User reviews

Changing careers is never easy, but it's even harder when your previous job includes starring in movies with titles like "Sorority Sex Kittens 3" and "Backstage Sluts," and doing anal is listed as a special skill. Bryce Wagoner's documentary, "After Porn Ends," interviews a variety of ex-porn stars to find out how they transitioned from adult video stardom to more mainstream lives. Real estate seems to be the preferred profession for a lot of them, though none of the women who went into that field—Houston, Raylene, Amber Lynn—stayed in it. Asia Carrera became a stay-at-home mom, while Crissy Moran and Shelley Lubben became born-again-Christians, renouncing their porn pasts. Self-employment is the easier path to building a life outside of porn: Randy West became a semi-pro golfer; the late John Leslie was a musician and painter (a pretty good one, too); and, perhaps the most interesting career switch, Tyffany Million (a.k.a. Sandra Margot) became a P.I. and bounty hunter. Seka is self-employed, but earns money from her website, capitalizing on her porn fame. Mary Carey used her porn notoriety to get some D-list recognition on reality shows and a couple publicity-grabbing runs for governor of California.

Though "After Porn Ends" is fascinating, many of the stories start to sound alike. For the women, the narrative usually involves running away from an abusive family and battling drug and alcohol problems. For the men it's often a less complicated "Can you believe they PAY ME to have sex with all these women?" (Richard Pacheco recounts how he was contemplating studying to become a Rabbi when he was offered a part in a porn film. "It wasn't a tough decision," he says.) Though a good number of the former sex stars are fairly well-grounded – notably Pacheco, Leslie, Seka, Million – there is, predictably, a lot of sadness here. The pain is not always explicitly detailed and seldom explored, but it's usually visible. Just look at the eyes. Lubben, whose videography is so scant it barely justifies her inclusion in this documentary, and Moran seem to have psychological scars that go beyond their porn careers—scars that a devotion to God hasn't fully healed. As porn legend Nina Hartley observes: "A lot of people who are in porn have no business being in it."

Besides the always enjoyable Hartley (I regret that her response to suggestions she enter politics can't be quoted here), former porn blogger Luke Ford and adult industry fixture William Margold offer insight to the pitfalls of life after porn. One of those pitfalls, it seems, is dealing with men like Ford and Margold, both of whom make it clear they don't have a high opinion of women in the industry (men in the X-biz are cool, though). Ford refers to women in porn as "prostitutes" and "hookers," and while starring in porn is similar, Ford's disdain is disingenuous. Margold at least acknowledges the hypocrisy of porn consumers looking down on adult video stars, but otherwise he's a Hawaiian shirt-wearing stereotype of a sleazy flesh peddler.

Director Wagoner himself offers little insight, letting his subjects speak for themselves. On the surface this hands-off approach is a positive thing, preventing any moralizing or self-conscious sniggering, but there are several instances where I wished he'd asked follow-up questions, like when Lubben talks about how she and the man she eventually married got high on meth and discussed the bible(!), or when Mary Carey, the most vapid of the ex-porn stars, mentions that if she returned to porn she would, eventually, do a scene with a black man, seemingly implying an interracial scene is only a notch above gonzo porn.

As other reviewers have mentioned, making a documentary about the lives of retired porn stars is so obvious it's amazing it hasn't been done before. Though Wagoner does a respectable job with "After Porn Ends," it's hardly definitive. There's room for this subject to be done again.

I found the topic interesting and think it was great that someone finally did a somewhat better job at the topic. It was very passive voice, no questions were asked, there were no interviews, just subjects talking, telling the story. Which was very humanizing but not as informative. I wonder why all the men subjects had been out of porn for so long. Surely there are younger men who have left porn. The industry has changed a lot. Thought their experiences weren't quite as relevant. Of course the bottom line is.....can you ever get a handle on how porn performers really feel about what they do or did? Would they tell the whole truth even if they could?

After Porn ends is an insightful and often poignant documentary that not only reveals the different paths chosen by those who have retired from the adult movie industry, but which also delves into their reasons for entering that particular career in the first place.

