Ashlyn Rising. 1995. Vivid. Ashlyn Gere, Nina Hartley, Anna Malle, Tera
Heart [sic], Rocco Siffredi, Sean Michaels, Colt Steele, Mark Davis,
Hank Amstrong. d. by Layne Parker
I decided that after I had OD'd on _Sodomania_ series, I would take
care of my Ashlyn craving. So I went to my videostore and started
looking for some recent Ashlyn. _Extreme Sex 4_ looked like it would
have too much FF fodder, with Tami Ann, Rebecca Bardoux, and Anna
Malle. _Steamy Windows_ looked promising with a g/g/g/g/g pictured on
the box, but when I saw Paul Thomas directed it, I replaced it on the
self. Mr. Thomas stars in a film that features one of the top five g/g
scenes of all time...and he still doesn't get it. Finally I settled on
_Ashlyn Rising_. Unfortunatley, I did not recognize immediatley that
"Layne Parker", the director, also directed _Voices in My Bed_, a film
where I FF'ed through all the non Ashlyn scenes. Had I realized this,
I probably would have made another selection.
The story here, which is murky at best, is that Ashlyn has been
betrayed by boyfried "Buddy" (Rocco) and now seeks to recover in a
supportive and educational environment run by Nina. The scene opens
with Ashlyn blowing Colt while Rocco looks on and jerks off. Colt then
starts fucking her, then Rocco moves in for a bj. Colt comes in her
face, afterwhich Rocco takes over fucking and then comes in her face.
Ashlyn was A LOT more vocal with Rocco than with Colt. Annoying about
this scene was that it keeps quick cutting to Ashlyn driving a car. The
music also sucks in this and all scenes - some stringed instruments
playing lame ass new age couples muzak. UGH!! The scene ends with a
slow mo of Ashlyn crying out for "Buddy" after he splits after coming
on her. It makes her look like some creature out of the X-files.
("JOKE")
After than, Ashlyn is at Nina's. Next scene is Ashlyn and Nina
watching as "couple" Anna and Hank are having a lesson - Anna is having
problems being assertive. She asks that Nina join in, which Nina does
(condom use). After that, Anna says "fuck me like the animal that I
am" What a bad joke! I think there was anal her, but I'm not sure.
Cut to Ashlyn mastrubating while reading a book on mastrubation. It
doesn't last long. Nina has brought a tape for them to watch. IT'S
RECYCLED VIVID FOOTAGE!!! The original performers are not credited. I
beleive it was "IDO 3" as that was the box on top on the VCR. HOW LAME
CAN YOU GET? I know it was recycled because one woman (it's two women
playing around outside. Features a sprinkler. No, not used sexually.
You have to go to German porn for that :-) had apparently real breasts
and none of the ladies credited did. Ashlyn gets intrigued by the idea
of two women together (how many times has this been used in the history
of porn? I predict a number larger than the US Federal deficit). Nina
and Ashlyn do a good g/g scene - real kissing and apparently make each
other come. It's one of those tender, "couples-oriented" g/g scenes.
We don't want to offend the wife watching, now do we?
I had to FF through the next sex scene - Tera Heart and Mark Davis.
Features RAC. That's EXACTLY what women want to see, I'll bet. Better
yet, shove a large dildo up Tammi Ann's ass. That'll really turn 'em
on.
The final scene is Ashlyn and Sean. This is the box-hype promised
"interracial". I don't know why it's even a big deal. Sounds like
racism to me. Anyway, Sean is the friend who got Ashlyn to go to
Nina's in the first place. Sean is a strange guy - one minutes he's
doing Cameron Grant, then next a sex hound with a penchant for anal
sex, doing DP's for Anabolic, and now he's playing a sensitive guy.
OK, that said, let me say that Ashlyn looks terrific...as always, and
does a good performace...as usual, even if this is a pretty hokey
movie. I also made a point of evaluating Ashlyn + Nina's implants,
since these two unanonously passed the NATO (Natually Appealing Tits
Organization) board of directors as being women whom we don't mind
having implants. Anyway, I think in both cases they've had good work,
but their aureole (sp?) size betrays the craftsmanship. They both have
well defined, small aureolas that don't match their tits anymore. F2's
indeed.
Bottom line: We must never forget that Vivid is trying to make it in
the mainstream. Seeing as how Blockbuster does not rent porn, I don't
know how they intend to acheive this. I read a letter in my copy of
_Men's Health_ this month. The guy said he and his wife at rented a
porno at the suggest of on of the magazines articles on sex. He said
he and his wife spent the night on the floor - not fucking but laughing
at how bad the acting was and silly the movie was. I can see couples
on the floor over this one. As for my personal preference, this is one
of those movies I wasted money on. Ashyln and Nina are fantasic women,
but they can only take a movie so far. Also, no Ashlyn talking dirty.
Guess we don't want to offend the wife again. Never mind that Ashlyn
talking could probably turn of women as much as John Leslie's in _Talk
Dirty to Me_ could turn on men :-) Ashlyn far exceeeds the material
here.
Want a couples film? See _Charli_. I think I was actually touched by
that one.
As a bonus, let us compare Vivid's Miss Gere to John Leslie's Miss Gere
in the form of _Chameleons: Not the Sequel_. This is the first porno
film I ever saw (back in September of 1993). I didn't have time to
watch it all again; I got up to the Diedre/Ashlyn g/g. This movie
shows what John Leslie is capable of as a director. I think it's safe
to say that John did not again make a film of this caliber until last
years _Dog Walker_.
