gilligan1965 I could never understand why so many people can be so pompous and arrogant as to actually believe that their own personal opinions upon things that they don't like should supersede the opinions of those who like them; and, deprive the latter of such things!?!?This movie shows how people who are uptight, rich, pious, power-hungry, and/or flat-out crooked can manipulate the system and trample the basic rights of others; and, the rights of those who are new entrepreneurs of things these headhunters don't like, as Larry Flynt was. The same thing happened to Preston Tucker for building a better car than The Big Three - Chevrolet, Ford, and, Dodge; and, to Francis Ford Coppola for starting his own movie studio. The rich and powerful keep everyone else in check!Pornography really isn't my bag...neither is rap music; psycho-slasher movies; and, other things...hominy grits...but, I'd never be so smug as to actually start a petition to ban any of them because "I" don't like them!?!? It's not important to me to do so. Nor, would I write any negative reviews about them on IMDb or anywhere else. I simply stay away from them; change the channel; etc! I cannot believe the time that people waste writing long and tiresome reviews on IMDb about movies that they don't like - how boring can their negative lives possibly be? I only write reviews about movies (and, other things) that I like...and, I "LIKE" this movie.This movie is about much more than the right to sell and distribute, and, buy and enjoy pornography; it's about the right to have free choice, free speech, and, anti-censorship...to name a few.The decision that the supreme court made at the end of this movie was one of great importance because it upheld the First Amendment; and, discarded the frivolous opinions of thin-skinned people who are offended by things that don't concern them. If you don't like it, avoid it! That crook, Charles Keating, should have avoided this, and, Playboy Magazine, altogether, for his own good; but, for everyone else, it was a blessing and a victory! It showed what kind of person he 'really' is, and, what he did later. He puts all of his power and energy into banning pornography...then, becomes the central figure in the Lincoln Savings and Loan scandal that cost American taxpayers over 2 billion dollars!?!? 'These' are the kinds of 'smut peddlers' (crooked people in government) who not only manipulate the system, but, run it!?!? 'They're' the people to watch out for!As to the movie itself, Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, and, Edward Norton are fabulous in their acting...especially Harrelson and Love in the courtrooms!!! Even Larry Flynt, the 'real' Larry Flynt, plays Judge Morrissey of the Cincinnati Court who sentenced Larry Flynt to twenty-five years...priceless contradictory acting! Kudos to Larry Flynt! :)As I wrote before, I, personally don't look at pornography, nor, do I think it's 'dirty,' but, I have nothing against it either (why would I...I love the female form and I love sexual encounters with it); but, if someone wants to buy 'adult' pornography, they have that right to do so.As far as sex goes, Woody Allen inadvertently protected and supported Larry Flynt in an unknowing way by answering the question "Is sex dirty?" by replying..."Only when it's being done right."This is a monumental movie that 'should' show people that if you 'stick-to-your-guns' and 'fight for what you believe in,' maybe, just maybe, you'll win; and, by winning, you'll help others enjoy something that some other powerful and socially-boring and intellectually-retarded stuffed-shirt prima-donna tried to ban.If it doesn't hurt anyone, it should be legal!

gavin6942 A partially idealized film of the controversial pornography publisher (Woody Harrelson) and how he became a defender of free speech for all people.Whether or not you like pornography or even care about it, this film is interesting and important. First, it makes the case that Flynt made: the First Amendment should be protected, even when the Amendment itself protects things we find objectionable. (Now, how much he believed this and how much it was a legal ploy is open to debate.) But he was also a big figure in America history, connecting in to Jimmy Carter, the AbScam case with the FBI, and various other important events. There was the question of organized crime connections. They are brushed aside here, but the question remains. When Flynt passes, the FBI files on him could be fascinating.

