The following is a review of the recently released Jim Holliday Box Set; comprised of four previous releases with no changes, additions, subtractions, or other alterations (reviews of the individual titles below). Each of them have been available for close to $10 at our sole adult affiliate, Adult DVD Empire, for some time now but the new release comes in a lot cheaper on a per movie basis, adding up to around the price of a recent release from VCA Pictures. I was a long time fan of the directing legend responsible for the four movies (Trash Talkin' Co-eds: Director's Long Cut, Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition, Brown Eyed Blondes, and High Desert Pirates: Special Edition) and each earned a rating of Recommended from me as I explored their individual merits in the recent past during my retrospective look at his body of work. I like that the company has decided to offer some of their back catalog so cheaply although it does limit the value for fans who might already own a particular title or two yet I have long taken the stance that value is an integral part of evaluating a release so if you have money to burn, you'll have to weigh the movies' respective worth on your own "fuck for the buck" scale. For me then, the value of these four releases earned it a higher grade of Highly Recommended for the nearly eight hours of feature material complemented by the wealth of extras the four titles provided. Check it out if you are so inclined towards Jim's way of shooting porn, knowing full well that there is a reason why so many of his peers copied aspects of his style over the years.

Trash Talkin' Co-eds: Director's Long Cut

VCA Pictures

Genre: Vignette

Director: Jim Holliday

Cast: Tiffany Mynx, Mark Davis, Julie Meadows, Evan Stone, Tabitha Stevens, Devin Wolf, Barett Moore, Felecia, Sydnee Steele, Shayla LaVeaux, Jill Kelly, Daisy Chain
Non-sex roles by: Jim Holliday

Length: 117 minutes

Date of Production: 5/1999

Extra's: The best extra is the bonus scene you can access by taking a short, rather easy, quiz consisting of three questions. There is an Easter Egg on the extras menu that provides the answer key if you're dense but the scene in question had Jill Kelly in a hot lesbian scene lasting ~17 minutes with a lesser starlet of the time, with plenty of toys and foot fetish material as the two did each other on the couch. The Behind the Scenes feature lasted almost 18 minutes long (looking like it was shot during a dual filming of this one and Perfect Smiles) was great as it showed a great deal of action and fun with the time flying by far too quickly. There were also three lengthy DVD scene introductory segments for "fans and pin head critics" called the Jim & Jill Show that was funny (the segments being Dickhead, Freehand, and Erotic Assholes). The basic idea was the pair sat down and verbally sparred with one another (reminding me of my reviewer roots with regard to agreeing with the pair on most issues; I saw this near the beginning of my start at a consortium website and it influences me to this day); offering words of wisdom with one another in support with the segments lasting a total of about 12 minutes. There was a four minute long interview with Jill Kelly that proved to be prophetic in some ways (though her admission that it was the "Jim & Jill" show rather than the other way around as she claimed later). There were some minimal Star Bios, a trailer for Eye Candy Refocused, a photogallery, a bit on the multiple angles used, and a jump to the scene bit too. For when this came out, those were awesome extras folks and still hold up to this day.

Condoms: Yes

Audio/Video Quality: Trash Talkin' Co-eds was presented in the originally filmed 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as shot by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures back in 1999. The picture was crystal clear and had a wonderfully diverse cast as seen on the front DVD cover. The fleshtones were accurate thanks in large part to the flat and plentiful lighting, eliminating grain and other visual defects in a manner I wish contemporary companies would at least consider. This was another one of the early Holliday flicks that made great strides to cleaning up the picture and camerawork substantially and should be recognized as such. The audio was presented in the usual Dolby Digital stereo English but the vocals appeared to be looped in a few cases, the dialogue slightly wooden at times, and it sounded hollow less frequently than previous volumes in the series. The music was trademark Jim Holliday style as provided by Scott Reno & the Vancouver/Reno & the Rumrunners (featuring Scott Reno, Reno Scott, Ed Monton, and Cal Gary). The music was all original and actually fit in the action, with the lyrics working better than average for the action; the kind of breezy and fun stuff I always liked about Jim's later efforts.