Amongst those interviewed for the film:

Tiffany Millions, the bounty hunter/investigator, who has gone from sucking dick to being a private dick. Raylene, the estate agent, who turned to selling houses instead of her body. Crissy Moran, the religious convert, who is still to be found on her knees, only now it's while praying to God. Randy West, the golfer, who went from shaving his balls to hitting them. Amber Lynn, the counsellor, who now gives advice instead of head. John Leslie, the artist—less vinegar strokes, more brush strokes. Houston, the nursing student, who swapped ATM for A&E.

It's a wildly varying set of stories: some of the ex-pornstars seem to be thankful to the adult video industry for the money and opportunities that it afforded them, while others are clearly embarrassed or regretful about their past. Some of them entered the business out of choice, as a means of earning an easy wage, while others gravitated towards porn as the result of a difficult or abusive childhood. Some successfully stay out of porn, but others find it hard to say no forever. Whatever the case, it's interesting to see these people laying bare their souls instead of their bodies.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

Over a dozen adult entertainment industry titans are interviewed for the documentary, including Asia Carrera, Nina Hartley, Mary Carey, Houston, Randy West, John Leslie, Amber Lynn, and Seka. If you're looking for something celebratory of the adult entertainment industry, go elsewhere. Dark and gritty at times, it's far from the most flattering look at the industry.

Curious about the film and its sudden surge of popularity on Netflix, Poguide.com the director, Bryce Wagoner, to discuss why adult film starlets bow out of the business and end their careers. It's a complicated process with no easy individual answer. In short, Wagoner declares the age of the porn-star to be dead. "To be frank, you used to be able to have a relationship with these people over a number of years. Now it's 30, 40, 50 times a year you're going to see this person. You wouldn't want to see that over five years. And then audiences get tired of them and they're disposed of.

Before we start, a quick nit - why the "Ends" in the title, it doesn't add any understand-ability and it sounds more dramatic without it. Anyway, the documentary which covers precisely the material as advertised could easily have been a NPR "Frontline" installment except for the spliced in footage of the subjects' past lives. Kudos to Bryce Wagoner for using that footage both sparingly and as archival material rather than wallowing in it to raise the titillation factor of the film. Also kudos for a balanced presentation between "actors" who suffered from their prior involvement with those who profited from it and those for whom it was just something they did for a living in the past like selling insurance or bookkeeping. Of course, this does take some of heat out of the proceedings and the film does allow the audience's minds to wonder on several occasions particularly during extended interviews. Also, the subject is limited: of course, most former stars will go on to some of a normal life while others will hang on to the industry given a lack of other employment options. In short, a tidy but limited documentary.

The stories are the stories of people. People being people living their lives and making choices. Porn, a variation on the ancient profession, was their vehicle. Even confirmed more by historian, Margold, of the trend toward escort today. Nina shed the most wisdom about actors in the industry. Rightly so, since she of anyone would know. Dr. Malamuth shared some facts of what little air time he had. Ford, the writer, explained them as broken and turbulent souls twisting and turning. I didn't find them to be all broken. Who isn't a turbulent soul twisting and turning in life? Worth a view if you wish to know the person behind the illusion.

I am fascinated by this topic. We have seen the impact of the porn industry on people portrayed in fiction (Boogie Nights, Orgazmo, Lovelace) as well as in other documentary works by Louis Theroux and trashy, exploitative British TV docos. How people interact with the most popular and sought after taboo in the world is always interesting. "Life After Porn", however, doesn't capitalise on its' premise as well as it should.

Positives: The biggest issue when tackling a controversial subject is the potential biases of the film-makers, yet in "After Porn Ends", the people behind the scenes never use their movie as propaganda, or a political tool on either end of the partisan spectrum. I wouldn't be surprised either way if the director and producers were pro or anti-porn. It offers an impartial glimpse into the motivations of a smorgasbord of characters from different aspects and eras of the pornography industry. There are subjects who had positive childhoods, negative childhoods, good parents and bad, loved the work, and those who hated it. By being objective and showing such a wide selection of experiences, the film is showing us that this industry is just like any other in many respects, that your attitude is the key factor in determining your outlook. The equitable framing of all opinions allows audiences to make up their own minds and while you, the viewer, will find your own opinions represented in this doco, maybe you'll see a story that changes your mind, or challenges your previous misconceptions. So it is a film I would recommend on that basis, to contemplate all sides of this complicated commercial enterprise.

Negatives: Most of the flaws are technical. The cinematography is flat-out dull and ugly most of the time, there is no visual flair, and the shots are often shaky and incorporate unnecessary snap-zooms. The music is also completely forgettable, to the point it feels like stock, free-from-YouTube material. There is however a nice little cover of 'The Velvet Undergrounds's "Sweet Jane" during the credits. Easily the worst technical shortcoming was the editing. They clearly needed to shoot with another camera in order to cut away the awkward jump cuts, awkward zoom ins, and to allow the interviews to flow better. There are moments where one person will be interviewed sitting down, CUT to them answering another question in a different location, then CUTting straight back to the initial interview location. It's jarring and makes the production feel so cheap and cookie-cutter.

"After Porn Ends" only truly examines the life of a retired pornstar in the last act, which comes off a little like false advertising. I wish the film-makers had followed a newly retired star on their journey to reconnect with the outside world. However, we simply receive a standard, talking heads documentary with no distinguishing features that makes it remarkable.

Conclusion: You can make up your own mind about whether you want to see this based on my review. It's a good starting point for anyone keen to learn about the business and its' varying effects on individuals. I was never bored, and it's pretty short with one or two sobering moments, and a few compelling interviewees.

You can find it on Netflix, or on other internet platforms.

Thanks for reading :) 5/10

Entertaining presentation and an interesting topic, I wonder why this movie wasn't made 20 years ago.

I'm not a consumer of mainstream adult content, so I did not recognize the interviewees, however I was surprised at how easy it was to identify with them and understand the challenges that they face after they move on.

I'm a fan of documentaries, so I'm biased toward the format, but Exxxit held my interest from beginning to end. In fact, I would like to see more work analyzing this industry, exactly because it is so unique and interesting.

Two thumbs up.

Realistic and sad documentary about the people who left adult entertainment industry and never has a normal life, they has to lives disguised and even so they are recognized some ways, many actors and actress are interviewed to tell their sad stories and how they trying overcame a social segregation, a historian who wrote a book about this matter spoke over the negatives effects of their life forever, some has psychological problems, another says "they are treat as Scum of the society and has no respect for them" after used for long time they are throw in garbage after their attractiveness no longer exist, the same people that enjoy adult movies try to avoid from this people after porn, denying to them a second chance, this a serious subject to study and make all of us think about.

Resume:

First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: Netflix / Rating: 7

This is a laughable attempt at a documentary covering life after the porn business. You have only to look at the list of actors featured to realise that very little room is given to those who were okay with the porn business, and lots of room was given to those who hated it. Nina Hartley, who should have been the centre of this documentary, hardly gets a word in, while the anti-porn crusaders Shelley Lubben and Crissy Moran together cover approximately a third of this "documentary". Of course, their lives were ruined long before porn, but that is basically passed over here, and all the attention is given to how they suffered while making porn, or after they were done with it.

Religion is heavily featured here, and presented as the saviour. Even Asia Carrera, who did not complain about her time, and who is an atheist, still decided to live in Mormon Country, but it was not religion who helped her when her husband died and she had a ton of bills to pay; it was her porn fans.

The person basically telling the story here, narrating the documentary, is Luke Ford, who made his living for many years writing for gossip columns and making up stories for a living. He was sued more than most tabloid journalists of his age, and yet, he is the storyteller granted the most time in this documentary, even though he has no connections whatsoever with the adult industry. For that reason alone, this "documentary" should be disqualified from that genre.

