"Larry!" "Jimmy!" " That's very good." "How much is it?" " Two dollars." "There's one." "There's two." "It's locked." "He's in there again." "Pa!" "What are you doing?" "Open the door!" "You better not be doing what I think you're doing." "I make that for peddling, not for you to drink." "Larry!" "Jimmy!" "Get over to the house!" "Supper's ready!" " Why did you hit him?" " He was drinking my profits." "You can't be so ornery." "People will think you're crazy." "I'm trying to make an honest buck." "20 YEARS LATER CINCINNATI, OHIO" " Larry." " I'll call you back, Mama." "Give a big, big hand to Ilanis from Ottawa, Tennessee." "Thank you." "I know a lot of you feel the way I do." "We deliver the finest ladies in southern Ohio." "And now, please give a warm, warm welcome to Kimberly and Melissa from Paris and London..." "Kentucky." " How are we doing?" " Bad." " What do you mean?" " We're broke." "These giveaways are killing us." "The limousine, the smorgasbord..." " All your buddies drink for free." " Don't bring my friends into this." "Hey, ladies." "You put forth some hard work." "I'll be by in an hour, and I'll bring the ping-pong balls." "I'll see you in two hours." "I liked the way you blew that candle out tonight." "If we could let people know what great lays these girls are, we'd have something." " You can't advertise that." " I know you can't." "What kind of business is this?" "I run the Hustler Go-Go clubs." "I'm sure you've heard of them." " No." " That's why I need a newsletter." "We could run eight to ten pages per issue." " With nothing but nudie pictures?" " Yeah." " On this nice, smooth paper." " That's called slick." "I could get in trouble with the law printing these." "You have to have a text." "Like Playboy does." "Thank you for coming to my place." "We welcome Christians in here, too!" " What do you think?" " How much did it cost?" "Forget money for one second." "What do you think?" "That depends on how much it cost." "The first Hustler newsletter." "For the man on the go." "News..." "It's a magazine." "How will you pay for that?" "Don't interrupt me when I'm talking." "Let's hear it for Camille, and welcome to the stage Calamity Jane from Moscow, Texas." "and welcome to the stage Calamity Jane from Moscow, Texas." "Who is that?" "That's the new girl." "She got the moves, don't she?" "She ain't bad." " She ain't legal, either." " Yes, she is." "I saw her ID." "My dog could get an ID..." "from my goat." "When she gets done up there, send her up to my office." "What..." "What's your name?" "Jane." " We have a policy in this club." " Yeah?" "Okay." "And...?" "I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not... of age." "It could cost me my liquor licence." "I could have to close up shop." "I'll tell you something." "See this?" "See that?" "That?" "I am this far, one second, one millimeter from being legal." "I'll have to ask you to come back when that centimeter is up." "That would be tomorrow morning." "I like the way you dance." "Don't get me wrong." " What's that?" " Something I got from down home." "You're a classy guy." "I've heard about you." " This is moonshine, right?" " It's just from potatoes." " What'll it do to me?" " It's fine." "Natural." " Step away from the desk." " That's like fire!" " Sorry I made a mess." " It's okay." "Can I ask you a question?" "I heard that you slept with all the girls in your clubs." "Is that true or not?" "It ain't entirely untrue." "I'm just curious why you haven't taken a stab at me." " I just met you five minutes ago." " I think it was six." "Tick, tick..." "One more time." "Come on, Althea, even Superman has his limits." "That's the problem with you men." "Your batteries run out." "Women's batteries never run out." "We can go on and on." "Then go fuck a woman." " I do fuck women." " Excuse me?" "You are not the only one to have had every woman in this club." " After one night she's moving in?" " This girl, she had it rough..." " Are you that guy in the sex paper?" " Could be." " How do I subscribe?" " Where did you see the newsletter?" "Found it in a gas station bathroom." "It came in handy." "I'm glad we helped you out, but it ain't for subscription." "Who wants some chips?" " Look at her tits." "They're nice." " Yeah, but they don't look real." "I don't understand this magazine." "Fuzzy pictures, strange articles." " Do you guys read Playboy?" " Yeah." "Did you..." "Excuse me, baby." "Did you enjoy the article on how to hook up your stereo system?" "I think I missed that one." "Did you follow their advice on how to make a perfect martini?" "Who is this magazine made for, anyway?" "It's like if you don't make over $20,000 a year, you don't jerk off." "Millions of guys buy it, but nobody reads it." "Playboy is mocking you." " How many pages do we have?" " 105." "That's no good." "106 is good, 104, that's good..." "It's got to be an even number." "A paper has two sides." "No." "A page has four." "Four." "You fold it and put in the staple." " It's not even an even number..." " We'll ask Larry." " What's he doing?" " Hold the flower in your left hand." "No, not that one." "Your other left hand." "We're not running a flower shop." "We're selling the girl." "Stop futzing around with the pillows and the flowers and shoot the girl." "Let's go for that leg thing." "Recline a little." "Open up them legs a bit." "A little wider." "A little wider." "Just another touch wider." "Not quite that wide." "Wait." "That's exactly what we want." "That's perfect." "A woman's vagina has as much personality as her face." " You can't show the genitalia." " Why not?" "Rudy's right." "Legally, you can't show the vagina." "Rudy, are you a religious man?" "Do you believe God created man?" "And that God created woman?" "Then God created her vagina." "Who are you to defy God?" "Where is she?" "Althea!" "Hey, baby." "Happy birthday." "I have a heart... from my heart." "Oh, Larry, that's beautiful." " What's wrong?" " The distributer called." " We only had a 25% sell-through." " Will someone translate that?" "It means that they're sending back 150,000 copies." " Did you think you'd pull it off?" " At least he has balls." " What he needs is brains." " Einstein is speaking..." "So one more issue and we're wiped out?" "You said yourself it's not so bad to be poor." "You go be poor." "I believe you're the one who got us into this debt." "Do you think