Body of Review: Jim Holliday developed a special relationship with starlet Jill Kelly by the late 1990's; perhaps seeing in her the kind of creative spark he rarely attributed to most of his Angels. This led to a series of titles the two hosted (until she formed her ultimately doomed company) with some interesting anecdotes provided by the two sparring verbally ("bickering" as he put it), the third of which was Trash Talkin' Co-eds. It ended with him wishing her well as her career branched off in a new direction, though she still made a few more titles with him IIRC. This was not a feature as most of his movies were but a vignette driven release instead described by the cover as: "TRASH TALKIN' COEDS isithei3rdiin the series of Jim & Jill shows...or is that the Jill & Jim show?? Either way, this one could easily be subtitled "Cute Little Blondes Which Takes It In The Ass" (grammatical incorrectness intended). Hosts Jim Holliday and Jill Kelly take the introductions on the road - from the Malibu Hills to the streets of Los Angeles: Imperial Highway, Century Blvd., Victory Blvd., Santa Monica Blvd., get the idea? The scenes are as scintillatingly backdoor hot as the box cover is cute. The third time is definitely the charm in this series...and fans of Jill and/or Jim will not want to miss the ending. It is a shocker." I really liked this release when I first saw it, appreciating the dynamic that Jim and Jill had with each other more than a little bit, and I still found it stroke worthy enough compared to modern porn. Here's a quick look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that all the scenes with men had condoms in them:

Scene One: J&J Loves L.A.: Tiffany Mynx, with blonde hair and a killer smile, was up first in her first scene with Holliday in about two years at the time (she just got out of her contract at the time). Sporting a yellow patterned dress, she told professor Mark Davis that she wasn't happy with her score on a nuclear physics test, and settled in on the couch to elevate the score like my rising penis. She blew him with care, going slowly at first and then having him take her in a standing 69 before rimming her to orgasm. He pounded her pussy and then she slammed down on his cock in her ass, making it a wonderful opening scene as she vocally lost control (covered in sweat, making a noise only she could make). He finished it up by jerking out a load to her right tit, with a cute ending.

Scene Two: Imperial Hwy: Julie Meadows, back when she was brand new in porn (seen on the front cover underneath the words "long cut" beside Jill), took care of also new to porn Texan, the mighty Evan Stone. He chowed on her cookie and she sucked his dick, each showing some flair for their new careers at the time, complete with multiple angles. She was very vocal as she rode his cock like a true professional, bouncing up and down with her pussy before the anal took place. Her mane of hair added to her look and the scene showed both of them surging with energy, chemistry, and the kind of passion missing from many current performers. The pop shot went to her ass cheek but the way she licked her tongue made it better than most facials by a wide margin.

Scene Three: Century Blvd: Tabitha Stevens, the gal wearing a pink top in the middle of the lower front cover, was up next after a segment of Jim & Jill where they fussed about regional language differences with one another. Tabitha was stretched out on a blanket on the grassy hills wearing a skimpy purple bikini with Devin Wolf in the mood for love. He rubbed and sucked her body parts, leading to her giving him head, ultimately finding the two screwing in vaginal and then anal positions. She was aggressive in enjoying the sex, pumping on his cock as though she were in charge of her own sexual destiny. She did better with her cookie but kept up a nice rhythm with her ass too, leading to a titty pop close. This was said to be her first scene for Jim and it was a decent scene, however short.

Scene Four: Side Street: Barett Moore, the cutie on the front cover standing between Julie and Tiffany (the upper center of the front cover), was up next on a blanket in the shade by a tower with the mighty Evan Stone. She answered a few of his questions and was rewarded with the opportunity to raise her grade along with his penis by blowing him. This led to him pounding her pussy and ass with the highly visible condoms used for the movies scenes. She was good with dirty talk but he did most of the work in the penetrative scenes. The scene ended with a titty pop that she rubbed around her chest.

Scene Five: Santa Monica: Felecia, the infamous cock dodger seen on the upper left hand corner of the front DVD cover (one of the few brunettes), and popular Sydnee Steele, the brunette on the lower right hand corner of the cover. The scene was going to have a different line up but both gals wanted to work with one another and "butthole licking beautiful bodied brunettes" isn't a bad concept so even though the scene was delayed by Jim paying off a bet (letting Jill hold a cigarette with her foot while he smoked and massaging her feet). The ladies licked and sucked one another with some toy use on the lawn under the shade of a tree. The scene was tragically short but I thought they got off on working together.

Scene Six: Zuma Beach: Shayla LaVeaux, the cutie also known as "gumdrop" seen on the upper right hand corner of the front cover, was up next with Mark Davis outside on a walkway. She slobbed his knob really well and he inverted her for his usual standing 69 act, leading to him sucking her toes before she gave him more head. There was only about 4 minutes of penetrative sex (pussy and ass) but she seemed to enjoy it as she diddled her "twat" as she called it. He rubbed out the load to her feet for the close.

