The Dinner Party (1994)
Studio: Ultimate
Directed by: Cameron Grant
Starring: Kaylan Nicole, Juli Ashton, Tammy Parks, Catalina, Kylie Ireland, Yvonne, Celeste, Misty Rain, Debi Diamond, Vanessa Chase, Diva, Daisy (Jenna Jameson), Asia Carerra, Norma Jeane, Kaylan Nicole, Nick East, Marc Wallace, Vince Vouyer, Mark Davis, Steve Drake, Frank Towers, Gerry Pike, Sean Michaels, and Randy West
Running Time: 1:14
Format: Single Sided, Single Layer
DVD Features: Trailer for Dinner Party II: The Buffet
The First Word: It's criminal: A featureless DVD with a really poor transfer of one of the best adult films of the 1990s.
Plot Synopsis: Three couples attend a formal dinner party set at an elegant mansion. To get to know each other, they each reveal a sexual fantasy, which then plays out in a sex scene. The fantasies are: "Riding" with Kaylan Nicole, Nick East, and Marc Wallace (sex in a meadow); "French Toast" with Juli Ashton and Tammy Parks (lesbian play involving cooking ingredients), "Ultra Violet" with Catalina and Vince Vouyer (white lingere under a black light); "Waterfall" with Kylie Ireland, Yvonne, and Mark Davis (threesome behind a curtain of water); "Gyno" with Celeste, Misty Rain, and Debi Diamond (raunchy doctor's office scene); "Camping" with Vanessa Chase and Steve Drake (sex by the campfire); "Domination" with Diva, Jenna Jameson, and Frank Towers (submissive male); "Blue Collar" with Asia Carerra and Gerry Pike (construction site encounter); and "Glass" with Norma Jeane and Sean Michaels (masturbation in a glass-walled cell). The film ends with a wife-swapping orgy between the three couples.
Notable Performances: There are too many volcanic scenes in this movie to describe them justly. But here's are the very best: "French Toast" -- one of my all-time favorite girl-girl scenes involving cake batter, eggs, milk, and butter. "Waterfall" -- for most of the scene, the action is partially obscured by the running water, kind of like watching someone through privacy glass--very erotic. "Gyno" -- a very rough "playing doctor" scene featuring Celeste and Debi Diamond. "Camping" -- there's something about seeing a topless girl in blue jeans that's so visually stimulating! "Domination" -- this scene stars a young looking (and noticeably smaller--but still buxom--Jenna Jameson). "Blue Collar" -- Asia Carerra, wet, and without implants--'nuff said! It might have been easier to list the three scenes I didn't particularly like. If I were to rate the sex in this film, it would get a perfect score because of the quality and quantity of the scenes.
Dislikes: Read on, dear friend, and you'll get to hear me bitch about the botched video and audio transfer...
DVD Notes: FUCK!!! One of my favorite adult films and it looks like Madacy did the transfer to DVD. It's so bad that I actually stopped and recalibrated my home theater system to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my equipment! All of the reds are oversaturated, which makes everyone look excessively pink, and the whites are washed out. The brightness level occasionally varies within the same scene, which you can see when you fast forward. Finally, the grain and artifacts are even worse than the VHS copy I have that was recorded in extended play mode.
The audio is equally as bad. The dialog is so hollow and muffled that you have to really crank up the volume to hear it. I also thought that I had accidentally turned on a DSP effect (like "Concert Hall") on my receiver--but, nope, it was on Dolby Pro Logic. Unfortunately, once you pump up the volume, you can hear the static in the track. To make matters worse, the recording level increases by 50% in the last half of the movie, so you have to adjust the volume back down or you'll the neighbors will catch on to what you're watching. Finally, the supposed "stereo" audio warbles between the two channels; it's impossible to listen to the dialogue with stereo headphones because syllables alternate between ears!
The Last Word: This DVD would have been a must-have title if the transfer wasn't so painful to watch. I still think the film can stand on its own, but it's like watching a gymnast with a broken leg make a perfect dismount and landing. You feel the pain. Criterion, if you are listening, please form an adult division and restore great X-rated films like this one!
Overall Rating: 3/5
Performers' Looks: 2/5
Extras: 1/5
A/V Quality: 3/5
Plot/Acting: 3/5
Category: Classic
Saki
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