because it's your birthday you can be a bitch?" "Yeah, and I think I'm 50 feet tall and that you have a needle dick." "Don't ever hit me like that again." "Don't talk to me like that." "I'll go back and eat dog food." "And take this." "I don't own this any more." "Throw it out in the street." "A guy from Italy claims he has naked pictures of Jackie O." "Are you the photographer?" "What have you got?" " Is this Mr. Flynt?" "." " Yeah." "I was watching that damn island for four months." "One day, the cabana door opens and out comes Jackie O. with nothing on." " Are you sure it's Jackie O?" " Yeah." " What do you see?" " Everything." "And she's a good one." " This ain't no Mamie Eisenhower." " Oh, my God." "First pussy." "Everyone's talking about local boy done good, Larry Flynt, whose Hustler Magazine has reached sales figures of two million copies." "Move your ass!" "Ohio governor Jim Rhodes was spotted at a news stand buying a copy of the infamous Jackie O. issue." "The governor had this response:" "I've been a historical buff about First Ladies for a long time." " What fit were Martha Washington?" " She's a bit before my time." "A teacher educates our children and they become model citizens." "The clergyman preaches and we find spirituality." "My bank gives loans and homes get built." "But now, there's a new, darker influence in Cincinnati." "Mr. Leis, if you will." "I'm going to ask that you review this material very carefully." "It's important that you know that I did not buy these at a smut store." "These were not purchased at a dirty book shop." "I bought this in a neighbourhood grocery store, in full view of our children." "You cannot hide from this." "Decent people are being corrupted." "Just look what happened to our fine governor." "As members of the Citizens for Decent Literature, we cannot relent." "We must prevent the destruction of the soul of our country." " Larry..." "Take off your pants." " What?" " Take off your pants." " Why?" "Because I never fucked a millionaire before." "Look at that." "Happy birthday, America!" " This is Larry's house?" " It must be." "My son!" "It's so big!" " Who are all these people?" " These are my friends, Ma." " You have so many friends." " Lots of money, lots of friends." "Hey, Arlo!" "Do you know how many rooms I have?" "24." "You know who else has 24 rooms?" " The President?" " Hugh Hefner." " This is the best room." " This is the best room, he said." " The maid is cleaning up in there." " The maid is cleaning up in there." "My folks are here." "Go to the jacuzzi and I'll be there later." "Your folks are here?" "What in the world is that?" " Larry!" " The party is just beginning." "She's nice..." "and she's frigid." "Let's see what we can do about that." "Larry..." "Do you ever think about getting married?" "Nothing can ruin a relationship like marriage." "As soon as you put on that ring, you have an ownership situation." "Prior to that, it's friendly." "You're kind to each other." "As much as I love you, I want a variety of different vagina." " What did we just do?" " That's what I mean." " I'm not talking about monogamy." " You're not?" "Of course not!" "How could you misunderstand me?" "I don't want to get married and stop the way we live." " Nothing would change." " Why now?" "Because you're the only man I want to be with." "I want this ring to tell me that you love me above all other women." " Do you want a ceremony?" " I want to go to a church..." "Pay the preacher going in, get a check from the lawyer going out." "You are my life." "You're my life." "I'm here..." "You're my life, too." "Right now." "I can't speak for the future." "I can." " Let me say something." " Forget I brought it up." "Listen to me." "Listen to what I'm saying." " Would you marry me?" " It's not funny." "I'm not joking." "Would you do me the honour of becoming Mrs. Larry Flynt?" "You're not fucking with me?" "Do you mean it?" "No, I'm just kidding." "I'm serious." " She's got a dick!" " You taped this on." "It's not real." " Who would want to see that?" " I do." "It's genious." "It's like when people slow down at a car crash." "We're breaking taboos." "How about "The Wizard of Oz"?" "Dorothy is lying there in Kansas, and there's the Tin Man and the Scarecrow and..." " Who's the other one?" " The Lion." "They're all gang-banging her." "And there's Toto, maybe, even." " Some things are sacred." " Shut up." "That's the best idea I ever heard." "Where can I find Larry Flynt?" " The Tin Man can have a tin penis." " No, he's got to have a funnel." "Larry Claxton Flynt?" "Stand up, please." "You're under arrest for obscenity and engaging in organized crime." "Sit down." "Shut up." "You have the right to remain silent." "You have the right to an attorney." "Mr. Flynt?" "Are you Larry Flynt?" " Who are you?" " Alan Isaacman." "I'm your lawyer." "The bail is taken care of, but we should talk about the case." " Who hired you?" " Your wife hired me." " Are you doing her?" " Am I what?" "Just kidding." "Call me when you get out of law school." "I graduated from Harvard Law School." "Three years as a public defender." "Obviously, you can get any lawyer you want, but let me say something." "You're pretty far out there, even for guys who do this stuff." "I'm interested in your case." "Your problem is what I know best." " Do you specialize in porn?" " No." "I don't especially like what you do." "I specialize in civil liberties." "I don't understand why they've singled me out." "The most troubling thing is the organized crime charge." "Larry's not in the mob." "Do you have any connections at all to organized crime?" " Absolutely not." " I have to ask." "By the way, call me Larry." "It's a completely bullshit charge, but we have to take it seriously because you could be looking at 7 to 25 years." "All I'm guilty of is bad taste." "My cousin shot a preacher." "He got six months for it." " A preacher?" "What denomination?" " Baptist." " We need to discuss this seriously." " I am serious." "I'm taking notes." "HAMILTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE CINCINNATTI, OHIO 1977" "Before we begin, I must apologize for the unpleasantness of this task." "What you're about to see will take your breath away." "Hustler Magazine depicts men and women, posed together, in a lewd and shameful manner." "Hustler depicts women and women, posed together, in a lewd and shameful