Mope (4 Stars)

This is the 26th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Based on the brief description in the festival catalogue I didn't expect this film to be very good. I was mistaken. It's a true story set in the seedy world of pornography in Los Angeles in 2009-2010.

I've watched and reviewed pornographic films. They're films of high quality, with the biggest porn stars. This film shows a different side. Many men want to become porn stars because they think it's an easy way to make money. What man wouldn't want to be paid for having sex with beautiful women? However, it's a tough career to get into. A lot of men can't get good jobs because they're too ugly, their penis is too small, or they can't maintain an erection under pressure. In the porn industry they're called "mopes", which is the equivalent of extras in mainstream movies.

The film follows the story of Tom Dong (real name Herbert Wong) and Steve Driver (real name Stephen Clancy Hill). Tom was earning $100,000 a year in an IT job, but after doing web design for a pornographic company he quit his job to become a porn star. Steve always wanted to become a porn star, thinking his big penis would get him a job, but when he displayed himself he was told that it wasn't as big as he thought it was.

The entry level job for mopes is bukkake films. (If you don't know what that is, google it. Describing it would make me feel sick). It doesn't matter if men are fat and ugly, they just have to stand in a circle and perform with a beautiful woman. That's where Tom and Steve met, standing side by side with their penises in their hands. United by their failure in the porn industry, they became close friends.

Together they applied for a job at Ultima DVD. The manager said that he couldn't afford to pay them, but he would give them a bed and food. No problem, they said, everyone has to start somewhere. They said they would do anything, not knowing what was expected of them. They should have checked out the company's film catalogue first. Ultima DVD specialised in ballbusting videos, so the two men had to stand and be kicked in the testicles.

The two men were virtual slaves in the company, and had to do work outside of the films. Steve had to scrub the floor in between films. Tom was luckier; he was asked to do the web design and repair computers, but he didn't receive any pay.

Is it a surprise that Steve cracked up? He went on a rampage with a samurai sword before committing suicide.

The film is dark and gritty, showing the world of pornography at its worst.