User Reviews

Quite an interesting documentary film. I noticed it as a "new addition" to the Netflix streaming movies and watched it that way. One of those interviewed in the film is an agent in the porn film industry, and it is he who says "X is forever."

And that is part of the running theme here. Many of the porn stars included in this film are in the 40 to 70 year old range, some of them out of the porn industry for some years. Yet, inevitably something creeps into their lives related to someone else finding out about their former careers. No matter what their current orientation, like strong Christian or real estate agent or just happily married and retired, it seems that yes, the "X is forever."

Most of the females seem to have gotten into porn after family difficulties in their youth, while generally the men just lucked into it as a way to make a few extra bucks. Some of them, especially several of the women, come across as very intelligent and well-spoken. One, Asia Carrrera (birth name Jessica Andrea Steinhauser) is a member of Mensa. So in general all of them seem not too different from any random slice of life, except for their careers in porn film.

Interesting documentary film, just to see what life after porn can look like. Of note, some of them have gotten back in again, often simply to supplement their income. Sex between two people has always been a private thing, "taboo" to share with family and friends, but many in the porn industry just see it as another, mostly emotionless, activity that they can get paid very well for.

The film includes a modest amount of clips of films of the various stars, but in total it isn't even a "hard R" compared to many of the raunchy, R-rated films coming out regularly.

I think 'After Porn Ends' brings to light a prudent question: what those who make their living in the porn business do after... after... they finish it? Well, the movie tells us that not everybody in this field really stops for good; even the actresses, who are most requested in their early twenties or so, they can continue working in parallel or do something-porn-related when they get older. The main thing, according to the film, is that these people live in their own world when they are into this. The parties, the drugs, the trips, they're all consequences of this chosen life. You might raise the question: 'But why did they choose this kind of life?' a psychologist says that most of them see this as an only opportunity to be somebody, somehow; to escape from their own lives, usually a life of struggles, with financial difficulties; not to mention that some of them (I guess a small part, since the movie didn't delve into that much) were molested by parents or adults when kids. It's interesting to see some ex-porn stars doing something far different now. What seems they cannot run away is from being, to some extent, judged by other people in a moment somebody finds out on the Internet that this very person used to make a living by sucking a bunch of cocks, for example. I don't know,but those who left this industry behind seem to resent that they were part of it someday. The feeling is normally of shame and what's worse, they didn't get rich as they guessed. The film does a good job showing these people expressing their opinions. I just thought that it could go further on the psychological analysis - the psychologist speaks for less than a minute or two in the whole movie, while some ex-stars don't have, let's say, something too enlightening to say.

If you've ever wondered what becomes of a porn actress once she is put out to pasture, AFTER PORN ENDS examines that very curiosity, and more than satisfactorily so.

Moreover, the documentary helps to explain how it is some women end up working in the porn industry. For a few it's the fame that attracts them to the business; for the majority, however, it is strictly the money. I'm guessing none feel they are divinely called to this line of work, and with good reason.

One learns that even the most popular of porn stars work only a few years in the biz. The industry simply isn't kind to cellulite, double chins, crow's-feet, liver spots, and the like. Rare is the actress who's over the hill and still performing. By thirty, most female porn stars have hung up their panties and have moved on to other attire.

You may be wondering, what previous job skills and experience do these ladies possess that would look good on a resume or be impressive to one conducting a job interview? The good news is is that for most of these women they somehow manage to ease their way into the workforce and make the transition effortlessly, and are not entirely stigmatized for the remainder of their lives, if at all.

Here we meet a former porn actress turned Christian activist. Three of the eleven subjects which the movie spotlights are men. One of them talks about the decision he made to become a porn actor over the life of a rabbi. Another among the eight, following her retirement from the industry, ended up running for governor of California and finished in tenth place. These are for the most part post-smut success stories. Far from landing up in the gutter, we're introduced to still other former porn actresses who would go onto become counselors, or real estate agents, or private detectives. No joke! (So much for their not being cut out for the daily grind.)

AFTER PORN ENDS is tastefully presented (i.e. Non-explicit) and does not glamorize what is essentially in the eyes of many a degrading, loathsome industry. We learn, for instance, about the dysfunctional backgrounds a lot of these women had prior to their starring in pornos and how some of them were runaways. It is interesting that some of these women were discovered and approached by industry recruiters while at one time enrolled in modeling school or as contestants in beauty pageants. So sad that these women were brought down to the level of the demeaning sleazeball. Fortunately, their time spent in the industry was brief and for some was a regrettable experience. As with the one former actress who, upon exiting, started a foundation that helps to rescue women from the industry. 'Tis a case, in a sense, of what goes around.

