4.25
out of 5.00 -
Film:
4
Extras:
5
Video:
4
Audio:
4
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7/8/2004
The Masseuse is the kind of movie I've been waiting for Jenna Jameson to make ever since she started Club Jenna. It reminds one of her old days as both a Vivid and Wicked girl, when the storyline of the movie was just as important as the sexual action. More importantly,
The Masseuse is easily the best couples-themed movie to come from Club Jenna - one which males should have no embarrassment about sharing with their significant other.
The Masseuse is director Paul Thomas' remake of a title he did back in 1990 that starred Hyapatia Lee and Randy Spears. The story is about a lonely man (now played by Justin Sterling) and the masseuse (Jenna Jameson) he goes to see, and slowly falls in love with. For comparison purposes, Vivid has included a bonus DVD featuring the original movie - a nice touch for fans. The most noticeable difference between this film and the earlier version is that Justin's character is creepier than the loner that Randy played in the original.
There's
a lot of storyline here, with each scene building on the previous one (much like the original) - so those looking for standard sexual action at regular intervals may be a little put off by the way the film develops. Those who won't be turned off are the fans of adult features who like to see the sexual situations actually have something to do with the plot...the "romance" between Jenna and Justin in this movie is an ongoing one, and their relationship builds as the film progresses.
Jim Mitchell (Justin Sterling) is a quiet guy who spends his days at a dead-end, low-paying job and spends a lot of time browsing the Net looking at pictures of babes in bondage. His coworker Amy (Wendy Divine) has the hots for him, but for some reason or another, Jim isn't interested in her. Instead, he begins to spend his evenings and days off at a local massage parlor, where a masseuse named Barbara (Jenna Jameson) works.
During their first session, Justin offers Jenna some extra money to give him a handjob. The next time he goes back, he gives her $100 for a blowjob. Eventually, he convinces Jenna to start seeing him at his own place, where their first encounter is one that involves some bondage in a shed in which Jim keeps all his B&D gear.
Whether it's feelings of love or just pity, Jenna's character does become somewhat attached to Justin, although she tries to keep him out of her personal life. One evening, Jim is forced to watch as Jenna makes out with Savanna Samson in front of him. Strap-on fans should be please with this lesbian encounter as Jenna wears one during the first half of the scene and gives it to Savanna; and then Savanna returns the favor in the segment's second half.
The final scene in the movie is a full-blown sex scene between Jenna and Justin - which really pays off for viewers because the whole film has been building up to it. The ending to the film is also a bit ambivalent, since we don't know whether to be glad Jenna doesn't end up with Justin (since his character may be a psycho) or upset about it (maybe he's just deeply in love).
Vivid always seems to go the extra mile with bonus features, and this release is no exception. Instead of giving us scenes from other Jenna titles as bonuses, instead we get two deleted sex scenes from the movie - one with Mandy Bright and Frank Gunn; and the other with Rachel Rotten and Rob Rotten. There's also a Jenna solo-scene; the scene between Jenna and Sunrise Adams from
Where The Boys Aren't 16, Bloopers & Outtakes; a 16-minute Behind The Scenes featurette; Slide Shows; Trailers; and Multiple Angles for the sex scenes within the film.
Also included is a feature-length Commentary Track with Jenna Jameson and Justin Sterling that proves to be an enjoyable listen and gives more info on the film and its characters. The only slight downside to the movie is the fact that Paul Thomas chose to shoot this movie on film, and the grade of stock used doesn't look very good - a lot of grain is evident in the final print of the film.
The new version of
The Masseuse reminds me of the way they used to make adult films back in the 70s and early 80s - when the acting and plot were as important as the sex that was being shot. If you're a fan of those types of titles, or part of a couple who is turned-off by most of what passes as an "adult feature" these days, give
The Masseuse a look - you'll be glad you did!
By:
Spooky
4
out of 5.00 -
Film:
4
Extras:
4
Video:
4
Audio:
4
-
8/3/2004
"Keep it Simple."
It's a line heard frequently in both the 1990 Randy Spears-Hyapatia Lee and 2004 Jenna Jameson-Justin Sterling remake of this tale of a lonely virgin and his obsession with his masseuse. The original does a better job of keeping things very simple, both both are examples of what good porn can be -- story-rich, involving, well-acted -- and too often isn't these days.
Paul Thomas directs both versions and admits in the DVD extras that he wanted to kink the remake up a bit and that he does. The mild-mannered library clerk of the original is now a twitchy, dweeby office clerk with bondage fantasies. The simple, straight-forward progression of the uneasy relationship between massuese and client is given some serious twists in the redo and in some ways benefits from it. Who's on top in this relationship, both literally and physically, constantly changes sides with Justin fully in control of one encounter while Jenna takes the lead in another. The storyline also opens up to introduce other characters--the original almost exclusively focused on the two leads.
What these movies share is a terrific performance by each leading man. The '90 version showcases a younger, vulnerable Spears, while the new one shows off a major acting force in Sterling, Jameson's real-life husband. All nervous side-glances and eerily understated, he is first class all the way. Jenna is a sexual firestorm, per usual, and her acting's actually pretty darn good.
I'll admit it -- I was raised on classic early 80's porn when virtually every movie (and I mean movie) had a semblance of plot and professional sheen. In this age of gonzo and gross out explicitness, that may make me something of a relic, but movies like "The Masseuse" let you know that there are people out there (like Paul Thomas, Veronica Hart and Brad Armstrong (to name a few), who still give a shit about what they put out there.
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Jim S