Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.[19][20][21][22]
Restoration
editOn July 4, 2013, DistribPix released a restoration of the film, with the cooperation of the director.[7] The result had a limited exhibition in theaters, but the main outcome of the project was the first official DVD and Blu-ray versions.[5] A listing of the music on the film soundtrack was released earlier.[23][24]
Awards
editMusic soundtrack
edit| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Azure Blue[23][24]" | Simon Benson | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Before Summer Ends" | Keith Mansfield | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Big Haul" | Brian Bennett | 2:52 |
| 4. | "Dossier" | Brian Bennett | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Flying High" | Stefano Torossi | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Getaway" | Alan Hawkshaw | 2:37 |
| 7. | "Glittering Mud" | Steve Gray | 3:54 |
| 8. | "Merry Go Round" | Alan Hawkshaw | 2:05 |
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Reflections Misty Morning" | Brian Bennett | 3:40 |
| 10. | "Tales from Vienna Woods" | Johann Strauss II | 10:54 |
| 11. | "The Big One" | Alan Tew | 4:05 |
| 12. | "The Blue Danube Waltz" | Johann Strauss II | 10:33 |
| 13. | "The Double Take" | Steve Gray | 3:47 |
| 14. | "Wallop" | Brian Bennett | 3:25 |
| 15. | "White Elephant Walk" | Alan Tew | 1:30 |
| 16. | "You've Got What It Takes" | Madeline Bell | 3:39 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris". Playboy. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ Bentley, Toni (June 2014). "The Legend of Henry Paris" (PDF). ToniBentley.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ^ "Barbara Broadcast (1977)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ a b Drain, Heather (October 21, 2016). "Radley Metzger's Barbara Broadcast - Notes From The Backroom". Paracinema.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast Blu Ray Plus 2 DVD Combo Pack (2013)". Distribpix.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - Summary". Sexgoremutants.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Staff (August 27, 2013). "Barbara Broadcast - BluRay DVD Review". Mondo-digital.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Staff (2016). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - Awards, Performers and Reviews". IAFD. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Staff (September 16, 2013). "Barbara Broadcast (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) - Review". X-Critic. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Thomas, Corey (December 7, 2015). "Barbara Broadcast - Film Review". Adultdvdtalk.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Staff. "Barbara Broadcast (DVD) - Review". YourChoice.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (January 21, 1973). "Porno chic; 'Hard-core' grows fashionable-and very profitable". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ "Porno Chic (Jahsonic.com)". Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (March 29, 2005). "That Old Feeling: When Porno Was Chic". Time. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (June 13, 1973). "The Devil In Miss Jones - Film Review". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (November 24, 1976). "Alice in Wonderland:An X-Rated Musical Fantasy". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ Gallagher, Steve (August 7, 2014). ""This is Softcore": The History of Radley Metzger". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Claire (October 2, 2013). "Adults Only: 5 Films By Radley Metzger". WhatCulture.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- ^ Rist, Ray C. (January 4, 1974). Book - The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life. Transaction Publishers. p. 124. ISBN 9781412838467. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
- ^ Lehman, Peter (2006). Book - Pornography: Film and Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780813538716. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
- ^ Staff (2016). "Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) - DadaBase Search Results - Radley Metzger". Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
- ^ Staff (March 4, 2017). "Obituary Of The Righteous - The Porn Of The Fabulous 60s And 70s Loses One Of Its Pioneers And Masters: Radley Metzger - Photographer Of War, The MOMA Presents A Retrospective: His Erotic Films Made History - Video: 'Score', On The Relationships Of Couples Of The 70s, In An Uncensored Version". DagoSpia.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Staff (2016). "Barbara Broadcast - Original Soundtrack Music listing". IMDb. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Staff (2013). "Barbara Broadcast (1977) - OST Music Soundtrack". Ringostrack.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Stone, Jeremy, "Heart-ons in Hollywood: The 5th Annual XRCO Adult Film & Video Awards", Adam Film World, September 1989, Vol. 13, No. 1, p. 10–11, 54.
- ^ Staff, "The XRCO Hall of Fame", Adam Film World Guide 1990 Directory of Adult Films, 1990, p. 17.
Further reading
edit- Cook, David A. (2002). History of the American cinema. Vol. 9. University of California Press. pp. 274–275. ISBN 0-520-23265-8.
- Heffernan, Kevin, "A social poetics of pornography", Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Volume 15, Issue 3, December 1994, pp. 77–83. doi:10.1080/10509209409361441.
- Lehman, Peter, Pornography: film and culture, Rutgers depth of field series, Rutgers University Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8135-3871-8.
- Williams, Linda, Hard core: power, pleasure, and the "frenzy of the visible", University of California Press, 1999, ISBN 0-520-21943-0.
External links
edit- Barbara Broadcast at MUBI (related to The Criterion Collection)
- Barbara Broadcast at IMDb.
- Barbara Broadcast at the Adult Film Database
- Barbara Broadcast on the Amazon WebSite.
- Barbara Broadcast − behind the scenes
- Barbara Broadcast − 2013 restoration at DistribPix Archived February 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
- Barbara Broadcast (Trailer-1; 04:09); (Trailer-2; 10:04).
