Sunny Loves Matt (Blu-Ray), Stoya: Video Nasty, VCX jumps back into the market, and a great deal more…

March 23, 2008
NSFW.ARMY

Spotlight Title: Sunny Loves Matt
(Blu-Ray)

Sunny Leone
is certainly one of the most beautiful women in entertainment today,
not just porn. The only thing holding her back according to many fans
has been her unwillingness to perform with men on camera. Whatever her
reasons for this limitation, her work with women has been applauded by
many so it is with great pleasure that I waited to check out Sunny Loves Matt (Blu-Ray),
holding off on the standard definition version to get the full impact
of the visuals. To me, this was worth it and my appreciation for
director B. Skow
as the only one who could reasonably capture Sunny at her best paid
off. I especially liked that this was not some throw down showcase
effort lasting 80 minutes too; a trend for several companies these days
that decide the quality of a few scenes made up for the lack of
quantity, typically weak on the tease so many of us appreciate. Skow's
devotion to Sunny in making this a very special outing shined and while
Sunny gets the accolades for what she brought to the mix, this was one
of those times when the choice of director could have really fucked
things up; my sign of relief loud enough to merit attention when
discussing the movie with the company reps earlier this year. The back
cover said it like this: "And now the moment you've all been waiting
for: Sunny does a man. It's true. It's her first boy/girl scene ever,
and it's a stunner. Presenting Sunny Loves Matt, an all-sex feature in
the critically acclaimed B. Skow style. The theme is how women take
care of their men...in every way...with the kind of tease and lingerie
footage only B. Skow can deliver. America loves Sunny. AVN loves B.
Skow. You'll love Sunny loves Matt...with the boy/girl of the century!"
That Sunny did not wait many years into her career to start with men,
one she really cared about to make it a special first time too, is
further evidence that the tides of change are favoring Vivid these
days, major strides made in their consumer friendly products by the
director of late. A cursory check of the standard definition version of the movie made me
glad I held off reviewing until this version came in, the visuals so
much sweeter thanks to the enhanced resolution, Sunny one of the few
ladies in porn at this time that can pull off the effect without
unsightly blemishes, scars, or other flaws impacting the fantasy
effect. Monique was as hot as ever, Ann always welcome, Rebeca a nice
touch, and even newcomer Megan appreciated for the diversity she
brought with her. The DVD was easily worth a rating of Highly Recommended
for me and had the bonus scenes been unique to the movie, I would not
have hesitated to rate this as an Xcritic Pick but my personal rating
system does not give such extras as much credit as most people so your
mileage may vary. In short, Sunny Loves Matt (Blu-Ray) was as
much a time capsule showcase of lovely Sunny Leone as the skills of
director B. Skow, the 5+ hours of footage here (nearly six if you
include the BTS and trailers) one of the few times when I can say that
high definition enthusiasts won't be on the receiving end of the
fucking for getting the best version available. I just hope the concept
becomes a series, a series helmed by Skow, that continually raises the
bar as this one did in several ways.

Sneak Peeks: Stoya Video Nasty 3 and Teen America 20

Stoya is best known as a new contract starlet working for Digital Playground
these days, a breath of fresh air to all who encounter her from my
personal observations. Described alternately as a "force of nature", a
"smitten kitten", and a "sex android from the future", she

is a far cry
from the tanned implant divas working at other companies; the gal
providing a new level of diversity for the company few thought it would
ever embrace. Having seen all of her titles released to date, I was
curious to know what she would look like as shot by director Celeste, my wait over thanks to an early copy of next month's release of Stoya: Video Nasty 3, the thematic sequel to Video Nasty 2.
The series is best described as a showcase for the main performer and
this volume was no different, Stoya getting a full three scenes,
including her reportedly "first" scene with a guy (even if it wasn't
the first released). I admit to being a fan of the lovely young lady so
picking up a copy is a no brainer for me but given the levels of fuck
for the buck, I anticipate this one reeling in a whole new crop of fans
ready to see what all the fuss is about regarding the cutie too. It will certainly be a big hit for fans of the lovely young hotty when it
comes out next month. The technical values were solid, the performances
by Stoya in particular were nicely done, and the supporting cast all
earned their pay for the day so I rated it as Recommended. As
with any star driven showcase release, your mileage will vary according
to how much you like this force of nature, smitten kitten, or sex
android from the future but the appeal to a general audience was
undeniable thanks to three full scenes starring Stoya. In short, Stoya: Video Nasty 3 was even better than Video Nasty 2 so prepare to see what all the buzz is about when the DVD comes out soon.

