Test Drive (Tera Patrick)

Vivid Entertainment/Teravision

Genre: Feature

Director: Spyder Jonez

Cast: Lucy Lee, Jerry, Tera Patrick, Nikki Benz, Scott Nails, Tommy Gunn, Roxy Jezel, Spyder Jonez, Tony T.

Non-sex role: Joe Richie

Length: 96.5 minutes

Date of Production: 11/7/2005

Extras: The best extra was the 6.5 minute bonus scene starring Nikki Benz as she masturbated. It was made exclusively for this DVD and added some value for fans but I would've liked more. There was also a photogallery, trailers to shows like Desperate, and a true double sided DVD cover but that was it.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Test Drive was presented in a non-anamorphic widescreen color with an approximate ratio of 1.85:1 as shot by director Spyder Jonez for release by Vivid Entertainment under his Teravision label. For the most part, his skills have improved with each release so I wasn't surprised that this one looked pretty clean with solid lighting that limited the visual flaws like grain and video noise. There were a few slips with a boom mike popping up (something veteran director Paul Thomas lets happen a lot in fact), camera angles that didn't work so well as they should have, and minor issues like that but I got the sense that creative director Sid Duce assisted in making the composition of the shots as eye fetching as possible, making it a decent looking title. There were not compression artifacts observed and it was another step in the right direction for Spyder. The audio was presented in the basic 2.0 Dolby Digital stereo English, with the vocals sometimes a little low and the droning music in need of replacement, but about standard for Vivid in overall terms.

Body of Review: Vivid Entertainment has seen a number of new directors make their styles heard in recent years as the old guard gets challenged by those wanting to provide a new look to porn. This change helps the company grow and may provide the breeding ground for the next big name in the business though I'm not going to hold my breathe for this to occur. One of their recent additions via contract with Teravision is Spyder Jonez, also known as Mr. Tera Patrick or the guy from HBO's OZ. As the man with the plan for the company, he takes an active role in the development of projects and talent, leading him to explore other ladies as heirs to the throne rather than rely solely on Tera's lovely self as the sole reason for checking out their movies. The latest such project is Test Drive, a story about a kept woman (Nikki Benz) wanting to find a more satisfying sex life. The good news is that she was better than ever and even joined by Tera Patrick in a scene, even though she really didn't have a lot to work with this time. I suspect that the movie served more as a test run for how much support the company will give her in the future and as such, I think she'll do just fine considering her sexual skills on display. Here's a look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that the "no condoms" symbol on the front of the DVD cover was no mistake; none of the men wore them:

Scene One: Lucy Lee, an Asian contract performer at Teravision (though why she was hired is beyond my comprehension), was up first as the live in housekeeper who enjoyed her scene with Jerry in the bed. She's cute enough but her sexual prowess is often lacking (which is why I passed on her recent Appetite For Destruction release) since she tends to go through the motions far too mechanically. Such was the case here as Jerry ate her out and all she could do was lie still & act like she was late for an appointment. Her blowjob was okay but lacked any spark or flame of desire; something too many of her peers seem to view as acceptable as well. This led to an energetic, if not enthusiastic, ride in her pussy and a very passive anal bit where Jerry did all the work. To Jerry's credit, he launched a large load to her face but the scene was for her fans only.

Scene Two: Tera Patrick, the gal on the left hand side of the front cover and all around hotty, was up next on the couch with the curvy Nikki Benz. I haven't seen much of Nikki in recent years (at least in movies) since she's been under contract for the now defunct JKP and Pleasure but she has routinely displayed the kind of skills I like to see in porn; making me feel as though she's having fun at what she does. I may never get used to her implants (they aren't easily seen on the front cover where she's featured) but still usually conveys a sense of fun in her scenes that some of her peers could learn a lesson about. The gals went down on one another and did some foot fetish stuff with Tera getting a rump smacking from Nikki's hand. Nikki was the dominant partner of the two but Tera was looking exceptionally fine and has proven her critics wrong again by going down on Nikki like she was truly into it. I haven't always been a fan of her work but recent releases have shown her to be getting better all the time (regardless of who she's screwing on camera). Nikki using a strap on dildo would've made it a better scene but in terms of visual appeal, Spyder's acumen with the camera captured the antics rather well.

Scene Three: Nikki Benz, wanting the freedom of her own set of wheels, went to the garage, deciding to test drive Scott Nails and Tommy Gunn instead of the sports car she was going there to pick up. This led to Joe (the Jack Nicholson look-alike) to see her on the closed circuit TV and get pissed off. The reason he was pissed was that she was able to actually get some loving from this porn equivalent of the dynamic duo, sucking and jerking them both off in unison. Nikki's oral skills have never been better and she took them on in her tight pussy one at a time in both ends (mouth and pussy). She provided a very active ride in the cowgirl variations and seemed to relish Tommy most of all due to his size though Scott was no slacker in that sense either. The scene ended when the men jerked off on her ample chest & her face with her providing some post coital sucking for good measure. It wasn't as heated as the last pairing but the trio did manage to instill some replay value and chemistry lacking in the first scene of the movie.

Scene Four: Roxy Jezel, the very sexually skilled Asian, was up next in a slinky dress to have a scene with director Spyder Jonez, who played a motorcycle mechanic. The garage was too dark for my tastes and I wasn't a fan of the choking but she seemed to appreciate the rougher aspects of the action more than I did. He fingered her two holes and licked her a couple of times before she engulfed his rod like she was trying to get him off quickly. I know this virtual illustrated man isn't on the top of anyone's list of top porn studs (I've had my share of comments about him in the past) but aside from the camera work not being as solid (whoever he had controlling the camera while he was screwing didn't seem as capable), I'd be misleading you to say that the two of them didn't provide a decent scene. She's one of the best in the business and he kept up with her better than I could have done, screwing her as though he could give a flip to enhance the scene dynamic a bit. The scene ended when he blew a huge load all over her face and she continued to suck him as though his balls were coming out next. I guess Tera isn't the only one getting better with experience (Roxy was as fine as usual too).

Scene Five: Nikki Benz, in a form fitting top and tight jeans, was smoking her cigarette as she looked through the car lot with salesman Tony T. She essentially ordered him to do her and he complied to the best of his abilities, taking off his pants to give her easy access to his penis for the sucking. As in earlier scenes, she was very skilled with a meat pipe in her mouth, using her hands and mouth in any way she needed to in order to get him hard enough to cut diamonds. They screwed vaginally and anally, and while she wasn't as energetic as her previous scene (a garage doesn't have a lot of places to provide a gal the leverage to actively bone as well as a bed), she was vocal in her appreciation and not a bad lay. The scene ended with some ATM and the usual pop shot, serving up as another showcase for Nikki's talents.

Bonus Scene: Nikki Benz, barely dressed and looking to get off, was in a 6.5 minute bonus scene that consisted of her jilling herself in a solo masturbation scene in a dark room. I would have liked to see more of her but the positive side of the matter is that the scene was made for this DVD and not a rehash of limited value.

Summary: Test Drive served Nikki Benz very well as a means to test her fit with the Teravision Empire and fans of hers may think my rating of Recommended was a little on the cheap side (they should each go and buy a couple of copies). The sex was what I expected, the technical qualities even better, and the level of fuck for the buck pretty worthy of your time if you like the cast. The extras could've been better and longer sex scenes might've elevated the score a bit if each factor had been improved but this title was another that proved Teravision is more than a flash in the pan company relying solely on the fans of Tera Patrick, legion though they may be, in order to make it big. I look forward to seeing what comes next from the company, though I'll admit that I want to see more of Tera in whatever form that takes.