Janie Summers Private Lessons (SD & Blu-ray)

Digital Playground

Genre: Vignette

Director: Robby D.

Cast: Janie Summers, Manuel Ferrara, Lexi Belle, Mick Blue, Kristina Rose, Charles Dera, Faye Reagan, Scott Nails, Aletta Ocean, James Deen

Length: 79:45 minutes

Date of Production: 9/23/2009

Extras: The extras kind of sucked balls on both versions, the best of the batch being the 10:48 minute long Behind the Scenes feature. As far as BTS fun was concerned, this was a minimal effort using some montage of photoshoots and clips of the cast but Jamal Johnson really did little to get anything worthwhile and I can see why some fans (and critics) are suggesting the company is missing the boat when it comes to extras (though seeing lots of Janie was pretty cool here and the humor was cute). There was also a slide show (with photogallery on the SD version) and some trailers but the corner cutting was obvious.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Janie Summers Private Lessons (SD & Blu-ray) was presented in 1.78:1 widescreen using a 1080p resolution with the high definition AVC encoding as shot by director Robby D. for Digital Playground in Blu-ray while the 480 resolution, MPEG-2 coded SD version seemed a bit pale by comparison. The director had a mediocre 2009 due to the lack of company vision but insiders tell me that he has been trying to get more freedom to expand what he likes rather than keep churning out formulaic series that have been losing steam (and popularity). The results here were mixed though, some editing slips and camera deployment issues subtracting points from some of the better scenes. In any case, the SD version of the movie had some compression artifacts and what appeared to be edge enhancement, but this one upgraded the visual elements really well, the efforts of the company to show the world why they are the leader in Blu-ray porn. The video bitrate varied significantly but when I spot checked it, the numbers typically kept around the 21.1 Mbps mark in 1080p resolution (lots better than the SD version), often going higher or somewhat lower for those who care but the editing by John Johnson struck me as rushed and flawed both (minor things that don't fix Robby's usual goofs). The audio was presented in a post-production added 5.1 Dolby Digital English with a 48 kHz sampling rate and 448 Kbps bitrate, none of the vocals showing any separation though the score seemed to during the opening and closing.

Body of Review: Robby D. is the talented director responsible for almost all movies released by Digital Playground these days. As such an important part of their winning strategy, it is sometimes easy to see why the company changed directions when he came aboard several years back, as much to accommodate his vision as the ever changing marketplace. The downside to this approach is that a great many of their movies look very much the same, even the Celeste-branded titles that the man shoots for his absentee ex-girlfriend, so if you like one of them, you'll probably find them all appealing just as if you dislike one of them, the same holds true. Their latest title making it my way centered on the company's newest contract performer in the form of Janie Summers Private Lessons (SD & Blu-ray). My initial response to hearing the name was that the company got hold of a very popular former performer from years ago and brought her back to porn, my dismay that this was just another name changed starlet (formerly known as Heather Starlet) that was revamping her career after a family intervention pulled her out prematurely. Having spent most of her time in lesbian flicks, I wasn't as well versed in her background as I usually am but she looked cute enough for some loads and the kind of raw material the company is sometimes able to transform so I relaxed to see what was up. My first impression of Janie was how appealing she looked and my first impression of the DVD was how sucky the company was to place under 80 minutes of content with lame extras for their usual premium price. Had this been like some of those trial bands that release a full album for half price to get people hooked, I'd have overlooked the matter but frankly, when so many companies are providing 3 and 4 (and more) hour releases with equally appealing gals, I admit to wondering how this would fare with the consumers (many of whom have told me in the past that they care how long a fuck flick is). The company described the movie like this: "Director Robby D. is back, and this time he's introducing us to Janie Summers, the new newest addition to the Digital Playground beauties! Janie and her horny friends receive a visit from a few experienced men who are more than willing to show them a thing or two about getting off. Red haired beauty Faye Reagan quickly sheds her innocence and takes the reigns in passing out pleasures. Pulse-pounding Aletta Ocean takes on a stunning role in one of her first American productions. "Janie Summers: Private Lessons" is sure to steam up the winter months and leave viewers yearning for another taste of Digital Playground's newest star!" Here's a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that no condoms were used for those still interested:

