Driven

Wicked Pictures/Cash Markman Productions

Genre: Feature

Director: Cash Markman

Cast: Stormy Daniels, Marcus London, Cindy Crawford, Randy Spears, Lexi Lamour, Evan Stone, Brooke Haven, Demi Delia
Non-sex roles: Slick Rhodes

Length: 108.5 minutes

Date of Production: 9/13/2006

Extra's: For most people, the best extra will be the short bonus scene between Stormy Daniels and Eric Masterson from Taken. The movie was another smaller effort but still enjoyable to watch so check it out if you get the chance. There was also a 13.5 minute long Behind the Scenes feature credited to Jax (with Jef and "Dr. Who" given production credits). There was an attempt to explain some of the limitations of the movie and the mutual admiration society by the principles of the movie proved to be a little monotonous but I liked it just the same. There were also the usual photogalleries and Star Stats, the 2006 Promotional Reel, spam, DVD Catalog of Wicked Pictures titles, the usual DVD ROM material, and trailers to movies like The Visitors, Gossip, Eternity, Camp Cuddly Pines, Hook Ups, Curse Eternal, (but again none for Fuck, Manhunters, or other new titles; curious...). There was also a cardboard protective sleeve on the DVD case and a double sided cover for those who care.

Condoms: Yes

Audio/Video Quality: Driven was presented in a 1.85:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen as shot by director Cash Markman for release by Wicked Pictures. He was wise enough to have Francois Clousot assisting him so the movie looked really good, employing an active camera style to convey a dynamic sense of movement throughout the sex scenes. The editing was a bit rushed, sometimes relying on a quick cut where a transitional shot would have worked better or otherwise melding the active camera work as well as could be expected, but it was better than many competing companies provide. The lighting was decent in the scenes, giving the colors a natural look and limiting the grain, video noise, and other distracting matters to a minimum. I saw no compression artifacts and while it was still a low budget title compared to some of the company's other releases, it looked pretty good. The audio was presented in the usual choices of the primary 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English track or the 2.0 Dolby Digital tracks in German, Spanish, Italian, Greek, or French (all of which sounded really bad in my limited comparison testing by the way). The primary track was decent, combining standard vocals with some generic music to help tell the story (the surround sound process coming into play during post production so don't expect any separation between the tracks). I have yet to hear much porn where the audio was a major consideration so I'm not going to beat up Wicked for saving money here like others do.

Body of Review: Cash Markman has long been known as a guy that can knock out a feature porno in record time nearly as much as his ability to jot out quick little screenplays as fast as I write reviews. While not generally in the same league as peers like Devan Cypher, his work usually centers on a few key ideas that get fleshed out on set depending on the skills and limits of the performers he has to work with; often providing superior results compared to those who write beautiful prose only to hear it mangled by wooden delivery. His latest work has been with industry leader Wicked Pictures and his recent release of Driven, serves to show his ability to work with other company directors quite well. Starring Randy Spears as a guy that can't get over his ex-girlfriend, played by now-Penthouse Pet Stormy Daniels (both directors for the company), the movie is a minimalist effort with equal parts sex and dialogue, both aspects coming off fairly well as material to introduce newcomers more than seasoned porn watching raincoaters. I found it an interesting diversion so I won't betray the specifics of the plot but suffice it to say that it should make you smile at least a few times if you've been in a relationship where the other party simply wouldn't let go. Here's a quick look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that condoms were used in the scenes:

Scene One: Stormy Daniels, the hotty on the front DVD cover, was up first with muscular Marcus London after the two met for drinks to discuss their troubles with Randy. She tempted Marcus with her heavenly assets, so they went back to her place after some kissing and feeling up, ending up on her staircase where her short skirt proved no impediment to the camera before it flew off with her top. The camera remained an active partner in this scene, capturing the playful couple engaged in carnal activity as he fingered her to readiness and then ate her out. He attacked her orally a bit too aggressively but she told him she wanted it so that's what she got. Unfortunately, her own oral action was truncated and her typically solid hummer was missing except for the briefest of knob slobbing. The screwing showed him doing most of the work in the vaginal penetration, moving down to a loveseat for better leverage when he took her doggy style. His face turned beet red with sweat as he tapped away, ending with a modest pop shot to her chest before the scene ended. I was surprised at how passive Stormy was given the way her character initiated the sex and her usual performances, marking this as weaker than average for her work.