Scene Seven/Eight: Victory Blvd/We Love It!: Jill Kelly, the lead gal of the pack as featured on the middle of the right hand side of the cover, found time between her hosting duties to masturbate on the well manicured lawn with a buzzing vibrator (funny that in most porn, they turn off the vibrator to get better sound). VCA lists this as a separate scene from where Daisy Chain walks over to join her by initially sucking her feet, working her way up to the pussy, and then breasts but I saw them as a single scene. Daisy is the gal on the lower left hand corner and I never saw much of her back when she was actively making porn, with the exception of Jim's flicks. She left the scene for a long time and came back to engage in Jill's delights some more, this time letting Jill do the honors for the most part. It was a classic lesbian scene from Holliday and one of the longest scenes he ever did (especially between two ladies). Yum!

Summary: Trash Talkin' Co-eds was a side step of sorts for director Jim Holliday from his fluffy features but no less worthy of his skills as a director to give people what they wanted. That Jim and Jill always seemed like a married couple was amusing to me given the nagging that she gave him but it was fun nonetheless. In short though, the amount of extras, the quality of the ladies, and the amount of replay value & strokability made Trash Talkin' Co-eds worth a rating of at least Recommended, if not even higher, though I'll be the first to admit that the added footage fleshed out Jill's ending sequence a lot. In the coming weeks, I'll look at some of the features he made after this one, always trying to raise the bar for others to chase.

Brown Eyed Blondes

VCA Pictures

Genre: Feature

Director: Jim Holliday

Cast: Nikita, Alec Metro, PJ Sparxx, Danielle Rogers, Shayla LaVeaux, Timber, Steve Hatcher, Randy Spears, Colt Steele, Jill Kelly, Felecia, Herschel Savage, Eric Price, Teri Starr, Wynona Winter, Kelsey Heart
Non-sex roles: Eddie Bertrand, Jim Holliday, Judy Moon, Root Loggins, Hellcat, The Big Kahuna, Clay Hyde, Eddy C. Laytos, Joe Cool, Mattman, Stick, The Swede, Gus Jones, Jeff Steel, Buck Naked, Bob Kelly, Richie Rich, Mike Paul, Bobby Soxx, Heavy Equipment, Myles Long, Shadow, Parts, Bob Neuwave, Iron Man, OO, Naked Bob, Dominic Chavira, Little Dick, Edgar Marsalla, Rance, Terry, Tim, Glenn, John, Ray, Hugo, Lopez

Length: 134 minutes

Date of Production: 7/1998

Extra's: The best extras were the three bonus scenes from Car Wash Angels along with the short introduction by Jim Holliday. He pointed out some cute bits about the movie (and tossed some barbs at a few people, taking a bow for starting a new genre). There were three trailers, a photogallery, some cast links to scenes by particular ladies, and there was also a short clip by director Jim Holliday lasting about 2.5 minutes discussing the movie's highlights.

Condoms: Yes

Audio/Video Quality: Brown Eyed Blondes was presented in the originally filmed 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as shot by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures back in 1998. The picture was blurry a few times, always relying on a sense of raw energy rather than pure technical expertise, and had a wonderfully diverse cast as seen on the back of the DVD cover. The fleshtones were accurate though occasionally out of focus but fans of classic porn understand the limitations of the genre at least as well as I do so take the rating with a grain of salt. This was another one of the early Holliday flicks that made great strides to cleaning up the picture and camerawork substantially and should be recognized as such. The audio was presented in the usual Dolby Digital stereo English but the vocals appeared to be looped in a few cases, the dialogue slightly wooden at times, and it sounded hollow less frequently than previous volumes in the series. The music was trademark Jim Holliday style as provided by Scott Reno & the Vancouver's and his later group, Reno & the Rumrunners (featuring Scott Reno, Reno Scott, Ed Monton, Cal Gary, and Eddy C. Layton on additional drums). The music was all original and actually fit in the action, with the lyrics working better than average for the action; the kind of breezy and fun stuff I always liked about Jim's later efforts. This movie also had a short appearance by the legendary surf music sensation Eddie Bertrand who offered up a song sounding suspiciously like one of his hits (altered just enough to keep VCA Pictures out of court).

Body of Review: Jim Holliday always made it a point to wear his heart on his sleeve when it came to making his movies, a course that later led him into bickering with the powers that be controlling VCA Pictures when budgets got tight. Still, his use of far more ladies in his movies then contemporaries in the field earned him a place of endearment despite his stubborn ways. As he was polishing up his formula that later led to multiple movies shot at the same time, he made Brown Eyed Blondes a tribute to surfer musicians everywhere, especially those who got fucked in the ass by record company executives, even bringing in the legendary Eddie Bertrand to play in the movie (a man who had been cheated out of his royalties according to Jim). These days, a lot of people act like mainstream musicians contributing audio tracks to porn is something brand new, though it was done in the 80's as well (Night Dreams for example). The movie was another fluff piece about a gal band on the verge of making it big, tossing in lots of nasty anal sex at a time when one of the early industry AIDS scares was causing lots of issues for production companies and performers alike. That said, here's a brief glimpse into the movie's scenes by cast and actions, noting that condoms were used in copious amounts:

