'Deep Throat' 50th Anniversary Tour Comes to California

LOS ANGELES—Gerard Damiano Jr. and Christar Damiano, son and daughter of legendary filmmaker Gerard Damiano Sr., bring their Deep Throat 50th anniversary tour—launched almost one year ago in New York—to California beginning today with a presentation at UC Santa Barbara to Professor Constance Penley’s Porn 101 Class, which itself is celebrating its 30 year mark, throughout which it has started each semester with a screening of the film. A talkback moderated by Penley's students will follow, with a discourse that will include Golden Age porn stars Annie Sprinkle and Richard Pacheco. The Damianos have made a new 4K version of their father’s best-known film and restored it back to his original vision. "Our father always dreamt of making films in Hollywood, so we are proud to honor him by ending our World Tour by bringing his best-known film to California," says Christar Damiano. Her brother adds, “Everyone has heard of Deep Throat, but today few have actually seen it. It’s hard for younger generations to imagine what the big deal was when it was released in 1972. This is why we’ve followed each screening with a discussion where we are joined by film critics, historians, sex worker’s rights advocates, and even porn stars. We take questions from the audience and engage in conversation which leads to a deeper understanding of the events leading up to the making of the film and the impact that it had afterwards. “This trip to California including Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Ana and Oakland not only celebrates the golden anniversary of Deep Throat, but is also to honor our beloved father whose dream it was to bring his movies to mainstream Hollywood,” he continues. “Academic Porn 101 starts with Deep Throat at UC Santa Barbara and then we celebrate at participating clubs and theaters.” Comments Penley, “I have been teaching a course on pornography at UC Santa Barbara for 30 years. The students are advanced film and media studies majors who examine pornography as film and popular culture, a genre and industry. On the first day of class, I always show Deep Throat. After all, why not begin with the money shot of porn film history? The students are always astonished, saying, 'It's a real film with a script, acting, special effects, and an original score! And it's a comedy, full of delicious puns and comic twists, including the surprise ending!' Then, when they view other of Damiano's films, such as The Devil in Miss Jones, they become even more convinced they are seeing true cinematic creativity. “Hosting Gerard and Christar in my 30th-anniversary class with the 50th-anniversary 4K restored version of Deep Throat is an honor," she adds. "I am grateful that they so generously gave their time to talk to my students about the background of the film's production and distribution history to help my students understand the ongoing cultural relevance of Deep Throat.” The tour will continue with events scheduled throughout California which will feature appearances by performance artist and Ecosexual Activist Annie Sprinkle, and legends of the “Golden Age of Porn” Sharon Mitchell and Richard Pacheco. They will be joined by Dr. Susan Block, Carol Queen—founder of the Center of Sex and Culture—and other special guests. The events will range from simple, theatrical screenings, to an '70s-themed dance parties where attendees are encouraged to dress “Porno Chic.” The remaining schedule for the Deep Throat Golden Anniversary Tour follows: June 2 Laemmle Royal 11523 Santa Monica Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90025 Red Carpet Event 9:15 p.m.Doors Open at 9:30 p.m.Show starts at 10 p.m. Purchase tickets here June 3-4 910WeHo 910 N La Cienega BlvdLos Angeles, CA 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. Purchase tickets here June 5 The Frida Cinema 305 E 4th St #100Santa Ana, CA 92701 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Purchase tickets here June 8 Oasis 298 Eleventh St. San Francisco, CA 94103 8:00 p.m. Tickets TBA June 11 The New Parkway474 24th St, Oakland, CA 94612 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tickets TBA For more on Deep Throat, follow the accounts on Twitter @deepthroatfilm, Instagram @deepthroatmovie and Facebook at facebook.com/deepthroatfilm. For more information on Damiano Films, visit damianofilms.com, and for more information on how to #VoteThroat and help make Deep Throat join the ranks of American classic cinema in the Library of Congress National Film Registry, go here.