Note: The following review is for the upgraded, high definition review of a title I originally saw in standard definition over a year ago. If you want an idea of how it looked, by all means check out this TRAILER, but suffice it to say that fans of the cast may like it a lot more than the majority of you, the design of the show to be appealing to an audience markedly different than a guy like me that sees 1000+ pornos a year.

Lascivious Liaisons Blu-Ray

Digital Playground

Genre: Erotica

Jana Cova! (photo courtesy of Digital Playground)

Director: Celeste

Cast: Kelly Kline, Jerry, Lela Starr, Erik Everhard, Jana Cova, Holly Morgan, August, Jean Val Jean, Charlie Laine, Karlie Montana, Kinzie Kenner, Marco Banderas/Duato, Daisy Marie

Length: 157:47 minutes

Date of Production: 5/20/2006

Extra's: The best extra was the 9:50 minute long Behind the Scenes feature shot by Scott K. and edited by Willem Default. There really wasn't a specific theme this time although the humor angle was well addressed (with some silly animated antics using a goofy Katherine Hepburn defending the slow motion so many fans hate) and Jana looked particularly great (as always). There was also a photogallery, and trailers to shows like like Pirates II, Island Fever 4 Blu-Ray, Jack's POV 1 Blu-Ray,Cheerleaders BR, Babysitters BR, Pirates BR, Contract Star BR, and Island Fever 3 BR.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Lascivious Liaisons Blu-Ray was presented in the same 1.78:1 widescreen color it was shot in by Director of Photography Robby D. for conceptual director Celeste for Digital Playground in this upgraded MPEG-4 codec encoded release. In terms of lighting and quality of picture, the movie looked exceptional, shot in HD with the scenes all being shot with the lighting more straightforward here. There was no unintentional grain or video noise observed, I saw no compression artifacts (the video bitrate hovered around the 18.5 Mbps mark but had substantial variation), and the composition of the scenes was such that all of the gals were made to look very hot, most of them award winning beauties long before this release came out last year in standard definition. Most of the scenes had a dreamy quality to them, almost a sepia tone approach but this was intentional and did manage to give the production some interesting "old world" looking scenes as if it were in the 1940's (with "Dr. Joey Pulgadas" on the editing board this time). In terms of the visual upgrade though, the 1080p resolution served the title well and added some solid detail to the artistic scenes, this not exactly my favorite style of porn but well worth bringing out when you have company interested in something a bit less explicit than the latest gonzo fuck fest. The audio was presented in the usual 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround (in 448 Kbps using the standard 48 kHz sampling rate) but as an older release by Celeste, there were no vocals here, this practice stopped on her more modern titles. For me, a little music goes a long way, especially if it means losing the vocal tracks that help establish levels of chemistry and heat, but in fairness to the production, my gal pal at the time practically jumped my bones while we were watching this one, asking me how well I "knew" hotty Jana Cova after reading a few of my emails with the young lady.

Body of Review: Celeste has probably been the strongest tie to the past for Digital Playground as the company has seen fit to embrace a harder form of gonzo than most people give it credit for. Using her boy toy as the main cameraman and production assistant, her work tends to use slow motion and a couples approach to porn that many find appealing if they aren't hardened old raincoaters that Robby caters to in the majority of titles the company releases these days. That they listen to the public is nothing new since that has long been established as a reason why Digital Playground wins so many awards, has such a following, and tends to promote their contract stars so heavily in mainstream media. Well, the latest erotica title by the director is Lascivious Liaisons Blu-Ray; a series of heated scenes that often focus largely on the devastatingly physical beauty of Jana Cova; the Czech beauty queen that the company signed as a contract starlet a few years back. One glance at the cover of the DVD case will tell you if you'll be interested in the movie, with a combination of erotica and slow motion sex that worked better than expected for me (keep in mind that I'm consistently one of Celeste's biggest critics in this genre even though I frequently find my female friends wanting more of it). Fans of artistic porn with enough eroticism to satiate any romance novel carrying gal on their list will find this one particularly appealing to the ladies from what I've seen firsthand, the upgrade mighty tempting even with the higher price. That said, here's a quick glance at the seven scenes from the movie, the kicker being that no condoms were used and that none of the scenes used filler material:

Scene One: Kelly Kline, an extremely attractive gal next door type, was up first as she was lightly dominated by the beautiful Jana Cova with a riding crop. Jana did little sexually here except to provide extra eye candy though, giving Jerry a free hand to play with the white lingerie wearing Kelly (though Jana did feel her up and get naked-always a welcome movie device in my book). The slow motion did not bother me as much this time as the elements seemed to be put together in careful fashion, not coming across as rushed like some of Celeste's other conceptualizations have been in the past. The sepia toned colors added something too although to be fair, having one of my gal pals watch it with me sure helped as she was getting all steamed up on the couch (asking me why I don't review more titles like this one). Kelly was looking as fit as ever, her lean body getting explored nicely by her partners, with both of them actively working the other before a titty pop ended the oral and vaginal workout. It was a solid beginning to a movie I was initially sure would be on the lame side, going to show me that the company has been listening.

