Easy

Cal Vista/VCX

Genre: Classic Feature

Director: Anthony Spinelli

Cast: Jesie St. James, Dan Howard, Richard Pacheco/Dewey Alexander, Ken Scudder/Grant Stockton, Jack Wright, Laurien Dominique, Ronald Davis, Desiree Cousteau/Deseree Clearbranch, Georgina Spelvin, Mike Horner/Johnny Wilson

Non-sex roles: Anthony Spinelli/George Spelvin, Bob Bernharding

Length: 79:14 minutes

Date of Production: 1978

Extras: Unlike the OOP release by NuTech that had a great audio commentary by Jim Holliday (and Jill Kelly), the extras here were a bit truncated in terms of being related to the original flick. There was a pressbook release that showed some of the advertising the movie used when it was released in theaters (yes, porn used to be shown in theaters, albeit rundown dives for the most part), four trailers, some shots of the various covers the movie has had, a slideshow, and some bonus scenes. The bonus scenes included one from Suzie Superstar (Shauna Grant and Ron Jeremy), Eruption (John Holmes getting a hummer), a compilation of pop shots in what was titled Legendary Hardcore, and various facial expressions showcased in a similarly titled Legendary Softcore.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Easy was presented in the original 1.33:1 ratio full frame color as shot on film back in 1978 by director Anthony Spinelli for this Cal Vista/VCX. The print used looked grainy and full of scratches but it still looked better than the NuTech version I saw a number of years ago (that has since gone out of print, desirable mainly for the audio commentary it had by porn historian Jim Holliday). There was video noise and compression artifacts too but the fleshtones were largely accurate and it brought back a flood of memories from when I originally saw the movie on tape back in the early 1980's. When this was shot, people making porn flicks were subjected to arrest and all sorts of legal trouble, but the gonzo craze had yet to be started so the sex was far more natural and spontaneous, my biggest gripe being the occasional watermark of the company logo added in for this remastered version in 2008. The remastering process used was not significantly enhancing either, I would have liked to see a feature with a before and after clip to show just how much (or how little) was done to achieve this version. This was presented in an MPEG-2 codec with a video bitrate all over the map, typically in the 3 Mbps range for those that care. The audio was offered up in a Dolby Digital 2.0 English, the original monaural kept but cleaned up slightly to give the funky music some extra punch (in the 192 kbps bitrate using the 48 kHz sampling rate). The vocals were clear and in balance with the loud music though, some over dubbing observed at times.

Body of Review: VCX had long been a leader in feature porn but did not keep up with the changing times so it fell off the radar for most people long ago around the silver age of porn IIRC. More recently, the company has explored starting up production again rather than just relying on their extensive back catalog of titles I grew up with in the 1970's and early 1980's, the advent of video pushing aside the "real filmmakers" in favor of the prototype pornographers that currently litter the landscape. VCX has also embarked on a drive to collect classics released back in their heyday by other companies, recently picking up the Cal Vista titles I also found so adorable, including one called Easy, a movie starring Jessie St. James. I found her one of the hottest gals of my youth for her blond hair, blue eyes, and lean figure, the role of the teacher with an insatiable sex drive perfect for her. The back cover said it like this: "Easy isn't just a nickname. For this gorgeous blonde, spreading her legs is a way of life. In her first starring role, Jesie St. James plays Kate, a sex exuding school teacher who cannot resist her slutty manners or the crowds of men who drool at her feet. Whether it's sucking off a student after class, being lured into bed at knife point, or leaving a fancy dinner party for a quick screw, Kate craves raw, passionate sex with every breath she inhales. With excellent appearances by Desiree Cousteau and Mike Horner, Easy is an unforgettable classic." Here's a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that no condoms were used for those still interested:

Rather than outline each and every sex act as a modern fuck flick would merit, I'm just going to go over the highlights here, from the two rape scenes at the beginning (a blowjob to Dan Howard and Richard Pacheco as a thug teenager forcing himself on her, resulting in her sucking his ass like a rusty trombone), to her ass fucking blind man Jack Wright to Georgina Spelvin forcing Jessie into a lesbian tryst. There were other scenes to check out too but the subtleties of her character's sexual evolution (such as when she gives Anthony Spinelli as a drunken loser hitting on her his comeuppance). The camera work made it unclear when a stunt cock was used (which used to be more common than it is now, the leads allowing secondary players to fill in for them at times for the close up insertion scenes).

The scenes were not as cookie cutter formulaic either, a hummer or finger fuck at the table during dinner just as likely as a quick vaginal fuck or other trick, much unlike modern porn. The performers had mounds of pubic hair too, something pretty rare today as much for hygiene as for better display on camera. In terms of the plot, there really wasn't a lot of it here so much as Jessie getting laid all the time as she responded to her carnal urges, the other ladies of the movie providing some cheaper thrills such as Desiree in the bedroom after she left the dinner table. Short sex scenes made for the erotic experiences people used to prefer, the population pudding going in mouths, on faces, and everywhere needed to make a point. In short, this was a trip down memory lane and might not meet with modern technical standards but it was well worth checking out.

Summary: Easy by Cal Vista/VCX harkened back to a different breed of porn industry and a different time, making spot comparisons for a broader audience unlikely at best but I rated it as Recommended for fans of the classics just the same. If a more complete version exists anywhere or if the future provides an easier (and cheaper) method of restoring the classics, I'll want to check those out too but the sheer sexual diversity here was more than you generally find in most fuck flicks coming out now, reminding me that for all the ground covered in the last 30 years, things have not changed that much. In short, Easy was a fun movie with all sorts of sexual depravity to appreciate, making it more like a real movie than much of the churned out titles you're probably familiar with so give it a look.