My thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for an advance copy of this new book of film history covering the work of man whose work has become forgotten by many, but introduced a new kind of film genre that changed laws, American history and more.

Art is in the eye of the beholder, and I know it when I see it. One of these quotes is how something can be seen as art by one person, a bunch of smears on canvas to another. The other is how a judge stated how he knew what was obscene. Art and the obscene are what each person judges it to be. Once a glimpse of stocking was sometimes shocking, now pretty much anything goes. Radley Metzger might have a lot to do with the fact that American movies and television could show married couples sharing a bed, where as before they had separate twin beds in the master bedroom. Metzger saw there was a burgeoning interest and a way to make money, first in foreign films, later in his own works, and changed the way that Americans looked at sex in movies. Man of Taste: The Erotic Cinema of Radley Metzger by film historian and educator Rob King is a study of the man, his influences and influence on the erotic movie, from soft to hard core, and why his works are being appreciated more now, in a world that seems to becoming even more puritan.

Radley Metzger had a taste for the movies from a young age. Though we went to anything that was playing at his local movie theater, Metzger also had the snobbery of a young cinephile, keeping track of his viewing of classic movies, but absorbing everything he saw, seeing what worked in plot, dialogue, staging and editing. Metzger received a degree in theater arts, and learned movie techniques from a variety of different directors. A job at Janus Films creating trailers for American debuts of great foreign directors, including Ingmar Bergman, opened his eyes to what people want, what foreign directors were working, and what could sell. The army taught him film editing, and upon getting out of the military found his calling, in films, starting small on real independent films, until he came to a realization. Metzger could get foreign films, with their reputation for being spicer than American films, cut, edit and re-edit, and add some scenes, and make money. Which he did, starting his own company. From there he began to direct his own works, movies that would be called erotic films, including the The Lickerish Quartet and Thérèse et Isabelle. This made money, and received some acclaim, but soon the market for movies that were arty, softly lite, began to dry up. Metzger began a second career working in hardcore movies, that also made money, a bit of controversy, and were again acclaimed for their stories and technique. However again change in the industry soon made Metzger a forgotten figure, though a new market in DVD's and film appreciation kept his work alive.

A book that is a biography, a history of a period of time in film, and a look at the techniques of a complex but talented man. I have seen only his erotic movies, but could not get over the sets, the design, and how the story asked much of the watcher, and delivered even more. The erotic was almost secondary to the tricks, the lighting and the glass. Lots of glass. I knew little about Metzger, and learned a lot, some I could have lived without, but I like the style and the fact that he kept striving for more. Why not have a music and publishing company releasing soundtracks, and scripts and the speeches of Spiro Agnew. King is a very good writer, able to talk about hard core movies, film philosophy, New York history and more. An enjoyable book on quite a few levels.

People who enjoy film will enjoy this, as well as people who like these kind of films. I liked the discussions of technique, and why shots were designed and set-up the way they were. A interesting book about a fascinating man, and the times he worked in.

Prior to picking this book up, I had little idea about Radley Metzger, but as a film scholar and practitioner, I had always wanted to know more about the erotic film and its makers’ perspectives.
This book gave me detailed insights into Metzger’s vision, and life, and in general, this is how I’d want a book about a filmmaker, artist to be.
4 - due to some nuances and design aspects

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!


A wonderful and insightful look into the life and work of Radley Metzger. Interpolating his early life with the meaning and reasoning behind his works from the early erotic and later pornographic works.

I was interested in reading this book since I’d seen some of the works, such as Therese and Isabelle and knew only a little bit about the man himself. This book lays out his career, personal life and films in a simple but thorough manner. Very enjoyable.

*Man of Taste* is a fascinating dive into the life and work of Radley Metzger, one of the most influential directors in the adult film industry. Rob King uses Metzger’s career to explore the blurred lines between art and adult cinema, showing how Metzger brought arthouse aesthetics to a genre often dismissed as lowbrow. From his early work in trailers to his infamous hardcore films under the pseudonym Henry Paris, this book traces his bold attempt to elevate the genre. The book is packed with rare photos and an intriguing look at how Metzger’s films reflect shifts in American film culture. If you're curious about the crossroads of cinema, culture, and taste, this one’s a great read!