Robby D. is currently enjoying a lot of accolades for his work in expanding the gonzo field at Digital Playground.
Whatever else can be said about his exploits, he has definitely brought
the company into modern times for fans of hardcore sex that aren't into
the couple's style offerings the company used to focus its efforts on.
His latest release is Jack's Teen America: Mission 20: Special Contract Starvaganza, the movie coming out next week as the sequel to Teen America 19.
The idea of the series is a beauty contest where Robby is "Jack", a guy
tossed out by his parents working to pay the bills as his assistants
have sex with the contestants that are trying to increase their chances
of winning. There was a lot of humor as Jack and friends play the
ladies to see more flesh, cop a feel, and work ever closer with the
contestants. What set this volume apart from previous efforts is the
age of the scenes, many of them taken from years ago and even the most
recent of them from 2006 (a good thing in the case of providing Jana
Cova at work when she was a fresh little hotty). It was a mixed ride well worth checking out if you like the ladies as much
as I do. While the scenes were not as consistently heated as usual for
some of them, there was a lot of fuck for the buck in terms of replay
value and strokability that the lack of extras could not weaken all
that much. The technical values were not as polished as some of Robby's
more recent works but the energy levels were decent so you will
probably agree this one should be Recommended. In short, Jack's Teen America 20: Special Contract Starvaganza might not win any awards for spelling but like Jack's Teen America 19
before it, the show worked as a porno quite well, upholding the high
standards of the Teen America Pageant that may some day warrant a
feature from the crew.

Mailbag: Letters from our readers

"Tammy writes: I notice in your reviews you try to include some background information about those who make the movies. You tend to go out of your way to say nice things about most people but there are times when you mention events that I never heard about. Does anyone get mad when you do this?

Don Houston responds: I had to paraphrase the email to keep from calling a particular performer out on this one but the answer is yes. Sometimes performers, directors, and/or companies want to sell the fantasy without the reality tied so inextricably to the product in hand that they attack the messenger without concern for the truth. If I happen to be on a set and see two gals having a shitty time, the editing and BTS designed to mislead you, I'll say so in the review. If a performer tries to reinvent something they said in public at the expense of another, be it their company, the director, or scene partner, that misleads about something significant, it is tied to the movie and fair game for inclusion in any review.

Anonymous writes: How do you write your reviews? Do you write as you watch them, write after watching them or what?

Don responds: I try to mix it up a bit these days and use each approach or some variation. When I used to take notes as I watched, I occasionally missed minor details so I prefer to write them afterwards, playing the extras as I type out the voluminous reviews in great detail. That allows me to cover the most detail without taking a laundry list approach that bores me to death. For the most part, I write in a stream of consciousness fashion too, not looking over every word and fussing with what I say in order to minimize the halo effect some of my peers at other websites seem to add in. Initially though, I usually get the outline ready with who does whom, what extras are included, and the basics like director, title, time, and the like so I don't have to scramble to add them afterwards. That frees me up to concentrate on the quality of the scenes (I watch a scene and then write about it more frequently than watch the whole movie and then write).

Den writes: What does "replay value" mean in your reviews?

Don responds: I get this question every once in awhile but like to respond to fellow writers as thoroughly as possible to help elevate the standards we are all accountable for. Replay value is the projected quality of the movie in hand for repeated viewings. In mainstream titles, certain genres, like horror or suspense, rely heavily on the element of surprise. The roller coaster effect is typically diminished when you know the times the bad guy will jump out at you or you know who the killer is. In porn, the initial viewing of a movie is almost always the best too, the look in a gal's eyes when getting boned (see some of Stoya's work as a reference) or the sweaty pairing getting out of hand, but this is not always the case if there is chemistry between the performers or the scene is very well shot. Consider in the most basic of terms then; could you come back to this title a week later and rub out a few more loads? A month later? Every month for a year? There is an element of projection taking place but it is an extension of the quality of the sex in a movie more than anything else; making it an important factor for those that are considering buying a movie versus renting it.

