Written by Bear @ 11:17 am
About two months ago, a couple of students from a local liberal arts college approached the Kitten about integrating the store into their Women, Gender, and Sexuality class. As part of a broader project for the class, I had them watch and review a variety of porn films. I disagree with some of their reviews, loving some of the films that they gave low ratings and vice versa. But, the more discussion on porn, the better. In addition to the reviews they wrote, both students created a position statement, which gives insight into their process and bias. Enjoy.
Positionality #1
I am a student at a small liberal arts college in Minnesota who reviewed feminist and queer pornography for Smitten Kitten as part of an action project for a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies class I took in the Spring 2010. Before this project, I had limited experience watching pornography and generally thought of it as oppressive, especially to women. I was especially opposed to the notion of people’s bodies and sexuality being commodified and sold.
After watching various feminist and queer pornography films from Smitten Kitten, I have found myself more open to pornography as an avenue for expression, empowerment, and challenging dominant notions of gender and femininity/masculinity. In particular, I really enjoyed queer pornography and found it to be original, transgressive, and sexy.
Throughout this project, I greatly appreciated Smitten Kitten’s sex positive approach to sex and sexuality. Clare was particularly supportive throughout this process, answering questions during interview sessions, offering new ways of framing and understanding sex/uality, and sharing information about Smitten Kitten’s history and philosophy. Overall, this project was a great opportunity for me to challenge with my personal beliefs about pornography and to reflect on my own understanding and experience of sex and sexuality.
Postionality #2
The following reviews of pornographic films were created in accordance with a group project for a college class about “feminist sex wars.” We began the class with a discussion of anti-sex vs. pro-sex feminists and their views on pornography. While I agreed with radical feminists that most mainstream porn perpetuates violence against and subordination of women, I found myself disappointed with their conclusion that sexual liberation can come only with the eradication of all pornography. This feeling of disappointment is what led me to want to do a project exploring the possibilities of feminist porn.
While I was never a dedicated porn watcher, I was very aware of the feminist porn movement. I became familiar with NoFauxxx and Pink and White Productions through discussions with fellow feminists and friends. After hearing about them from a few very connected and progressive feminists I had to find out what the excitement was about. I did some research and watched The Crash Pad, one of Pink and White’s films, and decided I was totally behind these two companies and their missions. What I wasn’t sure of was if there were other people out there producing good female centered and queer porn.
This project began to answer some of my questions about the rest of the feminist porn world. Two of the four videos that got the highest ratings in our reviews were indeed produced by NoFauxxx and Pink and White Productions. Maybe this means that my judgment in supporting these two companies was a good one, however, I was hoping to find many more companies with the same high quality feminist porn. I did find a few more good producers, including Buck Angel and Easy on the Eyes, but it wasn’t as if a slew progressive producers that I hadn’t heard of were jumping out at me. Perhaps this stems from my bias as a queer/lesbian identified female, but the biggest disappointment to me in this project was the heterosexual porn. Almost none of it seemed to be particularly progressive or at all empowering for women.
After completing this project I do feel that there is some really good, really radical feminist porn out there. I am happy to know that there is more of it out there than I knew of going into the project, however I still think there is a long way to go in the feminist porn industry. The message that I take away from this project is that just because something is woman-friendly does not necessarily mean it is progressive or radical. I think all of the films that I watched were certainly woman friendly, I just wouldn’t classify many of them as explicitly contributing to the breakdown of the male centered society that we live in.
That being said, there were a few key components I looked for when rating the films. The first was of course creative and progressive sex where women or trans people clearly had an equal say and element of control in the sex acts. Secondly, I looked for representation of various races, body types, and sexual desires. Lastly, I researched the companies to make sure that they were indeed woman friendly and respectful in their missions and production of the porn. The films that fulfilled the most of these requirements got the highest ratings.
I hope each of you that read this is able to find a movie perfectly suited for you.
