Pornographic films are motion pictures that explicitly depict sexual intercourse and other sexual acts, typically for the purpose of sexual arousal in the viewer. They appeared shortly after the creation of the motion picture in the early 1900s. Pornographic films have much in common with other forms of pornography. Pornography is often referred to as "porn" and a pornographic work as a "porno." Older names for a pornographic movie include "adult film," "stag film," and "blue movie." In general, "softcore" refers to pornography that does not depict penetration or "extreme fetish" acts, while "hardcore" refers to pornography that depicts penetration and/or extreme fetish acts. For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pornographic movies Pornography (Porn) (from Greek πόρνη (porne) prostitute and γραφή (grafe) writing), more informally referred to as porn or porno, is the explicit representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... Softcore is a form of pornography that is less explicit than hardcore pornography in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. ... Jenna Jameson with Savanna Samson in a classic hardcore porn movie, The New Devil In Miss Jones (2005) Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. ...

Throughout its history, the movie camera has been used for pornography, but for most of that time pornographic movies were typically available only by underground distribution, for projection at home or in private clubs and also night cinema's. Only in the 1970s were pornographic films semi-legitimized; by the 1980s, pornography on home video achieved distribution unimagined only decades earlier. The rise of the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s similarly changed distribution of pornography, and furthermore complicated legal prosecution of obscenity. The Arricam ST, a popular 35 mm film camera currently used on major productions. ... The home video business rents and sells videocassettes and DVDs to the public. ...

Pornography is a thriving, financially profitable business: according to a 2004 Reuters article, "The multi-billion-dollar industry releases about 11,000 titles on DVD each year, giving it tremendous power to sway the battle between two groups of studios and technology companies competing to set standards for the next generation".^[1]

History

Early examples

Images from early Austrian erotic movies (about 1906, by photographer Johann Schwarzer and his Saturn Film company).

See also: History of erotic depictions

Pornographic motion pictures are nearly as old as the medium itself. According to Patrick Robertson's Film Facts, "the earliest pornographic motion picture which can definitely be dated is A L'Ecu d'Or ou la bonne auberge", made in France in 1908; the plot depicts a weary soldier who has a tryst with an inn's servant girl. Robertson notes that the Argentine pornographic film El Satario might be even older; it has been dated to somewhere between 1907 and 1912. Robertson notes that "the oldest surviving pornographic films are contained in America's Kinsey Collection." One film demonstrates how early pornographic conventions were established. The German film Am Abend (c. 1910) is, as Robertson writes, "a ten-minute film which begins with a woman masturbating alone in her bedroom, and progresses to scenes of her with a man performing sex, fellatio and anal penetration." (Robertson, p. 66) Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (405x1157, 440 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pornographic film User:Markaci/Nudity History of erotic depictions Nudity and sexuality Metadata This file contains additional information... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (405x1157, 440 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pornographic film User:Markaci/Nudity History of erotic depictions Nudity and sexuality Metadata This file contains additional information... Roman oil lamp depicting coitus more ferarum Erotic depictions include paintings, sculpture, photographs, dramatic arts, music and writings that show scenes of a sexual nature. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Alfred Charles Kinsey (June 23, 1894 – August 25, 1956), was an American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology who in 1947 founded the Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, now called the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. ... Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Madhur forcing Nicks mother to cooperate. ... Roman men having anal sex. ...

Pornographic movies were widespread in the silent movie era of the 1920s, and were often shown in brothels. Many pornographic films were made in subsequent decades, but given the usually clandestine nature of the filming and distribution, details of such "stag films" are often difficult to obtain. It is probably reasonable to assume that many sexually explicit films made before about 1950 are lost forever. This article is about the comedy film. ... The 1920s is a decade that is sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ... A lost film is a film which, for any of several reasons, is no longer in existence. ...

1960s and 1970s: Changing laws, changing attitudes

In the 1960s, some attitudes towards the depiction of sexuality began to change. European movies like Kärlekens Språk (1969) were sexually explicit, but were framed as a quasi-documentaries, which made their legal status uncertain. DVD cover of Kärlekens SprÃ¥k Kärlekens sprÃ¥k (US title: Language of Love) is a 1969 Swedish film directed by Torgny Wickman. ...

One important court case in the U.S. was Miller v. California. The case established that obscenity was not legally protected, but the case also established the Miller test, a three-pronged test to determine obscenity (which is not legal) as opposed to indecency (which may or may not be legal). Holding Obscene materials are defined as those that the average person, applying contemporary community standards, find, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest; that depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable state law; and that, taken as a whole, lack serious... Obscenity in Latin obscenus, meaning foul, repulsive, detestable, (possibly derived from ob caenum, literally from filth). The term is most often used in a legal context to describe expressions (words, images, actions) that offend the prevalent sexual morality of the time. ... The Miller test is the United States Supreme Courts test for determining whether speech or expression can be labeled obscene, in which case it is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and can be prohibited. ... A dictionary definition of Indecent not conforming with accepted standards of behaviour or morality. ...

