Barbara Broadcast

CinematographyChico Carter
Larry Revene (uncredited)Edited byGene PerryMusic byvarious (uncredited)Distributed byAudubon Films (USA)
VCA Pictures (USA)
Distribpix (USA)82 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

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]

Plot

Barbara 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

Reception

According 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

Barbara 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

According 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

On 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

• Winner 1989 – Member of XRCO Hall of Fame.^[25][26]
• Nominee 2014 – AVN Award (Best DVD Extras).^[8]
• Winner 2015 – X-Rated: Greatest Adult Movies of All Time.^[8]

Music soundtrack

See also

References

Further reading

• 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

• 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).