GENRE: Compilation
DATES OF PRODUCTION: 1995 – 1997
LENGTH: 137 mins with bonus material

When one stands outside the porn industry and looks in, there are several recognizable names that, surprisingly, modern popular culture seems to have embraced. The stigmas of the past apparently have given way to begrudging respect and acceptance. Jenna Jamison is almost so mainstream that she can appear along side Eminem or voice characters in video games and everyone, even underage teens get the joke. Janine (Lindenmulder) can use her sultry stare to steam up the small screen, playing the lustful nurse along side a nude Blink 182. Even the ol' hedgehog himself is everywhere. Ron Jeremy is the poster boy for porn's past and future meeting the conventional. It's no wonder then that pornography has blown up as big as it has. With its new fashion industry ideal of beauty and an ever increasing Internet market, it won't be long before more adult actors completely infiltrate the "regular" world. And if there is one name that should be remembered when the bank-busting breakthrough comes along, it is under the radar wonder Nikki Tyler. A beautiful blond with a winning smile and a streak of wickedness across her arched brow, she rose faster and left quicker than any other industry star (she is now back in the game after a few years away). Now, thanks to Vivid Entertainment and their compilation titles, we can see the beginnings of her career and understand just what made Nikki such a stellar superstar.

The Movie
The DVD presentation here is similar to all other Vivid "Under Contract" titles. The good news is that means plenty of action with some of the hottest porn actors in the business. The bad news is that at least half of these scenes were featured in other Vivid releases, specifically Vivid Girl Confidential: Nikki Tyler. This multiple marketing of existing product is a staple of the adult industry, and it is only made worse here when the DVD opens with what seems like a twenty-minute infomercial for Vivid's affiliated adult industries. You cannot skip this s....stuff, so just put the disc on, get a bucket of popcorn (or a handy, horny companion) and then wait to turn on the tube after a few minutes. You'll then be able to access the menu screen.

Scene Breakdown

Below you will find a scene-by-scene breakdown of the action offered on this disc. Where there is repetition from a previous title, it is noted by an "*".

Scene 1: Nikki Tyler, Steven St. Croix
Scene from: Bobby Sox (1996)*
Directed by Paul Thomas
4 mins
This is an all oral, no condom sequence lasting about 4 minutes. Nikki and Stephen trade head with Mr. St. Croix eventually unloading on Nikki's face and chest. Overall, the scene is very short, and has some minor hot moments. But without any real body-on-body business or time to linger on the couple in the beautiful outdoor location, these seems more like a mini-introduction to the disc than a scorching sex scene. 4/10

Scene 2: Nikki Tyler, Ian Daniels
Scene from: Flipside (1995)*
Directed by Michael Zen
10 mins
Nikki and Ian are in a metal stairwell. Within mere moments they are naked and into some intense, non-condom oral action. This is basically a trade-off vignette were first Nikki services Ian and then he returns the tongue tango favor. There is a great shot of Nikki getting her ass and pussy eaten from behind and there is a lot of finger play during this interaction. Ian ends up shooting all over Nikki's chest. A much better oral exercise than the first scene and indicative of the quality material to come. 7/10

Scene 3: Nikki Tyler, Missy, Bobby Vitale
Scene from: Illicit Entry (1996)
Directed by Gregg Steel and Brad Armstrong
8 mins
A confusing three-way that only works its way into something scintillating towards the end. Nikki and Missy manipulate and lick Bobby's cock and balls and then it's massive mouth to mons action and some lame excuses for editing. Indeed, its tough to tell sometimes who is doing what to whom. There is some lesbian action, but nothing sustained. But once we break down into intercourse with girl-on-girl oral, the scene really picks up. Towards the end, Nikki is left more or less on the sidelines as Missy finishes the job and takes Bobby's blow directly into her open mouth. Since the scene is only half successful, it deserves a median grade. 5/10