Scene One: Sex, Ya?: Nikita, the Russian contract star of VCA back when this was made (and featured gal on the left hand side of the front cover), started off the movie by aggressively slobbing the knob of Alec Metro, who in return gave her some oral loving on the bed. They screwed anally with a condom (keep in mind that there had been a big AIDS attack just prior to this and the more responsible companies wisely played it safe) and her all natural titties bounced around as she took the pounding. Like most of the scenes, it was short and sweet with the lean, runway model hotty looking great.

Scene Two: Surf Slits: Nikita, PJ Sparxx, Danielle Rogers, and Shayla LaVeaux, were up next in a lesbian tryst that showed each of them displaying a solid bit of lesbian loving. It was mostly oral and fingering with a lot of attention to the rimjobs the director loved to showcase. Fans of foot fetish material will be pleased to note that there was some toes being sucked as well but that wasn't a major aspect of the movie.

Scene Three: Rod Duster: Timber, a lean little blonde with a leaning for oral loving, was up next with Steve Hatcher after some of the ladies put on a short tease sequence. She blew him and showed some skill with putting on a condom, letting him play with her as she worked him over. They screwed vaginally and anally, her riding him fairly actively in the trailer with her lace up pants not lasting all that long when he wanted to gain oral access to her tight little cookie. After several positions, he proved why condoms made little sense by rubbing out a load onto her asshole and pussy.

Scene Four: 3rd Input: Danielle Rogers, playing a twangy country western singer with a MILF appeal to her, decided to get some loving from radio DJ Randy Spears in the make shift radio station. He took advantage of the time a song was playing to get her off orally, resulting in her blowing him with all her years of experience showing; leading to a powerful pussy packing pounding on his part. They also did anal and I saw why Jim picked her up for the scene. It also ended with a pop shot to her ass crack.

Scene Five: Splash Fountain: Shayla LaVeaux, in need of some dick this time (seen on the right hand side of the front DVD cover), took care of muscular Colt Steele after the ladies had a short outdoor meeting with Felecia in charge. Shayla paired off with him in her effort to be a "lightning bug" and he disrobed her by the outdoor fountain to eat her out. That didn't last long when she got a hankering to blow him, an act he seemed to enjoy as much as anyone ever did, leading to them screwing actively. She also did anal here, displaying an aptitude for taking it in the back door that few gals had back then. He also ended it by popping on her lovely ass.

Scene Six: Slit Surfing: Jill Kelly, the hotty in the red bikini on the front cover, and world renowned lesbian Felecia, were up next in a lesbian scene on a bed. The two showed a lot of flair as they eat and played with one another, Jill being more sexually ambidextrous of course but Felecia one of the true lesbian queens of porn for years. There was a lot of rimming here and the dirty talk enhanced the heat of the scene a lot. They pulled out the toys to complete the fun. Whew!

Scene Seven: Hot & Hard: PJ Sparxx, still looking hot in the outdoor sun, was up with old man Herschel Savage in the next scene after she told him that she didn't want any lovey dovey kissing crap. He ate her and she blew him, spotted dick and all, leading to them having a quick little poke on the blanket. She appeared to be sexually in charge for most of the scene, coaxing him on with her moaning and groaning. It ended when he popped on her chest.

Scene Eight: Prying Games: Jill Kelly, in a short little dress, lifted up her skirt to masturbate for flamer Eric Price, who was dressed in drag. He couldn't maintain his character since he needed to taste that fine little pussy of hers, getting a taste of her ass too. She did some oral on him as well and the couple screwed with some chemistry that always seemed to accompany them in their scenes together (they were a couple in real life for awhile). The blowjob was fine and he seemed to know a lot about anal sex (giving it this time) as she diddled herself silly. It ended when he popped in her waiting mouth.

Scene Nine: Free Willie: Teri Starr and Wynona Winter were up next as both gave good old radio DJ Randy Spears a hummer and handjob. This was a short piece of work but also showed that the director wasn't afraid to mix things up a bit, few contemporary directors willing to do this very often (at least as successfully; including Brad Armstrong, Robby D. and a few others).

Scene Ten: Woody-Stock: Teri Starr and Wynona Winter, having warmed up on cock, were next up as they did each other on the floor. The use of a toy in the ass seemed a bit premature but the music showed a lot of separation during this part (the drums distinctly coming out of the left hand speaker). They didn't lick as much this time, concentrating on the toys but it was a cute little scene to enjoy these two hotties getting off with.

