Jenna Haze: Dark Side: 2 Disc Set

Jules Jordan Video

Genre: Gonzo, Jenna Haze

Director: Jules Jordan

Cast: Jenna Haze, Jean Val Jean, Jerry, Kurt Lockwood, Scotty Lyons, Trent Soluri, Arnold Schwartzenpecker, Donny Long, Johnny Fender, Mr. Marcus, Tory Lane, Scott Nails, Chris Charming, Brett Rockman, Mario Cassini

Length: 236.5 minutes

Date of Production: 3/10/2006

Extras: The two disc set was much like other such release by Jules in the past in how it offered a lengthy movie divided into two parts along with some decent extras. The best extra for me was the nearly 22 minutes of bonus footage from the scenes. There was some goofing around but most of the time; it was simply edited sex material with some commentary by Jenna and company about their scenes. There was a cumshot recap, a lengthy photogallery, two filmographies, and trailers to the title itself as well as movies like Ass Worship 8, Feeding Frenzy 7, Flesh Hunter 8, Invasion 2, Once You Go Black 4, Slut Puppies, Tunnel Vision, and Weapons of Ass Destruction 4.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Jenna Haze: Dark Side was presented in the visually appealing 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen color as originally shot by director Jules Jordan in HD for distribution by his own company, Jules Jordan Video. The lighting was presented in a very pleasing manner that lit up the action in most scenes very well. There were a few scenes where this wasn't the case but that was almost certainly due to Jules providing a more realistic setting for thematic results (it would look silly to have the porn shop arcade or confessional booth look as flatly lit as his home). So, in the scenes where the lighting was flat and strong; the picture was better than anything of Jules that I've watched to date. The scenes where the lighting couldn't be provided that way were still well lit for the circumstances but admittedly not optimal for seeing the action as clearly as some fans, myself included, would like. The grain and video noise were both better than usual, marking another positive visual improvement by Jules that was complimented by the compositional work Jules offered up that repeatedly enhanced the look of Jenna and the cast (especially Tory Lane in her scene). There were no noticed compression artifacts and while the picture wasn't the best gonzo I've seen; it was a lot better than expected. I wonder what future releases using one of the true high definition formats (Blu-Ray of HD-DVD) will do for the quality of the picture given this improvement over past works. The audio was presented in a stereo 2.0 Dolby Digital offering that really didn't use any separation in terms of the vocals (there was a lot of potential to do so here too). The dynamic range was also kind of generic, an area that seemed slightly better than previous efforts and an area that Jules could easily improve to make best use of the great many home theatres in the hands of porn fans everywhere.

"To see the future, look to the past." Sun Tzu

Body of Review: Jules Jordan has been a force in gonzo porn for a long time, starting from the humble beginnings of a working slob at a porn distributor in the northeast part of the country and working his way up the ranks by following his own beating drum. He recently left his distribution deal with Evil Angel in favor of grabbing a bigger share of the pie, though taking the added risk as well, by beginning to distribute his own titles under Jules Jordan Video. His very first title under this new arrangement is Jenna Haze: Dark Side, putting Jenna Haze through the showcase treatment that relaunched the sagging career of Gina Lynn a couple of years ago. For those unfamiliar with Ms. Haze, she was once a gloriously beloved (or perhaps belusted) gonzo princess that was well on her way to being the biggest name in gonzo porn when she signed a contract with Jill Kelly Productions to become a contract gal. Almost overnight, she stopped doing men on camera and was soon forgotten as the masses moved on to the next (and next and next after that) flavor of the month as Jenna did lesbian scenes of dubious merit (most of the ones I saw were a tremendous let down from her glory days). With the break up of JKP, she was back on the market but still making what amounted to shitty porn…that is…until now.

Jenna Haze: Dark Side is a set of eight scenes that were all made for this showcase piece without a filler in the pack. Granted, a few scenes showed some rough edges by pushing Ms. Haze beyond her current limits but she did anal, lesbian, interracial, and an oral blowbang as well as some other fetish oriented scenes involving feet and light BDSM. Let me say that if you were once a fan of the lady in her heyday, she is back with a vengeance and while it may take her awhile to get back to her best performance level of the past, like a champion prize fighter; she had a lot to offer. Further, if you think she's a major hotty, forget the rest of the review and buy a copy of the 2 disc set since you aren't likely to care about the details I'll be providing below. If you're not specifically into her look, style, or appeal, the movie was still very appealing and strokable, with solid replay value worthy of the dedicated efforts of Mr. Jordan. That said, here's a quick look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that condoms weren't an option:

