Keepers

Original Sin Films

Genre: Vignette

Director: Barrett Blade

Cast: Nautica Thorn, Cheyne Collins, August, Barrett Blade, Sophia, Scott Styles, Brooke, Dick Tracy, Naudia Nyce, Dez, Chris Cannon

Length: 104.5 minutes

Date of Production: 7/7/2004 (box), 7/6/2004 (credits)

Extra's: There was only a photogallery, a pop shot compilation from the scenes, and a double sided DVD cover.

Condoms: Some

Audio/Video Quality: Keepers was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color that it was shot in by director/performer Barrett Blade. Barrett's new to directing and it showed more often than not as the movie had a lot of technical issues to deal with. That's not to say it was a terrible movie but the lighting was uneven, the audio a mixed bag and the DVD mastering not top of the line. There was grain, some shadows, and video noise to go with the compression artifacts and these days, that's a bit much to swallow for a guy like me. The picture did have some nice clarity and sharpness when it hit on all cylinders but the weaknesses stood out a lot more than they should have at times. The audio fared somewhat better but it also had problems with a mix that sounded distorted and too heavy on the music at times. The box cover proclaimed it to have 5.1 digital surround sound and it did but it wasn't as good as it could have been with a talented guy like Barrett (a former musician well equipped to handle an advanced soundtrack) at the helm.

Body of Review: Barrett Blade has been one of my favorite male performers for some time now, largely due to his feature work at Digital Playground with former girlfriend Devon, but also numerous appearances elsewhere, like at Baby Doll Pictures. Having proven his skills with his sword in porn, his musical creativity as a musician, and his acting ability that is actually a lot better than average (for porn at least), it has come time for the man to step up to the plate and direct. The owner of Original Sin Films, Jim Crawford, started up his little venture not long ago and pulled some of the best talent in the business together (like Barrett) in order to provide entertaining porn for consumers. The first release of theirs that I got a chance to review was Keepers, a vignette driven release with a host of attractive young gals that were all worth as look. If you're interested in seeing the listed cast in action, read on:

Scene One: Nautica, the cutie on the right hand side of the front DVD cover wearing black & white striped leggings and arm warmers, and Cheyne, had the first scene together on a cushion in the middle of a floor. She was just great as she vocally enjoyed the oral and vaginal action and the camera angles were interesting (a mix of POV and moving shots). In all, I think Barrett did well shooting this scene and fans of Nautica will be pleased with it for the clarity and energy on display.

Scene Two: August, another cutie I've grown to appreciate over the last year or so, could be seen squatting on the left side of the front DVD cover in fishnet attire. She looked a bit too lean for me here but fans of school girl plaid skirts will like that she teased the camera a bit wearing this combination outfit before her scene with Barrett, the director, on an easy chair. She inhaled his penis as though it were her lifeline and gave it some no hands oral to compliment the usual jerking off combo. Once hard, he began boning her in a number of positions and she was also vocal about enjoying him inside her. Her participation in the action made it a winner too and it ended with the usual pop shot to the face but he was barely able to come (maybe he's been working too much).

Scene Three: Sophia, yet another cutie (though not shown on the front DVD cover, sadly enough), and Scott were up next in a scene shot outside on a couch in plain view. She wore some purple netted stockings, a mini skirt (at times), high heel stripper shoes, and little else as she worked him over. For a scene shot in the open, with the mid day sun and what appeared to be on a lake, the lighting wasn't all that great. Fill lighting is always needed on such scenes and apparently, no one told the crew. That aside, I liked watching the couple do the usual oral and vaginal acts, even if they came off as somewhat generic at times. I doubt any straight guy would turn her down if she asked nicely and while there wasn't much chemistry between them, the mechanics were well covered.

Scene Four: Brooke, a tall blonde wearing a black see through dress and neon green undies (tiny undies at that), was up next in a scene with Dick, on a staircase. Her act was sultrier in nature than the others and she paced herself handily as she played a tune on his skin flute before they began the hammering action of the vaginal sex. Unlike the others, he spent a bit of time warming her up orally and her moaning worked nicely for me. This scene had some technical limitations too with lighting being the most obvious deficiency but I thought they worked well together and if I couldn't be the one tapping her, I suppose he'd be a decent substitute.

Scene Five: Naudia, a lean brunette with the same kind of gap tooth smile that made Belladonna famous, was up next as she followed the formula in a scene with Dez. I liked her all natural body and while her face hasn't always appealed to me, it's slowly coming around if you catch my drift. She wore a yellow teddy and black panties but after some minor teasing, they kind of fell to the wayside. Aside from some spanking, the action was fairly tame with the usual oral and vaginal sex being the mainstays. She's been more energetic elsewhere and this was the scene most like a filler for me. It ended with the facial but there wasn't much to make me go back for seconds.

Scene Six: Nautica, still in her black & white get up from before (for the tease portion, she changed to a pink & black outfit to give a lap dance), came back for another scene, this time with Chris. I was surprised since this type of vignette show usually doesn't have a gal going back for sloppy seconds but I have to give credit to Barrett for doing the right thing. While the scene was the same type of action, it was still refreshingly different in a way that only a talented couple could make it. Once you see her in action, you'll know what I mean and I have to admit that she helped make the movie a notch or so better by her presence alone.

Summary: Okay, Barrett has some fine tuning to do with his directing but overall, it looked good with the fleshtones accurate, the image sharp and the gals ready for action. I'm not sure where he'll go from here (I hear famed director Nic Andrews is one of the principles of the company so he'll have someone to assist his efforts) but this was a decent first effort. I've watched enough porn that seeing oral and straight sex really takes something added to make it worth my time and he provided that in spades with this lovely cast, although more tease footage might've worked even better so I'm going to give this one a rating of Recommended. In all, the gals were cute, the action reasonably heated or better, and the lack of decent extras can be worked on for future projects. I predict that Mr. Blade will be a force to be reckoned with if he makes himself work at it a bit more, and if given the resources to show the industry what he's truly capable of (I interviewed him a year ago and he alluded to directing; sadly, the interview was lost before hitting print).

For better choices in porn, check out: 2004's Top Porn List and 2003's Top Porn List.

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