Scene Eleven: Ridin' Roadie: Kelsey Heart, Nikita, and Steve Hatcher, were up last in the dressing room as Kelsey wanted to show her gratitude to Nikita for voting her into the band as a full fledged member. They were on the couch and warming up when Steve joined them, focusing most of his efforts on Nikita. After the oral by all concerned, they screwed anally with Nikita once again proving her worth as a contract starlet. The scene finished up with a small titty pop for those who care.

Summary: Brown Eyed Blondes was a fun Jim Holliday flick for VCA Pictures that had some really solid extras and a couple of director interviews that really added something special to the mix (hearing Jim in his own words what he was doing and why rather than relying on the press who often screw such things up). In that sense, Brown Eyed Blondes was easy to rate as Recommended for all the fuck for the buck, the extras, the wonderfully attractive cast, and the high end technical values that surpass a lot of titles made even recently. It wasn't Jim's highest profile flick but it was a definite winner as it used the basic tenants of his still in the works formula that proved so popular in the months after this one came out.

Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition

VCA Pictures

Genre: Feature

Director: Jim Holliday

Cast: Katie Morgan, Kurt Lockwood, Violet Blue, Alex Sanders, Kylie Wilde, Nautica Thorn, Jessica Darlin, Alex Sanders, Felix Vicious, Tanya Danielle, Cassie Young, Avy Scott, Honey, Steve Hatcher, Taylor Rain, Amber Rain, Serena South, Avy Scott, Lana Cox/Moore, Serena South
Non-Sex Roles: William Margold, Johnny Franklin

Length: 90.5 minutes (full feature); 67 minutes (wall to wall option)

Date of Production: 6/2003

Extra's: My favorite extra was the full length audio commentary by Jim Holliday and Kylie Wilde. Jim was dominant vocally but Kylie wasn't shy like some of the other gals in his past commentaries, though this was her first time seeing the movie and she really didn't seem able to add a lot of deep comments. I also liked the 17 minute long Behind the Scenes feature by Kenny Carolina that was shot during the making of this movie, Charm School Brats and Witch Coven College. There seemed to be a preoccupation with filming some of the snakes entering the set (the reptile kind, not the human kind), though the ending credits made it sound like they were rattle snakes when that was clearly not the case. There was extra nudity and the kind of playfulness usually found on one of Jim's sets though, so it was worth checking out. There were also some minimal Star Bios, trailers for movies like Aces in the Holes, Summer Camp Sun Bunnies, and Brown Eyed Blonde, (though not Floss, Paradise Hole, Sorority Sex Kittens 3, Little Town Flirts, Eye Candy Refocused, Perfect Smiles, Brown Eyed Blonde, and Timeless), a photogallery, a bit on the multiple angles used, and a jump to the scene bit too.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition was presented in the originally filmed 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as shot by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures back in June 2003 concurrently with Charm School Brats and Witch Coven College. The picture was crystal clear and had a wonderfully diverse cast as seen on the front DVD cover. The fleshtones were accurate thanks in large part to the flat and plentiful lighting, eliminating grain and other visual defects in a manner I wish contemporary companies would at least consider. The composition of the shots managed to enhance the looks of the ladies present, but some were obviously more favored then others in terms of screen time, a factor anytime you have such a large cast of cuties. The audio was presented in the usual 2.0 Dolby Digital English with the vocals very solidly captured and the music still a cut above the pack as far as I was concerned. The music was trademark Jim Holliday style with Reno & the Rumrunners with Jan, Derol, & the Steamrollers on back up duties this time (with the credits adding in the Ghosts of ZZYZX Road Rainwater Band). There was the normal range of music here for those who care but the movie seemed to be more of an after thought or filler in between the other movies made at the same time.

Body of Review: Jim Holliday found his health declining in 2003 but like most of us, he ignored the consequences of smoking and other unhealthy habits, pushing full steam ahead in his production schedule for VCA Pictures (which was still newly acquired from Hustler Video). He would shoot several movies at the same time to continue conserving his precious capital, allowing him to expand his casts at a time when cost cutting was rampant in the industry, something that continues to this day for most companies, sadly enough. In June of 2003, he shot Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition along with Charm School Brats and Witch Coven College; each serving to showcase gals that Jim thought worthy of his attention, often proving right in his hunches. The cover said it like this: "Kylie Wilde is not cute - she is absolutely adorable and so is this movie. Swan is a restless dreamer and sometimes she isn't sure where reality stops and fantasyland begins. She enlists her two best girlfriends, the Snow Queen and Pete Finch, to go on a strange and mysterious quest - a quest that ends with one of the most original twist endings ever. Along the way, they encounter political assassination plans, a journey through the Tunnel of Twat and a visit to the Land of Fidget Quim. For absurdist adventure spiked with the trademark Jim Holiday sex scenes, Kylie Wilde is Absolutely Adorable." That said, if you're still interested in the movie, it was a return to the days of no condoms thanks to the change in ownership, a fact not dwelt upon in the commentary but certainly a change of pace considering how frequent a topic it was in previous commentaries. Here's a brief look at the scenes, the cast identities coming from Jim on the commentary track in several cases:

