April 16–23, 1998

critic pick|film

Rude, Crude & Screwed

It's impossible to avoid comparing Screwed, a raw, rough-hewn look at the life of Screw publisher Al Goldstein, with the Oscar-nominated, critically lauded The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Lucky for Screwed.

The greatest flaw in Milos Forman's wildly overrated, sanctimonious biopic was its failure to understand that upholding Flynt's right to publish what he wants doesn't mean pretending he's a likable guy. By contrast, Screwed, which makes its Philadelphia premiere this weekend, goes out of its way to detail the nastier aspects of Goldstein's personality, particularly his intermittently volcanic hatred of women, especially his fourth (and most recent) ex-wife.

Not to say Goldstein, whose X-rated publication is hard to find outside of New York City, doesn't have his endearing qualities. With his imposing girth, scraggly beard and flashy style, he comes across as a sort of depraved Saint Nick, with a touch of P.T. Barnum thrown in. And anyone in touch with their inner curmudgeon will warm to the representative flashes of Goldstein's weekly cable show Midnight Blue, which includes a regular segment called "Fuck You." In it, Goldstein takes aim at sellout Jews, waitresses who took too long to bring him his coffee, and of course, his ex-wives, offering each a little destructive criticism as well as a hearty flip of the old bird.

Wisely, director Alexander Crawford doesn't devote the entire film to Goldstein—90 minutes of him might be hard to take—but broadens the scope, taking in the porn and sex industry culture of which Screw is only a small part. Crawford's wobbly 16mm eye focuses on everything from a Screw editorial meeting (at which a photo layout, sadly never seen, is given the title "A Yen for Hen") to a conversation with a loyal reader as he cruises for a prostitute. Most importantly, Crawford interviews the women who function as the industry's currency. From sex workers to adult film actresses, they seem at least as canny and far less deluded than Goldstein himself. Listen closely for the mutant skiffle of Philly's own Strapping Fieldhands on the soundtrack.

Screwed, presented by Secret Cinema. Friday, April 17, 8 & 10 p.m., Moore College of Art and Design, 20th & the Parkway, 568-4515, ext. 1135; and Sunday, April 19, 8 & 10 p.m., Fergie's Pub, 1214 Sansom St., 928-8118. Admission is $6, and reservations can be made by calling 742-4224.

-Sam Adams