Modern Progressive
Wicked's Porn Valley (doubtless seeking the red-hot branding association my site provides) was a well-made, solid, entertaining, and efficient porn movie. It didn't pretend to be anything other than a sex movie with a story, and director Michael Raven delivered a title that both respected and rewarded the audience.
The Good Old Days Weren't Always Good
VCA's Jim Holliday Box Set (of which I struggled through Brown Eyed Blondes and Absolutely Adorable) made me feel awful. I feel like I've committed a sacrilege for not bowing at Holliday's (deceased) feet, because his genius casting of large combinations of bright, bouncy babes who smiled at the camera should have been enough. The adult industry mourns his absence (he died in 2004).
But his movies continually squander that goodwill, as they are not only filled with self-important and masturbatory dialogue but also (and worse) require that the words be uttered by people who for the most part cannot act. While Holliday surely loved his "Angels", he didn't want them to appear smart, or at the very least smarter than him.
If anyone can recommend a Jim Holliday movie that just showcased his talent as Porn Valley's best casting director, or that had a script that was coherent and didn't prove an obstacle to his hand-picked cast, I'd love to see it. I don't like speaking ill of the dead.
The full text of the Jim Holliday Box Set review is in this month's XBizVideo in my column with Joanne Cachapero.
I've Seen the Future, Brother: It Is Murder
Finally, Pulpo Inc.'s first feature, Black Worm, is an ambitious project that is heavy on the Mexican crime drama with a touch of surrealism. I'm told the movie cost $150k and the production value shows. But the script is too long and the distance between sex scenes is often unforgivable.
I have no doubt these guys will do better next time, because they hit a solid double their first time at bat, with a chance at third.
Previously: Holliday at the Car Wash; Eye Candy redux; The Visitors
See also: Thoughtful Reviews by Gram
