Champion provided by Blowfish

Mimi

When we first received Shine Louise Houston’s Champion in the mail, we debated on whether or not it was actually porn because there is not one single finger going into anyone’s vagina anywhere on the cover. We hadn’t seen any of Houston’s films yet and joked in our ignorance, “Perhaps she’s trying to make a real movie and it will be the most painful display of acting ever seen.” Such movies are watched only with whiskey.

Naturally, we put it off for the right time and meanwhile we watched Houston’s older film, Superfreak, which made it crystal clear to us that Houston is someone to take seriously. Serious in the respectable sense, not in the sit in the dark alone and listen to Sarah McLachlan sense. There is an excellent balance of playfulness and hardcore eroticism in Houston’s work. It’s refreshing, really.

Champion is full of talented, sexy, charming performers such as Syd Blakovich (she has a great website), Jiz Lee, Javier, Dallas, Madison Young and Dylan Ryan. Syd Blakovich plays Jessie Eaton, a cold son of a bitch making her way into women’s professional Mixed Martial Arts, as well into the pants of various individuals. It backfires when her old nemesis, Bobby Malone (Javier), punishes Jessie for having sex with Bobby’s girl through blackmail. While Jessie is trying to decide what to do about it, she is also dealing with her sexual attraction to Violet Vahn (Dallas), her opponent in and out of the ring. Of course, this being porn, they end up fucking.  One can’t let hairy pussy go to waste.

There was not one single scene in Champion that I didn’t like, and any complaint I could muster up would be really minor. Not even worth mentioning. Houston has a great deal of talent to begin with, but it’s obvious comparing Champion to her older work that a lot of the awkwardness has been refined. In between loving Jiz Lee’s beautiful face in ecstasy and watching Dylan Ryan squirt, I spent a fair amount of time during the film admiring the camera angles or the naturalness of the lighting.

It’s true that this film is more like a “real” movie than your standard fair porno, but it didn’t ever leave me feeling bored or miserably hoping that the acting scene would end soon so the sex can commence. While Jessie is at the gym or watching a recorded fight in preparation for her match, there’s another sex scene going on simultaneously.  A working visual balance is created that carries through a sophisticated level of eroticism.

Champion is sophisticated because it acknowledges complexity within gender and sex, yet maintains a sense of humor and humanity. It’s not glamorized bullshit, it’s just fucking hot. Period.

Joseph

Mimi already covered almost everything that I had in mind to say about this film. It was well made, the stars were hot and the chemistry was real. As if that wasn’t enough, there was enough of a plot to give you some investment with the characters that you are watching have hardcore sex.

For me personally, the connection is what made every scene (except for Madison Young’s) go from hot to stellar. Even though the connection with the characters is somewhat cursory, it is very real and I think  Houston understands that giving that sort of depth will make us hot in our minds as well as our dirty bits.

The superb camera work and lighting choices even prevented Young from ruining the scene that she was in. While all of the other actors seemed to have real chemistry with one another and looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves, Young is not convincing. It is almost like she watched some mainstream porn and then decided to take those traits into the queer porn world. Fake noises and all. I apologize, I know my problem with Young must be getting old by now. Maybe if I hadn’t watched Bride of Sin first, I wouldn’t loathe seeing her so much. She is hot, I’ll give her that.

I’m glad that Houston makes cameos in her films. I liked seeing her as the ghost of Rick James in Superfreak and she appears in Champion as the world’s most meek reporter. It is always nice to put a face with a piece of work and her perpetual small roles almost strike me as a signature. I look forward to watching The Crash Pad and seeing how she will put herself in that series.

I am really happy with the gender role blurring, power dynamic swapping, queer porn we have been watching. Because of the expert way that Houston handles these films,  I would be very interested to see what  Houston  would do with a hetero-oriented film. She does such masterful work playing with and setting up masculine dynamics within her queer films, I would love to see how she handles directing biological males. Perhaps one day…

She said “chocolate?” -I said “No.”- She said POW!

The Naked Truth:

Aesthetics:

Level of Arousal:

Educational Value: N/A

Storyline:

Overall:

Shine Louise Houston’s Superfreak provided by Blowfish

Joseph

In non-porn movies there are several levels; good, okay, bad, and so-bad-it-is-good. Although I think that almost all porn is bad, I thought that Superfreak would be a so-bad-it-is-good porn.

