Fun political comedy about a man (Paul Thomas) running for office on a clean-up The Deuce platform, who's a total horndog. Annette Haven is the journalist out to show his hypocrisy. What makes this one stand apart is it's well written, none of the humour is corny or slapstick so it plays like a clever satire as opposed to most porn comedies that are over the top with groaners. Add in a great cast and crew and it adds up to being a winner.
5 Reviews
Admirable political porn from the Golden Age
lor_26 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Ron Sullivan directed this excellent feature in the vein of Redford's classic "The Candidate" a decade before, and it plays like a real film. This couldn't be made today, since instead of 40-minute unedited humping, it manages to integrate 10 concise, sometimes even fleeting, sex scenes and tons of story into a neat 81-minute package.
Paul Thomas is perfectly cast as the candidate, a liberal Democrat running for the U.S. Senate from New York; he's already a sitting congressman. Gimmick is that he's a complete phony, as corrupt as they come, and his comeuppance is telegraphed early on as his campaign manager Joey Silvera, driving the van/bus Thomas uses out on the trail, is in charge of its loudspeaker, hint, hint.
A well-crafted script credited to Sullivan (in his nom de porn Henri Pachard) and Joyce Snyder (a handsome lady who appears later in a non-sex role) has some decent subplots, mainly concerning Thomas's philandering ways. A meaty, powerful main femme role goes to Annette Heinz who does a fantastic job. Sadly, apart from a role given her by Candida Royalle in "Three Daughters", Heinz was wasted in eye candy assignments for the rest of her career.
Film is interesting in bringing other West Coast superstars to Manhattan for a change, not just Thomas and Silvera but also star-billed Annette Haven (as a powerful news reporter). Kelly Nichols is on hand as local content.
It's not merely shooting on 35mm film that distinguished these early classics - it is an entirely different point-of-view by Adult filmmakers who really and truly tried to make feature films that audiences would sit through and enjoy.
To mount my familiar soap box in closing, it is probably no coincidence that as the film era was waning (1983 when this was made), the industry organizations like AVN (note the V for Video in its name) were beginning, and they have clearly contributed to the nonsensical situation where directors and actors now aim at "best anal scene" or "best girl-girl scene" when shooting, a preposterous way to make a movie. When you boil it down, nowadays porn features no longer are made, just "scenes", as in interviews with performers that typically ask: "have you ever done a scene together?".
Paul Thomas is perfectly cast as the candidate, a liberal Democrat running for the U.S. Senate from New York; he's already a sitting congressman. Gimmick is that he's a complete phony, as corrupt as they come, and his comeuppance is telegraphed early on as his campaign manager Joey Silvera, driving the van/bus Thomas uses out on the trail, is in charge of its loudspeaker, hint, hint.
A well-crafted script credited to Sullivan (in his nom de porn Henri Pachard) and Joyce Snyder (a handsome lady who appears later in a non-sex role) has some decent subplots, mainly concerning Thomas's philandering ways. A meaty, powerful main femme role goes to Annette Heinz who does a fantastic job. Sadly, apart from a role given her by Candida Royalle in "Three Daughters", Heinz was wasted in eye candy assignments for the rest of her career.
Film is interesting in bringing other West Coast superstars to Manhattan for a change, not just Thomas and Silvera but also star-billed Annette Haven (as a powerful news reporter). Kelly Nichols is on hand as local content.
It's not merely shooting on 35mm film that distinguished these early classics - it is an entirely different point-of-view by Adult filmmakers who really and truly tried to make feature films that audiences would sit through and enjoy.
To mount my familiar soap box in closing, it is probably no coincidence that as the film era was waning (1983 when this was made), the industry organizations like AVN (note the V for Video in its name) were beginning, and they have clearly contributed to the nonsensical situation where directors and actors now aim at "best anal scene" or "best girl-girl scene" when shooting, a preposterous way to make a movie. When you boil it down, nowadays porn features no longer are made, just "scenes", as in interviews with performers that typically ask: "have you ever done a scene together?".
Delightful hardcore comedy
Woodyanders22 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
New York congressman Nicholas Stern (well played to the smarmy hilt by Paul Thomas) puts on a good front of being a morally upright person. But in reality Stern is actually a slimy womanizing heel who powerful reporter Elvira Lawrence (a charming and radiant portrayal by the ravishing Annette Haven) tries to expose to the public as such.
Director Henri Pachard keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a zippy pace, maintains a likeable lighthearted tone throughout, and makes nice use of various Big Apple locations. The witty script by Pachard and Joyce Snyder offers spot-on stinging satirical commentary on two-faced hypocrite politicians and political corruption. The sex scenes are quite hot and arousing. The tip-top cast of Golden Age adult cinema pros helps a lot: Kelly Nichols as sweet, but frustrated old flame Marybeth, the terrific Annette Heinz as fawning, but fed-up personal assistant Jodee, Joey Silvera as long-suffering campaign manager Tommy Corona, Robert Kerman as sleazy rich jerk Fritz von Holenwohl, and George Payne as incredulous TV producer Henry. Larry Revene's sunny cinematography provides an attractive bright look. An absolute hoot.
