Chasing Destiny

VCA Interactive

Genre: Feature

Director: Veronica Hart

Cast: Roxanne Hall, Steven St. Croix, Jennifer Luv, Dale DaBone, Alexis Malone, Trevor Zen, Violet Blue, Chris Cannon, Steve Taylor, Demi Marx, Billy Glide
Non-sex roles by Herschel Savage, Veronica Hart (voice only), Jezebel Bond, Michael Hamilton Hart, L. Ron Kenobi

Length: 122 minutes (the full feature), 90 minutes (wall to wall option)

Date of Production: 12/2003

Extra's: The best extra was the inclusion of a 16.5 minute long Behind the Scenes feature that showcased many of the cast before their scenes took place. While I would've really enjoyed an audio commentary, there wasn't one and the rest of the extras were the usual trailers, photogallery, wall to wall option, and three limited biographies of the cast.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: The picture was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color, as originally shot. While not listed as one of VCA's "Ultra Bit" releases, it looked very solid with minimal grain, video noise, or other problems. The colors and fleshtones were good and the composition of most shots appeared to be consciously (and well) chosen. In short, the movie didn't look like it was knocked out in a day like so many other features are these days (VCA isn't the only company with budget cuts over the last few years). The audio was presented in 2.0 Dolby Digital English and while a bit on the low side, the vocals seemed clear and the music was mixed nicely into them. As visually interesting as the movie was, the audio shared a professional competence that many of Ms. Hart's peers seem to have discarded as somehow less worthy of their energy.

Body of Review: Veronica Hart has long been associated with the porn industry, having started off as a star back in the 70's and now making features for VCA Pictures for a number of years. To say that the lady is talented is to state the obvious but she brings a lot to the table that some of you might not know. Her style is somewhere between that of eroticist Candida Royalle and the hardcore extreme of the infamous Mason; helping to disprove the theory that women can't make "good" porn of all types. I discussed this (somewhat briefly though) with her at this year's AEE Show and have long found it interesting that younger fans aren't as aware of her full body of work as good as it is. While I tend to prefer Jim Holliday's movies from VCA, Ms. Hart's are in many ways superior on technical merit and I have a lot of friends that have borrowed my copies of her previous works more than once. Her latest movie for the company is Chasing Destiny, a movie that borrows from the time tested fantasy about a gal falling for someone that lived long ago, eventually fulfilling her own destiny with a bit of help from fate. If the story seems to metaphysical for you, keep in mind that VCA's wall to wall option allows you to skip the story (although you should watch it completely at least once) and enjoy only the sex parts, a feature I wish their competitors used more often than not. That said, here's a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that fans of the cast will likely be happy with the action, even as raincoaters will want to look elsewhere for their daily fix of porn:

Scene One: Roxanne, the attractive gal on the front DVD cover, has long been a staple in porn and has provided me with many a session of self-love. Her scene here was with studly Steven in a bed and rather than focus on the gonzo style of sex so popular these days, it took the slow and sensual route (to much success I might add). The oral and straight action showed me yet again that heat comes in many forms, not all of which include yelling and screaming gals in their late teens. It ended with a quickie in the shower but was pretty solid considering the built in limitations.

Scene Two: Jennifer, a complete contrast to the established lead of the feature, was up next in a scene with Dale outside. The scene had a lot of oral action between the two and each seemed happy giving as well as receiving oral pleasure before the boning that took place afterwards. I've really enjoyed her work this year and she was one of the nicest women I met in January but this scene wasn't as solid as the last one for heat. The two did the mechanics just fine but compared to Roxanne's sultry heat, there was no comparison most of the time. Still, I love looking at her ass bounce up and down so the scene wasn't a total loss for me.

Scene Three: Alexis, a lean blonde with an attractive set of features, was up next as she enjoyed a scene with Trevor in bed by candle light. The sex scene short and limited but had an appeal that made me want more from the couple. It had some chemistry and the slower nature of the action gave me pause although I wouldn't want to see them every day. Most of the action was just the couple having a straight screw in bed so don't expect much from the scene unless you're a fan of the couple.

Scene Four: Violet, one of the porn industries leading witch's (she practices witchcraft as her religion), Chris, and Steve had the following scene in a sanitized room looking to be painted. She ably handled their cocks in her mouth and took care of them with her other holes as well, from the vaginal and anal to the double penetration that she has long enjoyed. She seemed to get more screen time than any of the other cast members in the Behind the Scenes feature and I think I can see why; she gave the most varied performance in order to earn it. She has certainly improved her craft since being in a single scene of William Witrock's series so long ago (although she did take exception with my opinion of her scene back then too). In all, this was a solid scene full of heat and passion if not her best of the year.

Scene Five: Alexis, looking even better in this second scene, shared a slow kiss with Trevor beside a bed to get things started. Both were dressed in 1940's outfits that were slowly removed as the two heated up the screen one more time. This time, the couple got the full benefit of a full scene, making it very warm for me as they did the foreplay so missing previously. It was only oral and vaginal sex but I enjoyed this scene nearly as much as Roxanne's first scene of the movie (no small feat at that!). It ended with Roxanne masturbating as she fantasized about the couple in the bathtub by candle light.

Scene Six: Demi, sporting a new hair color but the same old heated sexual mores, Jennifer, looking as fine as ever, and sad sack Billy, were up next in a ménage a trios on the patio by the pool. The gals competed for his meat and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy their attentions as he got off with them. The sex included oral, vaginal and a little bit of lesbian action as they completed their scene in a moderately heated fashion. There was some light spanking but nothing particularly exciting until the ending pop shot to the gal's mouths where they swapped semen a bit.

Scene Seven: Roxanne, still looking younger than her years and highly attractive to me, had a romantic scene in bed with Dale. The mood was again more of a slow burn type of action than a energetic romp in the hay but this seemed to work here too as the couple did the usual oral and straight sex with some passion. Heck, I think Dale even stopped looking at the mirror; proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was good in bed. It ended when he jerked off to her abdomen and I liked the scene a whole lot.

Summary: Chasing Destiny was not my favorite release by either Veronica Hart or VCa but it was sure good enough to rate as Recommended for the excellent cast, the variety of heated sex scenes and the manner in which the subject matter was handled. I liked the BTS feature a lot although it could've been long and the amount of fuck for the buck was very high for a VCA release. It's good to see former superstars still proving their value over time and the time tested formulas that Ms. Hart employed to accentuate the positive aspects of Roxanne have long made her someone to watch for as a director.

Note: You can see recent candid shots of several of these performers by visiting: My Photo's and read about their antics at 2004 AEE Show.