The Reviews
Roulette (2009)
Directed by: Courtney Trouble
Winner of the Feminist Porn Awards for Most Diverse Cast
2010 AVN Awards Nominee: Best Music Soundtrack
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 Stars
Combining imagination and attitude, Courtney Trouble’s Roulette focuses on the fun, the friendly, and the fierce sides of desire. Set to a soundtrack of underground indie music, Trouble’s film shows authentic interactions that push the boundaries of sex and sexiness. From a fantastical bar and pool table scene that confirms that the more really is merrier to a scene where two young punk rockers find fast sex on an urban rooftop, this film offers a variety of queer and creative sex that leaves viewers in a state of excited anticipation, unable to turn away from the screen for fear of missing what’s next. The consistent use of protection throughout various sex scenes sends a clear message that Trouble is as serious about safety and respect as she is about seducing the film’s viewers into a world where sex can happen anywhere, with anyone, and with anything. The inclusion of catchy and fun-filled music videos after sultry sex scenes adds a new level of entertainment and amusement, making viewers feel as if they’ve entered a hipster-chic dance party in which they are expected to watch as much as dance. Creative, sensual, and sexy are just a few of the words that describe this innovative and original film that is as fun to watch alone as it is to watch with someone else.
Belladonna’s Road Trip: Cabin Fever (2009)
Directed by: Belladonna
Camera by: Dade Murphy
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
When I began watching this movie, I had high hopes for what I expected to be a fun-filled weekend where Belladonna and eight of her female friends would put the “wild” in “wilderness adventure.” However, rather than watching scenes that were so hot they made me want to start building my own winter cabin where I could bring friends to keep me warm, I instead watched three and a half hours of film so mediocre that it made me wonder if the girls were alone because no one else could bear to join them.
The movie begins on the bus ride to the cabin where Belladonna and her friends begin by discussing the scenes and scenarios yet to come. This dull discussion of future happenings is only made worse by the cameraman’s obnoxious and clichéd questions. Unfortunately, while the bus ride comes to end after about 5 minutes, the cameraman’s distracting voice and intrusive comments continue throughout the film.
Once at the cabin, the girls discover the snow and bond together while building a snowman. Ava Rose’s cold fingers give her and Belladonna a reason to head inside and warm up. A progression from caressing to kissing and then licking to lovemaking helps to create a scene so hot that you forget anyone else is at the cabin. At the end of this lengthy yet utterly enticing scene, the other snow bunnies head into the room to watch the last moments of this unforgettable opening scene. However, from this scene onward, a combination of coupling, role playing, and lots of anal sex left me wanting to continually fast forward to the next scene.
In addition, the general lack of variation in body types and weak character development—which was only made worse by dull and awkwardly-placed group conversations in-between scenes—made it difficult for me to distinguish between characters and remember which actresses I had seen before and which I was seeing for the first time. Although the scenes varied from aggressive sex—filled with spankings and name calling—to all-out orgies in living room and games of naked Twister, the scenes often felt long and drawn out. In addition, the lack of safer sex practices and the cameraman’s voice directing the girls in-between scenes made this film feel less like the secret showing of spontaneous sparks of passion and play between sexually-empowered women and more like part bad reality show, part cliché fantasy involving faux lesbianism. Although this film gives viewers a lot for their buck because of its length, the lack of anything other than standard girl-on-girl sex scenes left me wishing that Belladonna would have forsaken the length and instead focused on creating a more original and imaginative film.
In conclusion, here’s my advice: if you’re interested in an average look at nine nice-looking girls having fun and fucking while “stuck” at a cabin in the snowy mountains, then this is the movie for you. However, if you’re interested in safe, creative, and awe-inspiring sex, then I suggest you skip this movie and instead find a cabin and invite a few of your own friends.
In Search of the Wild Kingdom (2006)
Director: Shine Louise Houston
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
In this funny and original “mockumentary,” Shine Louise Houston spoofs nature shows by filming a “documentary” about the “secret life” and “mating habits” of lesbians in San Francisco. By directing a stealth-like camera crew, whose mission is to observe the lesbians’ “mating rituals” in their “natural habitats,” Houston not only seeks to find out the truth about lesbian love and lust but to—in true National Geographic-style—compare and superimpose her director character’s experiences and identity as a heterosexual to the “species” which she is studying.