manner." "Hustler depicts Santa Claus posed in a lewd and shameful manner." "What's he talking about?" "Jesus Christ, Larry." "The defence introduces into evidence 27 other men's magazines." " Penthouse, Playboy..." " Objection!" " Sustained." " Sustained?" "Wait a second." "Your Honour..." "These magazines contain material identical to Hustler Magazine." "If they are legal and Hustler isn't, this is selective prosecution." " No." " Did you say no?" "They are irrelevant to this case." "They very clearly demonstrate the community standard..." "The jury is representative of community standards." " I won't admit them." " You won't admit them." "Mr. Flynt, please turn to page 77." "Describe to the jury what is on page 77." "It's a picture of Santa Claus." " What's he doing?" " He's talking to Mrs. Claus." "He's holding what appears to be a large, erect penis." "Read the caption under the cartoon." ""This is what I've got to ho, ho, ho about"." "Did the founding fathers expect this when they wrote the 1st Amendment?" "No, and they didn't expect magazines like Playboy or even People." "I saw a few four-letter words in there." " Can't a community set standards?" " No." "That's disguised censorship." "This country belongs to me, too." "You don't have to read Hustler." "I don't." "But what about the children who see it at the store?" "Look..." "If a kid gets caught drinking beer, we don't ban Budweiser." "You've heard a lot today." "I won't go back over it all again." "But you have to go in that room and make some decisions." "There's one thing I want to make clear before you do." "I'm not trying to convince you to like what Larry Flynt does." "I don't like what he does." "But what I do like, is that I live in a country where we can make that decision ourselves." "I like that I can pick up Hustler Magazine and read it, or throw it in the garbage can if I want." "Or I can exercise my opinion and not buy it." "I like having that right." "So should you." "You really should." "Because we live in a free country." "We forget what that means, so listen to it again:" "We live in a free country." "But there is a price for that freedom." "We have to tolerate things we don't like." "Go in that room and think whatever you want about Hustler." "But ask yourselves if you want to decide for the rest of us." "The freedom that all of us enjoy is in your hands." "If we throw up walls against what some of us think is obscene, walls may be thrown up in all kinds of places we never expected." "And we can't see anything or do anything." "And that's not freedom." "That is not freedom." "So, be careful." "Thank you." " Have you reached a verdict?" " Yes, we have." "Hand the verdict to the bailiff." "Will the defendant please rise?" "Madam Clerk, read the verdict." ""We, the jury, find the defendant, Larry Claxton Flynt, guilty"." "Do you have anything to say before I sentence you?" "Your Honour, you've not made  one intelligent decision yet." "I don't expect one now." "I sentence you to 25 years." " We request bail." " Bail denied." "Take him away." " This is standard procedure." " All I do is publish a magazine!" "Mrs. Flynt!" "Were you surprised at the verdict?" "Not at all." "We had a stupid judge." "We had an uptight prosecuter." " Are you ashamed he's locked up?" " I'm not ashamed of Larry." "He stands up for what he believes." "I'm unhappy he's going to jail." "You can call this a circus, or a witch hunt, but you can't..." "Hi, baby." "You are so beautiful." " How are you?" " I miss you." "Do you have any girlfriends in here?" " You have calluses on your hands?" " I fantasize about you all day." "Our bed is so empty." " What can I do to get you out?" " Isaacman says this won't hold up." "What if Alan's wrong?" "What if you don't get out till the year 2000, and I'm fat and you don't love me any more?" "You'll never be fat and ugly." "I promise you." " I love you." " I love you." "CINCINNATI CONVENTION CENTER FIVE MONTHS LATER" "Please, please, please." "And now, "Americans for a Free Press" welcome to Cincinnati, direct from jail, cleared 100% by the appellate court..." "This is great. "Americans for a Free Press" invited us." ""Americans for a Free Press" is me." "Who do you think is paying?" "... that freedom fighter, Larry C. Flynt!" "Thank you." "I have a thought for you." "Murder is illegal." "Yet, if you take a picture of the act of murder, they'll put you on the cover of Newsweek." "And yet, sex is legal." "Everybody is doing it, or wants to be doing it." "If you take a picture of the act of sex, or of a woman's naked body, they'll put you in jail." "I have a message for all you good, moral, Christians who complain that vaginas are obscene." "Complain to the manufacturer!" "Jesus told us not to judge, but I know you will." "So judge sanely." "What do you consider obscene?" "This?" "Perhaps that's obscene to you." "Maybe this is obscene to you." "But what is more obscene?" "This?" "Or this?" "This?" "Or this?" "Politicians say that sexually explicit material corrupts youth, and yet they lie, cheat and start unholy wars." "They're sheep in a herd." "The real obscenity comes from raising our youth to believe that sex is bad and dirty, and that it's heroic to spill guts and blood in the name of humanity." "With all the taboos attached to sex, it's no wonder we have problems, that we're angry and violent." "But ask yourselves the question:" "What is more obscene?" "Sex or war?" "She's a killer." "Larry..." " Hi, Althea." " Hi, Arlo." " Did you want something?" " Yes..." "I've got bad news." "A Georgia prosecuter has arrested news dealers for selling Hustler." "Retailers are getting nervous and taking issues off the stands." "Fuel the jet." "Wait." "Tell the Georgia media that the cavalry is on the way." "Mr. Flynt, why are you here?" "News vendors are being threatened." "If that's not censorship, what is?" " What's your plan?" " Just watch." "Come on in." "Stand over there." "Don't crowd." "Let the cameras through." "I'm going to pay this gentleman $1,000." "I'm renting the "Puff and Read" for the next 24 hours, and anybody who would like to purchase a copy of Hustler..." " Could I please buy a copy?" " Yes." "Here is the Hustler..." " That's it." "You're under arrest." " Only in America, huh?" "How far are you willing to go?" "Many people support Hustler, but none will support you." "Why do I have to go