Scene One: Katie Morgan, a very cute gal with a helium pitched voice, was up before the opening credits in a very scene with Kurt Lockwood on the outdoor porch. The majority of it was not oral but strictly vaginal. It wasn't bad but there really wasn't much effective use of Katie in my opinion.

Scene Two: Violet Blue, playing an assassin wearing black clothing in the woods as she brandished her super squirter water bazooka, had the first post-credit scene with her assistant, Alex Sanders. She blew him with some energy and he went down on her (with an emphasis on her asshole) with some equivalent vigor. The sex went straight to anal and she wasn't particularly active at first but she did come around in this wooded scenario (on a large comforter). I was surprised to see that no condoms were used, likely thanks to Hustler's purchase of the company, as well as the repeated use of Kylie dreaming with her perfect pucker in the air. It ended when he popped a load onto her ass, cutting back to the dreaming Kylie waking up.

Scene Three: Jessica Darlin, a blonde with a lean body and attractive face, was up next outside with a then lean Kurt Lockwood. She left lots of slobber trails as she blew him, gagging as she worked his dick before they started screwing vaginally to the melody. She was loud and proud about the sex, actively bouncing on his lap in a scene that was better than any of her work I saw when she was under contract to Extreme Associates. She moved to anal and showed herself to be just as aggressive with a cock in her ass, using dirty talk better than most of the others in the movie and doing ATM without any reservation. He popped on her face and the scene cutaway to some plot material.

Scene Four: Felix Vicious, Tanya Danielle, Cassie Young, Avy Scott, Honey, and Kylie Wilde, were up next in a lesbian tryst on the sanding ground of the coral, shot at twilight with the peacocks strutting about. Initially, Kylie tasted all of them and then they broke into groups when Steve Hatcher spirited away Honey for the next scene. The rimming and other oral tricks were plentiful, using a nice gentle method over the hyper aggressive style too many of Jim's peers seemed to favor. All of the ladies except for Felix took a toy in their ass, with the scene getting me really hot. It ended with Kylie as the focal point of the fun, Avy pummeling her pussy with the vibrator and her fingers. Whew!

Scene Five: Honey, looking fairly lean compared to some of her scenes back then, had the related scene with Steve Hatcher on the floor of the barn. The oral was best when she was blowing him and had her ass in the air, but the manner in which she savored his tasty cock by slowly inhaling his rod was fine. The vaginal was short and the anal was too passive but this was another case when the gal cranked up the heat to ride him like she was possessed. The pop was okay but in general, the scene was well done.

Scene Six: Taylor Rain, Serena South, Amber Rain, Kylie Wilde, Lana Cox/Moore, Nautica Thorn, Honey, and Steve Hatcher, were up next in the coral during the heat of the day. Steve was lucky enough to tap a couple of them although the ladies paired off and took turns with each other more often than that. Taylor got some of the best boning (especially the anal), as did Honey, with the two taking the facial nicely. It was a very different scene in that most of the ladies had no contact with him but porn conventions dictate that if a gal is in a scene, she has to paw and perform with the guys in most cases.

Scene Seven: Kylie Wilde, Nautica Thorn, Serena South, and Lana Moore/Cox, were up in bed for the finale as the lesbian quartet worked each other orally. There was a lot of rimming and this was the only scene that had substantial foot fetish material (Nautica sucking toes first). The commentary provided some interesting anecdotes of the scene, with both Kylie and Jim carrying on like crazy (discussing how much he wanted to use Lana again but when he called her, finding her number disconnected). There were no toys used though and the ending had no point where I knew it ended until the cuddling.

Summary: Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures was a lot of strange, Shakespearean fun with a splendid cast and the kind of production values Jim displayed in his later movies. The use of Kylie Wilde as the lead was inspired as she was truly adorable as the cover suggested but other gals did more sexually and it was a nice mix of fun. I rated it as Recommended, though a reasonable argument could be made for a higher rating; it was just that a number of scenes seemed to end before their time and as a stroke flick, this worked against the larger picture involved. Still, Absolutely Adorable: Special Edition was a solid effort by all involved with a good deal of replay value and strokability, even if not the pinnacle of porn as some of Jim's previous works had proved to be.