Well, that's all for now but keep sending emails since we can really use the input to make Xcritic the kind of website that caters to what you, the consumer, wants to see.
We'd love to read your comments and feedback on this column, Send us
your thoughts on other things you'd like to see in the space, or even
random thoughts about the world of porn. In fact, we're still looking
for reviewers, writers, and a host of others to contribute to the
website to make it even better so drop us a line at [email protected] and [email protected].

Highlights of The Week

VCX has decided to get back into the production side of things, trying
to revive some of the old spark of their early years, producing a well
received title called Angel Face as a result. Veteran director Roy Karch
was brought in to helm the project, a fitting idea considering he's
been making porn since before most performers, even the males, were
born (not Ron Jeremy or Mike Horner but you catch my drift). The story
was about a young gal setting out for the big city and finding her
sexual urges awaken under the pressure of a host of people she
encountered, a traditional type of porno in many ways that worked in
large part due to solid casting, especially Marie McCray as the naïve
newcomer. It might not have been an exact return to the golden years of porn when
the company dominated the landscape but it certainly offered up a
closer view of it than the vast majority of what sells so well on the
market today. With a few more musical tunes propping up the feature,
more pubic hair, and a lot less explicit sex, it would have been a
distant cousin but recognizable as such all the way. Marie McCray was
well suited for her role as were the rest of the cast, the appeal of
the show earning it a rating of Recommended by this reviewer. I
admit to having a soft spot for the classics the industry produced
before the video wave took over and dumbed things down so much but if
you're looking for the best of both worlds, you really can't go wrong
with Angel Face. I will be interested in seeing if VCX will
continue this revival over time or if this is simply a one shot
promotional release but I sure hope it is a sign of things to come
given what I saw.

Jack Mayhoff is one of the latest directors focusing on older women at Diabolic Digital, his second movie making it my way called MILF Bone 2, the sequel to MILF Bone 1
that I reviewed last year. The movie is a series of five scenes with
older, curvier gals that show some mileage on the chassis doesn't mean
the ride won't be good. Knowing ahead of time that Kylie Ireland and
Olivia O'Lovely were involved in the movie made this one an easy title
to take a risk on, new directors rarely showing as much skill as their
marketing departments seem to credit them for. The end results were
mixed but it was not a bad little MILF flick to rub some loads out to,
making me wonder again if Jack had some assistance from Ivan or one of
the other competent directors at the company. It was a good show with four of the scenes provided a plethora of pussy
and ass to enjoy. The technical matters were pretty decent and the
relative lack of extras other than a cool striptease session gave me
plenty of reason to rate this one as Recommended for fans of
MILFs everywhere. If you are fans of the cast or hate MILFs altogether,
your personal rating will vary a lot more in either direction but I had
to say that the first four scenes showed that Jack might work out as he
improves his skill level behind the camera. In short, MILF Bone 2 was a solid offering in the "mothers I'd like to fuck" genre
so popular these days; meriting a look if you are so inclined to
appreciate experience over youth.

David Stanley's latest title to make it my way this week was Carmen Goes South ,
a comedy starring hotty Carmen Hart as a movie star stuck in the nether
regions of Central Texas as part of a contest. Taking a few pages from
the Jonathan Morgan book of porn comedy, David himself joins in the fun
as an over the top wacko surrounded by some of the goofiest characters
ever to make it to the small screen. Played for belly laughs rather
than the arty farty light humor most of the company titles tend to
offer, Carmen once again shines as the bitchy starlet wanting nothing
more than to escape from her inbred hell. Unlike the more sophisticated
offerings like Operation Desert Stormy, this one was more
consistently funny too; relying less on an individual and specific
lines than the situations and ensemble cast. The back cover said it
like this: "Welcome to The Carmen Hart Show! On this week's episode,
Carmen has to go down to the backwoods of Texas to spend a day with the
contest winner. She and her faithful assistant head south and soon find
themselves amongst a family of misfits. The humorously deranged sex
workers provide plenty of southern hospitality for the duo. But things
get really strange when she finally meets the actual contest
winner...Tune in and find out what happens next!" I found the overall
entertainment value of the show to be well worth checking out, more so
than most similar titles at the company in recent months for those that
want something more than gonzo scenes to rub a few loads out with. It will be a fun fuck flick to introduce someone to porn if they like the
bizarre, offbeat humor of the director but as short as the sex scenes
were, they did add enough spice to the comedic aspects to make this
worth a rating of Recommended for those of you into the way the
company does things. The technical matters did suffer due to the
limited lighting of the night scenes and the limo but taken as a whole,Carmen Goes South should give a lot of you some smiles the way certain televisions shows of the past did (Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbilly's, Petticoat Junction.