Director Henri Pachard keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a zippy pace, maintains a likeable lighthearted tone throughout, and makes nice use of various Big Apple locations. The witty script by Pachard and Joyce Snyder offers spot-on stinging satirical commentary on two-faced hypocrite politicians and political corruption. The sex scenes are quite hot and arousing. The tip-top cast of Golden Age adult cinema pros helps a lot: Kelly Nichols as sweet, but frustrated old flame Marybeth, the terrific Annette Heinz as fawning, but fed-up personal assistant Jodee, Joey Silvera as long-suffering campaign manager Tommy Corona, Robert Kerman as sleazy rich jerk Fritz von Holenwohl, and George Payne as incredulous TV producer Henry. Larry Revene's sunny cinematography provides an attractive bright look. An absolute hoot.
Nice Story and Some Great Performances
Michael_Elliott16 February 2020
Public Affairs (1983)
*** (out of 4)
Congressman Nicholas Stern (Paul Thomas) is planning on getting to the Senate by closing the various porn theaters on 42nd Street. He is going after the female vote but reporter Elvira Lawrence (Annette Haven) sets out to prove that he's a no good hypocrite.
Henri Pachard's PUBLIC AFFAIRS is often considered one of the better hardcore pictures out there and it's easy to see why with its nice cast, good direction and of course a story that actually works. They say the best hardcore pictures manage to work even if there wasn't any sex and that's probably true, although I doubt anyone is going to be afraid of what sex is on display.
The story here is actually quite simple but there's certainly a message behind it. Porn has always been attacked and yet I'm sure many of the people attacking it either use it or perhaps are even worse than whatever ideas they have about hardcore movies. That's pretty much the story here, which is to call out hypocrites who attack the genre but do much worse themselves.
The cast is certainly terrific with both Haven and Thomas doing an excellent job in their roles and the supporting cast includes the likes of Robert Kerman, Kelly Nichols and Annette Heinz.
*** (out of 4)
Congressman Nicholas Stern (Paul Thomas) is planning on getting to the Senate by closing the various porn theaters on 42nd Street. He is going after the female vote but reporter Elvira Lawrence (Annette Haven) sets out to prove that he's a no good hypocrite.
Henri Pachard's PUBLIC AFFAIRS is often considered one of the better hardcore pictures out there and it's easy to see why with its nice cast, good direction and of course a story that actually works. They say the best hardcore pictures manage to work even if there wasn't any sex and that's probably true, although I doubt anyone is going to be afraid of what sex is on display.
The story here is actually quite simple but there's certainly a message behind it. Porn has always been attacked and yet I'm sure many of the people attacking it either use it or perhaps are even worse than whatever ideas they have about hardcore movies. That's pretty much the story here, which is to call out hypocrites who attack the genre but do much worse themselves.
The cast is certainly terrific with both Haven and Thomas doing an excellent job in their roles and the supporting cast includes the likes of Robert Kerman, Kelly Nichols and Annette Heinz.
For Bad Classic Porn Enthusiasts
CharlesPeterWatson2 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Having seen the early-80's Playboy Channel's R-rated version of "Public Affairs" through the scrambled broadcast made for non-paying viewers, I had to recapture what I missed and was deprived of by getting the original version, mainly the first two sex scenes.
The film is about Congressman Nicholas Stern's run for Senate. His campaign, financed by Fritz von Holenwohl via his wife/Nick's ex-fiancé Marybeth Butterfingers, involves fighting pornography and prostitution. Using his speech-recording aide Jodee for sexual favors and Sternmobile driver Tommy Corona as a semi-gopher, Stern is backing new legislation allowing foreigners to vote within New York State, the scandal of which news reporter Elvira Lawrence is trying to bring to light. When Nick's upcoming engagement is mentioned by Fritz during an orgy to appease a shiek for financial support, Jodee, and soon Tommy and Elvira, work in their own way to let Stern fail in his campaign. Tommy and Elvira have a torrid affair threatened by Tommy's loyalty to Stern and Elvira's search for the truth. Marybeth decides after a long thought of her past relationship with Stern to rekindle her sex life with Stern.
Bedding and BS recur throughout the movie, even with the attempt to sound more legitimate.
The film is about Congressman Nicholas Stern's run for Senate. His campaign, financed by Fritz von Holenwohl via his wife/Nick's ex-fiancé Marybeth Butterfingers, involves fighting pornography and prostitution. Using his speech-recording aide Jodee for sexual favors and Sternmobile driver Tommy Corona as a semi-gopher, Stern is backing new legislation allowing foreigners to vote within New York State, the scandal of which news reporter Elvira Lawrence is trying to bring to light. When Nick's upcoming engagement is mentioned by Fritz during an orgy to appease a shiek for financial support, Jodee, and soon Tommy and Elvira, work in their own way to let Stern fail in his campaign. Tommy and Elvira have a torrid affair threatened by Tommy's loyalty to Stern and Elvira's search for the truth. Marybeth decides after a long thought of her past relationship with Stern to rekindle her sex life with Stern.
Bedding and BS recur throughout the movie, even with the attempt to sound more legitimate.
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