High Desert Pirates: Special Edition

VCA Pictures

Genre: Feature

Director: Jim Holliday

Cast: Katie Morgan, Jynx, Alex Sanders, Kylie Wilde, Sky Lopez, Crystal Ray, Talon, Taylor Rain, Felecia, Alexis Malone, Buck Legends, Steve Hatcher, Avy Scott, Cassie Young, Tanya James, Tanya Danielle, Mr. Pete
Non-Sex Roles: William Margold, Root Loggins, Merlin Perkins, Coyote Snakebite

Length: 117.5 minutes (full movie); 84.5 minutes (wall to wall option)

Date of Production: 10/2003

Extra's: My favorite extra was the full length audio commentary by Jim Holliday and Sky Lopez (Felecia and Alexis Malone were stuck in traffic). His first comment was a shot across the bow at Vivid, stating Sky was too much for them to handle, but the opinionated Jim carried on throughout the commentary about a lot of varied topics (including comments about critics again but this time directing them at the professional critics that work for a few magazines, the industry, and the shoot) with Sky jumping in at times too. She sounded a bit high but to be having a good time nonetheless. I also liked the 18.5 minute long Behind the Scenes feature by Al Dorado that was shot during the making of this movie, Eye Candy 3: Special Edition and She Devils In Pink. There was extra nudity and the kind of playfulness usually found on one of Jim's sets though, so it was worth checking out. The emphasis was on providing clips and short bits from each movie, with Alexis, Felix Vicious, Jynx, Kira Rossi and others getting a chance to shine. There were also some minimal Star Bios, a true double sided DVD cover, trailers for movies like Witch Coven College, Paradise Hole, and Little Town Flirts, (but not Floss, Sorority Sex Kittens 3, Eye Candy Refocused, Perfect Smiles, Brown Eyed Blonde), a photogallery, a bit on the multiple angles used, and a jump to the scene bit too.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: High Desert Pirates was presented in the originally filmed 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as shot by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures back in October 2003 concurrently with Eye Candy 3 and She Devils In Pink. The picture was crystal clear and had a wonderfully diverse cast as seen on the front DVD cover. The fleshtones were accurate thanks in large part to the flat and plentiful lighting, eliminating grain and other visual defects in a manner I wish contemporary companies would at least consider. The audio was presented in the usual 2.0 Dolby Digital English with the vocals very solidly captured and the music still a cut above the pack as far as I was concerned. The music was trademark Jim Holliday style with Reno & the Rumrunners, Jan, Derol, & the Steamrollers and the Ghosts of ZZYZX Road Rainwater Band with Hollis Dietz and Twilight Thunder as well (lots of musical credits!). There was the normal range of music here for those who care but the movie seemed to be more of an after thought or filler in between the other movies made at the same time.

Body of Review: Jim Holliday left this mortal coil back in 2004 as the result of health issues but even with budget cuts at VCA Pictures as a result of being purchased by Hustler the year before, he managed to make better movies as he developed some of the many ideas he had over the years. One that had been sitting in the back of his mind for years (as a result of a conversation with Jill Kelly), was High Desert Pirates; cashing in on the Johnny Depp movie long before Digital Playground came up with their massive blockbuster a few years ago. The story involved a bunch of gals hijacking trucks in the desert, using their sexual charms to persuade the drivers of said vehicles to forget the details of the robberies. The back cover said it like this: "On the high desert back roads, trucks are being hijacked by a gorgeous gang of topless pirate babes with perfect tits. For what purpose? The drivers are screwed silly and released, but say nothing. Why? Feds and locals are investigating. Every now and then Jim Holliday jerks a movie clean out of the ball park...High Desert Pirates is just such a movie, with 9 scorching sex scenes - and not a dud among them. The only rubbers are on the truck tires. Fast-forwarding pinhead critics who can't detect Holliday's plots will be flat out lost in this desert. High Desert Pirates...it's a mystery, it's an allegory, it's a hip and cryptic commentary on historical and contemporary pop culture. But more importantly, it's a sex fest extraordinaire with the female cast of the year - marking the return of Sky Lopez to adult features. In fact, it's pure, vintage classic Holliday from the opening Haiku to the end credits. You will not soon forget the ghost ship that sails the high desert sands." In all, it was a lot of fun, and while it was made concurrently with two other fluff flicks by the master, a lot of attention was directed on this one, making it a sweet little title worthy of your time and money. Here's a quick look at the scenes, noting that no condoms were used:

Scene One: Katie Morgan, the cute blonde sexpot regular in Jim's movies, newcomer brunette Jynx, and studly Alex Sanders, were up first as they had a threesome in bed. He rimmed Jynx; a vocal gal that I think used to strip in Dallas, while Katie slobbed his knob and Katie blew him actively. This led to him pounding on her asshole before the vaginal sex on her, Katie disappearing midstream before returning to the partake of the facial.

