Pornstar

By Ian Gittler

Pornstar is a mesmerizing, definitive examination of life at the epicenter of Americas multibillion-dollar sex entertainment industry. When Ian Gittler began photographing porn stars, his intent --... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684827158
• ISBN13: 9780684827155
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 2.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.8" x 0.8" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

great book on a difficult subject

I can't ad much to the other positive reviews here. The photography is real and sober, it takes the hype and other worldly qualities we usually associate with the porn product away. Gittler makes those who work in this industry real people like anyone, If you cut them do they not bleed, if you smite their face do they not shed a tear.Gittler as well stepped back and allowed his subject to speak for itself. I found this one of the most informative books on the industry,and it is rather difficult to step back,and see porn from the inside.Everyone is quick to denounce it,yet the entire advertisement entertainment industry behemoth couldn't exist without peddling their stuff through the female body. There seem to be untold layers surrounding porn, well protection.And it shares itself with other industries, where a few make the most, and most fall from it without much$$$$, And there never is a shortage of deaths as Savannah, (The Book's Cover),and double dealings. There are probably more people who enjoy porn than you think.

Wonderful, Sad Exploration into the U.S. Pornography Scene

_Pornstar_ is a wonderful, saddening excursion into the behind-the-scenes world of American pornography. Although centered in southern California and New York, American pornography affects all Americans, drives the economy, and pushes technology (would CD-ROM's and videotape be as popular without the intial pioneers that pornography creates?).Gittler involved himself in ways that question his journalistic integrity, yes, but he is honest, almost too much so. The heartbreak I felt as I read the final chapters of this book carried over from the pain in the lives of the pornstars Gittler documents.Gittler is up-close and personal with notable porn actors, actresses, and directors: Jon Dough, Savannah, and John Stagliano, to name a few.This is not a book that promotes pornography; Gittler even refused to give permission to use one of his images of Nina Hartley for mouse pads, although he probably would have profitted nicely from the sales. Gittler, as much as readers may be disappointed with him for what he does in his documentary research, is a person searching for truth, not a cheap thrill or a quick buck.Gittler is an accomplished photographer. His portraits seek to reveal the true, often hidden character of the subject. He uses black and white images, "Hollywood lighting," available light, and shallow depth of field to a wonderful advantage; I never thought that Ron Jeremy looked more sinsiter than in Gittler's shot of him and a devil's trident or that Nina Hartley could be a female nude, not a naked woman. Great technique and imagination make Gittler one of my favorite photographers and someone I would like to work with some day.Aside from a few explicit photographs of intercourse on the set, this is a book suitable for classroom discussion or your home coffee table. The portraits are of nudes, yes, but tastefully done and REAL, gritty. _Pornstar_ is a must read for anyone who wants to understand this highs and pitfalls of this industry.

correction to another's review

FYI--Ian Gittler was originally a photographer (not a Details magazine writer) whose work has appeared in several magazines.

This is a must have book for fans of the porn industry...

I read the preview article in Rolling Stones and I couldn't wait for the book. Ian Gittler captured the world of porn in a way I didn't think possible. The pictures just take you in. I didn't think that porn star (legend) Ron Jeremy was capable of having a good picture taken of him but what do you know...Even his picture is unforgettable. Anybody out there who loves porn (and you know who you are) should own this book.

Lush documentary photographs, an objective portrayal.

Read the Rolling stone article and was surprised to receive a beautiful coffee table book with so many great photographs. One that sticks in my mind is a shot of a beautiful, fresh-faced young woman before her first shoot, holding up proof of age for a producer's camera. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and say, "don't do it!"