The cinematography is excellent here, as it should be with Jack Remy on
the job. I felt I could be watching Hollywood at some points (isn't
that was Vivid is trying to achieve). I was so spooked by Ashlyn's
commanding ultra-dominant acting here I was scare off of her for a few
weeks when I origianlly saw it. She is at her best here I think. An
incredible performance. I enjoyed the musical soundtrack - lots of
saxaphones, and the party music was pretty fun-it had a good been and I
could dance to it :-) As for the sex, the scenes never feel dragging
and the non-sex scenes are just long enough to keep your interest.
Ashlyn does some great dirty talking to Diedre in their away winning,
if one sided, g/g scene. A great film and a fine rental. Probably
makes a good couples take as well :-)
Let us now look at what some would consider one of Leslie's misses,
_Sexophrenia_. You really have to have seen the original PBS
documentary to understand the great parody job this film does. The
film _looks_ like the original documentary, and Joey plays the
schizophrenic guy from the original very well. One problem I have with
Joey is that he never plays a "normal" person. He's always a fuck up.
Editting is great. EZ Rider plays a doctor who spouts as much
psychobabble as the doctor from the original. I thought John Leslie's
cameo was one of greatest 'bit-part' acting jobs I've ever seen. Not
surprising as John was the best male in front of the camera, ever. He's
totally convincing as the really pissed off owner of a place where the
documentary team is filming Tom Byron and Beatrice Valle. I did detect
a balding spot, but those of us who spend time thinkng that the images
of male sexiness are too important to be left to gossipy women's
magazines know that balding is sexy.
Unfortunatly, I think this film fairs because the underlying subject
matter - mentally ill people who want to have sex all the time, is
depressing. There is not happy ending. In porn as in Hollywood,
people want happy endings.
This film is recommended to fans of John Leslie only. Interestingly,
the film is deadicated to Louis T. Beagle, the producer for Chameleons
and other of Leslie's films. First time I've seen a dedication on a
porn film. Shows a real human side of the makers. Stands is stark
contrast to directors who don't require HIV tests of total strangers
who show up at a gang bang and jerk around with people's
insurance(Jaunty Bone). Also interesting were some names in the
credits: Jamie Gillis as assistant director and Pachard was somehow
involved.
If you want to know about the sex in eithetr of the these two films,
look them up in AFW's guide. I'm just blathering to waste bandwidth
:-)
169 “I can arrange all that.” Such Apaches as had not gone back on the war-path returned to the States with the troops; but there were five months more of the outrages of Geronimo and his kind. Then in the summer of the year another man, more fortunate and better fitted to deal with it all, perhaps,—with the tangle of lies and deceptions, cross purposes and trickery,—succeeded where Crook had failed and had been relieved of a task that was beyond him. Geronimo was captured, and was hurried off to a Florida prison with his band, as far as they well could be from the reservation they had refused to accept. And with them were sent other Indians, who had been the friends and helpers of the government for years, and who had run great risks to help or to obtain peace. But the memory and gratitude of governments is become a proverb. The southwest settled down to enjoy its safety. The troops rested upon the laurels they had won, the superseded general went on with his work in another field far away to the north. The new general, the saviour of the land, was heaped[Pg 305] with honor and praise, and the path of civilization was laid clear. Parliament met on the 10th of January, 1765. The resentment of the Americans had reached the ears of the Ministry and the king, yet both continued determined to proceed. In the interviews which Franklin and the other agents had with the Ministers, Grenville begged them to point to any other tax that would be more agreeable to the colonists than the stamp-duty; but they without any real legal grounds drew the line between levying custom and imposing an inland tax. Grenville paid no attention to these representations. Fifty-five resolutions, prepared by a committee of ways and means, were laid by him on the table of the House of Commons at an early day of the Session, imposing on America nearly the same stamp-duties as were already in practical operation in England. These resolutions being adopted, were embodied in a bill; and when it was introduced to the House, it was received with an apathy which betrayed on all hands the profoundest ignorance of its importance. Burke, who was a spectator of the debates in both Houses, in a speech some years afterwards, stated that he never heard a more languid debate than that in the Commons. Only two or three persons spoke against the measure and that with great composure. There was but one division in the whole progress of the Bill, and the minority did not reach to more than thirty-nine or forty. In the Lords, he said, there was, to the best of his recollection, neither division nor debate! His cheek paled for an instant as the thought obtruded that the man might resist and he have to really shoot him. "Good, the old man's goin' to take the grub out to 'em himself," thought the Deacon with relief. "He'll be easy to manage. No need o' shootin' him." "Them that we shot?" said Shorty carelessly, feeling around for his tobacco to refill his pipe. "Nothin'. I guess we've done enough for 'em already." John Dodd, twenty-seven years old, master, part of the third generation, arranged his chair carefully so that it faced the door of the Commons Room, letting the light from the great window illumine the back of his head. He clasped his hands in his lap in a single, nervous gesture, never noticing that the light gave him a faint saintlike halo about his feathery hair. His companion took another chair, set it at right angles to Dodd's and gave it long and thoughtful consideration, as if the act of sitting down were something new and untried. "Besides," Norma said desperately, "they're only rumors—" "Oh, I've found a way of gitting shut of them rootses—thought of it while I wur working at the trees. I'm going to blast 'em out." During the next ten years the farm went forward by strides. Reuben bought seven more acres of Boarzell in '59, and fourteen in '60. He also bought a horse-rake, and threshed by machinery. He was now a topic in every public-house from Northiam to Rye. His success and the scant trouble he took to conciliate those about him had made him disliked. Unprosperous farmers[Pg 124] spoke windily of "spoiling his liddle game." Ditch and Ginner even suggested to Vennal that they should club together and buy thirty acres or so of the Moor themselves, just to spite him. However, money was too precious to throw away even on such an object, especially as everyone felt sure that Backfield would sooner or later "bust himself" in his dealings with Boarzell. "Let's go home," she said faintly—"it's getting late."