Always... Lily White Review

Running Time: 110 min.

Production Date: 2 / 18 / 1998 (cover) 3 / 5 / 1998 (movie)

Director: Bud Lee

Cast: Asia Carrera, Anita Cannibal, Raylene, Liza Harper, Phyllisha Anne, Herschel Savage, Alec Metro, Steve Hatcher, Colt Steele, and Ike Liksher

Initial Expectations: I always have fairly high expectations with Asia, especially when her films are directed by Bud. Adam & Eve has done a great job with the Premium Collection DVDs, which also gives me hope for a very good DVD.

Initial Reaction: The cast does a great job, but there’s something I just don’t like with the story. The DVD also seems a little short on extras to be part of Adam & Eve’s Premium Collection.

Audio /Video Quality: There’s a little grain to the picture, but not much. The audio is done well, although there’s a few spots where the dialogue is hard to understand. Neither are bad enough that it interferes too much with the movie.

Music: The music mostly has a smooth jazz feel. It really fits couples movies well. It’s balanced pretty well with the rest of the dialogue, but does overpower in a couple spots. Unfortunately, it’s splices together really poorly in a lot of places so you’re drawn to the music in places where you shouldn’t be. There’s also several dead spots in the music during scenes.

Review: Always... Lily White starts off looking like a great couples movie with champagne being poured on a candlelit table as Asia Carrera walks in. Asia is in awe at her husband Herschel Savage who wanted to do something romantic for her. While her jaw hangs in mid-air, he sweeps her off her feet and carries her over to the couch where he proceeds to eat her out. Unfortunately, when he’s about to get his turn, he can’t get it up. I have to admit that I didn’t expect this to be a science fiction porno. A guy not able to get it up around Asia???!!!! Ridiculous! But ridiculous or not, that’s the plot we’re working with here, so back to Herschel and Asia. Herschel’s afraid he’s getting old, but Asia, as we all know, is a giver and refuses to quit. They move the action to the stairs, and Herschel’s monster finally rises from the dead. Although Herschel gets his satisfaction, Asia doesn’t cum, much to Herschel’s surprise. Asia tells him not to worry about it, and they both head to bed.

The next night, Herschel wants to try again, and falls on his face miserably. Asia thinks he’s putting too much pressure on himself and to not worry about it so much. Of course, this doesn’t mean much to Herschel since he probably knows that some men have been put to death for less that not being able to get it up around Asia. He decides to talk about it with the guys (Colt Steele and Ike Liksher). Ike hasn’t ever had it happen to him, but Colt has. Colt recommends that Herschel call a professional to help him deal with it. Herschel thinks it’s cheating, but eventually tries it after he can’t get it up to porno magazines.

Enter Liza Harper and Phalysha Anne, two hookers who are positive they can get Herschel to get it up. Neither of the girls really did anything for me, although they put on a pretty decent show. Throughout the scene, Herschel sits in the corner trying to coax the worm out of the ground with no success. Thankfully, he’s not as talented as Ron Jeremy and doesn’t try to make like a baby bird after the worm. He eventually gives up, throwing his money on the bed next to the girls on his way out the door.

As Herschel steps onto the sidewalk he’s almost run over by Lily White (Anita Cannibal) on a bicycle, scattering the bad of feathers Anita was carrying. He gives her a ride home and discovers Anita is into erotic art while waiting for a cup of coffee. Herschel gets aroused at all of the art Anita has and runs off, dare I say, half cocked. At home Asia comes on to Herschel, but he claims to not be interested in her at the time (I’m almost positive men have been put to death for this). Since Herschel never appears to be interested in her anymore, Asia starts to think that Herschel is cheating on her. Herschel doesn’t help things out any by leaving to go see Anita again, either.

At Anita’s he finds she has Steve Hatcher cuffed to the bed with a spanking paddle laying beside him. Herschel wants to leave, but Anita makes him stay and watch. I thought this scene was really hot. Steve has been becoming one of my favorite leading men as there’s such raw sexuality to him, kind of like Randy West probably had fifty or sixty years ago. I haven’t seen Anita in much before this, and what I have seen I’ve had a mixed reaction to. In this scene she was very hot. There’s something that feels non - threatening about her on the surface, but below that there’s a lot of raw sexuality. I’d probably like her a lot better if her breasts looked anything close to realistic, which unfortunately they don’t. Anita tries to get Herschel to join in with her and Steve, but Herschel keeps moving when she tries to get him to join in.