Scene Two: Kylie Wilde, one of the hottest gals Jim used in the last year of his career, was up next with cute Sky Lopez on backup. The ladies had a short lesbian scene on the open plain with plenty of oral and fingering; generating a lot of heat in the process.

Scene Three: Crystal Ray, a light haired lass with a nice body, was up next with Talon in a night scene relating to the story. At 5 foot, 8 inches, she looked taller then he did but her oral was such that even those who hate taller women for some reason won't care. She impaled herself on his cock vaginally in reverse cowgirl before moving to anal with her gonzo skills in full evidence. He was around for the ride and did a decent job, and she showed a lot of potential for a former gonzo performer trying to change her image a little bit. If she wasn't having an orgasm, she was a fine faker but the scene was a lot longer then expected compared to his previous work and as a fan, it showed me that Jim was continually improving his craft. The facial wasn't big but it went to her mouth and she gave him some post coital sucking.

Scene Four: Taylor Rain, Felecia, Alexis Malone, and Jynx, were up next in a modest (for Jim Holliday at least) lesbian orgy outside on a bed. The scene was edited into some plot points with Bongwater (Root) but it wasn't a problem as Felecia was going to town eating ass and pussy. The others participated too with the gals pairing off and switching partners a lot. There was not a lot of foot action here and Taylor's anal fisting action was edited out for the American audience but if you like women doing each other, you'll love the action here.

Scene Five: Sky Lopez, playing the spaced out pirate, convinced tattooed Buck Legends, that she was one of the good pirates as she gave up her goodies to him in exchange for his silence. He rimmed and ate her out fairly well, fingering her a bit as she got wet before she gave him a short hummer that led to an active vaginal ride. The anal was not quite as active as some of the other ladies but the way she explained it in the commentary was childishly hilarious, like most of her over the top comments. The scene ended when he gave her come on her bum, the scene cutting away to Tanya in the office.

Scene Six: Katie Morgan and Alexis Malone, both appealing blondes, were up next after hijacking Steve Hatcher to bring him back to the cabin. The "two chicks fighting for dick" was really interesting with each sitting on his face and showing superior blowjob skills before showing they knew how to ride with passion. Alexis got the nod this time as being best but only by a little thanks to the way her ass cheeks rippled during the cowgirl. He rubbed out the final load onto Katie's titty but it was one of the smallest loads I recall seeing in a very long time.

Scene Seven: Avy Scott, Cassie Young, Tanya James, Crystal Ray, Katie Morgan, Kylie Wilde, and Tanya Danielle went at one another in a night time lesbian orgy in the desert. There was some rimming but cunnilingus was the primary focus point with no foot fetish, no toys, and a distinctive change in terms of not using floodlighting and a faster pace for the editing. I counted seven while Jim's commentary mentioned six but math was never his strong suit and the chemistry between the ladies was palpable.

Scene Eight: Taylor Rain, in a black fishnet top and blue bandana, went to work on the cock of Mr. Pete, in the sheriff's office, slobbing his knob like crazy to celebrate his reported first feature flick role. The demented look in Taylor's eyes showed that she was going to town on his rod while he held on like a champion during the sloppy hummer. He reciprocated with some good oral as he set her on the desk, moving to a powerful ride by her as he spread her ass cheeks far apart. The anal wasn't bad either, even if it wasn't as active as his trip through her cookie, resulting in a large pop to her face.

Scene Nine: Sky Lopez, Alexis Malone, and Felecia, were up last in a concluding lesbian scene that truly showed some passion and energy setting it apart from the pack. The shade of the tree helped keep the light from being too harsh on the ladies, with lots of rimming for fans. Alexis was sent packing part way through but the other two really showed how they were into one another with tremendous chemistry. There was some toy use this time but only enough to stretch Sky's perfect pucker.

Summary: High Desert Pirates by director Jim Holliday for VCA Pictures had bareback anal sex, lots of lesbian licking, and plenty of entertaining fuck for the buck to augment the strokability and replay factors. The editing wasn't always the best and some of the lighting choices were not as solid as always but the casting once again proved that Jim could roll with the punches better than anyone, serving him well as the only contract director at VCA to stay with the company once it was bought out. In short, High Desert Pirates: Special Edition was well worth at least a Recommended or better, even if long time fans might be put off by the lack of foot fetish material, some of the minor changes in casting and crew, or the way certain aspects of the limited plot were handled.