After Porn Ends (2010)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Director Bryce Wagoner takes a look at various porn stars and find out how they got into the business, what the work was like and then what they did with their lives after their career. Asia Carrera, Luke Ford, Mary Carey, Nina Hartley, Houston, John Leslie, Amber Lynn, Crissy Moran, Richard Pacheco, Raylene and Seka are just a few of the names who are interviewed about their time in the business and afterwards. I've seen quite a few documentaries on the porn industry and this one here is pretty good. Like most others, everyone who was involved each has a different story to tell as some are happy they did it, some blame the industry for taking advantage of their personal demons, some just want the money and that's it and others just want to be forgotten for what they did. The stuff here with Houston, who at one time held the record for a gang bang, was pretty interesting because of how she feels today and it's fascinating to hear her talk about how her daughter doesn't want her to go to certain functions because people will recognize her. Some other interesting stories deal with the downfall of Carrera whose life hit some very bad times after getting away from the business. It's doubtful fans of the genre are going to hear or learn anything new here but for the most part I think the film remains entertaining from start to finish. Those worried about actual hardcore footage have nothing to worry about as there's none of that but of course there's a lot of nudity. The only thing I would say is that I think a better film could be made out of interviewing those who didn't make it big. These people here mostly got fame and at least a lot of money for a short period of time. It would be interested to hear from those who got in the business hoping to make it big but just ended up in the more trashy side of things.

Docs about the porn industry are always inherently entertaining to hetero men on some level as it covers ladies who get naked. Sex sells. The issue with "inside" looks is everything can be boiled down into a few sentences or cliches if you will. A hit 'n miss double edged sword that 'After Porn Ends' can't escape.

Typically you'll get a particular viewpoint (good, bad) shoved down your throat or they take the neutral route and let the stories highs and lows sell themselves. That's what's going on here and with countless "talking heads" docs. Sometimes interviews, clips run with a well put together stream of thought and other times it feels random, forced or disingenuous.

Time spent with both sexes in different roles from on-screen talent to producers to directors never gains a solid narrative foothold. Even at it's strongest everything you hear isn't always interesting or can be taken at face value. If you're been down this road before some of the material is bound to be old news too. Some good - inner peace, success - and counterbalance that with the bad. Abuse, heartbreak, sadness, regret. Perhaps the highest regard you can give docs like this is their ability to shatter the illusion and separate fantasy from reality. Acknowledge these people as real human beings and 'After Porn Ends' does that.

This documentary is a great look at the effects of working in the porn industry , but you do need to take some of what is said with a certain amount of salt.

Shelley Lubben, for example, is clearly unhinged and almost everything that she says in this (and in interviews in other places) is at best a distortion of the truth. She was severely mentally ill and worked as a prostitute for several years before working in porn, but somehow the porn industry ruined her life. Yeah...

Anyway, it's a great look at the industry, and one thing that really stuck with me is that it's difficult to tell in some cases whether or not the person was damaged by the industry or if they were already carrying scars from earlier events in their lives.

So the movie tries to give us an insight into the life (or after-life?) of those who have done porn movies. Depending on your viewing habbits, you may be able to recognize people involved here. But even if you never heard of them, the documentary tells you what they've done and where they went from there. A nice touch is the ending bit, where you get a "where are they now"/"what are they doing now?".

Some of it seems a bit negative, but it just may have to do with the people that got selected. I do wonder if Jenna Jameson was asked to do that. Arguably one of the most famous ones, who also has retired (although she has shown privately that she has gone off the rails). Well if you don't count Pamela Anderson, who might have (unwillingly?) pioneered the celebrity Sex tape thing. So if you are interested what people go through, after their career this is the first one to watch ...

Even though I have found the production of this documentary pretty simple and cheap (the reason of my 5/10 punctuation), I have also come across some interesting ideas by myself out of it: I really think this is the kind of show from which you can take many more thoughts if you stop it and analyze it in your mind.

Will they ever have a normal life, even if not being recognized? Will their kids be able to understand sex on a safe way? And by the way: what is "understanding sex safely"? Did their career had something to do with their childhood? Is society an hypocrite or were they wrong?

