Adult filmmaking is an interesting balancing act. Stars and performances are the base of a successful presentation, but appearances count, too. Too high-gloss and everything seems staged, while too rough and amateurish could make the performers look bad or the film an unpleasant viewing experience. Plots, which seem to be a part of more and more adult films, also can go overboard. While it's appreciated that adult actors are trying to become more talented at mainstream-style acting, people generally aren't watching these films for skilled storytelling, they're viewing for skilled sex. On the other hand, a little bit of story to tie the segments together may add a bit of interest for viewers.

I'm pleased to say that "Gypsy Curse", the first adult title I've viewed from Simon Wolf productions, covers all the bases perfectly. This is a pretty raw, hardcore film that is attractively filmed, yet the performers launch into the sex in a way that not only manages to be intense and energetic without being mean/rough, but also not seem staged.

As with any adult title though, my only concern is - who are the actresses? In the case of "Gypsy Curse", the viewer is provided with an assortment of some of adult film's best looking actresses, including Asia Carrera, Jessica Drake, Lezley Zen, the stunning Sunrise Adams and last, but certainly not least, Aurora Snow, who remains one of my favorite adult starlets.

The sex, of which there was certainly plenty (there's fairly little of the story, which revolves around a guy saving a Gypsy, who grants him a wish, which he uses to change his past. Eventually, he finds himself unhappy with his new life and wants his old one back.) and it was very well-filmed, using angles that certainly could be called up close & personal, at least for the most part. Again, there are some pretty intense scenes, including a hot one between Aurora Snow and Lee Stone in what looks to be some sort of indoor pool thing. As per usual, Snow throws herself into the action enthusiastically, going at it (loudly) in a variety of positions with her usual smile and high energy. Another scene has Lezley getting herself off while watching Sunrise Adams and Steven St. Croix go at it nearby. There's even some solid girl-on-girl action thrown in, this time between Asia Carrera and Samy Bright.

VIDEO: Simon Wolf productions has given an entire disc to the feature, which is presented in its original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The two-hour feature probably would have looked okay if the extras were combined with the feature on disc one, but this presentation looks especially crystal clear. Add to that the nice surroundings (somebody's got an awfully nice mansion somewhere.) and you have a terrific-looking presentation. Colors and flesh tones are accurately presented, while just a little bit of pixelation in a darker scene is keeping the title from looking perfect.

SOUND: The 2.0 soundtrack isn't 5.1, but it still manages to clearly present all the moaning and other sounds.

EXTRAS: The supplements are included on the second DVD: they are - a 20-minute behind-the-scenes presentation, a blooper reel, 8 trailers, 5 actor interviews (including Jessica Drake & Aurora Snow), director interview, a couple of bonus scenes from other Simon Wolf titles and a photo gallery. Menus are all animated in some fashion.

Overall: This is the first Simon Wolf Productions release I've seen and I must say, I'm quite impressed. Now only has the company handled the DVD release well (good menus that let you jump right to a part of the action, solid supplements), but the film itself is solid work - energetic, well-filmed hardcore that throws in a hint of a story to tie things together. Looking at online retailers, this title hasn't been released yet, but will be priced at $24.99 which is a good deal for a solid XXX effort and an equally fine DVD presentation. Highly recommended.