Porn chic

More permissive legislation permitted the rise of "XXX-rated" movie theaters in the United States in the 1970s. There was also a proliferation of coin-operated "movie booths" in sex shops that displayed pornographic "loops" (so-called because they projected a movie from film arranged in a continuous loop). A typical multiplex (AMC Promenade 16 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, United States). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... Front window of a Tokyo sex shop advertising adult toys A sex shop is a shop that sells products such as sex toys, pornography, erotic lingerie, erotic books, and safer sex products such as condoms and dental dams. ...

At that time, pornographic movies even approached acceptance into the mainstream movie industry, with films such as Debbie Does Dallas, Juan Does Debbie, Deep Throat, Behind the Green Door, Boys in the Sand and Gerard Damiano's 1972 film The Devil in Miss Jones being shot on film with high production values, and grossing substantial amounts in movie theaters. These helped establish "porn chic" as a cultural trend. Front cover of the 2006 Debbie Does Dallas Definitive Collectors Edition release from VCX. Debbie Does Dallas is a famous 1978 pornographic movie starring Bambi Woods and Christie Ford (appearing under the name of Misty Winter). ... Deep Throat is an American pornographic movie released in the summer of 1972, written and directed by Gerard Damiano and starring Linda Lovelace (the pseudonym of Linda Susan Boreman). ... Behind the Green Door (1972) was the first hardcore pornographic movie widely released in the United States. ... Boys in the Sand is a landmark 1971 gay pornographic film. ... Gerard Damiano is a former adult film director. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) The Devil in Miss Jones is a 1973 Pornographic movie, written and directed by Gerard Damiano. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... The term porn chic was first used in the early 1970s to describe the wave of pornographic movies like Behind the Green Door, Debbie Does Dallas, Deep Throat, The Devil in Miss Jones, and Score that appeared in mainstream moviehouses for the first time. ...

1970s and 1980s: New technology, new legal cases

With the arrival of the home video cassette recorder in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the pornographic movie industry experienced massive growth and spawned adult stars like Ginger Lynn, Christy Canyon, and Traci Lords. One could now not only watch pornography in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, but also find more choices available to satisfy specific fantasies and fetishes. Similarly, the camcorder spurred changes in pornography in the 1980s, when people could make their own amateur sex movies, whether for private use, or for wider distribution. The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Christy Canyon (born Melissa Bardizbanian on June 17, 1966 in Pasadena, California, USA) is a retired American pornographic actress. ... Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma on May 7, 1968), also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress and singer. ... Sony DV Handycam A camcorder is a portable electronic device for recording video images and audio onto an internal storage device. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

It has been suggested that, among other things, Sony Betamax lost the format war to VHS (in becoming the general home video recording/viewing system) because the adult video industry chose VHS instead of the technically superior Sony system. Other attempts at innovation came in the form of "interactive" videos that let the user choose such variables as multiple camera angles, multiple endings (e.g., "Devil in the Flesh", 1999, Private Films), and computer-only DVD content. Sonys Betamax is the 12. ... A format war describes competition between competing, and typically mutually incompatible, data medium formats, usually very costly to the format-owning parties involved. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched...

1987 saw an important legal case in the U.S. when the de facto result of California v. Freeman was the legalization of hardcore pornography. Ironically, the prosecution of Harold Freeman was initially planned as the first in a series of legal cases that would have effectively outlawed the production of such movies. De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... Holding California pandering statute did not criminalize the hiring of actors for nonobscene adult films. ... Jenna Jameson with Savanna Samson in a classic hardcore porn movie, The New Devil In Miss Jones (2005) Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. ...

1990s

Two technologies became prominent in the 1990s that changed pornographic movies: the DVD offered better quality picture and sound, and was embraced by pornographers just as enthusiastically as it was embraced by major Hollywood studios and by private consumers. Erotic film producers are expected to play a major role in deciding the next DVD standard: large outfits tend to support the high-capacity Blu-ray Disc, while small outfits generally favor the less-expensive HD-DVD.^{[citation needed]} DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... A blank rewritable Blu-ray disc (a BD-RE) A Blu-ray Disc (also called BD) is a high-density optical disc format for the storage of digital media, including high-definition video. ... HD DVD, or High-Definition DVD is a high-density optical disc format designed for the storage of data and high-definition video. ...

However, the internet arguably changed the distribution of pornography more than any earlier technology: rather than ordering movies from an adult bookstore, or through mail-order, people could watch pornographic movies on their computers. Rather than waiting weeks for an order to arrive from another U.S. state, one could download a pornographic movie within minutes (or, later, within a few seconds).

The internet also complicated legal prosecution of obscentity cases: if someone downloads a video clip that no one else in their town sees, are community standards violated? If a pornographic movie is produced in one U.S. state and downloaded in another state (after having been routed through half-a-dozen states via an internet service provider), in which jurisdiction should the legal case be introduced? These and related questions are still being sorted out in U.S. courts. Community standards are local norms bounding acceptable conduct. ... “ISP” redirects here. ...

In the UK attitudes to censorship are becoming more relaxed. It is not illegal to make or to perform in pornographic films in the UK. Films with sexually explicit content have been shown on national TV.