to jail to protect your freedom?" "BRING JFK'S KILLERS TO JUSTICE $1,000,000 REWARD" " That's good." " We're gonna pay a million bucks?" "If it catches the killer, I think it's worth it." " Moving on." "Asshole of the month." " Jerry Falwell." " You always say Jerry Falwell." " He's always an asshole." " How about Anita Bryant?" " I say Gerald Ford." "I say Larry Flynt." " Everybody thinks I'm an asshole." " That's true." "Is it?" " You have a phone call." " How about asshole of the decade?" "She says she's the President's sister, Ruth Carter or something." " Ruth Carter Stapleton?" " She's a woman of God." "What does she want with you?" "What are you afraid of?" "Pick up the phone." "Put her through." "This is Larry Flynt." " Praise the Lord." "I found you." " What can I help you with?" "We have a mutual friend, a producer." "He suggested we get together." "He thought we'd hit it off.." "I don't understand." "You're an evangelist, I'm a smut peddler." "I don't believe in labels." "We could teach each other a lot." " Are you free for dinner tomorrow?" "." " I have a hectic schedule." "Do you know what's nice about people like you and me?" "We can do anything we want." " Do you go to church, Larry?" " Yeah..." "Particularly on the big holidays:" "Christmas, Easter, New Year's Eve." "New Year's Eve?" "No church on New Year's Eve." "Okay, we've proven I'm a liar." "It's only a ritual." "I believe in the teachings of Jesus." "She loves that man." "Would you call yourself a faith-healer?" "Goodness, no." "I do spiritual healing." "I don't mend bones." "I mend troubled souls." "That's a relief." "I thought you were one of those tent revival fakes that used to scare the kids with snakes and wicked this and that." "Hellfire?" "Damnation?" "That sort of thing?" "That kind of talk is almost unforgivable." "Then we have something in common." " We have something else in common." " What's that?" "We're both trying to release people from sexual repression." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Stapleton." " Your brother..." "Mr. President." " Jimmy." "Jimmy will be fine." "Do you think he ever read my publication?" "Remember the Playboy interview, where he admitted to feeling lust?" " I was proud of that." " I'm sure you were." "But Oral Roberts and Billy Graham took out after him in public." "So I don't think he's a big fan of adult magazines." "But I'm more ambivalent about what you do." "Because I think that sexuality is a God-given gift." "When I counsel women in bad marriages, I don't quote the Bible." "I say, "Get some make-up." "Make yourself beautiful"." " "Jesus wants you to be beautiful"." " You're something..." "What was your childhood like?" "Sometimes, things happen to us when we're very young that can hurt for many years after." " Why?" " Because I had an epiphany." "A what?" "Where did you learn that word?" "Is she crooking you so hard she's teaching you English?" " I think it was an acid flashback." " Don't belittle it like that!" "Do you really think I wanted Jesus to tap me on the shoulder?" "I get laid six times a day." "I have limousines, a jet, lots of money..." "I had an epiphany." "I had an epiphany once." "My daddy shot my entire family and I had to identify the bodies." "I was sent to an orphanage full of good Christian nuns who shoved my face into their pussies." " For eight goddamned years!" " I am sorry for you, but..." "Be sorry for yourself!" "You'll need that for the pawnshop!" "We're gonna be so damned broke you'll need that!" "Come on." "It's okay." "Just get behind me on this." "That's all I'm asking." "I feel like it's me against the world." " Say you ain't gonna do this." " I'm doing it!" "You ain't gonna do it!" "Now I'm baptised, too?" "Fuck you!" "Do you accept Jesus Christ as your saviour, and reject Satan?" "I do." "In obedience to the will of God, and upon your confession, we baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." "There will be no more photo spreads of women alone." "From now on, sex will be presented naturally, with a man in the photo." "A Genesis pictorial, with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden." "Next month, I'd like to have pretty girls floating on big glass crucifixes." "Marjoe Gortner could shoot that." "I plead with you not to do this." "This company will be worth nothing." "Are there horns growing out of my head?" "We are living in Roman times." "It is time to feed the lions to the Christians." "This is a joke." "You're doing this to help our circulation." "Arlo..." "I love you, brother, but please don't ever doubt my sincerity." "This is making people sick." "They're puking in the news-stands." "I wanted to illustrate that I no longer exploit the female body." "You failed miserably." "Nobody wants religion and porn mixed together." "Ruth says..." "Get her to buy two million magazines because no one else will do it." "I won't pretend to understand what you go through, what this spiritual thing is to you, but I've always supported you." "You're taking this too far." "It's like you're losing your mind." "My mind is fine." "God is working through me." "I could move mountains with God's help." "I could make that wall come down with sheer willpower." " Do it." "Just do it." " Do it?" "He'll be thrilled about this." "Larry?" "It's Alan." "I'm here with the eminently reasonable District Attorney." " He wants to cut us a plea bargain." " Because I found God?" "Don't argue with me on this." "Just say yes." " I pulled a lot of strings." " Is he there with you?" "Tell that miserable bastard to go fuck himself." "We're going to trial." "Oh, and praise the Lord." "GWINNETT COUNTY COURTHOUSE LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA 1978" "Mr. Flynt, how can you, a good Christian, defend this filth." "I don't have to." "Some people might think what I do is wrong, but it's not illegal." "It may not be smart to drink too much, but it's not illegal." "Abortion may be morally repugnant, but right now, it's not illegal." "We can change the laws, but our right to decide for ourselves cannot be restricted." "George Orwell said that if liberty means anything, it means the right to tell people what they don't want to hear." "America is the world's strongest country because it is the freest." "If it loses sight of its heritage, and the principles involved, we will no longer be free." "That was a