Even before I got to pop this one into the DVD player, someone I respect told me that this was the “movie of the year.” That's a lofty claim of course and this title is completely different from my own early pick for title of year. (Jenna Haze: Darkside) I haven't seen any Jack the Zipper stuff yet so this will be a new treat for me. I have heard good stuff about his work, but the whole alt-porn label has me scared. It is especially scary because the cast is so good. It's one thing when Eon McKai wants to take a bunch of emo chicks and runs them through a sexless ego exercise, but if Jack takes this collection of women and messes it up, I might have to blow the whole alt-genre right to freaking hell.

Things get off to a frantic start with Mr. Marcus fucking Faith from behind. Kimberly steps in and adds a lot of energy to the mix. The lighting is interesting on some level, making things look surreal, but on a big enough screen you're likely to need sunglasses to avoiding getting a monster headache. Marcus takes Faith up against a big hotel window and that makes for some very hot footage. They switch to black and white for some cramped footage and then get back to the bed. The rapid fire editing and color shifts remind me a lot of some of the stuff Rob Black did in the early Extreme days. I didn't like it then and it's not much better now. The energy is decent, but this looks like it is cut for an audience of coked-up ferrets.

Roxy Jezel stars in the next scene. She canes some Betty Page looking chick in a set that looks it might have been used for one of those Choxie ads. The best thing about this scene is that Roxy can't quag because she has no cock to suck. Instead she gets to talk dirty while abusing the other girl. Since I don't really get the whole Betty Page thing, some of the fetish appeal is lost in this scene.

From bright red to blinding white we make another transformation to an overdone set. After the overexposed tease we move to a dimly lit room where a fucked-up looking Charlotte Stokely waits like a zombie for some cock. The alt-porn mentality is really creeping in here. James Deen sort of seals the deal. This is supposed to look ugly and it does. Sorry guys, I just don't see the point of ugly porn. While I appreciate the lighting, the film geek in me just can't overpower the fact that in general, alt-porn looks like something made for people who just don't like sex or women very much. It isn't that Charlotte is ugly or anything. She's quite attractive, but the music, the setting, the make up and the lack of connection are all designed to make the sex act as unappealing as possible.

There is a very quick black and white lesbian scene that is interesting on a lot of levels. It's not at all strokeable, but the lighting is exquisite. If you happen to find Andrew Blake's work amazing, then you're going to enjoy this harder twist on his themes. It's outdoor action on a rooftop and I found myself thinking that this scene reminds me of an art exhibit. (It actually reminds me of a set of photos I saw two years ago in NYC at the Museum of Sex.) Interesting stuff, but not exactly great porn.

Sticking with the lesbian theme, Kimberly is back with Dana Vespoli. This is a more traditional scene, but the lighting is just as good. Some guys show up and we now have a little two on two action. Any time we get to watch these two women sucking cock it's going to be somewhat strokeable. The action shifts suddenly outside where the two guys double on Dana in a horse pen. She is a very hot girl, but the fake gagging and odd look to this scene take it downhill fast. The slow motion cumshots just kill it.

The remainder of the movie consists of a rather boring three-way lesbian scene and a big finale for Kimberly. She is in a glory hole box with Dani Woodward. They are surrounded by cocks. I love this scene despite the fact that it's really hard to watch. The strobe light and pounding music are way too much, but the set if fantastic and the action is shot in a way that makes it feel cramped and hot. Somehow it just works in a way that most of the other scenes don't.

There is a lot to like here, but I'm not exactly sure what Jack was going for. Clearly he is a guy who knows how to put together a hot music video. The lighting and sets in this movie are quite beautiful. Even when the style doesn't add to the strokeability of the flick, it is impressive. The alt-porn mentality creeps into the mix every once in a while and am amazed that anyone would hitch their future on this express train to obscurity. This isn't a stroke flick and raincoaters will want to avoid it at just about any cost. It's heavy on the girl/girl action and more arty than it probably should be. The music is very good for what it is. Frankly it gave me a headache and was overbearing, but I think that was the point. I wouldn't say that this is the best movie of the year. I wouldn't even call it particularly great porn. It is a good example of a nicely crafted music video with some hot sex from time to time. Charlotte's scene is a pretty example of the worst sex the movie has to offer. There is too much of this kind of stuff in N and F for me to really love it. On the other hand, it doesn't fall into the pretentious-crap bin. If Jack isn't careful, they might revoke his alt-porn creds.

Copyright © Roger T. Pipe

Posted By Roger, www.excaliburfilms.com | 11/1/06