by Rich Moreland, December 2015
This is Part Two of my review of MsNaughty’s BrightDesire.com. With the exception of those used in the final segment “Ending with Some Humor,” all photos are courtesy of the website.
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A Sample of the Movies
Today’s feminist porn is rooted in the pioneering work of the late Candida Royalle and her FEMME Productions. In this new century, feminist porn is so fluid that in the eyes of some it’s losing its original intention. Candida herself got caught up in the discussion on more than one occasion. As she once said to me, just because a woman makes the film does not mean it’s feminist.
Were she here to check out MsNaughty, Candida would be pleased. The Australian’s work is solid feminist stuff. She allows her performers to express themselves as they wish in scenes that are mildly scripted at best. Condoms and pop shots are choices they make and if the penetration is in the shadows, so be it. What is refreshingly absent is the repetitive acrobatic sex found in Porn Valley.
So here’s my take on some of her work. These films are the merest of possibilities available on a site that is a bonanza of good movie making.
Three’s Not a Crowd
Intertwined
“The Birthday Wish” is a delightful film issued in three parts. MsNaughty limits the length of her films to fifteen minutes, more or less. So if things run longer, there’s a part two and sometimes a part three. In the Director’s comments, the viewer learns that the movie was shot in Berlin and the two women, Livia and Nicole, are in their own fluid-bonded relationship so a respectful Mickey Mod uses a condom.
Lots of Affection
“Birthday Wish” is a vignette centering on Livia’s celebratory day; Mickey sings, clothes come off, and the trio begins kissing and caressing. Sexuality’s fun and natural flow steps forward as an expression of three intertwined people rather than three sets of mouths and genitalia. In Director’s Comments, MsNaughty mentions some cinematographic concerns in the shoot, specifically capturing bodies in motion. Genital close-ups are limited so don’t expect gonzo shots here.
Sharing
If your take on porn is Evil Angel, Hustler, and Realty Kings, this film won’t do much for you.
Parts Two and Three carry on the playful tone of Part One and offer the penetration shots. There’s lots of oral with everyone involved and facial close-ups that tell the story of the sex. A careful analysis reveals slight gestures among the performers to ensure everyone is okay with the action. The chemistry is supercharged and real orgasms happen.
A Collared Lover
I decided to take a look at the consensual BDSM presented in “Kim and Jay: 24/7.” They are a real-life couple (she’s collared) and in the scene Kim is the aggressor despite her submissive status in their relationship. Jay’s role is to pleasure her with impact play before we get to Part Two where the sex occurs. Incidentally, Kim does shoot porn professionally, though that is not evident here.
Finding the Mood.
They have a Daddy relationship, not uncommon in BDSM circles, as Jay appears somewhat older than Kim. As mentioned in Part One of this review, their post-shoot discussion found in the website’s interview section reveals they met online. They talk about the importance of pleasing each other to maintain equality in a relationship that challenges power imbalances.
Impact Play
MsNaughty’s cinematography is impressive and Kim is strikingly beautiful. The room is bright white with the bed covering a contrasting black. Several instruments from paddles to floggers are hanging the wall. There is a standing full-length mirror in a far corner that reflects the action on the bed. MsNaughty, who comments on the difficulty of maintaining consistent lighting in a small space, manages to catch some of the mirror, presenting the sex from two angles.
Kim is Ready
Kim is handcuffed to the bed until the sex begins. It’s mainly misch with a limit on Kim orally satisfying Jay. Her orgasm is real and there is no external pop.
This is how an actual BDSM couple looks, feels, and expresses mutual affection.
Playing in the Dungeon
My second choice among the BDSM films was shot in a sex club dungeon in Toronto. The performers are San Francisco’s Siouxsie Q and Mickey Mod, who has made a name for himself at Kink.com. “Yes, Sir” is divided into two parts with the second containing the penetrations, as is MsNaughty’s preference. There’s a St. Andrews cross to which Siouxsie is attached and some spanking and kissing.
Mickey Entices
A comment about Mickey Mod. Any man who wants to become a true lover by orally satisfying his lady ought to pay close attention to Mickey. His chemistry percolates with his co-stars to build the sexual heat with care.
