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All Forums > The Feature Side > The Feature Side Forum Page 55 > Candida's "Studhunters"
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bobsquad
New Member

3 Posts
8/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 1:30AM
Might I suggest a change of pace for a future viewing?

Candida Royalle, a very sexy lady who was an early porn performer, for the past 20 years has set her considerable talents to making realistically erotic pictures. I had never seen one until tonight when I watched her most recent, "Studhunters."

Starring Ava Vincent, Alexandra Silk and Tara Indiana, this is one of the most intelligently crafted porn films I've ever seen. It's funny, perceptive, well-acted and quite hot. The three stars are given great latitude to act and they've got a script that inspires them to do so with great professionalism and humor, the latter quality being greatly appreciated as it's refreshing to get an insight into other talents that some of our modern superstars possess, but never really get to showcase.

Set up around the auditioning process for male "studs", the movie is very well paced and will keep your fingers far from the FF button during the non-sex scenes, so charming is the writing and performing. Alexandra is a revelation as the casting director. She keeps things moving with a whole grabbag of reactions to the prospective studs as they stand in front of her and leading lady Ava, sometimes dropping trou to show off the goods, while other times simply discussing what they can bring to an erotic film.

Candida was very shrewd in casting a bunch of unknowns, who you get the feeling could well be off to auditions for Off-Broadway productions once they leave this set. The sex is on the romantic side -- as one might expect from a Femme production -- with one notable exception. Tara Indiana, a.k.a. Mistress Tara plays a snappy journalist sitting in on the audition who has a penchant for asking loaded, judgmental questions. It's clear she's a hyprocrite and likely very kinky in her private life and eventually she gets her comeuppance -- as does the guy she invites to fuck her in a storage closet during her cigarette break. She's nasty as hell, doling out clothespins to her studs nipples before inviting him to fuck her mouth and pussy. It's a scorching scene from a woman who's made several bondage videos, but has tallied very few hardcore performances in which she's the one taking a pounding.

The best reason to watch this movie, however, is the great care put into the writing and directing. For that we have Candida to thank. Her pictures are always a labor of love, and in this one she really let's her hair down. She still makes her points politcally, but does so in an atmosphere of highly charged sexuality. It seems to me couples seeing this film will be in a very good frame of mind to discuss her themes, as the women will feel empowered by her depiction of their points of view, and the men slayed by her knack of interjecting hot sex without losing sight of the picture's broader themes.

Trivia buffs will also thrill to a quick cut of the production assistant reading Voltaire's "Candide" during some down time.

So perhaps on the seventh day, after an origiastic week of taking in the incredible sexploits of Hillary Scott and Taryn Thomas and Leah Luv and Kami Andrews and Kelly Fuckn' Wells, viewing a picture like this might further endear you to the hidden -- but no less real -- talents of many of the people who dedicate themselves to the cause of erotica.

pilgrim
Member

23 Posts
8/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 11:28AM
Great post! Thanks, Bobsquad!

Although I've heard tell of Candida's directorial talents, I've never seen any of her work because I generally can't stand to watch feature porn.

Your description of this video, however, has me more than intrigued -- aroused to be honest. I'm heading to the ADT Search Engine right now to nab me a copy for my viewing pleasure (and, uhhh, maybe my intellectual improvement, too ).

This feature sounds HOT!


--typo--

Edited by - pilgrim on 8/22/2005 2:55:46 PM

lindi
Senior Member

12345
3205 Posts
9/02
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 1:53PM
That plot sounds familiar... yep, I've reviewed it here, but I gave it two stars, which is only a fraction of the number of yawns. From there, you can click onto astroknight's two-and-a-half star review.

Bobsquad -- your take on the movie is equally valid, why not post a review for this -- just click 'write a review' on the left side of this page.

Edited by - lindi on 8/22/2005 1:59:21 PM

bobsquad
New Member

3 Posts
8/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 1:59PM
A couple of admissions. First off, I'm on another computer today. For those who care Bobsquad = Saratoga120.

Second, and way more important, I cheated a bit in talking about the movie before I'd finished watching it. In so doing, I left out the hottest scene of all.

You guys remember Alexandra Silk? New York girl. Quite open to experimentation. Not uncommon to see her devouring multiple men. What I didn't realize when I wrote originally is that she has a sex scene in the movie too. For most of the picture she plays the casting director and in the outtakes even comments that this is the first film she's ever done where her clothes remain mostly on. Ah, but that word "mostly" turns out to be a glorious one indeed.

