In 1998, porn’s popularity was reaching a zenith that rivaled its Golden Era. The money was good, the sex was plentiful, and the industry itself was taken (more or less) seriously in the mainstream. Then, an HIV outbreak rocked the porn industry. (One interviewee calls the panic, “The Cuban Missile Crisis of the porn industry”!) This resulted in stricter testing guidelines implemented by former porn star turned industry blood test czar, Sharon Mitchell. Mitchell then had to backtrack all the infected performers’ previous partners to find the “Patient Zero”.
Among those infected were Tricia Deveraux, who was one of my favorite porn stars of the ‘90s (and yes, I recognized a clip of her from Gangbang Girl 17 instantly), Brooke Ashley, Kimberly Jade, and Caroline. Only Tricia is interviewed, which is a tad disappointing as it would’ve been interesting to hear from the other women. However, her story has plenty of heartbreak to go around. Even grimmer is the fact that we are shown clips from the films in which the actresses were actually infected. These moments almost have a ghoulish snuff film quality to them. Other porn stars such as Tom Byron, Ginger Lynn, Mr. Marcus, Herschel Savage, and Ron Jeremy are also interviewed and give their insights on the situation.
If you watched a lot of porn in the ‘90s, the file footage of award shows, TV appearances, and home movies of the porn starlets at work and at play will be like a trip down memory lane. It was fun seeing stars like Anna Malle, Jasmin St. Claire, Chloe, and Alisha Klass in their heyday. I just wish it was under better circumstances.
If you’re familiar at all with the story, you know Marc Wallice was the “Patient Zero”. The more you hear about him and the more he speaks on camera, the more odious he becomes. It’s one thing to duck being tested. It’s a completely different thing when we learn he actually falsified his HIV tests, which knowingly put other performers at risk. The filmmakers do offer evidence that suggests he may not have actually known his status, but his total lack of remorse seems pretty damning.
Pordemic is a rather cut and dry account of the events. It probably could’ve dug a little bit deeper, but it still keeps you invested throughout. The use of non-sex porn clips that mirror the narrative is amusing too and help lighten the mood a bit. (The music is terrible though.)
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