Scene Two: Cindy Crawford, an appealing blonde with nice curves, was up next with Randy Spears after he saved her from an asshole trying to take advantage of her in the practically abandoned park. They went back to her place and his status as a policeman excited her almost as much as his rescue of her so she dropped to her knees to blow him in a slow, sultry manner. I found it interesting that she used some of the heated moves that Stormy is known for in her oral skills, the camera again playing an active role in catching the two play (too active). She sucked away with an increasing tempo, keeping her clothing on at first before it was his turn to provide some fun. I would have liked to see the actual disrobing of the lady but that wasn't meant to be and the quick edit was jarring to say the least. She fingered herself as he licked away, proving to be a more active ride than Stormy as she bounced on his cock like she wanted it inside of her. She slowed down during the anal but then compensated by upping her use of dirty talk; a fair trade off in my book. It was a pretty large load of population pudding that he dished out to her waiting mouth and face, ending a decently constructed scene.

Scene Three: Lexi Lamour, an older blond wearing a pink bikini top and a blue jean skirt, was up next after playing hard to get with the mighty Evan Stone. Her skepticism faded away as he continued to apply his mack daddy routine on her, initially trying to hook pal Randy up but soon finding her appeal to be better suited for himself so they left the party and went into one of the bathrooms. The thrill of the moment encouraged her and they were soon naked in one of the four bathrooms, his tongue invading her cookie as she vocally appreciated his work. He spent a lot of time on her orally and she reciprocated with a fairly aggressive set of hummer skills herself, using her hand to gland style and mouth fairly well in the process. The vaginal penetration was realistically short by comparison, her actively riding him when on top and ending with a load to her chest. It ended with a funny bit but the dialogue was once again somewhat rushed (as was the set up for the following scene).

Scene Four: Brooke Haven and Demi Delia, a couple of curvy gals sitting out by the pool, were up next in the obligatory lesbian scene that most movies from Wicked Pictures seem to have. I like gals paired with one another as much as any straight man so this didn't bother me, though to be fair, they seemed to be too mechanical in how they approached the action (and each other). While Brooke is generally my favorite of the two, Demi was the more active partner here and a net giver of pleasure by comparison. Her work with the vibrator looked like the result of years of practice but the lack of chemistry between them stood out more than any other scene in the movie. It got warmer with time but still lacked the energy I wanted to see from them.

Scene Five: Stormy Daniels, looking better than before in her pink halter top, was up last with Randy Spears on the couch. He actively worked her titties orally and they went down south to get her off even better (though fans of foot fetish will appreciate that he was allowed a few moments of loving time with her feet). While still too short, she gave a better blowjob this time, complete with her corkscrew hand twists that fans love so much and even Randy jerking his gherkin into her mouth a bit before she sat on his cock for an active ride (at least in one position). The camera gave her nipples the Marty Feldman Eyes look (pointing in different directions) and it was limited in regards to her performance but I've always found her to be exceptionally attractive so the scene worked for me a few times.

Summary: Driven by director Cash Markman for release by Wicked Pictures was a far cry from the high end titles the company releases from time to time and it was clearly not meant to compete with those efforts. The sex typically followed the oral with a few positions formula; using a pop shot at the end to prove the male ejaculated so there really won't be a lot of heated action for you if you've watched more than a handful of titles in the past. The story was also a short, simple one that really didn't take much advantage of the overall scenario, preferring to simply give the sex scenes something to fit in between rather than shoot for awards or large scale public interest. While not one of the company's top tier releases of 2007, it provided a cute wink at relationships and for all the other aspects of the DVD, Driven seemed worth a rating of Rent It.

For other, greater choices in porn, check out: 2006's Top Porn List, 2005's Top Porn List, 2004's Top Porn List, and 2003's Top Porn List as well as the latest Blue Room Column.