First Impressions:
Sal Genoa's Artcore 3: Masquerade is a strangely utilitarian experience. While it wants to be moody and evocative and atmospheric, it's really just a collection of clever DP scenes that grow tiresome and tedious very quickly. There are some interesting scene setups (the glory hole sequence, the Lily Thai/ Four Guy orifice workout) but overall, this is just nameless nookie without an attempt at personality or passion. Unless you know the actresses by heart - or better yet, body part - and could care less whose carrying the cocksman's duties, you'll be confused as to whose zooming who during the course of the carnality. The nonexistent narrative - Masquerade is apparently an orgy club ala Plato's Retreat - tries to string together the vignettes by having the actress from the next scene wander in toward the end of the previous sequence to "check out" the action before moving on to her banging. It can make for some jarring moments of performer panic (what - they're adding ANOTHER person???).

The Sex Scenes:
Over the course of six scenes, we witness a great deal of the same wantonness - either in performer or position. While Lily's two dicks up the same slot ideal can be exciting, it is overdone, and once you've seen a DP scene, you've seen all this DVD has to offer (said XXX act will be repeated ad nauseum). Indeed, Masquerade could have the following subtitle - Revenge of the Man Ass. You will see more guy glutes, more boy bum, more chap cheeks (not to mention taint and sack) than actual penetration. When Lily gets her couple of cocks in the cunt, we see lots of dude dumper, but little snatch stuffing. Genoa must enjoy the site of him hinder, cause there is an overabundance of it here.

Scene 1: Sativa Rose, Kathleen Kruz
Acts Performed: Typical Gal on Gal Action with Toy and V to M
Score: 1 out of 5

He has said it before, but it bears repeating - The Disco Dirge just does not care for the current trends in lesbianism. It is all so forced and staged, with the girls going through the motions, thankful their openings are not being plowed and stretched by super sized stiffies. There is no inkling of passion, no pretend ardor or aggression. Just a lick here and a kiss there, a finger hither and a toy yon. Sativa and Kathleen really try to enliven the proceedings, putting on a nice air of carnality, but there is still no true physical lust. We can see it in their uninvolved eyes. We can feel it in their uninspired coupling.

Scene 2: Lily Thai and 2 Guys
Acts Performed: Blow Job, Doggy, Cowgirl, Reverse Cowgirl, Double Dicking Vaginal in the Reverse Cowgirl Mode, Double Dicking Vaginal in the Cowgirl Mode V to M, Spooning, $hots on Face and Mouth with Oral Clean-up
Score: 2.5 out of 5

Along with Tiffany Holliday, Lily Thai is the "star" of this DVD, and she makes a fantastic first impression. With a mouth eager for cock and a pussy (and pooper) to match, she gives off an appearance of arousal that is palpable. Along with a terrific set of tits (they appear to be nice and natural) and an overall slutty Asian appeal, she should sizzle up the small screen, right? Well, she does - up to a point. Director Genoa derails the proceedings by piling on the multi-man action...and with it, the abundance of meister keister. Lily's cunt gets stretched to the limits and all we witness is big fat brown eyes beaming directly into our faces. There is nothing quite so stimulation stifling as seeing some retard's rancid rosebud staring you in the mug. Unless you're into sir sit-upon, you will find that most of the fuck and suck here is mired in the dull derriere.

Scene 3: Lily Thai and 4 Guys
Acts Performed: Blow Jobs, Doggy, Cowgirl, Double Dicking in the Cowgirl Position, DP in the Cowgirl Position (Multiple), DP in the Reverse Cowgirl Position (Multiple) Mish, Spooning, $hots in Mouth
Score: 2 out of 5

Everything argued about in Scene 2 applies here as well, except now we have another pair of choad cheeks to screw up our screwing. Lily is rather overwhelmed by this fierce four way, and the scene does turn into a veritable free-for-all rather quickly. There is so much DP here that you could easily fulfill your recommended daily adult requirement and still have some to spare for the busy holiday season. Frankly, there is just something that grows very tiresome - both physically and metaphysically - about seeing some poor gal porked in every possible hole she has (remember, she's got a mouth full of man meat while she's taking the double dong). On a far less positive side, this is about as good as Artcore 3: Masquerade gets, so it is truly all dreadfully downhill from here.