Uncle D. is also known as the Canadian Buttman by many fans of porn, his exploits on the internet such that Evil Angel released a compilation of his best scenes a couple of years ago with Smother Me 1.
I found it to be a decidedly different type of porno but full of the
love of ass I shared with the director, resulting in my taking a deep
look at his websites (let me tell you, they are great for fans of
ass!). In the past two years, I've bugged the director a number of
times trying to get him to release more material on DVD and as luck
would have it, Uncle D's Smother Me 2: Back in the Crack finally came out recently in a lengthier, new and improved outing that
loses the watermarks in favor of more ladies, more tease, and more ass
for Uncle D. to worship. If that sounds good to you, the lack of actual
penetration and sex in most cases should not deter you from checking it
out as the strokability of the footage was often quite solid. It had no penetrative sex, no blowjobs, and a wide variety of quality in
terms of the face smothering taking place but fans of this sort of
thing should consider it to be worthy of a Recommended rating.
To be fair, I found my travels on the director's websites to be a
better experience than this volume in the series but as an introduction
to his exploits, I think a lot of ass fans not quite so demanding of
actual sex will find this appealing on a few levels. The tease was
strokable in most scenes and the ladies had the kinds of ass that men
can sink their teeth into, making Uncle D's Smother Me 2: Back in the Crack almost as good as Smother Me 1 so give them both a look before venturing online to see what kind of fun you can have.

The term "squirting" in porn generally means a female performer has
learned to get extra bookings by faking an orgasm while she pisses all
over her partners. I know this comes as no surprise to most of you but
medical science has found no reservoir organ holding a half gallon of
fluid for females to ejaculate across the room but the genre exploded a
few years back when a couple of companies starting paying ladies to do
their water work thing as a means to get around legal issues associated
with pissing movies. That said, I got a chance to see the latest
release from Mr. Pete for Red Light District called Sprung A Leak 5, a series I last visited in Sprung A Leak 2.
Each of the scenes had some over the top squirting to make genre fans
happy, the rest of the sexual misconduct worth paying some attention to
as well. I picked up a copy because I saw several cast members that I
like watching, figuring I'd be able to put up with the fluid dynamics
much like I do when Flower Tucci releases a flick. It had all the fluid action a fan could want as well as substantial
amounts of gonzo sex by a well rounded cast of ladies that each added
something unique to the production. The strokability, replay value, and
amount of fuck for the buck earned it a rating of Recommended for a general audience, fans of squirting having that to elevate the score even more. In short, Sprung A Leak 5, like Sprung A Leak 2
before it, was worth checking out if you have even the slightest
inclination to appreciate the cast or type of genres covered here,
making it one of Pete's better works of the year.

Anton Slayer has been directing for Metro Interactive/Cal Vista
in recent times, his work over the years gaining him a reputation as a
steady hand providing basic but solid offerings in the adult industry
under names like Mike Adams, Vincent Voss, and similar nom de plumes.
The company has had a variety of directors unable to provide a steady
stream of quality so guys like Anton are appreciated all the more when
they stick around and learn their craft with time, taking on a variety
of projects. The most recent title of his making it my way was Babes Illustrated 17, the sequel to Babes Illustrated 16,
where the action is all dedicated to lesbians. In a way, this is the
company's signature line for the gal on gal action that many men enjoy,
comparing favorably to series from other companies that have won as
many awards, so I was interested in seeing how Anton would do given
such a mixed variety of ladies. It was a decent offering in the series that showed it in decent hands with
the skilled director. The ladies provided some solid fun here and did
not stick strictly with a generic formula, the technical values were
often above average, and the amount of lesbian fuck for the buck was
well worth a rating of Recommended or better, depending on how much you like the cast. In short, Babes Illustrated 17 was better than Babes Illustrated 16
in every way except the extras (the previous volume adding in a couple
full movies to elevate the score rather than rely on the quality of the
movie itself) so fans will find it a nice effort overall.

