Hard Bound Review

Reviewed by YogaGrrl  on  12/23/2001

Cast: Nina Hartley, T.J. Hart, Tina Tyler, Dale DaBone, James Bonn (and Edith the Iguana, in a non-sex role)

Director: Bob Chinn

Production date: 5/30/99

Length: 81 min.

Extras: four biographies, 17-photo slide show, 19 min. of previews (and a static scene selection menu, although box says "full motion")

Audio/visual quality: A narrow artifact appears along the lower edge of the screen, but is fairly easy to ignore. Light levels vary noticeably at the beginning, probably due to changing cloud cover during different portions of the dialog. Otherwise, visual quality is quite good. Sound levels are low, though not overly so. Audio has good clarity. (Great sex sounds; no dubbing!) Music is gentle, upbeat and unobtrusive.

Why I chose this DVD: I was intrigued by the scenario of an older woman with a younger man. Nina Hartley is 40 here, and Dale DaBone is 27.

First impression: It's a slow simmer, yet surprisingly sexy. A strong script, amusing banter and sight gags add to the entertainment.

Thumbs up: You know this is going to be a romantic flick when the first sex scene takes place in a bed. Veronica (T.J. Hart) starts her 27th birthday celebration at home, with a little help from girlfriend Andy (Tina Tyler). The action is all oral, but the performers' enthusiasm keeps it fresh. Ronnie squeals when Andy briefly nibbles on her toe. Andy exclaims, "Oh, yay!" when it's her turn to receive. The scene includes an Adam & Eve product placement that would normally annoy me, but it's overdone to the point of humor. (And really, who doesn't enjoy looking at sex toy catalogs on their birthday?)

Meanwhile, Veronica's older sister Annalise (Nina Hartley) is stranded on her way to the birthday party. She's got car trouble, and when rescuer Billy (Dale DaBone) stops to help, his pickup dies as well. She's frustrated and verbally abusive, but they soon set off on foot for the nearest town. The amazing thing is that they don't immediately jump into sex; they actually get to know each other first.

Annalise fantasizes that she's back in her studio, shooting nude portraits of Billy ("Bedroom eyes!" she tells her model). She proceeds to give him one of the best blow jobs I've ever seen. He finishes himself with 20 seconds of hand work, but there's no cutaway shot--she really takes him right up to the edge, and then welcomes the facial.

Billy's fantasy must carry him to the deep recesses of his consciousness, because the set here is draped in black. As in the previous scene, it's all oral, with no position changes. Sounds dull, except that I nearly faint when he goes down on Annalise and looks at her with those blue "bedroom eyes." She knows all the right words to encourage him, and her orgasm appears to be real.

Back at Veronica's house, Annalise's blind date has arrived. Veronica pretends to be Annalise so she can keep Jason (James Bonn) all to herself. She doesn't waste any time--
Veronica: "If you don't cut to the chase, you waste a lot of gas."
Jason: "Gas is expensive."
Veronica: "Talk is cheap!" (and she tackles him...)
This is the first scene to include vaginal intercourse. Andy is hilarious here; she walks in, initially protests, then feigns nonchalance (while munching on a chicken drumstick), masturbates through her clothes, and finally helps Veronica out with a little pink vibrator (looks like a Natural Contours petite).

In the fifth and final scene, Annalise and Billy finally get together, in an abandoned shed. There's kissing, foreplay...we even get to see them undress! The performers really seem to be having fun here. Condom use is cleverly incorporated into the script. There are well-focused close-ups of the vaginal intercourse for those of us who need and appreciate that.

This movie is ideal for women with body issues. I mean that in the nicest possible way. Although Nina is fit and healthy (there's a glimpse of her bicep in the fifth scene), she does wear fine lines on her face and cellulite on her thighs and well-rounded derriere. (No offense, Nina, 'cuz my cellulite was already visible when I was 28 years old and my overall bodyfat was 15 percent.) Whether or not you choose to regard wrinkles and cellulite as aesthetic flaws, Nina more than compensates through her self-assured manner and very sexy voice. (You go, grrl! You're my role model.) Tina and T.J. are also pretty, each in their own way, but they're somewhat older than your typical porn bunnies and not at all intimidating.

Thumbs down: I wish this production had a larger budget. (The fact that the cast's only extra is a lizard should probably tell you something.) Some dialog is hammed; I'm wondering if there wasn't much time for rehearsal. The set for Veronica's living room struck me as exceptionally tacky. A more polished package, along with additional scenes or extras, might have raised the overall rating to a 4.5.

A minor gripe: the plot falters at one point near the beginning, when a storm approaches and Billy and Annalise decide to take off on their trek through the woods. Presumably you don't have to pass high school physics to know that the car is a better place to be when there's electricity in the air. The ending's a bit of a bummer, too.

Themes: Oral, lesbian, toys (one vibrator only), facials (one only).

Juice-o-meter: For maximum juice, sit through the entire feature and let the momentum build.

Final analysis: This unassuming little couples' movie offers great chemistry and lots of oral. It's a worthwhile addition to any well-rounded DVD library.


YogaGrrl's e-mail is here.