bang-up job you did." " Did you pray before going in?" " No comment." "Is your wife jealous of Ruth?" "Stand back!" "Stand back!" "I want him alive." "I don't care if his head's in a fishbowl!" "I want him alive." "I don't care if his head's in a fishbowl!" "There's something you have to know before you go in that room." "They say that you're paralysed." "They say you're paralysed from the waist down." "They say that you ain't gonna walk again." "From the waist down?" "I fucking love you." "I'm so sorry, Althea." " Dearest, how are you?" " The pain..." "I feel like I'm in hell." "No, you're not in hell." "You belong to God." "I wish he would have killed me." "I can't ever walk again." "I can't make love to my wife." " I can't have a child with her." " Don't give in to the bitterness." "You'll be stronger if you keep your faith." "God will see you through." "Ruth... there is no God." "Take this down." "I want this Christian stuff out of here." "Ladies, gentlemen..." "The reign of Christian terror is now over." "We're smut peddlers again." "We are porn again." " When is Larry coming back?" " Soon." " What do we know?" " The FBI ain't got nothing." " Who would want to shoot you?" " Who wouldn't want to?" "I'd say it was the CIA because of the reward for JFK's killers." " No, I think it was the KKK." " It wasn't the KKK." "It was the mob." "The extreme religious right..." "You've just named every American psycho." "You're always, always gonna have to watch your ass." "I should move somewhere where perverts are welcome." " Where are you going?" " For ice cream." "Do you want some?" " I want some more." " I just gave you twice your dose." " You're gonna overdose." " No." "I'm in pain." " You're just doing this to get off." " More!" "I'm only giving you half." "Don't ask for any more for a while." "Let go." " Are you all right?" " I love you, baby." "Oh, God..." "MARCH 1979" " MARCH 1983" " Hi, Dr. Bob." " Hello." "How's Larry today?" " Shitty." " Pretty shitty." " How are you today?" " Terrible." "I'm in pain." "We're running out of options." "The drugs, the pain." "It'll kill you." "Something stronger." "This is $30,000." "Can we just have our medicine in peace?" "There is an operation for this kind of pain." " Ready for the laser." " Laser ready." "Five watts." "Hi, baby." "What's that?" "Some lady died down the hall and I got her flowers." " How do you feel?" " Good." " You feel good?" " Yeah, I feel great." "For the first time since those bullets, I don't feel pain." "I don't want it, baby." "I don't want it." "I feel good." "And you're not on nothing?" "You're fooling me, or you're a liar." "You've been on drugs for five years." "I doubt you feel great on nothing." "Is it that hard to believe that I don't want any?" "I took the drugs because I was in pain." "I'm not in pain now." "Why would I want it?" "I don't know why you want it." "If I don't take it, I'll get sick." "And it makes me feel good." " You'll want it again." " I'm done with it." "You've said this before." "That's because you're fucking on..." " Get away!" "I don't want it!" " Stop it." "You'll hurt yourself." "We've been through a lot together." "We can make it through this." " You're gonna go cold turkey?" " Yes, and so are you." " No." " Yes." "No." "I can't, Larry." " What am I gonna do?" " What do I need that shit for?" "The pervert is back!" " What's your name?" " Sophie." "Tell everybody the pervert is back." "The pervert is back." "Circulation is down by a third." "Colour reproduction is horrible." "The models look like $3 whores." "The writing is by some moronic idiots." "Mr. Flynt..." "I don't want to step on your toes, but things have changed." "I looked back at what you did in the 70's." "It was racy and crazy." "But Reagan has rebuilt America." "The Moral Majority is gaining power." " You're fired." " Excuse me?" "Get the fuck out of my building!" "Get him out of here!" "Throw that blow-dried jerk motherfucker in the incinerator." "Cut him up and feed him to the animals!" "You can't do that!" "He's the vice-president of marketing!" "Are you challenging my authority?" "Do you see that on the wall?" "LFP." "Larry Flynt Publications!" "Not JFP." " I'm the big kahuna here!" " You're the boss." "So, Larry, what's the plan?" "Plan..." "The plan is simple." "The establishment took my manhood, but they left half of me." "They left the half with the brain." "I'm gonna use it... to get back." " Wake up." " Who is this?" "It's Larry Flynt." "Is CBS interested in a video tape of the FBI selling John DeLorean 50 kilos of cocaine?" "Are you Mr. Waverly?" "I'm Mrs. Flynt." "Do you want some coffee or tea or sandwiches or something?" "No, that's all right." "Can I just see the tape?" "John DeLorean." " Guess what this is." " The coke." "That whole suitcase?" "Yeah." "Watch this." "DeLorean..." "the first time he touched it." "That's all the contact he had with that cocaine." "This is my favourite part." "They can't get the suitcase closed." "There's a lot of cocaine in there." "How do you get it closed?" " It's amazing." " Now they do a toast." "Watch this." "There's a knock at the door." "Tubby gets up and goes to the door." "There's $4 million worth of cocaine and nobody's nervous." "Watch." "FBI." "FBI." "This guy has a good camera sense." "Watch him clear the camera." "Watch this guy." "He grabs his champagne and leaves." "These guys aren't concerned about him because they're FBI!" " We have a right to broadcast..." " Ridiculous." "This is stolen..." "A fair trial will be impossible." "We'll never find an impartial jury." "We're talking basic constitutional rights..." "Gentlemen..." " That's enough!" " It's stolen." "Here is the Campari ad campaign parody." "Jerry Falwell talks about his first time." " You guys are stupid." " Do you ever say anything positive?" "You're subpoenaed to appear in court to reveal the source of the tape." "The FBI got very pissed off." "They want you in court tomorrow." "I'm wiping my ass with this subpoena!" " Why is your client doing this?" " He's a very complicated man." "I believe him to be an undiagnosed manic depressive." "I'll give him cause for depression." "I'm issuing an arrest warrant." " Holy shit!" " Freeze!" "Federal marshals!" "Drop the gun!" "Hands on your head!" "On your knees!" "NBC, ABC..." "What's wrong with you, CBS?" " Larry Flynt, you come out!" " Shut up!" "Where are