Reviewer Guy Incognito then came up with a number of quality picks like Bree's College Daze: an interesting release that plays upon the superstar image of Bree
Olsen. It's a fun aesthetic that plays into the wonders that new films
can find with a fresh crop of stars. Plus, you get that dorm room
setting that has a certain fetish element attached to it. At least it
does for me. Don't look at me like I'm weird. It's is a fun release that plays upon the immense beauty of Bree Olson. The
problem is that it feels like more of a boner jam than a superstar
spotlight. There's nothing wrong with that since the ladies that
participated in this boner jam were hot. It's just that if a girl's
name is the headliner on the aforementioned boner jam...I expect a
little more; Nina Hartley's Advanced Guide to Anal Sex: another instructional release from the powerful team of Ernest Greene
and Nina Hartley. One thing I could've done without is the weird video
glare that appears throughout the entire DVD. It was distracting and
only served to take away from the Queen of the Cougars, Nina Hartley. It an interesting DVD that will hopefully teach others about the wonders
of Anal Sex. While, it might not be for everyone, Nina Hartley knows
how to make the subject matter fun. Fun is what sex is all about. That
and blowing your load. Everyone should get to blow their load; Pigtails and Big Tits 3: an amazing release that gets by on how hot the girls are in the film.
The Pigtail fetish was always one of those things that I got. It's hot
and it's aesthetically pleasing for girls to look that way. It is an interesting compilation of girls with large tits and pigtails.
It's just that all the scenes are pretty straightforward. There's
nothing creative or out of the ordinary. Some people might like that,
but I like being entertained. I only got minimal doses of that, but the
tits were good; Don't Pull Out #4: a fun release that fulfills that creampie fetish of mine. There's not
enough DVDs out there that show off girls getting their pussies stuffed
with sperm. It is a fun compilation that starts off strong, falters and then regains
its footing. I expected a better disc than what I got, but there were
strong moments of disappointment in the middle. Still, the dynamic
Rachel Starr was able to save the day and turn this away from
rental-only; and Pigtails Round Asses 5: a fun release that carries on that Pigtail fetish. I was never a big ass man, so I can't testify to that fetish. The DVD works like a quick build to peaking beyond all comprehension. I
don't know if the previous volumes are this awesome, but this one
almost has me recommending a blind buy. It's just that damn incredible.

Felix Vasquez Jr then told us all about Strap On Sally #23: "Holy crap this is hot!" That was
basically my first reaction to "Strap on Sally 23," a porn flick based
on and around Tera Wray who while hot, really doesn't drown out the
other extremely hot women in this compilation, even in spite of the
definite Asia Argento vibe she has going. While I'm not always a huge
fan of girl on girl anymore, "Strap on Sally 23" definitely peaked my
interest, and I had to see what it would offer me. Eventually, I
learned, and I sat for a hundred minutes with my jaw dropped to the
floor, and my tongue wagging like a thirsty dog, because goddamn. These
girls were hot, and this porno was great. The lack of extras is really
made up thanks to the great flick that doesn't overstay its welcome. Tera Wray is sitting down in lingerie
and make up reading a hot book before bed time and so enamored with the
material is
she that it eventually sparks a series of lesbian fantasies involving
strap ons and a lot of finger play. I've had dreams like that, they're
rare sadly. We immediately enter into the fantasy play that
surprisingly enters into an attempted narrative.

In spite of a slightly monotonous closing segment and the terrible lack
of extras, "Strap on Sally 23" is a great porno with a clear attempt at
a narrative and interesting concepts to the approach to segments. It's
sexy, it's really hot, the women are absolutely gorgeous and the girl
on girl is not as tedious as other efforts in the fetish. Come for the
lovely Tera Wray, and stay for the absolutely hot Joleean. I look
forward to 24, if there really IS more to cum.