Scene 4: Nikki Tyler, Jon Dough
Scene from: Nikki Loves Rocco (1993)
Directed by Paul Thomas
5 mins
The setting: a freeway overpass. The arena: the hood of a car. Jon gets Nikki's pants off and immediately plunges his fingers and tongue into her love canal. The ass also gets a little oral attention and there is some playful spanking. After a far too brief sequence of Jon servicing Nikki, she proceeds to suck the socks off Jon until he cums all over her face and chest. Frankly, this in one hot scene, and Nikki really looks great here. The atmosphere of the freeway and the bright sunshine add to the radiant heat factor. 8/10

Scene 5: Nikki Tyler, Jon Dough
Scene from: Nikki Tyler, P.I. (1996)*
Directed by: Toni English
9 mins
After a weird beginning where the once vital Jon (as witnessed from the previous scene) looks like a zombie as he sits still on the couch like a member of the living dead, he and Nikki head for the bedroom for a standard 1,2,3 sequence. First a little oral (with a nice sequence of Nikki sitting on Jon's face), then a little female dominant fucking (with condom) and then a penetrating pounding, doggie style fuck. Jon works up the wonderstuff to cover Nikki's ass and back. Beyond Jon's strange pallor this is another intense, exciting scene between the two. Nikki really seems to enjoy this kind of action and her reaction shots are very vocal and erotic. 8/10

Scene 6: Nikki Tyler, Randy West
Scene from: Oral Obsession 2: The Phone Booth (1995)*
Directed by Paul Thomas
7 mins
In one of the more inventive scenes on the disc, Nikki gives the prolific Randy West, who appears much older than his 50 years of age, a rousing blowjob, filled with extreme close-ups of Tyler's tantalizing mouth working West's balls. Nikki switches off between oral and manual stimulation and when West finally pops his cork, it is all over the window of the phone booth the two are in. While it definitely had its horny moments, the overall effect was more unusual that sensual. 6/10

Scene 7: Nikki Tyler, Joey Silvera
Scene from: Out of Love (1995)
Directed by Paul Norman
15 mins
In what is perhaps the best scene of the compilation, Joey Silvera and Nikki Tyler show how it's done, from intimacy and foreplay to down and dirty full on fucking. Beginning with slow sensual kisses and quickly moving to all out oral, both Joey and Nikki get serviced expertly while the camera closes in for (occasionally uncomfortable) extreme close-up shots. Though the direction here is wonderfully imaginative, the screen filling images of flesh and genitals almost ruins the interpersonal play of the sex partners. We end with some of the most intense intercourse of the disc, with both parties really pumping and grinding. Sadly, the money shot seems to have been lost, either in the mastering or the editing. We get the facial reactions but none of the gooey goodness. Still, this is one hot scene that feels complete in every way. 9/10

Scene 8: Nikki Tyler, Jessica James, Tony Tedeschi
Scene from: Plaything (1995)
Directed by Ernest Greene
15 mins.
Another oddly asexual lesbian tryst for the woman known for her gal-on-gal glad-handing. While a rather dopey looking Tony T. looks on, Nikki and Jessica French, finger and facial each other in a wild exhibition of Sappho sex acts. Over the course of the face sitting and tit licking, Tony jacks his meat and looks disaffected. It's not until he is inserted into the proceedings via group oral and eventual straight sex with Jessica that he starts to show some spirit. Nikki is once again relegated to the background as the positions multiply and Tony eventually tit fucks Miss James, giving her a face full of sperm in the process. The scene takes place outdoors, on top of a covered hot tub. A tryst in the bubbling bath would have been at least one heated up element in this otherwise lukewarm scene. 4/10

Scene 9: Nikki Tyler, Marc Wallice
Scene from: Street Legal (1995)
Directed by Brad Armstrong
11 mins
Nikki and Marc are on and around some cars in a smoky garage. They undress and Marc immediately makes a path to Nikki's pussy. After an intense oral workout over, around and on top of the automobiles, including ass slapping and tit fucking, its time for an awesome sequence of professional porno intercourse. Nikki and Marc go at it with an erotic passion and athleticism that makes you wonder how much acting is really involved. Between doggie, deep penetration, a little jackhammer action (all with condom) and a final hand job coaxing of cock juice all over Nikki's sweaty chest, this is another stellar scene of exciting exploits. 8/10