It starts off with our pal Madison Young pretending to masturbate (badly) at home. Then the main and only plot device comes into the room: The ghost of Rick James. Said ghost dives into Young and, possessed by the funky spirit of James, she pulls out her trusty Hitachi Wand and masturbates for real. Watching Young please herself is much more enjoyable than watching her pretend to please herself or watching her speak.

Once Young has vibed and shaken herself silly, she puts on some clothes and goes to a party. At said party, Young immediately approaches Dylan Rion and says a wonderful pickup line, “It’s a good thing I brought my library card cause I’m checking you out.” Based on Rion’s reaction, I am glad I’ve never used this line. Rion proceeds to fuck Young in a room full of people. How rude.

This scene has some very hot moments but it also has some very awkward camera angles. The awkward camera angles are in every scene of Superfreak and never stop being perplexing. After the two are done fucking in the corner, James exits Young in search of a less spent host which he finds in Guy Handful who is arguing in the bathroom with Rozen.

However, because the film is anachronistic, we see James enter Shawn in the kitchen before we see Handful and Rozen. Shawn finds Vasa right after she is done pissing in the kitchen sink because the bathroom was taken (we see why later, yowza) but this does not deter Shawn in the least. She takes a mouthful of water, sprays it into Vasa’s pussy and then immediately goes to town. What follows is in my opinion the hottest scene in the movie. I say this not only because Vasa is super cute, but because the chemistry between Vasa and Shawn seems very natural (we learn in the behind the scenes that they are a couple in real life) and the sexuality portrayed is very raw and powerful.

After that hotness is over, we get to see what was going on in the bathroom with Handful and Rozen. They were arguing. But then James came in and with his supernatural superfreak supercharm ended the argument with one sentence. “Less talking, more fucking.” And there was. Rozen’s intense pleasure convulsions and wails really make this scene. Though, it makes her look like the one that is possessed.

Next we see Dana DeArmond and Princess Donna being bored on a couch. They discuss going home but before they can get up to leave, Lorelei Lee plops down between them and asks if she has missed the party. They respond the way any reasonable young women would, by throwing Lee down on the coffee table and tag-teaming her. This scene has some hot moments in it as well, but the noises that Lee makes (kinda like a goat) are so obnoxious to us that we had to mute it in order to enjoy the hot parts. The ghost of Rick James has nothing to do with this impromptu party sex, but walks in and sees it. And approves.

After the credits rolled, we watched the extras and I’m very glad that we did. There are interviews of every cast member and it is revieled that everyone but Rion and Young knew each other before shooting. I have a lot of respect for Houston for casting that way. It greatly reduced most of what I hate about porn which is its fakeness and it exploitative nature.

I was wrong about Superfreak. It falls into the good porn category instead of the so-bad-it-is-good category. Awkward camera angles aside, this was a great example of what porn could be. Granted it was silly and didn’t even try to have a real plot, but the sex was real and engaging and it was well lit and recorded. I look forward to seeing more of Houston’s work.

We were hoping to summon the ghost of Rick James.

Mimi

This is the first film of Shine Louise Houston’s that I’ve had the pleasure of watching. The DVD packaging looks very professional and sets the tone – freaky, funny, and hot. Reading “real people having real sex” in the synopsis led to a brief glimmer of lustful hope; however, I was still really skeptical about enjoying it because, well… Madison Young is on the cover and while I am a fan of her ass, I am not a fan of her work. Another porn with her as the leading star simply did not sound appealing.

Despite the film opening with a scene that had Madison masturbating, it is immediately clear that Houston’s films is different – colourful, stylish, good quality, good sound, wild, and intentionally funny. Intentionally is the key word there. Even the music that accompanies each scene fits in line with the humorous, casual atmosphere. It’s not over the top, but definitely lingering close enough to make you sweat.

The ghost of a funk singer inhabiting people and getting them to do “freaky” shit is a very simple plot, but it allows the viewer to know what he or she’s getting into from the beginning and provides a basis for the humor. And like any good film plot, it holds the scenes and characters together, making the scenes fluid and (I’m using this word loosely) believable. Who has sex in a crowded room? Young does if she’s got Rick James’ ghost inside her! She also, apparently, learns how to stop masturbating like she’s having a damn self-induced seizure and really gets down to business with her Hitachi Wand, rope, and glass dildo.