Peter Rockwell then came up with a bunch of picks for titles like Teenage Anal Pounding 2: The sex on the DVD was top notch. The girls are all sexy and energetic,
they have great chemistry with their partners, and they look like
they're having fun. When you add in the value of the extras you have a
DVD that delivers plenty of fuck for your buck. Whether you're looking
for a DVD to watch with your partner or solo Teen Anal Pounding #2 should prove to be worth your time; Barely Legal Innocence #7: Director Will Rider does it again with Barely Legal Innocence #7,
the latest in an already great line of DVDs. Keeping the tradition
alive, this title features some of the hottest young girls you'll ever
see (especially scene 4), enjoyable sex, and solid technical quality.
Whether you collect the series or are just looking for a new teen DVD,
I highly recommend going out and picking this one up; It's Huge #14: While it might be a little intimidating to see a guy with such a huge
member (don't watch this with your wife!), the real fun lies in
watching hot girls struggle to handle him. Vengeance DVDs are
affordably priced, and I feel this title would be a good blind purchase for anyone not familiar with their work; and What An Ass #5: This was the second title in the What An Ass! series that I've
seen and I was very impressed. The strength of the DVD lies in the
quality girls; not only are they attractive, but they have great
personalities. The action that results is intense, passionate, and will
hold up to repeated viewings. If you're a collector of the series or
just looking for a new title for your collection, give this DVD some
consideration.

Sawyer then showed us a title a lot of you will appreciate called Sex and the Sybian: The central character, if you will, of this video is named Sybian. For
those who haven't heard of it, it's not just a movie prop, but a device
anyone can buy. Designed for women, it consists of a saddle-like seat,
underneath which is a motor connected to a rod which protrudes from a
hole in the seat. Various dildos and other objects are attached to
this rod, and they can be made to vibrate and rotate under the control
of the user via a hand-held box with intensity knobs for each of the
two actions. According to my relatively brief Internet research, its
inventor, Dave Lampert, introduced the machine in 1983 to a female
physician who loved it and encouraged him to develop it. Lampert
explained to Penthouse magazine reporter Jessica West that he got the
idea from hearing repetitive complaints from women who were sexually
frustrated because their partners could not or would not satisfy them,
for various reasons. I've seen a number of women using the device not only in this video but
in others, and they almost universally seem to enjoy it -- wildly.
With that in mind, I was more willing than usual to go into this video
believing the performers' moans and other reactions would be genuine. All that aside, there is plenty for a heterosexual male or a bisexual
female to like about this disk, especially if they like rude, selfish
sex where one partner's pleasure takes precedence over another's. It
may not be loving in the classic sense, but it's exciting. Fans of the
Sybian will almost automatically like it, though they may be a bit
disappointed that it's not quite the central theme the title would
suggest. Fans of dominance and submission, especially involving
lesbian sex, are almost sure to find plenty of masturbatory material
here, as well.

Last up is internet sensation Rob Randell with a quick look at Need For Seed #2: It is a gonzo porno from Diabolic Video with 7 girls spread across 6 scenes.
The girls are all hungry for "seed" and are willing to go jump through
hops to get it. Well, not literally. But they do get naked and have sex. Alektra Blue is the hottie featured on the DVD cover. This dark haired babe
has it all. She has a tight figure and big luscious fake tits with a
tasty ass. She's quite the looker. The scene opens with Alektra showing
off her goods. Soon after we find her giving Pat Myne a steamy blow
job. She looks great stuffing her face with meat. The sex continues to
offer plenty of excitement. There are fantastic shots of Alektra's hot
body getting worked that include her big tits bouncing like crazy. The
action includes straight and anal. The scene ends with cum swallowing. I was pretty happy with Need For Seed #2. I primarily was
interested to see Audrey Bitoni and Alektra Blue in action. These girls
are hot and they usually produce steamy sex scenes and their
appearances in this DVD was no exception. I was also happy with the
other chicks. For viewers looking for a gonzo porno that isn't too
nasty or too tame, then this one is worth picking up. There is a fair
amount of replay value too.

Upcoming Notable DVDs

We'd love to read your comments and feedback on this column, Send us your thoughts on other things you'd like to see in the space, or even random thoughts about the world of porn. In fact, we're still looking for reviewers, writers, and a host of others to contribute to the website to make it even better so drop us a line at [email protected] and [email protected].

The major contributors to The Blue Room this week were: Don Houston and Christopher J. Thorne.