After auditioning a bevy of porno he-man wanna-bes, Alexandra takes a break and finds herself joined by not one, not two, not even three, but four of the budding mimbos. I can say with complete certainty that this might be the first gangbang ever filmed that will appeal equally to raincoaters and squeamish, demure ladies (especially those who have fancied such a scenario themselves).

Alexandra is flat out erotic here. There's no other word for it. Picture Barbara Stanwyck in her glory day entertaining four of her co-stars in a studio back room and you might get something similar. Alexandra is flirty, fetching and ultimately fuckable, to my great delight. Candida's camera work and editing perfectly capture this sexy lady's considerable talent for producing both teasing banter and swollen boners.

I'm not saying anyone's never going to look at porn the same way again. This is more of a curiosity. A look at what happens when thoughtful, horny people decide to make an X-rated film on their terms, rather than just giving the people what they want.

I know one thing. I want more of this.

lindi
Senior Member

12345
3205 Posts
9/02
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 2:05PM
I would love it if it had the best moments of Ava's scene, and the great stuff from most of the Tara scene (before it fizzled), but except for the Tara scene the movie was too slow for me.

Edited by - lindi on 8/22/2005 2:06:02 PM

 
pilgrim
Member

23 Posts
8/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 3:01PM
Ummmm. Maybe a rental then, if I can find it . . . ?
YogaDame All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

bien dans ma peau
198 Posts
7/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 3:23PM
These were my comments a year and a half ago at Smart Girls' Porn Club (when I was still a member of the Tribe social network).
I'm glad Saratoga120 likes the movie (there's something for everyone, yay!), but I'm also glad I only borrowed the copy that I watched. My reaction vacillated between irritation and boredom.
bobsquad
New Member

3 Posts
8/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 4:28PM
Thanks Lindi, Pilgrim and Yogadame for your thoughtful replies.

When I submitted this review, I did so very subjectively. I wasn't trying to be David Denby. What I did want to do is share my own very personal perceptions with the group, so perhaps it was not smart of me to submit my review to the review bank.

I think what I was reacting to was the obvious joy the performers had in being able to express sides of their creativity that are normally held in check. I got a real feel for the non-sexual personas of Ava, and especially Alexandra. To then see them performing sexually, in context, was very arousing to me. Since I liked the script and the execution I was very happy to view the movie in real time, rather than jumping around to see naked people fornicating, which has come to be my custom when watching porn.

The movie in many ways reminded me of the Chuck Vincent classics of the Golden Age: New York performers, campy set-ups, cut-ups who might do a little too much mugging for the camera (but at least provide some insight into who they really are) and careful production values. It's an era I was very fond of and this movie kind of represented a turn-back-the-clock experience for me.

YogaDame All-Star Supporter
All-Star Member

bien dans ma peau
198 Posts
7/05
Posted - Aug 22 2005 : 4:55PM
Hey, I'm glad you shared your observations. I know at least one other person who adored this movie, so you're not alone. He's a good friend of mine, and we've simply agreed to disagree.

Chuck Vincent, eh? I don't believe I've seen any of his work. Thanks for the suggestion. I will go look him up and see if there's something I might like.

astroknight All-Star Supporter
Questionable Moderator

Tastes so good...
4187 Posts
11/99
Posted - Aug 24 2005 : 10:45AM
I'm glad you enjoyed it, but it's one that I'm very glad I passed on to somebody else. (review here) Candida has some good ideas in her movies, but her execution almost always leaves me cold. Like YD said, she's so intent on not being 'typical porn' that I think she's thrown out the baby with the bathwater many times. Are facials overused today? Almost certainly, in my opinion, but that doesn't mean that one every once in a while is a bad thing (especially if the recipient can handle it right). The trick if you want to avoid something on film is not drawing the viewer's attention to what your avoiding and how your avoiding it. Candida's movies always stop just short of her jumping in front of the camera screaming how facials are bad and cum should almost never be seen. There are very few people who have been able to make me appreciate and look forward to a sloppy, gooey facial than Candida Royalle's movies have.

(Oh, and I'll also second YogaDame's thoughts on The Bridal Party being one of Candida's best.)

"Vegetarianism for me is about saying ‘yes’ to things - even meat." - Coupling




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