Scene One: Domination: Jenna Haze, dressed in the same schoolgirl outfit she wore on the front DVD cover, was up first (and in all the scenes actually) as she made confession to her priest (the opening chapter was Confessional). She started to masturbate when the scene cut away to her bound to a spiderweb chain styled rack, in standing position with a blindfold on. She had tape on her nipples, a studded collar on her neck, and lightly struggled when Jean Val Jean and Jerry walked in on her; brandishing a crop and a flogger. Jerry lightly tapped her pussy and Jean stuffed her mouth with the flogger, leading them to kiss her all over. The poured hot candle wax on her chest and marked their territory but the real sex began at this point. They then took turns boning her pussy raw as she'd jerk them off (once unshackled, she had the freedom to do so). She alternated sucking them and being vaginally screwed but the kicker was how actively she rode them, despite the position. This carried on for awhile when she began receiving anal from Jean. The tempo started out very slowly but as she got used to it, she became enthusiastic about it (though never as much as the pussy sex). The scene included taste testing and much too short DP (double penetration) before the guys rubbed out loads to her face and she gave them a post coital suck. The tone set for the rest of the movie, I knew that the old Jenna Haze was back.

Scene Two: Shoe Store: Jenna Haze, dressed much like any attractive young lady on a shopping trip, wearing a white top and pink skirt with hooker shoes, stopped to look in a shoe store, much like any other woman her age would do. The clerk was Kurt Lockwood, a man known as much for his wacky online behavior as his swordsmanship in porn, and he attended her needs. He knelt down and started giving her a line about her feet being so special; rubbing and otherwise servicing her feet orally with some foot fetish action. I'm not into this kind of thing myself but if you are, it will serve as a powerful stimulant for your libido considering the quality of toemanship he displayed. This led, of course, to some pussy rubbing on her part and the usual cock sucking she used to be so good at. Kurt interrupted to get some licking on her crack and rub his dick on the soles of her feet but both of them went back to providing a nice display of heated oral on the other. The vaginal ride and tease were solid as she provided another aggressive ride, eventually leading to some anal where she was unable to pump back on his rod. This initial limitation aside, she did employ lots of dirty talk and the ending pop shot to her feet will probably be appreciated by foot fans everywhere for how flexible she was in sucking his spew off of them.

Scene Three: Porn Shop: Jenna Haze, in skimpy blue jean shorts and a pink bra and panties combination (with white vinyl boots and a fluffy white fur), was up next as she masturbated in the back of a limousine. It was traveling down the road and she seemed oblivious until he passed a porn shop where she told the driver to pull over. She went inside and walked the aisles, checking out all the men in the store as well as some toys on the wall. This led her to the back room of the arcade where she called out for anyone wanting their dick sucked; bringing forth the third stringer crew seen in many flicks of late (from Red Light/Platinum X/Vouyer Media/Evil Angel) Scotty Lyons, Trent Soluri, Arnold Schwartzenpecker, Donny Long, and Johnny Fender. This oral gangbang seemed right up her alley as she went from dick to dick with her hands and mouth aggressively inhaling what they had to offer. I liked how she has learned the corkscrew method of hand action and she has long been good at providing solid suction, ending with a lot of semen in her mouth and on her face. There was no chemistry between the crew and her but her energy levels were once again superior to her work of the last several years.

Scene Four: Interracial: Jenna Haze, dressed like a fetish bride and looking mighty appealing; walked through the house with Jules getting some pictures of her. This led to her reported first interracial with the studly Mr. Marcus; a man known for giving first timers like her and Janine, reason to switch over and start demanding more color in their lives. While I think the race issue is overblown (Marcus is, and has always been, a member of the HUMAN race in my book), I know it excites some much like the foot fetish stuff works for others. She sucked his meaty member with the same appreciation she gave the others, impaling her throat this time as he quietly and patiently prepared her for some hardcore penetration. It was slow at first but she responded well on the staircase where they ended up screwing and even as the scene progressed, I noted that she wasn't as active with him as the others in the show. That he was much wider than some was undeniably part of the reason she was more or less holding on for dear life but her vocals were dirty enough and she did shine from time to time by participating more energetically. She did a lot of PTM and skipped the anal (a good thing considering how limited her vaginal skills were with him though some of the race baiters are likely to change their charges about her; saying she discriminates because she won't do anal with black men), marking it as the weakest scene in terms of her ability to handle the whopper he had to offer though certainly not without its appeal. Your mileage may vary though if you really wanted to see her do a black guy (in her favor, or perhaps Jules' favor, Marcus is as good as it gets in porn).

Scene Five: Submission: Jenna Haze, this time up as a submissive little gal wanting to please Mistress Tory Lane, was bound in the bedroom with black duct tape and a visually interesting fetish outfit. Tory is one of my favorite ladies in porn for her wide variety of personas and skills so this scene marked a nice shift in the movie for me. I like Jenna just fine but Tory has better curves, fewer scenes, and a set of skills that have few equals when she's on fire. The corset she wore matched Jenna's tight black shorts and the scene was a stand out in terms of playful roughhousing as Tory took full control of the situation. This included orally working Jenna's tight ass and other body parts as well as being served herself as the scene progressed and Jenna was freed to participate. The use of a riding crop and a variety of toys made it all the better for me though I half expected Jules or another man to join them. Tory dominated by never just giving anything up so much as tease to the point of begging and then slamming herself on Jenna's face. This continued for a very long time and fans of lesbian domination will have to look long (and hard of course) to find a better example outside of a recent Belladonna, flick. In all though, the notable scene was distinguished by Tory outshining Jenna in terms of heat and enthusiasm while Jenna scored bigger in how she played her submissive role; marking it as a solid scene with great replay value.