2000s

Attitudes to the portrayal of sexual activities on film and on television have become more open in this decade.^{[citation needed]} For example, the film The Idiots, a Danish film made in 1998, was shown on UK TV in the early part of this decade. It includes nudity, an orgy scene, and a full sexual intercourse scene complete with close-up footage of the act. The camera viewpoint was from the ankles of the participants, and the close ups left no-doubt as to what was taking place. These scenes were included when the film was shown on the national TV channel, BBC2. The film has won many international awards for best film and various other film industry awards. Pornographic movies are also known in eastern Asia as "Panu'. The Idiots (Danish: Idioterne) is a 1998 Danish film directed by Lars von Trier. ...

Legal status

Main article: List of pornography laws by region

Pornography laws differ widely from region to region. ...

Sub-genres

Main article: List of pornographic sub-genres

Current pornographic movies can be divided into a number of sub-genres by the sex of the performers, the types of sex act portrayed, and the intended audience. The following are common sub-genres of pornography. ...

Criticism

Main article: Anti-pornography movement

A sign outside an Adult store. ...

AIDS and the porn industry

With the outbreak of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, the pornography industry instituted a system of testing for HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS. The industry's voluntary system involves testing actors once a month for HIV. If the actor does not pass the test, he or she is barred from performing in any more pornographic scenes. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ...

The system seemed to be effective, with very few AIDS cases among porn actors. Marc Wallice, a known IV drug user, tested HIV positive in 1998, sending shockwaves throughout the industry. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Marc Wallice (born Marc Goldberg October 3, 1959) was an American pornographic actor in adult films. ...

In April 2004, an AIDS scare rocked the heterosexual US porn industry when two pornographic actors tested HIV positive in California, the hotbed of U.S. porn production. The straight segment of the porn industry voluntarily shut down for 30 days (a 60 day moratorium was originally announced but it was lifted early) while it tried to deal with the situation. shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love or sexual desire exclusively for members of the opposite sex or gender, contrasted with homosexuality and distinguished from bisexuality and asexuality. ... // A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star (also spelled as pornstar) is somebody who appears in pornographic films or photographs, live sex shows or peep shows. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

As of August 2004, estimates put condom use in the straight porn industry at around seventeen percent of adult performers, virtually the same usage rate as before the industry scare. The gay porn industry is more adamant about condom usage in their productions.

Two actors, Darren James and Lara Roxx, initially tested positive, and were barred from further sexually explicit content production. About sixty actors who had contact with James or Roxx were barred from working until their next round of HIV testing was completed and they were declared HIV negative. A total of five actors were diagnosed with the virus by the end of the moratorium: one male and four females, including one transsexual. Darren James Darren James (born Darren Keith Edwards on February 25, 1964 in Detroit, Michigan) is an black ex-pornographic actor who sent shock waves throughout the adult entertainment industry and made worldwide headlines after testing positive for HIV. The six-year veteran performer tested positive on April 13, 2004... Lara Roxx is a Canadian porn actress who, in March 2004, became the first known individual in four years to contract HIV while making a US porn video. ...

James most likely contracted HIV while filming a pornographic movie in Brazil and then passed it to the other women, excluding the transsexual, who was considered an unrelated case. Roxx was shocked by the news of her HIV status, believing porn actors to be cleaner than the general public. This belief is now in doubt.

Due to this limited outbreak, the California State government is considering regulating the industry. Some propose to mandate the wearing of condoms during sexually explicit scenes. Industry insiders say this would ruin sales of their wares since the unprotected content is one of the selling points of some of their films. They say the wearing of condoms ruins the sexual fantasy of many viewers. Insiders say that such regulation would force the industry underground, where it would be more prone to health risks for performers. The non-profit Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation is working with the government, trying to develop policies that both the industry and the government would find acceptable. A condom is a device, usually made of latex, or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse. ... The Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation is an organization which tests erotic actors for AIDS on a scheduled basis. ...

See also

• Adult Theater
• Amateur pornography
• Carnography
• Porn star
• List of pornographic movie studios
• Sex worker
• Sex industry
• Pornography by region
• Pornography in the United States
• Pornography in Japan
• List of porn stars
• Censorship
• X-rated

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models or actors performing without pay, or for whom this material is their first or only paid modeling work. ... Carnography is writing, films, images, or other material that contains gratuitous amounts of bloodshed, violence and/or weaponry. ... // A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star (also spelled as pornstar) is somebody who appears in pornographic films or photographs, live sex shows or peep shows. ... This is a list of movie studios that produce pornographic (or adult) films. ... A sex worker in Germany A sex worker is a person who earns money by providing sexual services. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The production and distribution of pornographic movies are economic activities of some importance. ... Pornography may use any of a variety of media — written and spoken text, photos, movies, etc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a list of pornographic actors. ... Censorship is defined as the removal and withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... X-rated, X certificate, X classification or similar terms are labels for movies implying strong adult content, typically pornography or violence. ...

Sources

• Patrick Robertson: Film Facts, 2001, Billboard Books, ISBN 0-8230-7943-0