Exotics

Wicked Pictures

Genre: Vignette

Director: Michael Raven

Cast: Ice La Fox, Anthony Hardwood, Jennifer Luv, Mr. Marcus, Marie Luv, Seth Dickens, Jayna Oso, Marco Duato, Viviana Bella

Length: 84.5 minutes

Date of Production: 4/1/2004

Extra's: The best extra for most fans will be the bonus sex scene between the lovely Jessica Drake and exotic Ice La Fox from Killer Sex & Suicide Blondes. While far too short for my tastes, the scene had a lot to offer fans of lesbian sex (which should include about 99.9% of all straight men). My favorite extra though was the All Access: The Making of Exotics by J.G. and Jef. It lasted the better part of 18 minutes and showcased pretty much everyone in the movie, also allowing director Raven to discuss what he was shooting for in the scenes. There was plenty of the sex included so make sure you check it out if you rent or buy the DVD. There was also 6 trailers, 6 photogalleries, a Wicked Pictures DVD catalog on the disc, and the usual DVD Rom materials (Wicked Casino, awards, company profile, and Desktop backgrounds for you computer buffs), as well as the double sided DVD cover for the DVD case.

Condoms: Yes

Audio/Video Quality: The picture was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as originally shot by director Michael Raven. The colors looked very accurate, the visuals stylish but pleasing to the eye, and the grain was minimal thanks to some decent lighting. I saw no compression artifacts or other major flaws although I did see some lens flare a couple of times. Each scene started with a slow motion tease sequence that was styled after Raven's music video fetish (as seen in Pin Ups and others). Personally, I'm not a big fan of this kind of photography although it worked here since the actual sex footage wasn't shot the same way. The audio was presented in the usual 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround English although I think everyone's aware that this is a post production track (which cleans up the audio flaws in most cases but can't add any separation between the channels). I can't say that I liked the music in most cases, it sounding too much like an old Command & Conquer computer game, but the eye candy kept me focused enough to rarely acknowledge the audio as a problem.

Body of Review: Michael Raven has long been a porn director to attempt new things on a regular basis, seeming to agree with my assertion that there's a lot more to porn than gonzo under harsh lights. His work for Sin City, and now Wicked Pictures, as a contract director has given him enough freedom to explore different types of porn, primarily features and vignette style releases like Pin Ups, with their music video way of looking at the gals. I can't say I've always liked his attempts at style but at least he's always evolving (and improving), a fact that keeps his work from getting as stale as many of his industry peers. His latest release is a little vignette driven release Exotics, having formerly been listed as Low Riders. The production ran into some trouble actually getting some low rider cars for the shoot so the more general term of exotic was employed, which was fitting given the exotic nature of the lovely cast. Rather than show the same old cookie cutter gals (many of which are super hot in their own way), Mr. Raven went to the trouble of getting gals of varying backgrounds to provide some variety in our lives. In all, this was a good choice considering the action taking place here. If you're interested in the DVD, read the following breakdown of scenes by cast and action, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised:

Scene One: Ice, a lean black gal wearing a red outfit complimented by the sleek sports car in the background, started off the show with some of the tease footage Mr. Raven has long excelled at. Aside from showcasing Ice, it also gave her a chance to warm up by feeling herself up to get ready for Anthony in the garage by the lockers on a bench. They kissed and you could tell she was excited by her erect nipples and throaty moans as he went down on her lovely pussy. She has never been a favorite of mine but I'm beginning to see why so many others think she's hot after the last two movies with her I reviewed. Her oral skills were even better than his and the screwing showed a decent amount of energy, if only a bit of chemistry. While I had figured it out much earlier, it became even more apparent that the title Exotics referred more to the women than the flashy sport cars shown in almost every scene here.

Scene Two: Jennifer, the sultry Latina with the killer curves and beautiful face, continued the action with a similar tease sequence in an alley by a brick wall. It's obvious why she has really taken off this year in terms of popularity and muscular Marcus helped her prove she's an equal opportunity hotty, taking care of his needs as effectively as he took care of hers. The foreplay, oral and straight sex all showed some energy and chemistry with her quickly working up a sweat as the far larger Marcus hammered her pussy home. It ended with a decent facial after she jerked him off a bit but aside from the great sex, her dirty talk in Spanish was sweet!

Scene Three: Marie, another attractive black gal, this one with a fuller set of lips and curves, returned the show to the car-oriented theme although if you watch this scene and pay attention to the car, you're probably watching too much porn. I don't recall ever having seen her in another release although a friend swears she's making waves in urban (i.e.: black) porn with her good looks placing her well above the curve. Her partner was former Marine, Seth, in his first Wicked Pictures movie and she took to his penis like it was a long awaited popsicle on a hot summer day. He returned the favor by giving her some head, using his fingers to drill for black gold, before they screwed with a modicum of energy. The scene was slower in terms of the kind of heat shown but that made for a nice change of pace after the blazingly hot Jennifer. Their scene was in a plain room with a Porsche, and to tell the truth, I'm not sure which I'd rather have; the gal or the car (both appeared to go equally fast).

Scene Four: Jayna, one of the hottest brunettes in the jizz bizz right now, gave an excellent tease sequence with what appeared to be a yellow Lotus (she looked great beside it) while in her bra and panties. While the other gals looked enhanced by Mr. Raven's photographic style here, she looked fabulous (by that, I mean even better than usual; no small feat, I assure you). She gave her usual energetic performance, taking Marco into her mouth like she was trying to suck a golf ball through a garden hose, and I don't think anyone would argue with me that her oral was the best I've seen in a Wicked Pictures release in a very long time (if ever). Marco snacked on her crack a little bit but his skills at oral were not as impressive as hers were and they soon began boning on top of the car. She was vocal and tried to pump back as he fucked her but she was limited in what she could do and the heat suffered as a result of the limited setting (the oral was still worth the price of admission here though). Fans will appreciate that she did anal here even if it wasn't the most explicit anal she's done recently.

Scene Five: Viviana, a curvy hot Latina in her first scene, started off the last scene by teasing the camera in her dance sequence while wearing a black & white lingerie outfit that enhanced her sweet figure. Her partner wasn't a guy but Ice instead, a move sure to make Ice's legion of fans very happy. The sex was limited to oral and fingering but the amount of foreplay helped make it stand out for the lesbian lovers out there. I look forward to seeing more of Viviana in the future, especially if she can be made to look this good, as I think she had a lot of potential.

Summary: I'm going to rate Exotics as Recommended for the very attractive cast, the splendid extras, and the stylish direction of Mr. Raven, all combined with some solid production values. I wouldn't want to watch something like this every day but when I'm in the mood for this type of show, I know where to go and who to look for. If some of the companies shooting urban porn were smart, they'd be signing these gals up in a heartbeat given the way they handled their scenes here, especially since the really cute gals tend to be somewhat tame in their performances (something you can't say about the gals here). My biggest complaint about the movie was not the lack of an audio commentary track this time but the length of the show. At under 90 minutes, I felt a bit miffed since most releases these days have closer to two hours of movie followed by good extras. The bonus scene helped but I like unique content when I get a DVD. In all though, this was a solid package to enjoy with plenty of replay value for fans and average consumers alike.

Note: You can see recent candid shots of several of these performers by visiting: My Photo's and read about their antics at 2004 AEE Show.