‘Deep Throat’ Named Landmark Film

LONDON — When “Deep Throat” hit movie theaters in the summer of 1972, Screw Magazine’s Al Goldstein gave it a glowing review, 23 states banned it, and it went on to become the highest-grossing adult movie of its time.

Who knew that it would ever make the same list as “Citizen Kane,” “Vertigo” and “Pulp Fiction”?

Radio Times magazine, a BBC publication, named “Deep Throat” to a list of 100 landmark films that had a large cultural impact. Other movies on the list include “The Birth of a Nation,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Blade Runner” and “Brokeback Mountain.”

According to Radio Times, “Deep Throat” was the worst movie to make the list, but it took “porn out of the back room and into the cinema.”

Fenton Bailey, co-director of the 2005 documentary “Inside Deep Throat,” wholeheartedly agrees with the blue movie’s inclusion on the list, asserting that it changed the landscape of adult entertainment and sexuality.

“It’s a very important movie,” Bailey told XBIZ. “It captures so many ideas from the sexual revolution, and one of its unintended consequences is that it marked the end of the sexual revolution and the beginning of the commodification of sex and sexuality.”

“Deep Throat” was also the most profitable adult movie of its time, and one of the most profitable adult movies ever. Box office experts dispute its final tally, but even conservative estimates put the total gross at more than $100 million.

“It woke everyone up,” Bailey said. “They said, ‘Oh, my god! There's gold in porn!’”

But, despite the amount of money it made, does it really belong on the same list as “Citizen Kane” and “Vertigo”?

Bailey said yes.

“‘Deep Throat’ is a far more important movie than ‘Citizen Kane’ or ‘Pulp Fiction,’” Bailey said. “Those movies were great artistic statements, but they had no impact on the culture. We live in the porn age, and it's seeping into every aspect of our lives.”

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

European Commission: Age Verification App Ready For Use

The European Commission’s age verification app is now technically ready and will soon be available for EU citizens to use in order to prove their age when accessing online platforms, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Tuesday.

UK House of Commons Moves to Tone Down Porn Amendments

The House of Commons has modified amendments to the U.K.’s pending Crime and Policing Bill, including provisions regulating “step” content, content featuring adults role-playing as minors, and performers’ ability to withdraw consent.

AEBN Reveals Ariel Demure as Top Trans Star for Q1 of 2026

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the first quarter of 2026, with Ariel Demure landing atop the leaderboard.

Final IRS 'No Tax on Tips' Rule Excludes Pornography

The Internal Revenue Service on Monday published final regulations on the “No Tax on Tips” provision included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” offering new tax deductions for tip workers but excluding revenue received for “pornographic activity.”

Pennsylvania Legislature Weighs 'Porn Tax' Bill

The Pennsylvania State Senate is considering a bill that would impose a 10% tax on the revenue of adult websites doing business in that state.

BranditScan Rolls Out 2 New Platform Features

BranditScan has introduced its new Traffic Optimization and Doxing Protection features for creators.

NMG Management Partners With Cosplayground to Scale Distribution

NMG Management has partnered with Cosplayground to expand the studio’s digital distribution and licensing operations.

Dreamcam Adds Real-Time Speech Translation

Dreamcam has introduced Voice Translator AI to its livestreaming platform.

UK Government May Limit 'Step' Porn Ban With New Amendments

The U.K. Ministry of Justice on Friday revealed new government amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill, potentially limiting a planned ban on “step” content to apply only if adult performers role-play as minors.

Arizona Senate Removes 'Catch-22' Provision From Consent Bill

The Arizona State Senate has amended a bill that would impose new requirements for adult content uploaded online, removing a seemingly contradictory provision that could have effectively made it impossible for adult sites to operate in the state.

Show More