Scene Six: Maid Service: Jenna Haze, dressed in a stripper version of a maid's outfit, was up as the first scene in the second disc. She dusted the railing of the expansive house where much of Jules' stuff is shot and the camera seemed to love her even though some tighter editing would've made it flow better. In dead silence, she pranced about, tickling herself with the duster from time to time before running into Scott Nails on the first floor couch. At this point, the tease footage became more pronounced and she made a special effort to engage him physically, touching him and eventually opening his pants. Scott has a cock almost as large around as her forearm and she fell in love with sucking him off passionately. For the camera, she made plenty of eye contact that was missing in previous scenes where she focused on her partners more, dividing her attention as Jules probably ordered her to do (it provides a slightly different aesthetic that some fans like more than others). He then went down on her, getting her wet enough for the high power vaginal screwing she did with him, though not as powerful as the first few scenes of the movie. It got better with patience but just as she approached a level she was at previously, the scene went to anal where she had already demonstrated less ability to handle. The taste testing was as good (or bad, depending on your viewpoint) as ever and he dropped a big load at the end to her face and mouth. A fair chunk of it missed the mark but she tried her best to get it all from the looks of it.

Scene Seven: The Glory Hole: Jenna Haze, wearing a black fetish raincoat, went back to the porn store during daylight hours looking for action. She went right to the arcade in the back of the store and found herself in a large video booth, surrounded by glory holes. For the uninitiated, those are holes cut in the walls of the darkened theatres where men stick their dicks though in hopes of finding a receptive audience. You run the risk of someone hitting your dick with a shoe burning you with a cigarette or a host of other ill conceived fates but there's always the chance that the guy (these places almost always have guys in them or hookers selling their services) next to you is also horned up and willing to jerk you off or blow you. I understand the thrill factor of such a place but would never trust the family jewels to the fates like this so your mileage may vary on how well this one works for you. There were three unnamed cocks this time, almost certainly Chris Charming (size), Brett Rockman (shape), and Scotty Lyons (shape and hair content) behind them and she sucked and jerked all of them off in turn. She used lots of dirty talk and even started riding them vaginally (not an easy feat by the looks of it). The anonymous sex part of the scene worked well and she showed some passion for cock before swallowing loads and closing out the scene (that had porn running in the background the entire time; 5 points to anyone who can identify the movie and cast: not a hard one this time folks).

Scene Eight: Blasphemy: Jenna Haze, back to the intermittent confessional theme that ran throughout the movie between the scenes, was up in her schoolgirl outfit with Mario Cassini playing the priest. She walked into his part of the confessional (I'm not an expert on religion) and stripped off her clothes after asking if she was damned, Mario feeling her up like she was an underage boy (no jokes about Jenna's boyish body please; she has better curves than she used to these days). The sometimes POV blowjob was as passionate as any of the other hummers in the movie and once again showed her excellence in oral before she took his cock in her pussy. The cramped booth was not a great setting for the sex to be as active as possible and the technical aspects suffered as a result too but the thematic taboo will undoubtedly appeal to a number of folks, perhaps even gaining more support from the anti-religious zealots as a result. The shock value of fucking a priest has long been established in mainstream fiction so I don't think it should be off the table for porn but it will work better for some than others (I prefer technical excellence since I'm neutral about superstitious cults and therefore give no extra points for the theme). The vaginal was active and the anal showed Mario doing all the work, ending as expected with a lot of taste testing, oral and a good sized pop shot.

Summary: Jenna Haze: Dark Side was the near perfect fusion of Jules Jordan's directing talents and the lovely Jenna Haze. He provided almost four hours of footage in the main movie and the extras added some value too, with reports of Easter Eggs bandied about on the gossip websites. I liked this Jenna and Jules movie enough to give it a rating of Highly Recommended based on the levels of fuck for the buck, technical values, thematic appeal, and general heat, noting that my few criticisms mentioned above should be taken with a grain of salt. If you don't see the appeal of Ms. Haze or think Jules is overrated, you'll still want to see what he came up with if you're into gonzo porn. The front cover label of "This is the ultimate collector's item for fans of Jenna Haze!" was pushing it a bit (now if it were wrapped in a pair of her dripping wet panties, hand delivered for review with her on the couch with me; I'd have to agree) but it's nice to see a gal in the industry for years making a true comeback from what amounted to a career killing contract. Both Jenna and Jules have tried to reinvent themselves from time to time and their pasts definitely foretold their future.