Of course, I like Sativa Rose a lot, lot more than I like Renee Zellweger or whoever it would be in Hollywood. I hope she gets a chance to become one of Stanley's regulars -- I don't know if she can act, but she has personality.

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Edited by - Daniel Metcalf Public Relations on 11/11/2006 12:51:03 PM

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It certainly looks like a can't-miss formula for the ObiBong demographic: Directed by David Stanley, starring Sativa Rose. It's nice to see an occasional Wicked movie from one of the contract directors that stars someone who isn't one of the contract girls -- especially when the star is someone like Sativa who keeps moving up my ATF list.

Lately I've been saying that the simple movies turn out the best, and this one has the modest but worthwhile goal of sketching out a never-to-be relationship between Sativa and Randy Spears. Simple is good, but this one might be a little thin. Fortunately, the pitfalls for "Strangers When We Meet" are things literally no one cares about but me.

Pros: Lots of Sativa Rose. She has three scenes (one just a BJ), and tons of screen time. We see her in everyday outfits, sexy outfits, hair up, hair down. Yeeha. As I suspected, she's a capable actress. All the acting is good from the key players: Sativa, Randy and the gleeful and appealing Mika Tan.

*One thing I like -- a lot -- about the plot is that it isn't resolved the way it would be in a Hollywood movie ... or the way it ordinarily would be even in a Wicked movie. Thumbs up for that.

*Randy leaves a career-best load on Kelly Kline's face, and the best part is that she gets up and they have a brief dialogue scene. It's only a few lines, but I can't remember ever before seeing someone hold a conversation with a lake of goo dripping off her kisser like that. I like. Is nice.

Cons: Stanley admits in the BTS that he might have needed more time to work on this one, and I agree. There are things that should be fleshed out better. We don't really see any connection between Sativa and Randy, other than being good-looking people. It's implied that they should be together, but no reason is really demonstrated.

*In a scene where Sativa is supposed to be photographing Tommy Gunn and Jezebelle Bond, they're obviously not in the same room. We get shots of Sativa standing by herself with a camera, then shots of the sex scene, in a completely different place with different lighting. You could have recycled a scene shot in 1998 for all that it's integrated into this movie. And the fact that Sativa never moves from one spot kind of kills any illusion that she's a photographer. It's a little maladroit. And I don't know that the metallic red wig looks good on Jezebelle, either.

*Miss Tan starts her scene wearing a hot bare-assed fetishy latex-looking dark purple dress, but she strips it off immediately, before we get a good look at her in it. The one lesson I wish features could take from gonzo is that you have to display the goods. Not for seven straight minutes, maybe, but for more than two seconds.

*Randy says, in a key point late in the flick, that he never got Sativa's name. But he was clearly introduced to her by name in an earlier scene, and her name is used in front of him again later. Sloppy.

*What kind of club is Sativa working in? Why is she sitting at the bar in a bustier with her tits out, and why is she the only one who's topless? It doesn't matter exactly, but it's weird. The movie happens in the real world, more or less, and that's a little more casual with her nudity than it seems like it should be. No one mentions it. Why does Kelly Kline ask her to dance at the end, is Sativa a taxi dancer? I want to know, tell me, Mr. Writer.

Bottom line: It looks like the cons outnumber the pros, but just counting them isn't an accurate gauge of how I felt about it. It's solid. Not one of my favorite David Stanley movies, but still better than most of what I'm getting anywhere else.

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I rewatch it (I rarely watch a porn flick more than once) and remember it as being better than it actually is and I get pissed. LOL But I like the simple/complex story. I like that the ending is a bit melancholic and a bit frustrating. It's true to life.

I love moments in this movie but not the movie as a whole. For instance, when Sam invites Jamie to shoot at his studio, I can feel the tension between the two and those first moments Sam and Jamie touch each other absolutely send me into a girly swoon. It’s simple but the pacing is perfect.

Also, when Sam is getting ready to leave Jamie’s place after spending the night together (sans sex), they talk a little and right before he leaves he says something like "I saw you before I saw her." Randy Spears delivered that line so beautifully, it made me cry. It literally made my heart ache.

Then at the end, when Jamie runs into Amanda at a club and asks if she's still with Sam, Amanda replies, "That asshole? I dumped him." I could feel myself smiling along with Jamie at the possibility that Sam was available, but then crashing down with her when it's revealed that Amanda and Sam are still together and just as content as before.

Hmmm, maybe that's the key as to why I keep coming back to “Strangers When We Meet”. This adult film actually made me feel.

To me this movie was about taking the safe route - staying in a solid, secure relationship instead of taking a risk on a possible one. Knowing that however intimate the connection you may feel that sometimes life demands you go in another direction. Mika Tan is so charismatic with her warm energy and beautiful smile. She made it understandable as to why Sam wouldn't want to lose Amanda or hurt her. The relationship between Amanda and Jamie seemed to be more along the lines of acquaintances/new friends as opposed to best friends. Therefore I didn't feel the guilt that is mentioned in the above summary. (does that make me a bad person?) A little more swift exposition on Jamie and Amanda's past relationship could have increased conflict.

Both Sativa Rose and Randy Spears give good understated performances. There are a lot of CUs filled with longing glances and not a one of 'em comes off as hokey. Their sex scene is sweet. For me, hottest scene has to go to Kelly Kline though - very passionate performance on her part. Mika Tan’s scene is right there behind her.

I've only seen a few other recent Stanley features - "Just Like That" (didn't like it), "Rendezvous" (take it or leave it) and "Creme Brulee" (it came off as pretentious and wordy at times, although the final scene with Jessica Drake was so fucking beautiful – delicious and overwhelming – girly swoon again!). I don't know that I would necessarily call myself a Stanley fan just yet, but I will definitely check out more of his stuff.

So what's up next for zee director?

Edited by - Savoy on 1/17/2007 2:35:02 AM

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If you want to try out more Stanley stuff, I think my two favorites were "What Are Friends For?" and "All About Keri". Some of his old Vivid movies are good, too. I liked "Pretty Girl" quite a bit.

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I like Stanley as a director. He seems to do more "romantic" stuff rather than the gross stuff that the industry seems to think everyone wants.

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