After Steve leaves, Herschel helps Anita was up in the tub. We don’t see anything here, but there are enough implications that you just don’t know. At home, Asia takes a few swigs of wine and then dumps the rest down the drain, leaving the empty bottle on the counter. We cut back to Herschel and Anita kissing, and fade out to come back to Herschel coming home. While he’s in the bathroom, Asia checks his clothes for any signs and puts the wine bottle on his side of the bed. The next day when Herschel is playing pool with Ike and Colt, Asia tests him again walking in wearing an animal print dress. This might have been the hottest I’ve seen Asia look with her clothes on. Unfortunately, Herschel didn’t pay her any attention despite the puddle of drool in front of both Ike and Colt. I’m starting to gain respect for Herschel as an actor during this movie. If he can’t get it up around Asia and can ignore her looking like that, he should be up (pun intended) for an Oscar. Of course, Asia isn’t happy and dumps the bowl of popcorn all over Herschel’s head.

That night Asia calls Colt for a shoulder to cry on, and the next day they meet. Asia tells Colt her suspicions and tells him she wants revenge and proceeds to get it on with Colt on the pool table. Herschel can’t say too much about it as he’s at Anita’s where she’s showing him the sexy allure of encasement with the help of Raylene and Alec Metro. Both Alec and Raylene are wrapped in colored saran wrap for most of their bodies, kind of like mummies. Anita thinks it’s incredibly erotic, although Herschel thinks it’s kind of nuts. Back home, Colt has some second thoughts about sleeping with Asia, but she persuades him with her amazing oral skills. We switch between the Raylene / Alec and the Asia / Colt scene and both are pretty good. The encasement scene was better than I thought it would be and I’m sure it will give several couples some ideas.

Herschel comes home to find Asia tipping the bottle and questions her on her drinking. Asia claims she needs something to keep her warm since he isn’t going to and gets no sympathy from Herschel. When Herschel leaves to go to Anita’s this time, Asia hides in the back of the car to see where he goes. The next day she goes over to confront Anita. Anita convinces her that nothing is happening between them and agrees to try and help. She tells Herschel when he arrives later and he and Anita go back to his and Asia’s home. When they arrive they find Asia passed out on the couch and Anita starts to make some moves on Herschel. He pushes her away, but eventually gives in and starts to bump uglies on the floor in from of Asia. Eventually they both start to work a little on the unconscious Asia. As Herschel gets more comfortable with Asia again, Anita grabs her clothes and heads for the door. Awww. A happy ending. Herschel can get it up as long as he thinks Asia is sleeping or passed out. I only hope he isn’t a mortician.

While writing this, I think I figured out what bothered me so much. It’s the lack of communication between Asia and Herschel. Unfortunately, it’s some of what makes the movie tick, but I hated the resolution having nothing to do with patching up the gaps in the marriage. Instead it felt kind of like a cop out that Herschel felt such a need for power over Asia that he was fine if he thought she was asleep or passed out. I think it would have been much better if he would have brought Asia into the new world he was discovering and the story wouldn’t have had to have been changed much at all.

After watching Always... Lily White , I read reviewer’s Review. In it he states that Adam & Eve made a little boo boo and Always... Lily White wasn’t supposed to be a Premium Collection release. The cover was sent to be printed and while it was being printed they changed their mind. I hope Adam & Eve will be putting out different covers for the later releases of Always... Lily White , but I do have to give them credit for reducing the price (which not all retailers appear to have passed on to the customer) and for releasing it with a cover with one little mistake (namely the Premium Collection heading) rather than holding the release back to get a cover that will be almost identical.

Extras: Bios, previews, photo gallery, and web access.

Single screen biographies are included for Asia Carrera, Anita Cannibal, Herschel Savage, Alec Metro, Colt Steele, Raylene, and Liza Harper. They’re a lot better than bios I’ve seen from some other companies. My only complaint about them is that they only list the star’s name and don’t include a picture of the star.

The photo gallery is manual and contains about 20 pictures. The pictures are clear and are normally the snap shot style rather than full screen shots. Unfortunately, this photo gallery seems a lot slower than photo galleries on other DVDs.

The trailers are for Caribbean Undercover and Taboo of Tarot . Unfortunately, there’s no menu for the trailers, so you go immediately into the Caribbean Undercover trailer.

Themes: Straight, lesbian, group, anal, toys, and encasement

Raincoat Factor: Medium high. There’s a lot of story here, so it doesn’t make much of a spank movie.

Overall: Currently, Always... Lily White can be found online for between $12 and $23 with only a couple stores offering it for below $15. For $15 it’s worth it, but I don’t know if I’d pay $20. The movie is pretty well done, but it does have a few flaws. It’s also short on extras.

Note to Adam & Eve: You did a good job with the bio section, but in the future, please include a picture of the stars. Also, your photo gallery seemed really slow to load and it would be nice to have a menu for the trailers. Caribbean Undercover seems to be on every one of your DVDs. After the fifth time it would be nice to skip it and watch the other trailers rather than just skipping all the trailers when you see it’s Caribbean Undercover again. These are minor problems, but should help make a better DVD if fixed.

If you have any questions or comments, please e- mail me .