Combining humor with diverse, hard-core sex between lesbians of various races, body shapes, preferences, and persuasions, this film offers a real look at the varied forms and practices of lesbian sex. From fun and carefree one night stands to rough threesomes involving Wil Thrustwell and Papi Coxxx (a committed couple) and Beau Flex (aka Jiz Lee), In Search of the Wild Kingdom destroys all notions of lesbian as purely passive, polite, and proper. In addition to great sex scenes, the film also offers a humorous parody of mainstream porn, showing “lesbians”—complete with bleach blonde hair and long fingernails—caressing each other while staring into the lens of the camera. The humor of this scene is only matched by the documentary team’s (successful!) use of a mannequin decoy to attract a lesbian outside of a local club and lesbian hangout.Despite its good use of comedy and parody, this film is no joke. Houston pulls together a great cast of people whose on-screen chemistry and apparent improvisations add excitement and intrigue to every scene. The intensity of the sex is steady but sex itself is never repetitive.
In addition to the feature itself, In Search of the Wild Kingdom, also offers decent amount of bonus material, including short interviews with the women who participated in the film. These honest and insightful interviews to add a level of intimacy and personal connection which is powerful enough to make you want to watch the feature one more time, just to see if you missed anything the first time; and with the wit and subtle work of Houston, the chances are, you probably did.
Chemistry 4: The Orgy Edition (2008)
Director: Tristan Taormino
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Stars: Adrianna Nicole, Sinnamon Love, Penny Flame, Tyler Knight, Johnny Sinz, Evan Stone
Last year I had my first experience with the Chemistry series by Tristan Taormino. After having the film recommended to me by a friend, I picked up the film from Smitten Kitten, booted up my computer, and prepared myself for I thought would be fun, unscripted, original sex between six people—albeit porn stars—stuck in one house with no rules or requirements for 36 hours. After about 30 minutes, I turned it off, disappointed with the lack of originality and “chemistry” between actors.
When asked to watch another of volume of Taormino’s Chemistry series, I was hesitant at first—if I hadn’t enjoyed the other volume I’d seen, why would this one be any different? Well, having now watched Chemistry 4: The Orgy Edition twice, I’ll be the first to admit it—this film is different in all in the best of ways.
In Cheminstry 4, Taormino once again brings together a group of porn stars to live, watch, and be watched as they let loose and explore and experiment with one another in one love-filled house. However, what I appreciated about this edition was that it wasn’t just a mishmash of sex scenes interspersed with a few meaningless interviews and shallow comments from the house’s “confessional” room. Rather, the actors in this film bring their game both in and outside of the bedroom and the living room and the poolside .
Joanna’s Angels 2: Alt Throttle (2006)
VCA Pictures and Burning Angle.com
Director: Joanna Angel
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
A clever spoof of Charlie’s angels, Joanna’s Angels features three women on a quest to find the presidents daughter. She was kidnapped by a blond woman threatening to hold her hostage until the president outlawed the alt. lifestyle. However, these girls find adventure for themselves every step of the way in their search for the president’s daughter. From sex with the president to threesomes with the daughter herself, this movie is filled with not-stop action. These girls do not shy away from anything.
On the outside, this film seems like it would have fresh, exciting sex that portrayed another view of what sex is to these Alt. girls. Unfortunately, the girls are not portrayed as strong, witty, women with a “don’t mess with me” attitude, but more of ditzy girls who have sex with everyone they meet who just happen to have some tattoos. While the sex was certainly imaginative, it was hard for me to tell if the women were enjoying themselves or just doing exactly what the men wanted them to do. Often times when the women would stop a blow job to do something for herself, the guy would say “keep it in your mouth” and then thrust it back in. The line between consensual aggressive sex (that may or may not include pain) and sex that is forceful beyond desire is a thin one, and one that is hard to portray in a film. The difference between a progressive film and a generic one may be the ability of the director and actors to show that their movie falls on the right side of that line. Unfortunately, I think this movie failed to prove that it was something different.
Sex Inferno: Burn Baby Burn (2008)
Playgirl
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This film focuses on the sensual rather than the aggressive. It begins with an intriguing scene between a man and women who had just spent a long time putting on suits and ties—only to take them off each other soon after. The scene is more passionate than your typical porn, including long tender kisses and stroking of bodies that builds up sexual tension you can almost see.
