Shameless Desire (1997)
Studio: Future Entertainment/Boardwalk Productions
Directed by: Cameron Grant
Starring: Jill Kelly, Asia Carrera, Vivienne, Missy, Felecia, Alexis Fontaine (Raylene), Mila, Nici Sterling, Eric Price, Vince Voyuer, Jake Steed, Billy Glide, and Tom Byron
Running Time: 1:53
Format: Single Sided, Single Layer
DVD Features: 20-picture photo gallery and cast biographies
The First Word: Hmm, one look at the cover of this DVD and you're intrigued: Raylene, Jill Kelly, and Asia Carerra in slinky red dresses in a Cameron Grant production. Sounds like it's going to be a soft and elegant title, right? Surprise! It's not what you think--it's actually a gonzo!
Plot Synopsis: Cameron Grant, known for his elegant and beautifully photographed movies such as The Dinner Party and Elements of Desire, makes a radical departure from his signature work to direct what is essentially a gonzo video. Shameless Desire features several very well-known porn stars in six shot-on-video scenes. Each of the scenes are named, starting with "Tardy," with Jill Kelly and Eric Price. After coming home late from a night out, Eric punishes Jill by having her DP a pair of butt plugs under her pantyhose. Next, in "Fellatio Appassionata," a piano recital turns into a threeway between Asia Carrera, Vivienne, and Vince Voyuer. Dildos and sex toys fly when Missy, Felecia, Raylene, and Jill Kelly get together for an afternoon lesbian fest in "Four for Bridge." The fourth scene, "Best Friends" has Jake Steed sharing his wife, Mila, with his best friend, Billy Glide, and by doing so he fulfills the fantasies of all three. The video finishes up with a submissive Tom Byron worshiping the feet (and other body parts) of a domineering Nici Sterling in "Thirsty." The only hint that you've just watched a Cameron Grant video is seeing one of his trademark mantras after the closing credits: "Dogma separates. Truth unites."
(that doesn't quite fit as well following a gonzo as it might after a feature)
Notable Performances: My favorite scene is the one with Mila, Billy Glide, and Jake Steed. Mila is uncharacteristically tame in this video (which is just fine by me)--no extreme and bizzare anal antics, and a only a few grunted obscenities. I liked her a lot more before she when 100% to the gutter mouth and doing stuff like anal blooming and paint enemas--call me crazy! Then you've got Billy Glide and Jake Steed, guys with massive dicks that are more or less hard during the whole scene, not the semi-erect ones that never really reach their potential that you usually see from well-hung guys. Combined with Mila's petite frame, they look all that much bigger. There are some great penetration shots, including a cowgirl, missionary on the stairs, and a DP, all of which are really wet and sticky looking--just amazing! To cap everything off, the scene ends with a nice double facial. Jake Steed may not have Peter North's volume, but he's definitely got the velocity and accuracy. This was the scene that I bought the disc for, and it was worth it for me.
The other scene I liked was the first one with Jill Kelly, Eric Price, and the butt plugs. I've never really liked Jill Kelly that much, but with scenes like this one, she's starting to grow on me. Jill looks great in a black suit-like dress and black pantyhose, looking like she stepped out of a board meeting or something. Eric spends several minutes bending her over, pulling down her pantyhose, and then slowly inserting the butt plugs before hiking her nylons back into place. It's very refreshing to see a hardcore scene that isn't rushed...in fact, the two don't start fucking until 17 minutes into the scene. Most of the scene is devoted to a lot of foreplay and a very long and sloppy blowjob. By definition, this is a gonzo scene, but it really doesn't have the feel of the typical gonzo video. Kudos to Cameron Grant!
Dislikes: The scenes that I thought I would like, such as the threesome with Asia, the lesbian orgy with Felicia, Missy, Jill, and Raylene, and the last scene with Nici Sterling and Tom Byron, I really didn't care for. In a word, they were all boring in my book. I think that the concept of "chemistry" between performers is very appropriate here. There really aren't any sparks between the stars, so the sex seems really mechanical to me. In my younger days, I'm sure the sight of the actual sex acts would have been enough to turn me on, but nowadays, there has to be that spark, the enthusiasm that only comes when the participants are really enjoying themselves. Absence of chemistry usually means the fast forward button on my remote gets a lot of work. The other irritation is the high incidence of breast implants. While at least there are some girls with their own natural clevage, most of the girls have a lot of plastic in them. You can even see the scars on Asia's breasts in this one, before she had them redone.
DVD Notes: Although this is a no-frills DVD without fancy video menus or extras, it's a lot better than most budget discs (which scream "Cheap DVD!&quot . Even though Future kept the menus simple, they are uncluttered and easy to use with their beveled, "web page-like" buttons. In addition to the standard photo album, they also included eight short bios of the girls in the video. The bios include a picture, short career summary, and even fan club addresses and websites (if available). A nice touch--bios are something that most companies don't even spend the time or money to do, so it was a nice surprise to see them on the Shameless Desires disc. The audio and video is excellent for a budget title and for a shot-on-video gonzo. I did notice a few video dropouts ever once and a while, but they aren't that distracting, and the overall quality is very good. The audio is a bit rougher at higher volumes, especially the dialogue and production sound, which tends to distort and sound like a kazoo. Still, given the cost, I'll give the DVD itself an above average grade.
The Last Word: So, I guess you're wondering if you should buy this disc, huh? Well, while it certainly isn't one of Cameron Grant's best projects, it's got a couple good scenes. As long as you're not expecting an overall masterpiece, but a gonzo with some scenes that you'll like and some that you won't, you'll probably won't be disappointed. Again, I saw this video before on VHS, and I liked it enough to buy it on sale for under $10. But I don't think I would have gotten it if it was priced like an average adult DVD, and I wouldn't recommend it to you unless you can get it at a bargain price (around $10).
Overall Rating: 3/5
Performers' Looks: 3/5
Extras: 2/5
A/V Quality: 3/5
Plot/Acting: N/A
Category: Gonzo
Saki
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