Cape Fear XXX Review

Reviewed by ColleensDragon  on  10/23/2014

Cape Fear
starring:
Bonnie Rotten
Chanel Preston
Jodi Taylor
Luna Star
Alec Knight
Tommy Pistol
Evan Stone
Jack Spade

Dreamzone is “king” of the adult entertainment parodies. They have another solid entry in the dramatic parody arena with Cape Fear XXX. This dramatic parody follows the story viewers of the original mainstream release will be familiar with but with a few interesting twists. In the interest of not giving away “Spoilers, sweetie” (total whovian, here ;-) ) I will not review this movie in a scene by scene or detailed plot point way.

Instead I'll break it down like this:

Cape Fear XXX is the directorial debut for Bonnie Rotten who also stars in the film. As the director Ms Rotten keeps a consistent undercurrent of tension throughout the movie. I enjoyed the sharp but subtle gender role reversals prevalent in this parody, particularly the moment when Samantha and Lee believe there is an intruder on the lawn and arm themselves to face the intruder. Parodies can go too broad but Ms Rotten keeps this one tightly under control.

The Cast:
(in order of appearance)

All of the leading actors in Cape Fear XXX have turned in performances that feel low key on the surface while maintaining an undercurrent of unbroken, dark tension. None of the actors 'break character' during their sex scenes which makes this film a complete package in a way that many adult entertainment movies aren't today.

Bonnie Rotten plays the lead role of Maxine Cady who has just been released from prison and is looking for some payback. Ms Rotten has perfected a slow, Southern drawl for this role. Her performance, like all of the major performances in this film, is understated yet razor sharp. Every line of dialogue & action of Max Cady compels the viewer to keep watching in anticipation of when the other shoe is going to drop, as it were.

Chanel Preston as Samantha adeptly balances portraying a woman who is fierce and in control yet worried for the safety of her family to the point of making questionable decisions. A loving wife, but one who has not been perfect & still flirts with repeating past mistakes. A caring mother who nevertheless struggles with parenting a college age daughter during a stressful situation.

Alec Knight gives us a multi-layered Lee, husband to Samantha. From the beginning, we see that Lee is a solid, loving husband. Over the course of the film we see him follow his wife's strong lead in several situations. We eventually learn that Lee has actually been somewhat long suffering in his marriage but is still committed to it. Mr Knight does this in a way that shows Lee as a strong man who seems to prefer a more peaceful way without making Lee seem like a wimp. Mr Knight's Lee is comfortable enough in himself to know what arenas his wife is stronger in and secure enough to let her take the lead in those areas. The comfortable rapport between Mr Knight's Lee and Ms Preston's Samantha provides the foundational relationship that the story needs in order for the viewer to care about whether the threat presented by Max Cady matters and whose side we should be on.

Tommy Pistol is Samantha's friend Larry. Tommy Pistol is, quite simply, the best actor in adult entertainment and one of the best actors in any genre, today. In the scene with Samantha, Larry is playfully flirtatious in a very sexy way. His smile lights up the room. If Mr Pistol could bottle the charisma he pours out in this scene he would be rich beyond imagining. The interaction between Ms Preston & Mr Pistol lays the foundation for later plot turns in a fun to watch way that doesn't belabor the points. The scene where Larry meets Max is my favorite in the movie. One of the most difficult roles to portray is a drunk person. It's easy to give a performance so broad it turns from a character into a caricature. Mr Pistol handles this role with a master's touch giving us a completely believable, drunk Larry who shows us his bemusement & vulnerability in a way that makes the viewer empathetic of what could have been a very unlikable man. The sex scene between Ms Rotten & Mr Pistol is positively electric. The energy & drive in the sex between these two was undeniable and they seemed so very into what they were doing that even watching something I don't normally enjoy (spit play) was pretty hot.

Jodi Taylor is Dani, daughter of Samantha and Lee. Ms Taylor is spot on as a college pre-frosh. Ms Taylor gives us a Dani who is equal parts post teenage rebellion and ingenue. The scene between Dani and Max is utterly captivating. It is intriguing, has a very 'sweet' feel to it, yet never lets the viewer sit back from the edge of their seat wondering what's going to happen next.

Evan Stone is Claude. A 'problem solver' whom Samantha calls on when the situation with Cady not only persists but escalates. Mr Stone is always a pleasure to watch since he is a consummate actor first and foremost as well as equally gifted at drama and comedy. In one of the transitional scenes there is even a cute moment with a teddy bear. Mr Stone's Claude oozes confidence. There is a brief scene with Mr Stone and Luna Star as Graciano, the maid. They are standing in the washroom looking into the mirror. After seeing this scene I respectfully requested the Merriam Webster Dictionary folks add Mr Stone's picture next to the definition for “cock sure”. Like they say, “It isn't bragging if it's true.”.

The Sex:

All of the sex scenes are very solidly done. I think most of the sex would appeal to the average female viewer as well as couples, not just men. All of the actors and actresses stay completely in character while performing the sex scenes. One constant criticism from female viewers is that movies don't give as much 'face time' to actors as actresses. I suppose the idea is that it's mostly men paying to see porn (I believe this is untrue) so they is the demographic catered to. Cape Fear is pretty good at giving face time and great shots of the actors during the sex. When it comes to the actors and actresses talking during the scenes Cape Fear is better than average. The audience gets to hear both the actors and actresses giving good talk and it is hot! The sex doesn't have that rushed feeling a lot of movies do now. We get to see a variety of positions and acts (as expected) in a way that doesn't feel like there was a “fuck checklist” for the actors to make sure they crossed each item off as quickly as possible. Two of the sex scenes stood out for me. The scene between Ms Rotten & Mr Pistol felt like they were completely into it which made it that much more exciting to watch. The scene between Ms Rotten and Ms Taylor was completely believable and titillating to watch.

I admit I had reservations about seeing this movie. The mainstream version was not a favorite of mine. Parodies are not meant to be carbon copies of the original films. At their best they offer a fresh, sex infused take on a great story. However, the idea that the lead roles were reworked to be women's roles concerned me. I was afraid that there had been focus on changing the story simply for the sake of change. I was pleased to find out my concern was unfounded. The changes that have been implemented have given an older mainstream movie a fresh, sex infused take on a good story. The changes make sense and work in the context of the whole picture. The acting is very good. The sex solid, well done and hot. There has already been a lot of buzz about this film. It will undoubtedly be a serious contender this coming award season. Cape Fear XXX is an impressive directorial debut for Bonnie Rotten.

The DVD comes in a double sized, glossy box covered in the usual pictures and blurbs. Inside is a typical DVD case. The artwork on the box, DVD case and the DVD it's self is first rate. The DVD comes with some extras like a preview of another classic DreamZone Parody, Welcome Back Kotter XXX (which we also see a clip of during the movie, keep your eyes peeled!) as well as a glam photo gallery of the actresses only. Cape Fear XXX is definitely worth renting. It's a movie I think is worth watching again so I would even recommend buying it.