Scene 4: Tiffany Holliday and 5 Guys
Acts Performed: Blow Jobs, Glory Holing, Ball Sucking, $hot on Face, No Final $ Moment from Lead Actor
Score: 1.5 out of 5

Glory holes suggest something unsavory and unsanitary. Nothing says nasty like some anonymous cock dangling out of a hacked-open hole in a grimy bus station bathroom - or so the Dirge has been told. Artcore's take on this time honored trick is interesting, but not very exciting. Tiffany tries, but she can't make it engaging. First she sucks on some solo dude's dick, then a bunch of peckers come poking out of a piece of paper (or it could be very thin rubber or plastic). She walks over to each one, blows for a while, and then moves on. How mechanical. How dull. Eventually, we get to the pops and a couple of guys appear to be man broth barren. They can barely deliver a dribble, let alone a face-full. Overall, this is an oral only scene with the cutout concept the only real innovation here - and it literally sucks.

Scene 5: Tiffany Holliday and 2 Guys
Acts Performed: Blow Jobs, Doggy, Mish, V to M, Anal Doggy, Anal Reverse Cowgirl, A to M, DP in the Cowgirl Position, DP in the Reverse Cowgirl Position, $hots in Mouth

Score: 2 out of 5

Another return to demented DP heaven. This is Tiffany's second "starring" scene and she gets the meat mounding this time around. While we can't blame the girl for trying, she really is just a receptacle for cock here, as more and more peter is pushed inside her nether regions. Again we view prevalent male booty and again it is unappetizing and antithetical to watching STRAIGHT porn (the gay industry has lots of male ass worship videos available for those so inclined). The 'get ready and ram' ideal is full steam ahead in this scene, and the overall effect is one of tediousness. We've seen it all before and there is still no passion or personality involved. If you are looking for a reason NOT to watch hardcore films anymore, this scene along with its other crappy compadres, is excuse enough to go copulation cold turkey.

Scene 6: Nautica Thorne, Dillan Lauren, Melissa Lauren and 2 Guys
Acts Performed: Cowgirl, Alternating V to M, Reverse Cowgirl, Girl Switch, Multiple Finger Fucking, Blow Job, Anal Reverse Cowgirl with Massive Fingering, Deep Throating, Chocking, Slapping, Doggy, Spitting, Pile Driver, Anal Spoon, Anal Mish, Gapping, Anal Pile Driver, Alternating A to M.

Score: 2.5 out of 5

What's worse than too many guys and not enough gals? How about a flaccid 'fifth wheel' scenario in which women are begging for a balling, but can't get the wiener to work with. That's what happens in this scene as one of our ladies has to literally steal a dude to get a drilling. Otherwise, it's all rough and tumble tantric tomfoolery as the same shots of dick going in and out are shown over and over again. Thankfully, there is no DP, but one of our men just can't seem to settle on the proper pooper parameters. He works one gal's anus from here until next Tuesday, jousting and twisting inside it like he's trying to scrape the last bits of butter out of the churn. It's all too much for this artsy fartsy title that wants to be an illicit walk on the wild side. In the end, its just the same old shit replayed until you're bored.

Disco Dirge Peter Meter Rating: 2 out of 5 (Rent It)
Cohabitation Certification: Granted
The main problem with Artcore 3: Masquerade is that it offers up far too much of the same thing way too often. In the right circumstances, performed as the climax to a terrific tool timing, DP can be a sensual and provocative finale. But when it is used like a segue from one guy to the next, when its instantly accessed before we've had a moment of 'normal' monkey lovin' it is strident and unappealing. There are other failings here, faults in the filmmaking and camerawork that ruin whatever ribaldry there is to be found. Overall, this is a rental - something to pick up and plow through after a few schnapps and an oversized bag of Doritos. For all its faux froufrou fancy facets and attempts at artistic expression, this is one mediocre masquerade 'ball'. Here's hoping it turns into a pumpkin when the clock strikes midnight.