Scene 10: Nikki Tyler, Marc Wallice
Scene from: Plaything 2 (1997)*
Directed by Ernest Greene
16 mins
Nikki and Marc are at it again, but this time the passion is turned down a couple of notches. Maybe its the ridiculous old West hose that Nikki wears throughout the entire scene, or maybe its the stationary shooting of Ernest Greene (unlike Armstrong in the previous scene, Greene loves to lock that sucker on and shoot) but there is not the same sizzle here as before. We do get some nice, softcore foreplay before the genital Olympics begin, and once they do Nikki again shows how to suck dick with the best of them. Marc is also an expert pussy eater, and Nikki's reactions are sexy and stimulating. But once they get to the penetration, its all down hill. Greene goes in too close, again messing up the "who's doing what" narrative of the act. And then the couples look uncomfortable throughout all the sidewise fucking. Marc eventually cums on Nikki's back and stomach. Not the best scene in the series, but Nikki seems to enjoy it nonetheless. 6/10

Jenna Jameson ends the compilation portion of the disc with an ad for Vivid Condoms. Too bad she didn't champion the company's herbal enhancement product, Herbal Vivid. A few of the professionals on this DVD seem to have "engorgement" issues and a dose or two could have turned a couple of the scenes from taffy pulls into true pole sitting.

Overall, this is a nice, basic set of scenes from a very sexy star. Nikki has the kind of face that cosmetics and attention love, and when she is dolled up, she combines the innocent with the slut perfectly. As an ex-make-up artist, she knows how to bring out her natural attributes (mouth, eyes) and then she adds that crocked, cocked eyebrow line to suggest something more devilish. Nikki also has a hot body, nicely proportioned and toned. While fake breasts can sometimes be a turnoff, Nikki's set are nice and natural looking. But it is obvious that many find her ass her most attractive asset. All the directors here love to highlight it and it's not hard to see what's so special about it. Athletic but supple, with a cute little tattoo, its a shame there is not more "done" with it here. A little anal is always entertaining, but apparently that was not the focus of this set.

Video:
As with any compilation, the quality of the transfer will be matched by the quality of the production it was culled from. Vivid has gotten better in its use of technology over the years and, as a result, the vast majority of the prints here are clear and crisp. The combination here is of direct to video, film to video and visa versa sources. The full screen image is usually good, but a couple of cloudy standouts need mentioning, and one scene in particular has color correction problems. Though it is one of the better scenes on the disc, Nikki and Marc Wallice's parking garage sequence is very fuzzy. In the bonus material, the biker bar group grope contains far too much soft focus. And when Nikki and Colt Steele get it on, one camera has excellent skin tones. But the minute we cut to the other angle, the image turns green and queasy. These issues are the only dull spots in what is otherwise a good selection of sequences and transfers.

Audio:
As with most porn, the music is about a decade behind and the soundtrack to Under Contract is no exception. As the ersatz electronica bleeps and blurts in the background, the Dolby Digital Stereo gives us over amplified voices grunting and groaning their way to climax. This is a loud audio presentation, a factor to take into consideration when playing this compilation. If you want to make sure that only you (and not your kids, neighbors, parents) hear this DVD, you are advised to adjust the volume appropriately.

Extras:

When are bonus scenes NOT really bonus scenes? When some have been featured on previous Vivid discs. The three extra acts here contain one qualified scorcher and an example of "looks good but plays poorly" star matching.

