Find Movies & TV
Home
Live TV
On Demand
Discover
Explore
Movies & TV Shows
Most Popular
Leaving Soon
Categories
Action
Animation
Comedy
Crime
Documentary
Drama
En Español
Horror
Music
Romance
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Western
Explore
Browse Channels
Featured Channels
Crime 360
Nashville
FailArmy
Categories
Hit TV
Drama TV
Movies
True Crime
News
Sports
Reality
Classics
Sci-Fi & Action
Chills & Thrills
Comedy
Game Shows
Nature & Travel
History & Science
Food & Home
Lifestyle
Kids & Family
En Español
International
Anime+
Music
Sign In
Obscene
Directed by
Neil Ortenberg
,
Daniel O'Connor
Not Rated
2008
1h 37m
Documentary
,
Biography
7.2
92%
79%
4.4
Add to Watchlist
A look at the life and work of American publisher Barney Rosset, who struggled to bring controversial works like "Tropic of Cancer" and "Naked Lunch" to publication.
More
Where to Watch Obscene
Hoopla
Free
Night Flight Plus
Subscription
OVID
Subscription
Fandango At Home
Buy $7.99
Cast of Obscene
Barney Rosset
Self
Amiri Baraka
Self
William S. Burroughs
Self (archive footage)
Jim Carroll
Self
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Self
John Sayles
Self
Gore Vidal
Self
John Waters
Self
John Rechy
Self
Neil Ortenberg
Director
Daniel O'Connor
Director
Alex Meillier
Producer / Director Of Photography
Tanya Meillier
Producer / Editor
Askold Buk
Original Music Composer
Derek Sample
Sound Editor
Obscene Ratings & Reviews
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Dennis Schwartz
An entertaining and engrossing film.
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Louis Proyect
Brilliant social history about one of the greatest publishers of the modern epoch, even if he is "Human, All Too Human"
Film Threat
Matthew Sorrento
With testimony from scads of heyday contributors and an infectious design reflecting Grove Press's innovative cover art ... the filmmakers could have shelved the weaker bits without missing a beat.
Seattle Times
Ted Fry
The focus of Obscene remains steadfastly on the man, thanks to a rich variety of archival and interview clips that span his entire career and a slew of colleagues, fiends and enemies.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Bill White
Rosset is a lively subject, and his interviews (over many years) provide an oral history of his life and times.
Los Angeles CityBeat
Andy Klein
... a justified tribute to [Barney] Rosset, who in his mid-80s is still feisty, with a refreshingly lighthearted attitude toward all he accomplished.
AV Club
Noel Murray
Though Obscene tells the story without fully exploring its nuances, that story is both fascinating and more than a little inspiring.
Boxoffice Magazine
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo
The doc formally mirrors its subject in its pacing, which balances the titillation/education of the doc's subject with consistent and pleasantly teasing speed and tone from start to finish.
New York Post
V.A. Musetto
A compelling documentary about [Barney Rosset] directed by neophytes Neil Ortenberg and Daniel O'Connor.
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
Daniel O'Connor and Neil Ortenberg's engrossing documentary about the life and times of publisher Barney Rosset, who spent much of his career advancing the cause of free expression, is a flawless match of style and subject.
Cinema Signals
Jules Brenner
Those who didn't live through this period and take for granted the totality of free expression enjoyed today will have their eyes opened by this homage.
New York Times
Jeannette Catsoulis
A warm, entertaining compendium of counterculture voices (including Jim Carroll and Amiri Baraka) and literary landmarks.
Slant Magazine
Aaron Cutler
Obscene is a brief, pleasant time-killer that genially preaches to the choir yet, while it's always enjoyable, this review's readers should seek Grove books out first.
Village Voice
Michelle Orange
[A] very fine documentary.
ColeSmithey.com
Cole Smithey
This is the kind of art house documentary that inspires the right kind of social rebellion.
San Francisco Chronicle
Tamara Straus
Obscene, a tribute to New York publisher Barney Rosset, is an entertaining reminder of the ferocity of the culture wars of the 1950s and '60s.
Take Plex everywhere
Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices
Home
Live TV
On Demand
Discover
