Before I Wake

Vivid Entertainment

Genre: Feature

Director: David Stanley

Cast: Mercedez, Kurt Lockwood, Holly Hollywood, Eric Masterson, Nicole Sheridan, Jordan Haze, Rick Patrick, Randy Spears
Non-sex roles by: David Stanley, some of the crew (none were credited).

Length: 79.5 minutes

Date of Production: 1/24/2004 (box), 1/21/2004 (credits)

Extra's: The best extra for most people will be the five bonus scenes, three of which starred Mercedez. There was also a decent 17.5 minute long Behind the Scenes feature by Victoria Woodhill that showcased most of the performers and the crew. The usual short biography, positions room, trailers, two photogalleries, double sided DVD cover, and spam were also present.

Condoms: Yes

Audio/Video Quality: The picture was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color, as expected from Vivid. Some of the scenes looked pretty good with only minimal grain and video noise but other scenes had terrible lighting more reminiscent of a David Stanley feature. The flesh tones were okay in the better lit scenes but that was not a universal condition here. The audio was presented in the usual stereo English with minimal separation and dynamic range. It was plain but okay for this type of show.

Body of Review: Mercedez, a curvy Latina from Corpus Christi, Texas, has long been one of the nicer Vivid contract gals and a fan favorite. She has made a number of movies for Vivid and her fans seem to buy her titles like they are going out of business. Her latest release, Before I Wake, is a story about a woman photographer who gains fame by taking pictures of the men she sleeps with, dumping them afterwards like yesterday's news. She meets a guy that seems different than the average man and the minimal story revolved around their meeting. If you like this young performer, you'll want to see this one, even with its limitations. Here's a breakdown of the scenes by cast:

Scene One: Mercedez, the busty Texan lead of the movie seen on the front DVD cover, and Kurt, had a scene on a couch. She was the sexual aggressor here, throwing him down on the couch to establish dominance before giving him a lingering blowjob. While I'm not exactly keen on her implants, her oral skill at the long, slow BJ was very high. He returned the favor by fingering her and going down on her a bit before she rode him in reverse cowgirl. They went to a missionary position before he pulled out and blew his smallish load on her abdomen. It was a pretty good scene by director Stanley.

Scene Two: Holly, is one of those cute generation X gals that loves cock and having fun. She played a roommate that was always getting high and watching television but she also seemed to enjoy sex since she took care of Eric in the kitchen. I loved the shot of her ass as she blew him and the standing doggy looked good too. They switched positions again before he gave her a mouthful of semen to enjoy as well.

Scene Three: Nicole, one of the best performers in porn these days, and Mercedez, had a lesbian scene in a poorly lit living room. They did all the usual tricks, using saliva and toys to get one another off in a number of positions, but the scene was way too short for me to truly appreciate. I like lesbian scenes at least as much as the next guy but I felt that Nicole's talents were wasted this time.

Scene Four: Jordan, another busty blonde, and Rick, had a scene on a back porch next. She gave a slow blowjob notable for the multitude of streamers that let hang from his shiny penis as she engulfed it repeatedly. He also went down on her but his talents were considerably weaker than her own. They boned in a couple of positions but it really wasn't all that inspired. It ended with a tiny pop shot to her face that could barely be seen.

Scene Five: Mercedez, still as curvy as ever, and Randy, had a scene in a darkened bedroom. I can understand the idea of making the sex look natural but much of it was limited in heat because of it. She blew him and then rode in his lap for a while in bed. To be frank, I liked the way her ass went up and down but it was slow and tame. It ended when he popped off on her feet; something for you foot fetish fans out there.

Summary: I think this one had some good sex, attractive women, and good intentions but the failings were enough to lower the rating to a mediocre Rent It. The main problems were with the basic technical issues and the fact that the feature wasn't even an hour and a half paled in comparison to those companies that routinely provide more fuck for your buck. I will admit that the bonus scenes were decent but not enough to increase the rating since they weren't shot exclusively for this movie.

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