The scene is dominated by heavy shadowing, perfect for creating a dungeon feel. The shoot is a decided contrast to the airiness of Kim and Jay. Also, for fans of more commercialized porn, the performers are veterans of adult film and they come across accordingly. The shoot ends with cuddling, typical of MsNaughty’s sex-positive philosophy.
The Cross
In the Director’s Comments, MsNaughty evaluates making “Yes, Sir” and remarks that the episode’s flavor is a Fifty Shades of Grey spin-off. Though Siouxsie Q is portraying a newbie, she comes across as what she is, a professional sex worker. Interestingly, a bit of post-shoot drama challenges the definition of authentic sex in feminist porn.
The Sex
Sex is Hotter than Tea?
“Sex or Tea?” is a seduction scene in which Rebecca gives her lover a choice of her or a beverage. He smartly takes her and a modified strip tease precedes the sex. The photography is sharp with a vibrancy that illuminates the bodies. It’s worth noting that Rebecca is a perfect example of the once standard porn girl: thin, cute, and fully shaved with perky boobs that complement her flawless body.
Stripping Down
“Tea or Sex?” has an obvious commercialized feel with certain conventionalities emphasized. For example, there is an over-the-shoulder POV shot of Rebecca performing oral and she tends to verbalize her pleasures with incessant moaning. A handful of penetration close-ups distinguish this film from the other offerings on the site. By the way, Rebecca is careful to point her toes in fine porn fashion at all the right moments.
Stepping Up
Throw in position changes–there’s cowgirl, reverse cowgirl (very uncomfortable for many performers) and standing doggie–with an external pop, and the picture is complete. If you want some standard porn with the natural flow characteristic of the other shoots, this is for you. It is particularly feminist in one important point, Rebecca seeks out the sex for her pleasure.
The Note
The Note.
The winner of the 2015 Feminist Porn Awards for Best BDSM scene, “Instructed” also received recognition at the 2014 Berlin Porn Festival and Cinekink in NYC in 2015. Shot in Toronto in April 2014 during the Feminist Porn Week, it’s a solo scene that features Pandora Blake, a well-known erotic performer from the UK who also appears in other works by MsNaughty.
Getting Ready to Follow Instructions
The premise is simple. Pandora’s real-life lover leaves her a note with instructions to ready herself for his visit. This was actually arranged beforehand to guarantee authenticity. When she arrives for the filming, Pandora has no idea what she is to do.
Following his instructions that include a butt plug and self-spanking with a hairbrush, she first strips down and self-caresses in front of a mirror.
The Mirror
Pandora playfully follows every detail to the fullest. The viewer joins with her as each step builds to her eventual self-induced orgasm.
Applying the Hairbrush
MsNaughty notes that the scene is “one of the sexiest films” she’s ever made. I agree. Of all the movies I watched, this one is the most erotic. It’s arousal level for viewers of both sexes is sky-high.
Assignment Completed. Waiting.
Ending with Some Humor
Among the “Extras” offered on the website is a short film called “Perversion for (Feminist Fun And) Profit.” It is a spoof on the 1965 pseudo documentary by the same name. MsNaughty’s satirical approach caught my attention because I reference the original film in my book on feminist pornography. Today, the half-hour movie is in the public domain if you want a good chuckle.
Here’s George!
The narrator is George Putman, an LA-based TV news reporter and radio talk show host. His conservative credentials made him the perfect hire for the Citizens of Decent Literature, a group founded in Cincinnati by anti-porn zealot and Catholic, Charles Keating. Because previous organizations like the religiously driven Legion of Decency were saddled with a book burning reputation, the CDL changed tactics, preferring the obscenity shtick to censorship in their excoriation of porn. “Perversion for Profit” was shown to community groups nationwide and warns parents about the pitfalls of sex that will quickly turn their children into homosexuals, sadists, and general perverts.
For the anti-porn feminists whose heyday was to come in the 1970s and 80s, the film became grist for their anti-smut campaign about porn’s violence against women and children. MsNaughty intersperses snippets from her shoots into Putnam’s speech. The result is satire at its most hilarious.
The Message 1965 Style
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BrightDesire.com contains many more films that focus sex at its best: solo (male and female), toys, fetish, gay and genderqueer. When I began my review, it was quickly apparent that the website is the porn candy shop of good film making. I encourage you to take a look.
By the way, MsNaughty has a full-length feature out called The Fantasy Project. I haven’t seen it, but if I do, I’ll post a review here.
