"Back Issues: The Hustler Magazine Story" is the definitive documentary on porn magazine Hustler, from its nightclub inception on through today, as it adapts to pornography in the 21st century. Director Michael Lee Nirenberg's father was one of the original art directors in the 1970s and 1980s.
What makes this so great is that it is not just a look at Larry Flynt, but also tackles Screw magazine and Al Goldstein. And it may surprise people that Hustler was more influenced by Screw than Penthouse or Playboy, which are the more widely-known magazines of the type.
And hearing the Flynt thinks Hefner would be more comfortable with Time magazine than Playboy? This is probably spot on, because Hefner is actually a rather conservative individual despite the obvious appearance to the contrary. And Penthouse was seen as art and was trying to be art? (Ron Jeremy actually backs this up, suggesting they were more like fashion models.)
This is just so incredible, beginning to end, and highlights a piece of 20th century history that has yet to fully be explored.
What makes this so great is that it is not just a look at Larry Flynt, but also tackles Screw magazine and Al Goldstein. And it may surprise people that Hustler was more influenced by Screw than Penthouse or Playboy, which are the more widely-known magazines of the type.
And hearing the Flynt thinks Hefner would be more comfortable with Time magazine than Playboy? This is probably spot on, because Hefner is actually a rather conservative individual despite the obvious appearance to the contrary. And Penthouse was seen as art and was trying to be art? (Ron Jeremy actually backs this up, suggesting they were more like fashion models.)
This is just so incredible, beginning to end, and highlights a piece of 20th century history that has yet to fully be explored.