Well, the proof's in the pudding, as they say, and I think this "pudding" iis really tasty. In any well-written or direcrted movie, EVERY scene needs to advance the plot and develop the character(s). This version of "O" does just that. So far, people who have seen it have said they're not fast forwarding through the dialogue because they're interested to see what happens between the characters.
Not long now before you can make up your own minds!
Nina, is the S&M imagery in "O" symbolic for psychological domination/submission? Like I said, I'm not familiar with the story, so I don't know much about it. I hope you don't think this is a stupid question.
Another thing I want to add is that with feature porn, I'm more interested in plot and character devlopement than sex. If sex is all I cared about, I would just watch a gonzo movie.
O explores both the physical and psychological dimensions of BDSM relationships. One of the points on which the picture departs from the original novel is in its direct acknowledgement of the sexual pleasure of physical domination and submission and the way in which this deepens the psychological attachments that form as a result of such powerful erotic stimulation.
Something that seems to be lost on many of those currently attempting to incorporate BDSM elements in the videos they make is that BDSM sex offers great satsifactions to both dominant and submissive players. This is not a thing one person does to another solely for his or her own selfish enjoyment. It is a dance of mutual seduction in which, at the conclusion, the desires of both are fulfilled.
That's a reason people don't go to the theaters anymore. Because some directors rectify "flaws" in the plays of Schiller, Goethe, Lessing, Shakespeare etc.
Oh c'mon. Surely you're not suggesting that Pauline Reage was Shakespeare. As I understand it, she wasn't even BDSM-oriented herself. Now I'm going to have to work up the nerve to read the book, dammit. But not 'til later this fall, after I've seen the movie.
I guess I'm not a purist, though. One of the best plays I ever saw was an adaption of Hamlet in which an actor and and actress simultaneously played the lead, alternating dialog to better reveal Hamlet's inner sense of conflict.
Nina .. pls contact me if you'd like to do a podcast around this DVD release ... or send your contact info to Steph and she'll forward it to me ... thanks!
I would much more prefer, if re-interpreters would have the guts and sign their work by themselves, instead of hiding behind famous or classic icons.
Usually reinterpretion is the short term for: Some moron who has not even the skills of writing for publishing in a pulp magazine is becoming a director, and the avantgarde claqueurs are praising them for violating pieces of classical literature.
Yes, sometimes I do hate Schlingensief and its kind.
I would much prefer that amateur critics confine their observations to works they've actually seen, as opposed to calling people morons and accusing them of lacking the courage to sign their own work on the basis of your particular prejudices and preconceptions.
The problem is that consumers are no amateur critics, they are the most professional ones, notwithstanding the only ones who matter. Something "artists" in a market economy consistantly fail to see.Empiricism can be a bitch.My agenda is that I - and everybody else - have to make preselections due to shortages on my budget - time and/or money which can be spent.
"The problem is that consumers are no amateur critics, they are the most professional ones, notwithstanding the only ones who matter. Something "artists" in a market economy consistantly fail to see."
Are you speaking of me and my experience? I've thrived in the notoriously tough market economy of porn for over twenty years, so I clearly must have a clue as to what a large segment of the consuming public likes to see, n'cest pas? I don't claim to be all things to all people, but enough of them are on my wavelength to have afforded me a good living for a long time, and they continue to do so. Or are you speaking of my husband's experience? He, too, has done very well for over twenty years sharing his vision of screen sex with that portion of the consuming public that enjoys his point of view.
That you may not like a movie you haven't seen, or care much for its source material, doesn't mean that others will share your viewpoint.
"Empiricism can be a bitch."
What are you being "empircal" about? You haven't seen the movie yet. We have "signed our name" to the project and are proud of it and of what we've accomplished. Ernest is a gifted writer and all who have seen the movie so far (industry pros as well as civilians) have agreed that it's a pretty fantastic complete package: script, sets, costumes, performances and hot, believable sex coming together for an enjoyable viewing (or wanking) experience.
"My agenda is that I - and everybody else - have to make preselections due to shortages on my budget - time and/or money which can be spent."
Of course. So, those who like my work, or Ernest's work, or the source material, or the topic in general, or features in general, or good, insightful writing in general, will be interested in this movie. This group doesn't seem to include you, which is fine by us, as you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about it (or is it about my husband?)
Edited by - nina hartley on 8/19/2006 10:29:39 PM
Edited by - nina hartley on 8/19/2006 10:31:23 PM
Edited by - nina hartley on 8/19/2006 10:32:43 PM
Edited by - nina hartley on 8/19/2006 10:33:30 PM
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RAGE69 Deactivated User
11 Posts 8/06
Posted - Aug 19 2006 : 11:03PM
Dear Nina Hartley, you are a really beautiful woman . I wish you were my hot step mother , oh i would love to play with you baby,......love David :)
Me too (except I think that it was in a Playboy ). That picture really intrigued/puzzled/aroused this early teenager as well. It's funny the things that stick in your memory over the years, I can probably recall 60%+ of that pictorial even now.
While my/Mrs. RT's interests don't really lean in that direction, we'll be sure to check this out eventually. There is a market out there for well shot/developed stories.
1. A BDSM movie aimed for the US market. A BDSM movie with actual penetration aimed for the US market.
Sure, next time I want to see a Clint Eastwood flick with lots of violence and one-liners, I'll head straight to "Bridges of Madison County" - not.
If I want to see a BDSM movie with actual penetration, I would stay away the hell from any production aimed for the US-market.
2. A movie based on a novel and somebody involved in the production team announces that the protagonist character has undergone major changes.
a. What difference should one expect to the plethora of movies with a story along the lines of "young gal encounters some secret society and explores her submissive nature".
b. Why the heck name it "O The Power of Submission" and not "A-N,P-Z The Power of Submission" (other than the cheap marketing trick of using the "established" label "O")?
Well, empiricist or not, I guess you'll never know the answers to those questions, as you'll never see the picture.
I think we're done, but if you care to continue this as a one-sided conversation, be my guest.
Otherwise, I'll be happy to provide specifics to anyone else here regarding the actual, rather than presumed, contents of O - The Power of Submission and how it might or might not meet their expectations.
Dear Nina Hartley, assuming thats really you ....What do you think of my fantasy ? your my step mom doing me ..hahaha and i return the favor by being a good boy
Yes, it's me. I'm not that easy to imitate. And your fantasy is classic MILF material. I can't remember ever having made a picture with that particular theme, but I can't say I won't in the future.
TonyC:
Doesn't the noise keep you awake at night?
And BTW, there is bondage with penetration in OTPOS, though most of it's not the elaborate kind you see on Hogtied or other bondage sites. Like the bondage in the book, it's simple and utilitarian, meant to facilitate whipping and fucking.
There is also some spectacularly staged bondage - done by the lovely Claire Adams of Cybernet fame and her partner Damon Pierce - for O's photo-shoots.
I've read Pauline Reage's "Histoire d'O" several times (even en Francais) and have the 1975 film adaptation on DVD. Actually, my first introduction to the story was Guido Crepax's masterful adaptation. I also treasure his adaptations of two other erotica classics: "Emmanuelle" and "La nouvelle Justine" (by the Marquis himself.)
I am really looking forward to this new film. Ernest Greene and Nina Hartley are certainly the two most prominent and intelligent film people who "understand" the bondage/S&M/ whatever-you-want-to-call-it "scene." You could almost call them spokesmen (and spokeswomen.) I think Nina has certainly proven that "the scene" is very complicated and not just a cheap thrill for those involved. For those curious about bondage, Ms. Hartley has proven to be a hell of teacher. Nina and Ernest Greene have probably forgotten more about bondage, etc. than most of us will ever know. Nina knows more ways to tie a knot than the entire Boy Scouts of America do.
I've seen some scenes from this film in the new issue of "Taboo" and it really looks fantastic. You can tell a lot of time, money and effort was put into it and Ms. Luvana seems like the perfect, innocent (?) "O."
Plus, I'm certainly an advocate for new, fresh adaptations of time-tested stories and mythologies. People who slavishly insist on utter adherence to the "sacred text" are just naive people with closed minds. Shakespeare was no nostalgic. Despite his many histories, he wanted his dramas and comedies to reflect the times in which he was living. I believe he'd appreciate Baz Luhrman's "Romeo and Juliet" more than any other standard version of Montagues v. Capulets.