your fucking priorities?" "I turned the whole world into a tabloid!" "Larry, are you going somewhere?" " Roll out of there, now!" " Will you get me some bananas?" " Yes, I'll get you bananas." " Thank you, honey." "U.S. DISTRICT COURT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1983" "Raise your right hand and put your left hand on the Bible." "Do you swear to tell the truth so help you God?" " No." " No?" "I'm an atheist." "I can't swear to a god I don't believe exists." " You are a handful." " I know, Your Honour." "We'll allow you to affirm, if that's satisfactory with you." "I just need you to answer one question, then you can go home." " Shoot." " What was the source of this tape?" "Vicki Morgan was Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress..." "Alfred introduced her to all of Reagan's Cabinet buddies." "They really liked her, if you know what I mean." "The thing about Vicky is she was a bit naive." "She started writing a book about all their orgies." "And bam, she's murdered!" "What these White House killers don't realize is that Vicky kept some video tapes of their sexcapades." "These tapes are pure carnality." "Filthy." "I've never seen anything..." "Well, I have, but most people haven't seen anything like this." "What has this got to do with the DeLorean trial?" " That's a good question." " Technically, nothing, Your Honour." "I have those tapes and this tape, and it just made me think of it." "I'd appreciate it if you would stick to the subject." "I'll ask you again:" " What was the source of this tape?" " You don't have the right to ask!" "You're in comtempt of court!" "I'm fining you $10,000 a day until you reveal the source." "Mr. Flynt, is this a conspiracy?" "Larry, where did you get the tapes?" "What have you done with the Vicky Morgan tapes?" "Do you really have the sex tapes?" "No." "I just said I had the DeLorean tapes." "They believe anything I say." "You'll have to take the helmet off." " There's no war here." " You can never be too careful." "The government will protect you." "We brought extra marshals in today." "Are you going to reveal the source of the tape or pay the $10,000?" "Your Honour..." "It is my right, under the 1st Amendment, to protect my sources!" " Listen." "Let me talk to him." " Shut up!" "Relax." " Is that an American flag?" " I fashioned it into a diaper." "If you're gonna treat me like a baby, I'm gonna act like one." "I'm ordering you arrested for desecration of the American flag." " We'd like to post bond." " Just a minute, marshal." "The court will set a bond for $50,000." " I'd prefer a cashier's cheque." " Understood." "I'm gonna keep Mr. Flynt on a very tight leash." "As a condition of his bond, he cannot leave California." "You're not getting on that plane." "Do you think this is a game?" "You're right." "It's a fucking joke!" "5 1l2 years since they shot me..." "I was there, too." "You don't see me pissing off everyone around us." "You can walk and you can fuck, and I'm in this chair!" "I have money, and that gives me the power to shake up this system." "Find somebody else to help you." "I don't know what we're engaged in." "If you get on that plane, I quit." "Don't be so melodramatic." "I'm your dream client." "I'm the most fun, I'm rich and I'm always in trouble." "Go to hell, Larry." "Bye." "Why did you disobey this court?" "You were not to leave California." " We had an honest misunderstanding." " Counsellor, he's right." "Some rules are made to help us, not hurt us." "I apologise." "I want to fess up and reveal my source." "Who was the source of this tape?" "The samurai." " The samurai gave me the tape." " Who is he, and where is he?" "He had a critical groin injury on the way to give me the tape, and he's undergoing acupuncture treatment in China." "This court fears that you are seriously mentally ill." "Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one." "Shut up, Alan!" " Let your lawyer do the talking." " No." "I know the rules!" " You're fired." " I'm so tired of you." "You're fired." " You can't fucking fire me!" " Don't curse in this courtroom." "How about spitting?" "Marshal, put a gag on that man." "Sit down." "Be seated there in the back." "Everybody down!" "All right, Mr. Flynt." "Are you willing to calm down?" "If I take the gag off, will you show us the respect we deserve?" "All right, marshal." " Fuck you!" " I've had enough!" "You leave me no choice but to sentence you to nine months." " Is that all you got?" " Three more months, then." "Do you want more?" "Sit down, lady!" "Larry Flynt, you're sentenced to 15 months in a psychiatric prison." "Don't look at me." "Ask for bail, councelor." "Can I post bail?" "No." "Get him out of my courtroom!" "You can say those foul words behind four padded walls!" "There's something we'd like to show you." "I don't understand." "The reverend wouldn't endorse a liquor company." " There's a larger problem." " Substantially larger." "It says that the reverend..." "It says that he fornicated with his mother in an outhouse." "Give me a second." "What do you boys have for me today?" "Reverend..." "I think you need to read this." "Give me your jacket, please." "Stand up, please." "Raise your foot." " Arms up." " What?" "Larry  you look so good." "You look like shit." "I don't want to work at the magazine any more." "People don't listen to me." "They don't talk to me." "They're afraid of me and they don't shake my hand." "I went to Dr. Robert." "He told me that I was sick." "I mean, sick-sick." "I have AIDS, Larry." "They won't shake your hand?" "Yes, sir." "Yes." "Code pink." "Code pink." "Larry, it's Jimmy." "Are you there?" " Are you there?" " I have an important announcement." " How's the hospital treating you?" " Nevermind." "Is everybody there?" "Good." "You're all fired." "You can't just fire these people." "We need them." "It's my business and I'll run it into the ground if I want to." " That's all." "I have to go." " What the fuck was that?" " Calm down." "No one is fired." " But Larry just said that..." "He's in a nuthouse." "I said you're not fired!" "Jesus, Althea..." "Hi." "Sit down." " Are you all right, Mrs. Flynt?" " Fine, thanks." "You look different." "Did you change your hair?" " I like it." " Yeah, my hair is different." "What's up?" "I got this the other day." "Would you look at it, please?" "That is..." "This is..." " It's intense." " Yes, it