DerekTheCritic Courtney Love is the worst part of this movie. She's terrible, hard to stomach, and can't act to save her life. THAT SAID....This is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and it really makes you think about what it means to live in the USA. For those of you out there reading this review who do not live in the USA, you've no doubt heard about how we Americans like to pride ourselves for being so freaking awesome... until someone points out how backwards and self-absorbed we really are. That's not to say Americans are bad (quite the contrary), but we definitely have a problem admitting when we're wrong. This movie makes no apologies, and goes straight for the jugular. And thanks to Milos Foreman, and Larry Flynt himself, this movie asks us to consider just how fundamental the right of free speech, and the freedom of expression, is to society. And yes, it relates to hardcore porn.Without delving too much into the technical aspects of the movie, let me just say that if you watch the Edward Norton courtroom scenes (the first where Larry Flynt himself is the judge, and the last one when he's arguing to the Supreme Court), and the epic speech our protagonist gives on "sex versus death," you are going to start developing opinions. It is going to make you think, and it might challenge your comfort zone. And for all those reasons, this movie is worth every moment of your time... including those painful scenes involving Courtney Love.I still think about this movie sometimes, whenever I hear people arguing about their First Amendment rights. Larry Flynt might not be a knight in shining armor, so to speak, but what he stands for is more than just porn - it's freedom of expression, and Americans have to accept that that doesn't necessarily mean something tame or conservative. It's an important lesson, and a movie that should not be missed.

Movie_Muse_Reviews The life of Hustler publisher Larry Flynt has almost too much good material. It's one thing to grow up selling moonshine, buy up some strip clubs and launch one of the most explicit pornography magazines ever created. It's another to also be a one-time born-again Christian, bipolar painkiller addict and the unsuspecting bastion of First Amendment liberties. As such, watching "The People vs. Larry Flynt" is like watching at least three different movies: You have the rise of the boundary-pushing magazine editor, the drug-addled romance and the courtroom drama. So many events in Flynt's life and facets to his personality warrant a deeper look, yet there's just no time. Writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewksi and of course two-time Oscar-winning director Milos Foreman make the most of each part, but the whole product lacks the unity of a masterful biography.At the time, Woody Harrelson proved a curious choice to play Flynt, but he nails the bipolar aspects of the master pornographer. We have so much trouble determining his motives, digging for some sign of logical thought. In most cases, this makes for a frustrating case study, for which you might normally blame the actor for not taking us deep enough. Considering how the film jumps from one aspect of Flynt's life to the next in addition to how completely unpredictable of a character he is, Harrelson deserves praise. He keeps you on your toes like the crazy uncle who jokes so much you can't tell when he's really serious.Then there's Courtney Love. Playing Flynt's stripper girlfriend-turned-wife, Althea, Love gives Foreman more than he bargained for. Hiring a drug addict to play a drug addict is a dangerous game, and not when it comes to working with that person. It's tough to divorce love from Althea, such a controversial public figure at the time and even to some extent to this day. She's frighteningly real as Althea at some points, especially once she starts mooching off Flynt's painkillers after the assassination attempt.Some of the most compelling drama in the film comes in the courtroom scenes. Those fascinated to any extent with free speech law and censorship will crave more from "The People vs. Larry Flynt," especially when the title seems to promise it in higher doses. Edward Norton nabbed a career-making role as Flynt's attorney, Alan Isaacman. Getting noticed by Milos Foreman and Woody Allen ("Everyone Says I Love You") at the same time is pretty impressive. He delivers an expert closing argument in the film's first trial that will have you convinced he wins the case, as well as a powerful yet light-hearted opening speech in the Supreme Court's hearing of the infamous Flynt vs. Falwell case, a landmark win for First Amendment rights."The People vs. Larry Flynt" touches on so many fascinating aspects of this enigmatic figure, but it sacrifices some depth and consequently the emotional pull. Flynt's life blurs by, and though the writing compensates with some nice transitions, there's no substitute for getting Q.T. with Flynt. The Hustler empire appears to be built in a day a scene in which Flynt tells a photographer that "a woman's vagina has as much personality as her face" is the most insight we get into his mind as editor. Good writing there, but a fleeting moment in the bigger picture.The second half of the film, essentially Larry's life after becoming a paraplegic, feels so radically different. Larry's stroke garbles his speech and Althea's addiction has her looking like a flying monkey in the "Wizard of Oz." Two people who once seemed to have their wits about them become such filthy and disturbed characters. At that point you start to identify with Norton's character instead, as he's the only one who understands the balance between defending free speech and making a complete mockery of the judicial system.You'll want this film to be more of everything, particularly of Flynt as the unorthodox crusader for free speech and the magazine publisher who works the line between genius and insanity. The individual moments or scenes of such captivate, but get lost on the whole. The challenge of boiling a fascinating man's life down to a series of striking moments can sometimes be too immense for even the best of filmmakers.~Steven CThanks for reading! Check out more of my reviews at moviemusereviews.com