Neon signage, indecent proposals from the shadows, and seeking out urban legends of sexual delights. The days of bygone sleaze fascinate me to no end. So much so that I dedicate a large part of my sex life to seeking out surviving relics of retro perversium.
But for me, few things personify vintage sleaze as much as the porn cinema does. I was first introduced to the concept through the classic Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver. The seedy vibe, the overwhelming sound of artificial pleasure, and the blend of exhibitionism and voyeurism hooked me.
But Taxi Driver was released in 1976. In an age of easily accessible porn that is often a mere push of a button away, surely porn cinemas can’t survive. Can they? That’s what I believed. But kinksters are resilient people. Let me tell you, my darlings; the porn cinema is alive and well in 2022.
Legends Never Die
Before we were afforded the luxury of watching movies at home, the only option was to head to a cinema. Porn flicks were no exception. As the Golden Age of Porn began in the 1960s, porno theatres were swiftly erected across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and beyond.
In the space of a few years, they had surged enormously. By the mid to late 70s, there were over 1,000 porn theatres across the United States, with New York being a particularly popular spot. With the birth of internet porn, the number of adult theatres worldwide dwindled rapidly. But legends never die.
For those kinksters who appreciate watching smut in a cinema environment surrounded by like-minded people rather than on the confines of a smartphone or laptop, porn cinema remains a vital part of the sexual ecosystem.
But virtual erotica isn’t all that’s on offer. These days, porn cinemas provide an anonymous forum for the sexual exploration of all genders, kinks, and fetishes. On an average day in a sex cinema, one can find swinging couples reenacting the smut on-screen, stunning transsexuals cavorting with open-minded men, and solo women enjoying the delights of exhibitionism.
This iconic adult establishment holds a special place in my heart. Walking through the doors feels like stepping into another dimension—the sexual energy pulses through like a heartbeat. There is no judgement, no meaningless small talk, just smut and raw sexuality amongst like-minded kinksters.
If I want to be an exhibitionist, I have many people on tap to watch me eagerly. If I want to be voyeuristic, I can retire into the shadows and watch. If I’m feeling introverted, I can slip into a Gloryhole booth and see where my lust takes me as an array of throbbing cocks appear in front of me.
Stepping out into the streets after spending hours inside such a place is a bizarre feeling. It’s a personal kink of mine walking down the street smelling raw lust, cum, and sex with everybody around me, unaware of the sheer debauchery I’ve just been nose deep in mere minutes ago.
Over the years, porn cinemas have been the foundation of many of my true sex confessions, and for good reason.
Oh, Berlin…
Across Europe and North America, porn cinemas are still going strong. But for me, my favourite haunt is in the German capital of Berlin. Here, one can find an abundance of sex theatres ranging from sprawling complexes to small, seedy venues that have been around since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Nobody does things quite like Berliners do. And porn cinemas are no exception. Attached to sex shops throughout the city, you can find enormous porn cinemas divided into multiple playing and viewing areas. With authentic German efficiency, some are even split into straight, gay, and transsexual zones with free-for-all spaces for all to converge.
Inside the cum-stained corridors of porn cinemas, the atmosphere isn’t for newcomers. You’ll feel the horny eyes of voyeurs follow you from the shadows, witness explicit sex acts between exhibitionists, and likely be the recipient of numerous indecent proposals. Whether you get involved is entirely up to you.
A patchwork of characters makes up the sexual ecosystem of modern porn cinemas. From young couples between 18-25 seeking a place to explore their sexuality away from their parent's house to Dominatrixes and their subs getting up to all manner of mischief, it takes all sorts to make the porn theatre world.
What Does The Future Hold?
The first porn cinema I was fortunate enough to visit was a notorious little dive in London’s Soho district. I watched with great sadness as the sleazy gem, along with countless others in the area, fell to demolition or to gentrification in recent years.
In my native UK, the number of porn cinemas was once in the hundreds. Today, only two dedicated porn theatres still hang on to existence in Britain. Not including the smaller, more casual variety in swinger clubs and gay bathhouses.
In a world of increasingly high-tech and easily accessible porn, it’s no secret that the humble porn cinema is under threat. Yet this fortress of uninhibited sexuality and sleaze is protected by men, women, and transsexuals of all persuasions with a passion for everything the porn cinema offers.
And long may it continue.
Written by Catherine Duffy - A proud Irish harlot, a lover of bygone sleaze, and founder of Whoreuro Magazine.