Scene One: Janie Summers, the lean babe featured on the front cover on the right hand side, was up first with trainer Manuel Ferrara, the lady wisely going right to the best for her company debut with a man. Her neon green top and booty shorts seemed designed to make Lexi look frumpy by comparison, the dialogue such that I imagine the director was writing off his beer tab for the weekend while laughing all the way to the bank. To get ready for her lesson, Janie changed into a bikini outfit in neon pink (the cover ensemble), and laid on the guy after he set a mat on the floor. Her ass looked good in the air while covered up and the tease between them was suitable enough. That was when she dropped his draws to slob his knob, going at it tentatively as if fairly new to the situation. As expected, she concentrated her efforts on the top few inches too, Manuel reciprocating in a much more aggressively oral manner. They moved on to doing vaginal penetration where he put forth most of the effort but I'll say it again that his charm won her over and she seemed entranced by the way he drilled her so hard. Her overacting aside, their chemistry saved it from being yet another "sucky first scene", the taste testing resulting in her receiving a mouthful of genetic juice that she spat out.

Scene Two: Lexi Belle and Janie Summers, a couple of blonds most men wouldn't mind training, were up next on the gym mat with Mick Blue, the gals wearing exercise outfits that gave just enough glimpses of their respective assets to keep me interested. The gals were originally paired off together and their squirming was okay but tame, elevating slightly when the manly man switched placed with them. Lexi was the sexual aggressor this time, unveiling his pecker to suck while Janie slowly sat on his face, the gals sharing his cock and each other before they took turns riding his cock vaginally. The editing was particularly weak here and showed cut body parts unencumbered by their respective genitalia, the fun factor higher than the last scene though Janie clearly no match for Lexi's allure and skills. The filters used looked better in the high definition version by far but still provided a dreamy look I as a man don't generally care for, the ladies then ending it by jerking him off to unleash his population pudding for sharing.

Scene Three: Kristina Rose, a sexy brunette that won the Xcritic performer of the year designation recently, was up next in bed with Charles Dera, the two arguing about his clients. Their dream to open a gym of their own was then interrupted by Kristina jumping all over him, wrestling him to the point where she could feel up his package while he was still clothed. He ate her out and she purred in delight, her positive energy beckoning his pecker to her mouth for a short but sweet blowjob. More than any of the other ladies in the cast, Kristina actively rode the cock vaginally, sucking him off between positions until she drained his balls of seed that landed on her mouth. Fans of bush might also enjoy how she has been letting her pubes grow (not my thing) but there was definitely some chemistry between them.

Scene Four: Faye Reagan, Scott Nails, and Mick Blue were up next, Mick subduing the drunken Scott who jealously walked into the room. Faye played peacemaker and was soon alternating between their respective cocks orally, showing why so many fans adore her efforts with both genders these days. The idea was that she set the whole thing up to get a double dose of love from the men, the guys bending her over and taking turns plowing her pussy in various positions vaginally too. Faye was another active rider and she seemed to appreciate the efforts of both men, the rapid fire editing not as polished as previous company efforts have been for me in the past. The ending wads of spunk were launched into her mouth, the men still fully erect as she knelt before them.

Scene Five: Aletta Ocean, wearing a neon blue outfit best described as a string one piece, was up last as she took on geeky James Deen, the guy wearing clothing I'd expect to see out of one of the Brady's sitcums of his. Her accent was weird for the situation but she went right to working on his dick orally, maintaining eye contact and jerking him off before jumping on his bone for a vaginal ride. He gave her some minimal attention other than that, the gal slowing down far too soon for my tastes, the anal action causing her to let him do all the work until she inhaled the spew out of his pecker.

Summary: Janie Summers Private Lessons by director Robby D. for Digital Playground was a minimalist effort that was supposed to showcase company newcomer Janie Summers but ended up showcasing her limitations compared to the rest of the cast instead. The running time lowered the quotient of fuck for the buck and frankly, the rest of the cast have all been in so many better scenes that made fuller use of their talents that I'm throwing the movie a bone by rating it as a Rent It. Still, I suspect that with the right set of circumstances, Janie Summers might have a chance of reaching Riley Steele's level of appeal though I seriously doubt it will happen anytime soon or without a major intervention by a few of the industry kingmakers. In short, I blame myself for expecting too much out of Janie Summers Private Lessons (SD & Blu-ray) but if you must try this one out, do it on Blu-ray since the picture was far superior and it hinted at what could happen more than the SD version.