With his trophy case getting full, Michael Raven is on quite a roll. His movie Watchers garnered just about every AVN award is was eligible for. For his body of work, the XRCO (X-Rated Critics Organization) named Raven as the top director last year. All of these accolades have made Raven's latest release, 'The Beast' a much anticipated event. With a huge cast and a dark, brooding look, it appears that we are in for another of Raven's heavily textures, occult tinged stories with plenty of depraved sex along the way.

Anthony Crane wakes with some problems. It seems he can't decide on a reflection. Is he the scared face we see, or is the matinee idol looking Evan Stone. How did he get this way? I guess that's what we're here to find out. Crane is overseeing some sort of video production that has Miko Lee as administering afterlife punishment to Alec Metro. I'm not real big on watching guys get spanked and the whole Purgatory lecture theme doesn't do much for me either, but when Miko stops whacking his ass long enough to start sucking, I'll gladly take notice. Even blowing, Miko stays in mistress/bitch mode. If you've been looking for female dominance scenes with hardcore sex, then I imagine you've been waiting for something like this. It's not what gets me off, but she does take a very nice facial at the end.

To unwind later, Crane hits an underground gothic club with a strong religious flavor. While he broods at the bar, April Flowers is getting her fill in a back room. Lee Stone gives her more meat than the average prom queen could handle. Good thing April has gradated from her girl next door looks and into full fledged slutdom. With a lot of effort and plenty of extra spit, April manages to get most of his cock down her throat. April is one of those women who is pretty enough to make you think she might be a little dull in the sack. However, once you watch her get going on a really big cock, you realize just how hot she is. Nicely shot, high energy action that ends with another great facial.

The whole tortured soul/Catholic guilt trip is lost on me personally, but the story is still somewhat interesting at this point. Of course, if you don't dig fetish sex, then watching Maya Devine whipping some poor pussy boy will probably leave you more frightened than turned on. I know this isn't the sort of action you get in the average fuck flick, so those of you with special desires will want to take note. There is some nice eye candy along the way as Maya power fucks her victim.

The story continues with Crane crossing paths with a powerful mistress, Jessica Drake. I'm really impressed with the technical aspects of this movie. Everything is beautifully lit and the dialog is tight and even poetic at times. The problem I'm having is that the sex is all very fetish oriented with a lot of dom/sub stuff going on. Jessica and Eva Vincent hook up for a pretty sexy girl on girl scene, though a little more light would have been nice.

Drake and Crane join Miko in the bathroom for some down and dirty three way sex. Jessica puts a blindfold on Miko who now gets to play a bit of a submissive role. Even if the fetish factor is still to high for me, I can't help but like watching Miko get bent over and fucked while sucking Jessica's tits. Nothing like a little dirty sex when you want some good clean fun.

After a few more twists and turns, we get the final scene between Jessica and Evan Stone. Gone are the fetish elements and we get a more traditional scene. Jessica looks great riding dick, showing off those long legs and her pretty face. Evan moves in to fill her sweet ass from behind. This is the most conventional sex scene of the movie and it's well shot finale.

Raven's S&M take on Beauty and the Beast is an ambitious project to be sure. The story is interesting if a bit preachy. (If you don't share some Catholic angst, you will likely tune out as I often did.) It is exquisitely shot with some incredibly well lit scenes. Crane and Drake handle their dialog well. Most of the scenes are heavy on the fetish angle, too heavy for my taste. Miko Lee looks fantastic and turns in two very hot scenes as well. With most fetish movies being sex free, I have to imagine that this is going to be a huge hit with that audience. I've never seen fetish and sex mixed in such a high quality production. Even if it fails to hit the mark for me personally, your results may vary. (Based on how badly you want to be beaten and humiliated by a hot chick.)

Copyright © Roger T. Pipe

Posted By Roger, www.excaliburfilms.com | 12/8/06

Miles' Rating:

Starring: A number of films have attempted to give mainstream porn an S&M bite ("Story of Joana" is among the best). Put Michael Raven's "Beast" near the top of the list. Anthony Crane stars as the title character, a not-so-handsome slave boy wannabe who finds his beauty, Jessica Drake, in an S&M club. Soon, Crane's fantasy world collides with reality as his dreams (or is it all real?) of Jessica grow incresingly feverish and nasty. At one point Jessica forces Miko Lee to fuck Crane at knife point. Raven includes several other gritty scenes with Drake dominating firecracker Ava Vincent and Lee controlling Alec Metro during a steamy porn shoot.

Raven is a master of the nightmarish fuck-film and again paints a delirious vision where religious symbols mix with transvestism and ornery sex.

Raven captures the madness in Crane's mind so effectively that even the most course sexual situations are hypnotically arousing.

Finally someone's found the perfect role for Crane, who throws himself into it with all the sweaty paranoia he can muster. The girls are flawless. Miko Lee's hump with Alec is one of her best, matched later by her threeway with Drake and Crane.

The final fuck romanticizes the Drake/Crane relationship when he finally rids himself of the beast to find his inner beauty (played by Evan Stone). Though it fits into the plot, it will disappoint the raincoaters. You'll see the "twist" ending coming.

A 9. One of Raven's best.

Posted By Miles, www.excaliburfilms.com | 10/12/06 1:58 PM