Bonus Scene 1: Nikki Tyler, Colt Steele
Scene from: Playtime (1996)
Directed by Toni English
12 mins
Colt Steele, one of our "soft serve" male actors here, gets his long locks and Grizzly Adams facial hair into action with Nikki in a standard bedroom scene that moves through the basics of sex. After some foreplay and a perfunctory blowjob (Steele seems to sleepwalk through it) we get down to some 69 and eventual fucking. Granted, Steele and Tyler look good together, but the overall effect of the sequence is underwhelming. Nikki is giving it her all, as usual, but Colt seems detached. The effort he has to put in to shooting all over Nikki's ass indicates the lack of erotica in this extra scene. 5/10

Bonus Scene 2: Nikki Tyler, Bobby Vitale
Scene from: Pleasureland (1996)*
Directed by Jim Enright
12 mins
One of the things you learn from this disc is that, when it comes to straight sex with Nikki, the man makes the scene. Vitale and Tyler work well together and this suck and fuck fest is plenty hot. Nikki wears a full fishnet body stocking and Bobby rips at the portions he wants to get at in wild abandon. After a refreshing bit of vaginal and anal stimulation (Vitale's fingers find their mark time and time again) we get to the oral action and its a real scorcher. Though the extreme close-up is again overused, at least we can sense the interplay between Tyler and Vitale and they really heat up the screen. We get the full monty of position and passions, from doggie to female superior and every time the camera focuses on Nikki's horny face (especially in that pair of egghead glasses) the intensity of the intercourse is highlighted. Vitale unloads in Nikki's face and Tyler immediately takes his throbbing cock into her mouth. A fine finish to a highly radiant sequence. 7/10

Bonus Scene 3: Nikki Tyler, Racquel Darrian, Derrick Lane
Scene from: Rolling Thunder (1996)
Directed by Derrick Lane
13 mins
As men make Nikki rise to the occasion, the same must also be true for the ladies in her lesbian scenes. Of the three offered on this disc, this is the best and it is still rather mundane. At least the setting is unusual: a biker bar with an audience of motorcycle madmen and their chopper chicks looking on. What we get is the standard same sex standoff, complete with tit play and pussy licking. As the action moves over to the bar, director Derrick Lane gets in on the exploits. He function as nothing more than a human piston mindlessly pumping into each of the ladies from behind as they pay attention to each other. The final three way is fairly decent, but when Derrick unloads, it's in a weird slow motion fountain style shot that almost ruins the effect. While the idea of bar patrons looking on adds a nice voyeuristic conceit, the scene unfolds far too slowly to be steamy. 5/10

Vivid, following the trend of the mainstream marketing geniuses who think advertising is bonus material, lards this release with multiple phone sex come-ons (for people without computers, one suspects) product placement for Vivid's website and that aforementioned medicine show silliness for ersatz Viagra (one has to admit that the Gray's anatomy animation of the penis swelling is pretty goofy).

We are treated to a short 8 minute clip of behind the scenes footage on the making of The Good Time Girl (one of the movie trailers here). The information is all passive: no narration and very little addressing the camera directly. This father and son sex farce stars Savannah and we get an enjoyable shot of her "studying her lines". But the rest of the material is video of video cameras shooting sex scenes. Not really nuts and bolts; more like eavesdropping butts and balls.

Final Thoughts:
On the Disco Dirge Peter Meter, this disc rates very highly. The caveat is that this is really for beginners and non-collectors only. Those of you out there with massive DVD and Video libraries will already own most this material and will find the rehash nothing new or enticing. If you are not a fan of Nikki's, this DVD may change your mind and may be worth a rental. Those who worship the woman will enjoy seeing her here. She's a beauty who really seems to take pleasure in the scenes and situations she is in onscreen. Under Contract: Nikki Tyler has no story to get in the way of the action, but it is also completely reliant on the vignettes to sell its value. With an overall average of 6.3/10 for the scenes (including the bonus) this digital offering is recommended. This disc also gets the Cohabitation Certification for Couples as it is non-offensive and filled with moments of good clean sensual sucking and fucking, well worth owning to make the mating merry.