April
2006
Eyes of Desire Review Notes
Last week I reviewed Candida Royalle’s Eyes of Desire for For The Girls and I really quite enjoyed the film. It deals with a woman’s exploration of voyeurism via a friend’s telescope, and features then-married couple Missy and Mickey G.
Before I wrote up my piece I went looking for other people’s opinion of the film. Most of the reviews echoed the same complaint I read about all of Candida’s films: “Not hardcore enough.” Oh, and there were numerous raincoater comments about how there just weren’t enough “pop shots.” Sigh. How sad it is that films are rated on the number of male ejaculations.
Candida’s films feature fairly vanilla sex, and she’s less interested in close-up, gynecological shots than she is in depicting realistic, emotionally engaged sex. Not many other porn filmmakers do this, so I always wonder why reviewers consistently expect her to create the same stuff as everybody else.
I also frequently read the comment that the film is “Good for couples and beginners.” I find the phrase rather irksome, to be honest, because it’s always said in a slightly condescending manner. As if we girlies can’t handle the heat, or maybe the people who will enjoy this type of film are not grown up enough yet to enjoy the refined adult tastes of gonzo anal destruction.
What’s wrong with enjoying this kind of film for what it is?
I found Eyes of Desire to be wonderful because it paid attention to the little details during sex scenes, like Missy’s toes curling, or the couple laughing together while they fuck. The sex is realistic and enjoyable to watch. It also features a scene of careful, erotic seduction where very little physical action occurs, except in the minds of the participants. That’s rare in porn.
Yes, the film indulges in a little shameless romanticism and soap-opera acting. I didn’t mind. I found myself feeling drawn toward Mickey G as a romantic character, rather than viewing him as just another dick. I can’t think of another porn film where I would actually want to engage a male character in conversation.
Perhaps it’s just me. I’ve seen far too much porn in the last few years and now all I want to see in a porn film is something different and engaging. It’s entirely possible that some women will find Eyes of Desire to be boring because it’s so vanilla. That’s fine. But I liked it, and I would recommend it - even if you’re not a beginner or a couple…
You can download Eyes of Desire here.
See previously Velvet Thrust Review Notes
I read your funny and great article on why you hate the money shot, and I wrote this poem.
Traditional Porn Does Nothing For Me.
The money shot
said my friend
in one of our weekly convos about life
is the shot of the woman’s crotch.
“Um…” I said, not wanting to offend,
and continued our talk in my head, as I often did,
Oh, you mean wide open beaver!
a term I first read in Vonnegut
a turnoff then, and now.
No, I thought
The money shot
is the ejaculation shot
the close-up as the man pulls out and comes
on the woman’s breasts, face, or hair
as lights flash all around, and three yellow lemons
line up on the slots.
The money shot
shows male orgasm has arrived
which is, of course, the point of it all.
Not his face
not her release
not even her crotch
that curly beaver fur
mere landscape, mere backdrop
in Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
[...] This exchange has been rattling around in my brain, knocking things loose until today when I visited Ms.Naughty’s blog. Her entry is ostensibly a warm review for Candida Royalle’s Eyes of Desire, but it’s got a few sharp words for the phrase “Good for couples and beginners”. Says Ms. Naughty: [...]
[...] Previous review notes: Eyes of Desire [...]
[...] Film Reviews This year I reviewed one porn movie a month for For The Girls. My favourites would have to be: Damon and Hunter Eyes of Desire City of Flesh 3 By far the worst was Ranch House Lust. God, there’s 90 minutes of my life that I want back. I was also pretty disappointed with the Playgirl movies, mainly because they still offer formulaic sex and don’t feature female orgasms. Perhaps the hottest film I watched was the Ultimate Guide To Anal Sex for Women, but it doesn’t make my “best” list thanks to the annoying presence of John Stagliano behind the camera. [...]