Raven Alexis Gets "Stripped" And Fucked For Emotional Health

Husbands, wives, and even a sex slave confess their fantasies and fears.

Stripped - A Confessional

Studio: VCX Pictures
Director: Hugh Richards
Cast: Raven Alexis, Dia Zerva, Ashley Roberts, Jennifer Dark, Kiara Diane, Joey Brass, Mr. Pete, Allen W., Justin R.

The overarching structure of "Stripped" makes it look like videos from naughty couples' therapy sessions. Each participant feels unfulfilled by his/her relationship, and sex is the only medium for righting those wrongs. That's a sentiment we can agree with.

Every scene starts out with a girl pouring her heart out, confessing disappointment, terror, neglect, or abuse, and as you empathize with the girl, the sex that follows feels incredibly intimate and draws you in. This isn't always a happy experience, but it's definitely unique and exciting.

Without a doubt, Raven Alexis is the main attraction. Her highschool sweetheart-turned-husband doesn't validate her sexually, barely touches her, and never brings her to orgasm. Raven is a decent actor (as are all the players in "Stripped") so her frustration and fear jump out from the very beginning. As they melt into lust, she strips and masturbates until someone—not the husband—comes into frame and treats her right. The whole experience is tender, sensual, yet not without vigor. There's even something intimate about the cumshot: rather than standing above her as he beats off, he lies on his back and she places her head on his stomach. They even kiss after she swallows.

Later in the film, Raven comes back—looking healthier and happier—to discuss her fantasy about sex with another woman. Dia Zerva ties her to the bed and takes her through the motions sooooooo sloooooowly, from tongue to dildo to strap-on to screaming orgasm. It's one of the most delayed, delicious lesbian scenes ever, and it's probably the most sex-positive communion in the film.

Kiara Diane and Mr. Pete finish the film with a straightforward couplet: she questions whether it's ok to have one-night stands, and he shows up for a quick fuck. But it isn't night, so that's good. Plus, she makes him come twice, so they must really like each other.

The two most interesting scenes, in my opinion, are the most disturbing ones. First, Ashley Roberts and her husband come in to discuss their lackluster sex life. She wants their relationship to be like it used to be, he wants more quickies and blowjobs, and neither of them get anything because they're too busy and have a child. They try just what Raven did, and things are going well, and then during the blowjob it all ends. He can't get hard, she gets pissed, and they get a divorce the following week. HA!

The other scene is much more challenging. Jennifer Dark plays a young woman from the Czech Republic (she is a young woman from the Czech Republic, by the way) with some marital issues. She met her American husband back home, and at first he was a wonderful, generous, and considerate man. After he brought her to the States, he locked her up inside his home. It isn't clear if she ends up stripping or prostituting, but she has to use her body to promote his gambling addiction. Of course, he punishes her when she doesn't earn enough money. The sex, it seems, is the worst part; he abuses her body, takes advantage of her, and "makes [her] feel sick."

In less than five minutes, you're flooded with the confessions of a broken woman. No one comes out and says the words, "sex slave," but the conditions are all there. She even delivers part of her interview in Czech, adding another level of realism and displacement to the tone. She doesn't know what she's going to do, but she mentions suicide. And then her husband shows up and they have sex.

If it weren't for a few lines from Joey Brass, this would look just like any other fuck session. Even then, what he says only seems possessive and dominating in the normal porno sense. "Who owns this pussy?" is not an unusual phrase.

I really don't know what to think about this. Are we encouraged to or allowed to enjoy this scene? Should we even be able to? Maybe the filmmaker is willing to talk about marital rape and sexual abuse, but not willing to show it. Whether that's cowardice or restraint is up for questioning. Alternately, porn is the perfect medium for allowing people to project their fantasies—however brutal or ridiculous—into a safe, controlled environment. Maybe the whole point is to allow viewers to take on this misogynist fantasy and enjoy it for its taboo. Or maybe it's a comment on the degrading and selfish depiction of sex in all pornography. I have no idea. Nonetheless, it's fantastic that "Stripped" presents these issues and ambiguities. There should be more porn like this.

· STRIPPED - A CONFESSIONAL (strippeddvd.com)
· Buy "Stripped - A Confessional" (vcx.com)