When Young gets to the party, Dylan Rion wastes no time to make her move, which Young intercepts with a bold (and wicked cheesy) pick-up line. They start kissing and fucking with a strap-on against a wall, which at some points was really hot on account of Young’s juicy ass being gripped by Rion’s hands. Rion’s animated playfulness is also really entertaining after the sex part of their scene is over and they’re kneeling behind a couch, recovering and acknowledging their actions. I still can’t stand the noises Young makes or her facial expressions, but it’s not enough to completely ruin the scene.

My favourite scene was the one with Shawn and Vasa because it was the most intense, energetic, fun, and those two are just flat out sexy. They both seemed completely comfortable and happy to be playing their respective parts. I love the inclusion of the water! Obviously, for practical reasons, some “cleaning” was necessary since Vasa just took a piss in the kitchen sink, but watching Shawn spit water onto Vasa’s pussy and then Vasa’s surprised/excited facial reaction was enough to make my hips stir and sexual appetite grow. (Note to self: We need a kitchen sink hose. Oh, and a bigger kitchen.) Nothing about their interaction feels fake, forced, or exaggerated. How fucking hot is that? When Vasa wiped some of Shawn’s nether juices on her face and in her mouth, I almost squealed. Seriously. This is one sexy scene.

In second place, regarding my favourite scenes, would be the one between newcomer real life couple Rozen and Guy Handful. The acting was about what you’d expect in porn (not very good), but their sex scene was much better than what you’d expect. (The second option is more important, if you ask me.) No obnoxious noises, no fake expressions, and Rozen has amazing, natural looking breasts. She appears to completely forget the cameras, bucking her hips hard and screaming.

The last scene was difficult for me to enjoy because I took such a disliking of the half-laughing, half-goat noises Lorelei Lee was making constantly. It would have been fine, really, but when I say constantly, I mean she stopped to inhale. We muted it so that I’d stop yelling at the television and startling the cats. I also took issue with there being ass to vag finger insertion because even though I know they stopped and cleaned/lubed up periodically, I think that porn should be held to a practical, safe standard. Like when Rion and Handful had condoms on their strap-ons – that made sense, that felt appropriate. However, if you’re not paying attention like I was at the time (hawk eyes!), then you probably wouldn’t even notice and, all of that said, it was still a hot “stone femme” on femme scene.

Having seen Bride of Sin already and knowing Young is a huge rope slut, it’s encouraging to know that Houston obviously let Young use the rope for her masturbation scene. Positive female sexuality? Houston’s not all talk. Frequently throughout this simple, fun film we are introduced to notions of gender identity, roles, and how people are challenging them everyday just by leading honest, authentic lives. You can see this fully articulated in the Behind Kink interview where a rather soft spoken, joking, encouraging Houston directs her crew and talks about challenging pre-determined roles, whether it’s directly related to porn or life itself. All of this is worthy of respect, if not titillation. Probably both.

The Naked Truth

Aesthetics:

Level of Arousal:

Educational Value: N/A

Storyline:

Overall:

Provided for us by Blowfish

Mimi

My fiancé and I come from different backgrounds, but for the most part we overlap ideologically, and where we don’t, our open-minded natures create a bridge. I have more experience, knowledge, and desire of BDSM; however, we both feel an interest for BDSM in it’s various forms and it finds it’s way into our bedroom (or living room, bathroom, local park…) periodically in the form of light power play, bondage, and spanking. After reading the synopsis, I was actually excited and hopeful for Madison Young’s Bride of Sin. I thought that seeing a film directed by a woman about BDSM might further brighten that original spark.

My optimism also stemmed from the film’s nicely designed case. As far as pornographic films go, it certainly deserves kudos for not being really distasteful. A rather pretty redhead, Young herself, is on the cover in traditional white wedding bridal garments, ass exposed and prominent, seeming to ask the potential viewer to spank her, hard. You can also see her, on both the front and the back of the case, tied up quite elaborately and overall, it seems impressive. In addition to Young, three other stars are listed: Ariel X (Maid of Honor who leads the innocent Bride astray), Selina Raven (betrayed partner), and Claire Adams (Priest who offers Young salvation for her betrayal).

Looking at the DVD case for Bride of Sin, you wouldn’t know that there’s a fairly low quality film stored inside.

