Insatiable (1980)
Studio: i-Candy/Miracle Films
Directed by: Godfrey Daniels
Starring: Marilyn Chambers, Jesie St. James, Serena, John C. Holmes, John Leslie, David Morris, Mike Ranger, and Richard Pacheco
Running Time: 1:17
Format: Single Sided, Single Layer
DVD Features: Animated menus, full motion video chapter selection menu, detailed biographies of the stars, plot synopsis, trivia game, over 50 production photographs, easter egg with 10 hidden photos, trailers for Nurses of the 407th and Up 'N Coming, and audio commentary track by former star Gloria Leonard
The First Word: Insatiable is perhaps the best adult film of all time, starring the widely acknowledged top female star of all time, and, incidentally, was the very first X-rated movie that I ever watched.
Plot Synopsis: Sandra Chase (Marilyn Chambers) is a famous actress and model who lives a glamorous lifestyle thanks to her stardom and the fortune she inherited from her parents when they were killed in an accident. She has it all: fame, money, and a leading role in a new movie. But she's ultimately unfulfilled because she can't find someone to satisfy her insatiable sexual appetite.
The film begins with Sandra in bed masturbating to an tremendous orgasm, as we see some of her fantasies flash before our eyes. When she wakes up in the morning, she discovers that one of her co-stars in her upcoming movie, an actress named Renee Reynolds (Serena), is arriving for their first introduction. At this point, the film switches to London, England, where Sandra is visiting her Aunt Victoria. Through the dialogue we learn that London represents the present day, while the earlier and subsequent scenes at the Chase mansion are in the past. As Aunt Victoria remarks, "I often read in the papers that stars hate really each other in real life," Sandra replies, "No, Renee and I are very close" and then we flash back to the past to see Sandra and Renee making love in a jacuzzi.
Still unsatisfied, Sandra goes on a drive in the countryside surrounding her estate. She comes across a stranded young man (Richard Pacheco) on the side of the road. He's run out of gas and Sandra offers him a ride. However, Sandra has other plans and pulls off into a secluded orchard to seduce him, much to his amazement.
Later at the mansion, Sandra recounts her earlier encounter with the stranded man to her film agent, Flo (Jesie St. James). Flo marvels at her sexual nature. Emboldened, Sandra offers to tell how she lost her virginity if Flo agrees to keep it a secret, which of course she does. In another flashback, we see her being seduced and dominated by a young gardener (David Morris) on a billiard table.
That evening, the other co-star in Sandra's movie comes over to have dinner. It turns out that Flo and star Roger Adams (John Leslie) have been lovers in the past but have not seen each other in quite some time. After dinner, Flo and Roger adjourn to the patio while Sandra, claiming exhaustion, goes to bed. But as Flo and Roger become passionate, we see that Sandra is masturbating to the sounds of their lovemaking.
As she falls asleep, we enter her dreams, where she has an encounter with three lovers (Jesie St. James, David Morris, and Mike Ranger) in an empty, black room. One by one, she finishes off the men, but is still looking for more. In the final, infamous scene, one more lover appears, the legendary John C. Holmes. Surely, he must be able to satisfy her? But in the end, even with sweat pouring off her body, she turns to the camera and begs, "More...more...please...I need more."
Notable Performances: Okay, you've just finished reading the literary part of the review, my Cliffs Notes-inspired plot summary. But to know what the plot is about doesn't begin to give you an idea of why this film is considered one of the best porn films ever. It's hard to explain...it's partly due to the plot, the production values, the original music, and the Golden Age "look." But the biggest reason is the great sex.
Take, for instance, the opening sequence with Marilyn playing with herself. By today's standards, it's pretty tame, with almost no explicit, "gyno" shots that are now commonplace. But it's so erotic because it's believable--that's how women masturbate. I think if someone asked me to name one scene in all of adult film that the best, this would probably be it.
Next, the lesbian scene with Marilyn and Serena is also very realistic--not the "lipstick lesbian" crap that drives real lesbians nuts. Nor are the two just going through the motions because the script calls for a girl-girl scene. There was also footage shot showing Serena fisting Marilyn, an act is fairly commonplace among lesbians but almost never shown on video due to obscenity laws. Of course, those frames were never included in either the theatrical or home releases of the film. My secret prayer is that director Godfrey Daniels kept the footage safe somewhere so that one day, when such things are acceptable, the fisting scene can be restored.
The scene in which Marilyn picks up Richard Pacheco and gives him a quickie blowjob is probably every guy's fantasy. Imagine, you, an every day Joe, being picked up by a famous actress and end up with your pants around your ankles and her head in your crotch! I don't know what sums up the scene the best, the dialogue ("I mean, Sandra Chase, famous model, is sucking on [my] pee-pee ... who's going to believe it?") or the background song lyrics ("Sandra suck it faster, suck it fast as you can!")
Then there's the infamous pool table scene where Marilyn plays the virginal Sandra Chase being taken by chiseled stud David Morris. I have no clue how they were able to get Marilyn looking so young for this scene, especially her breasts, which look a full cup size smaller--makeup and camera lenses maybe? Anyway, I'm almost positive that no director or studio today would be willing to shoot this scene because of its strong underage overtones.
Finally, there's the number one scene of all time, the encounter between the top male and female performers in the history of adult films, John C. Holmes and Marilyn Chambers. It's actually not that long, but it's a scorching scene. Not only do you marvel at the enormous size of Johnny Wadd's johnson, but it's hard to imagine how Marilyn was able to take that monster up her pussy, let alone in her ass. No faking here; it's one of the most intense and memorable scenes you'll ever watch.
Dislikes: None with the film -- Insatiable is just about perfect. Only irritation with the i-Candy DVD is the lame prize for solving the trivia game: a low quality picture downloadable from the i-Candy web site. It should have been a high quality image or access to additional pictures on the DVD.
DVD Notes: As this time, I think that the Insatiable DVD is the best classic disc available period, not only because of the legendary film, but also for the obvious amount of energy that went into creating the supplemental materials. The disc is full of features you normally don't find on adult DVDs, including real biographies of the stars, a large number of photos, a trivia game, and even an easter egg (a hidden special bonus). It also features a full-length commentary by one of the Golden Age's stars, Gloria Leonard. Although she randomly jumps from one subject to the next, Gloria reveals what made the Golden Age of porn so special and how today's industry is so different from the past's. Just as the Vertigo DVD set the standard for classic mainstream discs, Insatiable is the new high watermark for classic adult film treatment.
The Last Word: I don't have enough words to describe how good this film is, so I'll let Gloria Leonard sum it up: "You could not have chosen a better DVD to watch than this. Whether this is your first adult feature or one of many that you already own, Insatiable with Marilyn Chambers is, and will continue to be, a classic..." Truly, a must-have for all adult DVD collections.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Performers' Looks: 4/5
Extras: 5/5
A/V Quality: 3/5
Plot/Acting: 4/5
Category: Classic
Saki
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