What I like about this film is its willingness to show a more tender side of sex without making it completely unrealistic. The act is still raw, passionate, and sometimes explicitly kinky, but with an added caring aspect. While it includes the generic office scene, it also includes more imaginative scenes including ‘cat woman’ and a scene with a more hardcore punk woman. What I objected to in this film was the body types of the women casted. They were all very slim with large breasts and long legs. While all extremely beautiful, the film fails to show any beauty (man or woman) that does not match the generic form for beauty. The sex was all heterosexual and the movie seemed content with sticking to status quo of sex as it is thought of today. Its goal was not to break down any stereotypes or show any alternate ways of thinking.
There is one major catch to this film. The entire movie is accompanied by the stereotypical porn music that one may associate with some generic porn. To me it was so distracting I could barely focus on the sex! If you are looking for a tender yet adventurous film, and you think you can tune out the soundtrack, this is a great film for you.
Buck Off (2006)
Buck Angel Productions
Director: Buck Angel
Rating: 5 out 5 stars
This is a truly progressive porn, shattering gender stereotypes in every scene. Buck Angel likes to call himself “the man with the pussy,” and rightly so. Buck Angel is a female-to-male transsexual who has dragon tattoos across his built chest. He smokes cigars and wears leather jackets, and is a walking celebration of masculinity. He decided to enter the porn industry to provide solid transsexual porn to the adult film industry, and makes it clear that he loves what he does for a living.
“Buck Off” has no connected story line, but is a series of different sex scenes between Buck Angel and a number male partners. The sex is aggressive in a myriad of ways, including anal sex, hitting and spanking, and even some BDSM. The highlight of the film is a steamy shower scene followed by a long bed scene. While these are not the most imaginative places for sex, the sex is never boring or drawn out. The actors move from blow jobs to penetration and back again, leaving you wanting more after every transition. At one point, Buck Angel even straps on a dildo for an anal sex part of the scene. Throughout the film, he makes no attempt to cover sex with tender or loving guises, but shows it raw, shameless, and extremely daring at every turn. Buck Angel finds a way to show forceful sex that is clearly consensual and empowering, without removing any of the sexiness and erotica.
Anna’s Mates (2004)
Easy on the Eyes Production
Director: Anna Span
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This is a British porn composed of a series of five unconnected scenes that are full of beautiful women and hunky men. Each scene includes the chase, a long sex scene, and the aftermath. In the most memorable scene, a group of girls go to visit their fireman friends at the station. On the way, they draw up an elaborate plot to get one girl and her crush alone together. Once they are alone, the two cannot resist each other. After kissing, licking, and full blown sex in a fire truck, they giggle as they race to get their clothes back on before their friends get back. Four of the five scenes are between a man and a woman, but movie ends with an erotic scene between two women working together on an messy art project that gets even messier.
At first, I was rather disappointed by this film because it seemed to lack imaginative sex. Each scene followed a careful script moving from kissing to licking, blow job to sex, all ending in the infamous “money shot.” I also objected to the uniformity of body types shown in the film. Looking back on it, however, I think this film does a very good job of showing real, erotic sex that both women and men can connect to. I liked that the women were usually actively purusing the sex, and were clearly enjoying themselves during it. The scenes were shot at angles so that the whole body could usually be seen, adding to the art and the erotica of the film. This is the perfect beginners porn nothing too crazy, just good, simple sex.
It’s been a while since I’ve watched porn that was so good that after my own “excitement” was over I kept watching. And watching.
I try to think about Buck Angel on rotten days especially. Ever since he came last August to The Smitten Kitten, the very thought of him makes the day seem less long, the coffee a little fresher, and the mounting paperwork seem like nothing. Buck is a light in the world whether he is caring for his team of dogs at his home in Mexico, donating money to Haiti, or producing some f*cking hot porn. Having struggled in his early life, transitioned to male, and become a icon in the porn industry, Buck offers a unique, and often challenging, perspective within the sex industry. He makes porn that he likes to make, with people he likes to work with, and at the end of the day, he controls the show. He even has time to start a