is." " What are we gonna do?" " Give it to Larry's lawyers." "You are our lawyers." "You're part of the family." " Don't listen to Larry." " I don't know, Althea." "We really need your help." "Please." "Please help us." "This is great, Larry." "I hope it was worth it." " Didn't I fire you?" " I ignore most of what you say." "I know the timing is lousy, but do you remember the Campari ad?" "Jerry Falwell in the outhouse with his mother..." "Well, he saw it." "I guess it's safe to say he didn't find it funny." "He is suing you for libel and infliction of emotional distress." "And he is asking for $40 million." "This is Jerry Falwell in his home state." "If you're up to it, we should figure out how to deal with this." "Countersue." " Yeah, Jerry, he's suing you." " Me?" "On what grounds?" "You xeroxed his ad and sent it out in a million fund-raising letters." "But you didn't get his permission." "That's copyright infringement." "The depth of his depravity sickens me." "Your testimony is going to make or break us, as always." "Downplay how much you hate Falwell." "Let them know it was a joke." "Take this one seriously." "It'll be an expensive case if you lose." "U.S. DISTRICT COURT ROANOKE, VIRGINIA 1984" " Reverend, you're a preacher." " Yes, I am." "You speak to a fairly broad audience on television and radio." "You've achieved a certain notoriety, a national reputation, for your sermons and your leadership of the Moral Majority." "Our membership is now over five million." "You've been recognized and awarded for your efforts all over America." "I have many honourary degrees." "In a poll of Good Housekeeping," "I was voted second most-admired American behind President Reagan." "Good Housekeeping!" "You're famous." "I suppose you could say that." "Have you ever had sex with your mother?" " Absolutely not!" " Never... as Hustler suggested?" "That is an absurd question." "My mother was a very godly woman, and as close to a saint as anyone I have ever known." " Have you ever preached drunk?" " Never." "You never drank before going on the radio?" " That's an outrageous suggestion!" " Outrageous?" "You don't think anyone would have reason to believe you could do that?" "I find that difficult to believe." "So nobody could reasonably think that these statements are true?" "That's what I've been saying." "Judge Kirk has given specific instructions to the jury:" ""If a reasonable person could not believe that Hustler describes facts about Falwell, dismiss the libel claim"." "Do you remember these instructions?" "Obviously not." " Why are you suing for libel?" " I'm not a lawyer, Mr. Isaacman." "I am, and I can't figure it out, either." " State your name for the record." " Yes, sir." "Christopher Columbus Cornwallis I.P.Q. Harvey H.N. Pagey Piu." "Are you also known as Larry Flynt?" "AKA Jesus H. Flynt, esquire." "Are you the publisher and editor-in-chief of Hustler Magazine?" "I publish the most disgusting ... greatest porn magazine on Earth." "I have a typewritten script of the Campari ad." "When you approved this ad, did you have any knowledge that Reverend Falwell had ever had sex with his mother?" "No." "But I have a photograph of Falwell having fellatio with a sheep." "My client is heavily medicated." "No such document exists." "I have it, and Mr. Fartwell is a liar and a sheepophile." " My client's name is Jerry Falwell." " Yes." "Jerry Fartwell." " You're holding him up to ridicule?" " No." "Contempt." " Obloquy." " Parlez-vous francais?" " Mieux que toi, monsieur." " Embrace mon derriere." " My French is so rusty." " Bon appetit!" " I love her." " Quiet." " I love you, baby." " Jesus loves me." "Mr. Flynt, do you have an aversion to religion?" " A virgin?" " Aversion!" "An aversion to religion." "You bet your sweet ass I do." "Does that give you licence to mock leaders of religious movements?" " Goddamn right." " Objection!" "This is irrelevant." "Free expression is absolute." "If you can't control yourself, you'll have to leave." "Was it your intention to hold Falwell out to be a hypocrite?" "That's what he is." "But Falwell must have an integrity that people can believe in, if he is to practice his profession." "Was it your intention to destroy that integrity and his livelihood?" "To assassinate it." "It's a weird decision." "He's guilty, but not of libel..." " "Inflicting emotional distress"." " Flynt has to pay him $200,000." "This ruling shows that nobody can prostitute the 1stAmendment." "Pornography has thrust its ugly head into our lives." "The billion dollar sex industry of which Larry Flynt is the leader." "Lustand greed have replaced decency and morality." "We must make a commitment to God to turn this nation around." " Fucking AIDS junkie." " You crazy cripple." "It's just not that funny." "It wasn't funny the first time." "I'm open to suggestions." "I suggest that if we're going to recycle it..." "I thought I fired all of you." "Jimmy?" "Come here." "I'm sorry if I tried to run things, but I was just trying to protect you." "Come here." "Closer." "Come on." "Don't sweat it, bro." "I love you." "I love you, too." " Larry!" "You look great." " Chester." "Shake Althea's hand." " Hi, Althea, you..." " Hi, Chester." "Don't sneak up on us like that." "Good to see you, Althea." " Welcome back." " What do you do?" "I'm a secretary." "Arlo, hi." " I got it." " I'm gonna take my bath." "Why don't you hop on?" "I'll give you a ride." "Go ahead." "Buckle up." "You're crushing my legs!" "You're shivering, baby." "You're shivering." "Detour!" "You're gonna kill us." "It's okay." "They'll freeze us and thaw us out in the year 3000." "Curbside service." "That'll be $8.50, lady." "Dr. Kipper, please." "Larry Flynt." "Dr. Kipper?" "She doesn't look good." "There's got to be more we can do." "Some new technology or drug." "What are they doing in Europe?" "Money is no object." "Althea..." "Althea!" "Baby..." "Help!" "Help!" "Jesus said, "l am the way, the truth and the life"." ""No man comes to the Father, but by me"." ""He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die"." ""In my father's house are many rooms"." ""I will prepare a place for you, and come again, and receive you unto myself." "Where I am, you will be also"." ""And you will live with me forever and ever"." "You cannot mock God." "You cannot fool God." "If you violate his laws, God almighty will judge you." "AIDS is a plague." "These perverted lifestyles have to stop." "If you break moral laws, you reap the whirlwind." "It's Larry." "I want to appeal the Falwell case." " This is over." " No." "We can go higher." "The Supreme Court." "Call them." "It's not that simple." "Thousands of people petition the Supreme Court." " Our case is as good as any." " Yes, but you're missing my point." "They will never pick you, because you're a nightmare!" "They're afraid you'll wear a diaper or throw oranges at the justices." "All the times you asked for help, you never showed the court respect." "They think you're a pig!" "You always said, in principle, a pig has the same rights as a president." " People get tired of a pig." " Bullshit!" "You're scared, Alan." "It's not just them , Larry!" "It's me!" "I am not taking you." "Lawyers dream about a case in front of the Supreme Court." "And they would probably hear us, but I am not going with you!" "I've been giving you my best since the beginning." "Every time I come in there now, you fuck me with this circus act!" "I'm not going to do it in front of the Supreme Court." "Your sentimental speeches don't work on me any more, because I don't believe you." "I don't believe you." "You're my... my friend." "We're friends." "I would love to be remembered for something meaningful." "If you have research problems, please use my archives." "Tell the reverend that I've dealt with this filth-monger myself." " I wish to offer my support." " Is that the Tin Man?" "Yes." "That's the Tin Man." "God versus the devil." "Minister versus pimp." "Today's the showdown." "Many were surprised the court would hear the case, but Flynt was supported by the New York Times..." "The Honourable, the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices." "All persons having business before the Honourable are admonished to draw near and give their attention." "God save the United States and the Supreme Court." "We'll hear the argument first in number 86-1278," "Hustler Magazine and Larry C. Flynt versus Jerry Falwell." "Mr. Isaacman, you may proceed whenever you're ready." "Mr. Chief Justice, and may it please the court..." "One of the most cherished ideas that we hold is the right to uninhibited debate and freedom of speech." "Should a public figure's right to protection from emotional distess outweigh being allowed to freely express one's views?" "What was the view expressed in exhibit A?" "It's a parody of a known Campari ad." "I understand." "More importantly, it was a satire of Jerry Falwell, the ideal candidate, as he is such an unlikely subject for a liquor ad." "We usually see him at the pulpit, preaching with a smile on this face." "Is there a public interest in making him look ludicrous?" "Yes." "There is a public interest in making him look ludicrous, as there is an interest in Hustler expressing that he is full of BS." "Hustler has every right to express this view." "They have the right to say that somebody who has campaigned against our magazine, who has publically said that it poisons the minds of Americans, who says that sex out of wedlock is immoral, you shouldn't drink..." "Hustler has a 1st Amendment right to respond to these comments by saying that he is full of BS." "It says, "Let's bring him down to our level"." "Which, admittedly, is a very low level." "That's sort of the point." "The 1st Amendment is important, but it's not our only value." "Good people should be able to enter public life and service." "The rule you give us says that if you become a public figure, you can't protect yourself against a parody of committing incest." "Would Washington have stood for office if that was the consequence?" "It's interesting you mention him." "I once saw an old political cartoon." "George Washington is riding on a donkey, being led by a man" "I can handle that." "I think George can handle that." "But that's a far cry from committing incest with your mother." "Is there no line between the two?" "No, there isn't." "You're talking about a matter of taste and not law." "As you yourself said in "Pope versus Illinois"," ""It's useless to argue about taste, and more useless to litigate it"." "The jury has already determined that this is a matter of taste." "No one could reasonably believe that Falwell had sex with his mother." "Why did Hustler have them together?" "As an example of literary travesty, if you will." "What purpose does this serve?" "The same as having Gary Trudeau say that Reagan has no brain." "It lets us look at public figures a bit differently." "If Falwell can sue purely for emotional stress, so can others." "Imagine suits against people like Gary Trudeau and Johnny Carson." "When public figures are criticized, they'll feel emotional distress." "It's easy to claim and impossible to refute." "It's a meaningless standard." "All it does is allow us to punish unpopular speech." "This country is founded, in part, on the belief that unpopular speech is vital to the health of our nation." "Thank you, Mr. Isaacman." " Are you confident that you'll win?" " Absolutely." "The Supreme Court couldn't possibly come down on the side of Flynt." " Mr. Keating, why are you here?" " I want pornography outlawed." "If the 1st Amendment protects..." "What did Gruntman call me?" "... scumbags like me, it'll protect all of you." " Because I'm the worst." " Do you have any regrets?" "Only one." "Larry!" "Larry!" "Larry..." " They brought the decision in." " Is it good or bad?" " It's unanimous." " Is it good or bad?" "I want you to hear this." ""At the heart of the 1st Amendment is the free flow of ideas"." ""Freedom to speak one's mind is an aspect of liberty"." ""It is essential to the quest for truth and the vitality of society"." ""Many unadmirable, public affairs are protected by the 1st Amendment"." " So we won." " Yes." " Thank you, Alan." " Don't mention it." "We won, baby." "Strip for me, baby." "Why?" "When you're old and ugly you can look back at this." "I'll never be old and ugly." "You'll be old and ugly." "Larry Flynt lives in Los Angeles and publishes 29 magazines." "He is still paralysed." "His assailant was never found." "Alan Isaacman lives in Los Angeles and is still Larry Flynt's attorney." "Falwell remains one of America's most respected religious figures." "Charles Keating was convicted on 72 counts of racketeering." "His actions cost taxpayers over $2 billion."