I am eagerly looking forward to this film as a real culmination of Mr. Greene's and Ms. Hartley's extensive work in the field of S&M and bondage. It should be great.
I'm definitely not into S&M, but if it's used as a storytelling device then I can accept it because the plot is what matters to me (again, "The Fashionistas" comes to mind). I'm guessing that "O" isn't simply an S&M movie, but a movie that uses S&M imagery to help tell a story. So even though I'm not into that kind of content by itself I would still see this movie.
Nina, what do you think of "The Fashionistas"? I'm wondering what you think of that movie.
O is very much a character-and-story-driven vehicle. It's quite faithful to the plot content of the original novel, though the setting has been updated to contemporary L.A. and the characters are constructed more realistically around the first-hand knowledge of BDSM now available to a much wider public.
Bear in mind that the novel's author wasn't an enthusiast herself, but rather a clever story-teller trying to hold the interest of a kink-oriented lover by entertaining him with tales of a world she had never actually encountered. This is why the protagonist of the book is, in many ways, an exasperating bundle of contradictions, and why she needed a bit of rearranging to become a believable representation of the type of person who is drawn to erotic submission.
Lots of people have ideas about BDSM, but if they haven't had much personal experience with it, the complex emotional dynamics involved are pretty daunting to dramatize.
I've only seen bits and pieces of The Fashionistas here and there and they were pretty sensational. I particularly liked Belladonna's famous hooded double-BJ. But not having watched the picture all the way through, I can't really comment on the dramatic elements.
Clearly, The Fashionistas worked for a huge audience and I have no doubt the next installments will as well.
Twizted6, Glad to hear you've got the book. I'd wait until you see the movie. That way you can see what Ernest did with it.
Myload, We have a copy of Fashionistas here somewhere (if we haven't loaned it out to one of our horny single friends!). It's definately on the short list of classics I have to watch. Honestly, though, I don't know when I'll have time, as I'm gearing up for the launch of my book and will be very busy promoting that through Spring, '07, at least. Can I watch it one scene at a time and get the same effect?
Brian, Thanks for your kind words. I only hope I'm half the woman you think I am! I'm very interested in hearing how you like the movie itself, when it comes out.
Would we have liked to have done the movie as a 1950's Paris period piece? Of course! However, that would have cost in the low millions to do properly, as period pieces are notoriously expensive to mount, especially if the whole cast and crew has to go to Europe!
So, he updated it to the present and kept the action here in LA, where there is plenty of SM to go around.
Hope some of you can make it to the party on the 14th of September, in Hollywood!
"Dark Odyssey: A journey of sexual adventure, where open minded people gather to explore Tantra, Polyamory, Intimate Communications, BDSM, Alternative Lifestyles and more. With nationally known presenters, hands on workshops, intriguing lectures and exciting social events, experience a vacation you are sure to not forget."
That's how the organizers (of whom my friend Tristan Taormino is the prime mover) describe it on their home page: http://www.darkodyssey.com.
It's an annual gathering held in a beautiful rural location in Northern Maryland. As YogaDame says, it's kind of a like a summer camp for kinksters of many persuasions. I particularly like the fact that it mixes swingers, BDSM people and those with other preferences in a relaxed social setting.
I'll be doing a couple of workshops, including a repeat of my ever-popular strap-on presentation, along with some serious partying.
Nina, you can try to watch "The Fashionistas" scene by scene, but like any feature film, it is best to see the whole thing (or in this case each disc in its entirety since it's so long) for the continuity of the story (continuity is a real word, right?). It's like watching a mainstream movie. Well, I've derailed this thread enough already.
Thank you, Myload, for your consideration. The Fashionistas certainly has a nice, long thread of its own in another section.
One thing I can say from what I've seen is that it's very different from our picture in its approach to the material, although I can imagine that either or both might appeal to a similar audience.
Ahhhh... :happy sigh: I'm up way past my bedtime, but I had to download it right away. That was great. I posted a link over at Nina's forums for the fans there, too.