This Brad Armstrong film got 17 AVN Award nominations by my count, so I guess they thought it was pretty good. My rental arrived in the mail the day the nominations were announced, which was pretty good timing.
Overall, I can't say I was that impressed. The plot is very spare ... it's really more of a vignette movie with a simple device that sets up the scenes. Mike Horner is a rich collector -- coins, insects, vintage costumes, cars -- who begins to "collect" scenes of sexual voyeurism. Jessica Drake is his procurer, formerly of collectibles, now of "perversions."
Pros: I like Drake more every time I see her (especially her ass). And if you like to see porn hotties elegantly dressed, from pretty polka-dot dresses to smart business suits to beautiful lingerie, this is a good movie for you. Good wardrobe is an Armstrong trademark and a strength of this movie.
*It's a good cast. I like to see Wicked use women other than the usual suspects (what, no Nicole Sheridan in this movie?) Nautica Thorn puts in a good performance in a three-way scene with Aria and Randy Spears. Lucy Thai looks great as usual. Olivia O'Lovely has a nice scene.
Cons: All the narrative comes in voice-over by Drake. The writing is a little unimaginative and cliched; Armstrong usually does better.
*Some of the scenes switch to black-and-white for brief periods for no reason other than forced artsiness. Lame. That doesn't help this movie escape an air of pretentiousness it fights a losing battle against.
While I'm at it, I may as well run down the nominations.
Best Film: It's not a deep field, and I've only seen three of the seven nominees, so it's probably deserving.
Best DVD: It's a two-disc set, and I only rented Disc 1, so I can't really say.
Best Actress (Drake): There's not a lot of acting, and the voice-over isn't so great. Thumbs down.
Best Non-Sex Performance (Mike Horner): After the first scene, in which he hams it up pretty grotesquely, he does little but sit around and peer over his glasses. Thumbs down.
Best Director, Film (Armstrong): I only saw one other nominee. Eh, why not.
Best Oral Scene, Film: Drake takes on three guys wearing African masks. We've seen things like that before. It's kind of an average scene, not bad, but nothing I'd give an award to.
Best Couples Scene, Film (Drake and Cheyne Collins): Again, I saw only one other nominee, and I never know what they mean by best couples scene. So why not.
Best Group Sex Scene, Film: Two scenes are nominated here. The Spears/Aria/Thorn scene was good but nothing special. A three-way with Drake, Lezley Zen and Armstrong was very good -- including Drake getting a DP with Zen using a strap-on in her ass while Armstrong anchors, and Zen being doubled-vaginaled by Armstrong and a dildo. It's legit.
Best Solo Sex Scene (Drake): I saw only two of the 12 nominees, and this one didn't really interest me much.
Best Screenplay, Film (Armstrong): I thought this was one of his weaker writing jobs. Depends on how much worse the competition was, I guess.
Best Art Direction, Film: It's up against two Blake movies I didn't see, which are probably nice, but this is a very nice-looking movie with some cool locations, props and costumes. Thumbs up.
Best Cinematography: Why not.
Best Editing: Well done, and with some occasional creativity in the tease sequences. Why not.
Best DVD Extras: Can't judge.
Best DVD Menus: No better than every other Wicked disc, as far as I can tell.
Best DVD Packaging: Dunno, I rented it.
More than you needed to hear, I'm sure.
Edited by - obibong on Nov 15 2004
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