Scene Two: Lela Starr, a lean brunette wearing a modified maid outfit, was up next as she rested her feet on a glass table supported by a half dressed gal that wasn't credited. I was surprised that the bent over extra was never employed for more than mere looks alone, allowing Lela and studly Erik Everhard to go at it rather heatedly in the process of fleshing out the scene. The blowjob was energetic (even though it was slowed down by the process Robby shoots the Celeste flicks) and the pounding vaginal sex showed how athletic the couple was even in slow motion. They did a few positions but the scene was markedly shorter than the previous one (which lasted about a half hour) but the load of population pudding being licked up by Lela off the table had an erotic quality that my assistant for the day did not want to emulate for some reason.

Scene Three: Jana Cova, the beauty on the front cover that I have long held some personal affection for, was up next with her whip as she took to beating the muscular ass of Holly Morgan in the bedroom. Holly was tied in a standing spread eagle fashion with minimal clothing on while the fully dressed Jana toyed with her a bit. The playful ass rubbing of Holly's well warmed cheeks was hotter than expected and the slow striptease combined nicely with the oral antics the gals engaged in. Jana masturbating with the whip wasn't as well captured in my opinion, the floor proving to be tougher to light and the camera angle allowing her hand to get in the way of the perfect pussy the hotty offered up. In a sense, it was almost like a warm up lesbian scene and neither gal was utilized to their fullest potential (though they could have had me at the drop of a hat nonetheless).

Scene Four: August, a curvy gal that hasn't been making much porn of late (this was shot awhile back), was up next with Frenchman Jean Val Jean by the staircase attached to the living room. They began with their clothing on and slowly peeled it off one another as they engaged in foreplay; making the tease last a lot longer than usual. The effect this had was twofold; it gave some extra time for them to heat up and show some chemistry (which wasn't missing in the previous scenes but allowed to get even better this time) as well as make the scene better for those of you without hair triggers (the often far shorter scenes in a Celeste flick seem almost designed by someone who barely gets it out of his pants, let alone in hand, so the longevity of the tease added to the fun for me). The fingering and oral showed both of them enjoying each other to the fullest, the slow motion again not limiting the dynamic of the jazz soaked scene. She actively rode him and took the pop shot to her face, wincing at the initial blast as it nearly scored her eye.

Scene Five: Jana Cova, Charlie Laine, and Karlie Montana, were up next as they pawed each other seductively. Jana was once again displayed in a dominant fashion, tying her partners up and suiting up a strap on dildo to test the endurance of her newfound friends. The ladies rode the fake cock in hardcore style, doing some PTM off of it and assisting each other with some caressing as Karlie and Charlie took turns getting vaginally hammered. Jana was a giver and not a receiver this time, perhaps the only limitation of the scene for this fan.

Scene Six: Kinzie Kenner, certainly one of the cutest gals in porn for a long time (why Digital Playground never signed her is beyond my comprehension), was up next in a playful couch scene with stud puppet Marco Banderas/Duato. The smile on her face spoke volumes about the chemistry and enthusiasm of the scene, her coy nature elevating the dynamic between them from the very beginning and never letting go until the last drop of splooge flew from the tip of his meaty member. Her lingerie was classic garter and lace that always looks so good on her, the slightly rough action by Marco serving to highlight what appeared to be the two getting off. I can't tell you how much her smile warmed up the scene, almost as though the two were young lovers on a honeymoon or something similar, their sexual acting ability top notch as they both actively participated in oral and vaginal sex. If you look at the way her body impales itself on his cock, her classic facial expression, or even the ending pop to her titties, you'll know why I'm such a fan of hers.

Scene Seven: Jana Cova, dressed in fetching black lingerie including a corset, was up last with Latina Daisy Marie who was dressed all in white; as if the two represented polar opposites sexually. During the entire movie, Jana's dominant side was explored and that theme continued here as well, Daisy lying across Jana's lap as Jana swatted her ass with a paddle. The only complaint I had this time was the relative lack of medium shots to fully appreciate the way the two were together, the rare one slipping in but cutting away so quickly as to force the attention on specific body parts instead of the wicked energy the two were generating. The vibrator employed looked like one found in a museum but Jana showed her skill at getting Daisy off with it nonetheless; Daisy reciprocating on the couch before the credits rolled. Jana looked stunning with after glow and the movie remains in my mind a few days later as a result.

Summary: Lascivious Liaisons Blu-Ray by director Celeste for Digital Playground that came out late last month was worth a rating of Recommended, not as major an upgrade this time due to the technical issues discussed throughout the review. While I admit to thinking Jana Cova was the major reason for the rating, the levels of playful fuck for the buck and replay value also impressed me as something better than the under 90 minute releases I came to expect from the director when this one originally came out. I'm not a big fan of slow motion sex that lacks the vocals but the music was very classy and as a respite from some of the harder titles on the market (many by DP these days), it provided a winning experience for me and a gal that isn't big on porn. In short, Lascivious Liaisons Blu-Ray was a solid combination of creative talent on both sides of the camera that many of you will find to be passionate, energetic, and very much appreciated so pick up a copy when it comes out (fans of Jana will probably want two copies given how lovely she looked on the cover as well; this one would make a nice poster).