I have a love/hate relationship with the sex industry. I really don't get how screwing for money on video is legal, while screwing for money is illegal. It's very hypocrite type society law. It's weird that pornstar are sub-culture celebrities and prostitutes & johns are ostracized criminals in the US. In a country that support freedom, it's very weird in its limited in the definitions of those sexual freedoms. I think it's a man or woman right if she wants to get into the sex industry. Still, I don't think it's should be celebrated or people should be punish for it. Indeed, sex is healthy for adults, but too much sex or lack of it, isn't good for you. I really don't like the sex industry; when people are forced to join the sex industry against their will, acts upon violence, misandry & misogyny attitudes, careless of diseases, or target children. I just can't bared to watch it. Like it or not pornography is still a billion dollar industry. Sex sells. Like other modern media entertaining industry, it's slowly dying due to piracy and over market saturation. Its reasons like this, why a great deal of ex-pornstars at leaving the industry. Directed by Bryce Wagoner, the movie showcase a number of ex-pornstars after their own climax. Like any other type of work, retiring has its ups and downs. For these porn-stars, most of them, had a horrible job of adapting to life after porn due to the stigma of being the porn-industry. After all, it's rare that pornstar would be taken seriously in a serious job field. This is why no one looks seem acting in pornography as a legitimate career choice to put on a resume. While others, just cause their lives to get worst, by getting into drug or alcohol problem. If anything is to blame, it's their bad judgment and falling into vices. Yes, some of them were taking advantage of, but for the most of them. It was their call to go into it. There is few found any sense of success. The movie is not out to preach in either its favor or condemnation of having a porn industry, but it does tend to sway on focusing on the dark side of porn. The stories we hear varied from way depressing to watch, to just curiously. None of them were really that fun to hear talking. The only one that seem interesting was the pornstar that turn into a bounty hunter. The others interviewers lives are just too gloomy, mediocre, annoying or mundane. For a movie, that is supposed to be a movie after porn. They talk a great depth about how they got into porn, and what they did. The film-makers even need to overlay the audio from the interviews with some nude footage during the subjects' careers as if its fanfare so people wouldn't get bored. It's hard to take what they are saying about what they currently doing seriously, when the nude footage like the Houston 500 world-record breaking gangbang featuring 500 men making you spaced out when one of them are talking about her life with cancer. Are we really supposed to take the women that went to political activists or found God seriously after watching footage of her past fooling around? It's really hard to. Some of the footage seems really out of place, and the camera-work was lousy at times. Overall: Most of the interview felt like underdeveloped disorganized stories. It even dragged at times. Had the movie focused on, one direction, maybe the film could had work. Honestly, the movie does have a good compelling personal story if only it really dig deep and ask the tough questions. You really don't see that. The movie really needed a narrative. Some sense of storytelling with merit. Something to get us from point A to point B. It should be something like 2008's MTV documentary True Life: I'm addicted to porn about Jayden James or 2005's Inside Deep Throat about Linda Lovelace. Truly, indeed this is not a movie you could watch with your kids or parents. I was deeply surprised how much they didn't focus on. Like gay ex pornstars. Honestly, this movie would had at less, have one interview with one of them. Another one is more ethic ex- pornstars! I would had love to see how a black person or Hispanic is dealing with leaving porn. The movie could had also feature, life as an ex-pornstar while living in other countries. There are countless ex-pornstars in Italy, and Japan, alone. It would nice to see how strict, or sexual freedom, the politics are in those countries. The movie didn't even mention some of the biggest stars that the industry had. No mention of John Holmes, Traci Lords, Jenna Jameson, Linda Lovelace, Ron Jeremy and others was a letdown. In my opinion, the movie could had been told better.

Let's be honest, most of us (blokes especially) have watched or been curious about pornography at least once (or many times). I remember seeing this documentary film, or one or two of its sequels, listed on Netflix, and I was interested to watch it, especially seeing adult stars I may recognise. Basically, the film explores what happens to the actresses and actors who have been in the adult industry, how and why they got into it, their experiences after leaving the industry, and whether it is possible to live a normal life following their exposure (fame, being nude, having sex onscreen, and everything else). Interviewed and sharing their experiences before, during and after being in porn are: Amber Lynn, Asia Carrera, Bobby Slayton, Crissy Moran, Houston, Mary Carey, Nina Hartley, Randy West, Raylene, Seka and Tyffany Million. Most of the stars left the industry to concentrate on a marriage or having children, turning to religion or politics (especially campaigning about the negative aspects of the industry), or just wanting to find themselves and do other things. All the stars talk about the positive aspects of the industry, from the fame (hanging out with other adult stars and celebrities), the fortune, and the experiences (sexual or not), including the changes that came in each decade (from softcore to hardcore magazines, cinema screenings, home video, the internet, and attitudes towards body types, ethnicities, tattoos, etc). They are also open about the negative things that come with being in pornography, including negative press, troubles with personal and public relationships, friendships, health problems, finding other employment, and knowing that whatever they do next, they cannot fully escape their past. You may be fascinated if you recognise the former adult stars talking about themselves, and even if you don't, this is a part of the multi-million business that perhaps not thought of as much, and it makes for some interesting stories. There are obviously parts of the film that will cause distress when they discuss the bad things that can happen going into an industry built around being naked and having sex onscreen, but it gives you a good insight into the people behind the flesh you have seen on video and on the internet, a reasonable documentary. Worth watching!