The list goes on and on and just doesn't involve sex and life-choices but also matters such as religion, society, politics and family.

A tale told by the top of the iceberg.

PS: English is not my first language so sorry for any grammar mistakes. Corrections will be appreciated.

Well, the title of my review already says it. Nothing much to add. I just don't understand why people would rate this badly. This movies just hears the people involved and tell their story. The person that rated this badly most probably has issues, conflicts, hipocrisies and certainly a lot of prejudices. This is certainly a terapeutic movie, for our sexuality and our preconceived (and mostly wrong) notions about sex, sexuality and pornography in our society and in our behaviour/interaction with those matters.

Despite the provocative poster and provocative title, there's very little provocative material in here.

For what you were actually expecting, I'd recommend Louis Theroux's documentaries on the subject. After Porn Ends seems content with the fact that porn stars have to exist after the cameras stop rolling, and after they retire; and as such, it meanders. There's no great sense of purpose or depth to any of the questions. Its more than a bit depressing, but not in a fascinating way like in Theroux's works.

Having said all that, some of the stars are quite likable in small doses so I got some enjoyment out of that. Just not very much.

1/5

"After Porn Ends" is a good example of, "well it looked good on paper." The idea of a documentary about former porn A-listers trying to survive in the real world after retirement from the industry is an excellent idea. In fact, that's the exact reason why I watched this doc from 2012. However, in reality, I'm disappointed that it didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. That's just one of many issues I have with this doc.

"After Porn Ends" interviews the likes of Amber Lynn, Asia Carrera, Houston, Raylene, and also trail blazers Nina Hartley and Randy West, and many more ex-porn-industry A-listers (but no Ron Jeremy? WTF?). They tell their story in the first person, revealing their admiration's and hesitations about their past and current lives. They explain how and why they entered the industry and the feelings they experienced along they way. Take your best guess on how they answered these questions and you'll probably be right.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" (1997) pretty much hits the nail right on the head about what it's like before, during and after the on-camera sex. What I learned from that movie already confirmed what I guessed to be true about the real porn world, making this documentary moot. Many porn stars made a lot of money when times were good, but a lot of them blew the money on drugs and alcohol, ended up broke and/or in trouble, had a hard time keeping a stable home life, and eventually returned to porn to make ends meet. Some of the women were tricked into it, and some were sexually abused as children, and some felt that sex was the same as love and that's why they stayed. Some have no employable skills at all, could never work a 9-to-5 job, and/or are avoided like the plague because of their porn industry dealings. That's pretty much the gist of this doc....and Boogie Nights: art imitating life imitating art. "Boogie Nights" is more entertaining, though. Watch that instead.

"After Porn Ends" has the look and feel of a quickly-put-together-film-school-project. Swish-pans and quick-zooms that look like the editor forgot to cover them up with B-roll. Actually, considering the amount of material these porn stars shot in their lifetime, I was expecting a lot more B-roll and less talking-head. If you need to have a 45-second clip of someone talking, fine, just make sure you have 40-seconds of interesting visuals to cover that. You learn that in your first year of film school.

What I found the most interesting were the scholars talking about the psychological affect the industry has on both porn-stars and viewers, and how being an adult film star (current or former) will follow you everywhere until your death. Like the mafia, "you are never really out." Although, even that, I pretty much knew already because whether you're a porn star or not, thanks to the internet, your history is never really history. I know, right, tell you something you didn't already know.

The plot was lousy and the persons talking seemed stilted and didn't know the subject. If some proper actors were used instead of amateurs it might have been enjoyable to watch. A low budget hard to watch documentary about a subject that has been done before by better producers. Is very similar to after and before prostitution and would have been better with a little more research.

As other reviewers have mentioned, making a documentary about the lives of retired porn stars is so obvious it's amazing it hasn't been done before. Though Wagoner does a respectable job with "After Porn Ends," it's hardly definitive. There's room for this subject to be done again.