When you turn the film on, you will quickly realize that the wonderfully lit photographs on the DVD case do not reflect the quality of the film itself, and the dialog, which is very little and loosely sets up what might be called a plot, is difficult to hear. Because of this, the first half of the film felt more like someone’s home sex videos strung together than a film for which money is exchanged.

Plot is always a dubious thing within porn. As ridiculous as a plot might be, it can still work to add creativity and excitement, while also pacing the film. It makes it feel worthwhile. I’ve watched CGI monsters “battle” in sex competitions for freedom, gladiator style; satyrs converting humans through sexual rituals; history “explained” through pivotal sexual exploits; and much more simplistic plots, like a girl in search of an orgasm – they all help hold the experience together, to create fluidity, to make you feel like you weren’t ripped off.

So, moving on from the plot and film quality, one can look forward to Young’s full, delicious ass being squeezed and spanked throughout the film, Ariel X giving Young an intense orgasm on a church pew, Raven’s sexy strap-on paired with feminine vest suit in which she fucks and slaps Young, and the elaborate bondage and rigging scenes set up by Adams. I enjoyed the scenes with Raven and Adams better because the chemistry seemed very authentic, fun, and those ladies were better Dommes. Perhaps there was simply too much of the tragically typical noises (hissing/slurping, for example) that people make in porn for me to get really turned on by the first half of the film.

The most interesting and impressive aspect of Bride of Sin is Adams, a pro bondage model, rigger, and director. After watching the ‘behind the scenes’ portion of the DVD, brought to us by Behind Kink, this judgment was only reinforced. She appears very intelligent, capable, and confident. This is also why she makes an excellent Top.

I find it exciting and interesting that a young woman assembled a team of women to help her put together a pornographic film based upon her own fantasies (talk about personal power!), but the problem with it remains that I can’t really take Young seriously as a sexual, creative force, taking the reigns. Aside from the rigging done by Adams, this comes off very much as a weekend project put together by a few girlfriends. I can admire an individual for openly embracing their sexuality, but that doesn’t mean I want to pay them $40 for it.

Joseph

When I opened the box from Blowfish, I was pleased to see that most of the movies were women friendly. I don’t like porn at its best, but I despise commonplace, exploitative porn. If nothing else, porn made by women for women would be something new.

Unfortunately, Madison Young’s Bride of Sin did not prove to be new or worth viewing. Far from being a step forward for the industry, it was poorly written, poorly shot, and the sound reproduction was atrocious. Hearing the writer/director/star talk about the “process” in the behind the scenes (which was filmed on higher quality film that the actual movie) just made me embarrassed for her.

The plot of Bride of Sin is that Madison Bound is getting married but having an affair with her Maid of Honor. After getting a swirly from her fiancé because of her indiscretions, Young goes to a priest to confess and be cleansed of her sins. Of course (this being a porn), all of these scenes are based around sex. This particular porn is focused on BDSM because Young really enjoys being tied up. And therein lays the problem. Young is genuinely enjoying herself in every scene and that is great for a performer…but not for the director. She comes off like someone that wanted an excuse to have sex with these performers, so she made a movie. Young always looks like she is having a really good time and it is evident that the technical and artistic aspects of making this movie were an annoyance to her and therefore marginalized. At one point in the behind the scenes you actually hear the camera woman call her on it. They are discussing a shifting light in the background that the camera woman thinks is distracting. Young looks at and says “That doesn’t really bother me.” And the camera woman replies “Nothing bothers you.” Touché

The lighting is sub-par, the sound quality is so bad that even if Young had written an academy award winning script, we would not be able to hear a word of it, and the scenes are poorly paced. The only redeeming factor of Bride of Sin is Claire Adams and her impressive skills as Young’s priest. Adams brings a much needed element of expertise and confidence to the scenes.

Aside from Adams’ scene, the only thing done well about this film is the production of the packaging. You can definately tell that more care was taken with the production of the case than the production of the film itself. Based on the packaging you would never be able to tell that there was a grainy, poorly thought out, painful film awaiting you.
If you are turned on by bondage and BDSM, then Bride of Sin may do something for you. Maybe. However, at $39.95 (retail), I still think you’ll end up feeling ripped off. I feel ripped off and I didn’t pay a dime for it.

The Naked Truth:

Aesthetics:  (Young, you can thank Adams for your two points.)

Level of Arousal:

Educational Value: N/A

Storyline:

Overall: