Hidden Obsessions Review

Reviewed by Myload  on  10/19/2005

After reviewing "The Fashionistas", I decided that it was time for me to review my other favorite porno movie. "Hidden Obsessions" is an incredible presentation, and anyone who is familiar with Andrew Blake's work knows about his style of porn. He has created some of the most visually spectacular movies ever made. With this movie, he is at his best. It's an awesome showcase of cinematography and music, which makes it an incredibly beautiful movie.

The movie is about a writer (Janine Lindemulder) who is hired by a collector to write erotic stories, and each scene is a visual depiction of a particular story.

A woman (Heather Hart) comes home from work, and she is having an affair with her boss (Steve Drake). There are lots of closeups in this scene as well as soft lighting. The music is soft jazz, which fits perfectly with the action.

Janine sits by her pool while using a laptop. She then fingers herself as inspiration for her next story. This is interspersed with the story itself, which features her and another woman (Julia Ann) using an ice dildo. Not only are there really good closeup shots of them, but there is plenty of slow motion as well. This is something that Blake is known for in his movies, and it definitely works here. One great shot is the water dripping from the dildo. The music is a rare lapse into generic porn fare, but the uptempo style of this number fits the scene.

A couple (Randy West, Francesca Le) is the subject of the next story, which includes lots of pearls, The man is seen pulling a diamond bracelet out of Francisco's pussy, and then they are in the bathtub. Slow motion is plenty here, which makes the scene look romantic. The music is soft jazz, which adds to the romantic feel of the scene.

Two women (P.J. Sparxx, Kym Wilde) are underwater in a swimming pool. They way they move around, coupled with the water reflecting on their bodies, makes it look like a picture come to life. The slow motion only adds to that look. Soft jazz is playing in this scene, and it works wonders.

A man (Peter North) and his wife (Heather Hart) are sitting in a chair, and soon afterwards another woman (P.J. Sparxx) joins them. There are plenty of closeups. Soft jazz once again is the music of choice.

Janine walks into a room, and another woman (Julia Ann) appears. They watch a couple (Marc Wallace, Sunset Thomas) on a bed while caressing each other. The entire scene is in slow motion. The music is more uptempo here.

The next scene starts with two women (Skye Blue, Tracy West) fighting over a man, but this idea is rejected by the collector. Instead, the two women are doing each other, with the man in the story watching them. The music is smooth jazz, and has a sexy tone to it.

There is a woman (Celeste) in a black outfit, with a man (Woody Long) caressing her. The raindrops cascading down the screen coupled with the slow motion gives this scene an absolutely gorgeous look. Later, the couple are making love near a puddle of water, with the reflections of the water showing on their bodies. This shows Blake's attention to detail, and it simply looks incredible. The music here is more uptempo than in other scenes, but it fits the scene perfectly, especially the part with the raindrops.

Two women (Janine, Paula Price) are in an S&M-styled scenario. One spanks the other with a brush, and a riding crop is also used. There are lots of closeups in this scene. Soft jazz once again makes up the music.

This next scene takes place on a boat. First we see a woman (Diedre Holland) standing on the deck. Then she is joined by her man (Jon Dough). There is also a few shots of the water. Great outdoor scene, with lots of slow motion. The music is smooth jazz, and has a sexy tone to it.

Next is a scene that takes place in the 1930s. A woman (Melanie Moore) is on a bed, then she is shown with some man (Randy West). This scene is mostly in slow motion. The music sounds like it's from that era.

The following scene is simply a woman (Jami Dion) posing for the camera, with the entire scene in slow motion. This is one the best scenes in the entire movie, but not because of what you see. It's definitely the music that makes the scene. The song that's playing has an absolutely beautiful melody and singing, and is one of the most defining moments of the movie. I bet that if it had been released as a single, it would have been a hit.

The next scene is the collector's fantasy, which is an orgy with all of his favorite women (Janine, P.J. Sparxx, Heather Hart, and others). There is some great camera work here, as it moves around to show everyone. The music is a soft jazz number with vocals (though no actual words). Like the song in the previous scene, it helps capture the beauty of the movie.

The next scene takes place in an airplane. A passenger (Marissa Malibu) and the pilot (Peter North) have sex in the back of the plane, but this simply turns out to be the passenger's fantasy. The scene is mostly in slow motion. The music is uptempo here, and it goes perfectly with the scene.

The next scene is about two spies (Dominique Simone, Marc Wallace). This scene is in black-and-white (actually more brownish in color), which gives it an interesting look. The music, however, is nothing but filler. It's the only miss in that department.

Two women (Janine, Kym Wilde) put on a sex show for some man. There is really good lighting in this scene. The music is a jazzy uptempo number.

Janine decides to put her writing on hold so she can live out her fantasies. She is seen masturbating. The music returns to the soft jazz style that is used in most of the movie.

As the ending credits roll, Janine has a threesome with two other women (Heather Hart and Laurel Canyon) by a swimming pool. It's possibly one of Janine's fantasies. This is a good outdoor scene. The music is a smooth jazz number. The movie has now officially come to an end.

When I first saw "Hidden Obsessions" a decade ago, I was totally blown away. I truly saw what porn could be. Andrew Blake showed that porn can be classy and stylish. Also, I finally saw a porno movie that has great audio and video quality, something I never thought I would see. The audio and video quality is as good as any mainstream movie. And that was from a videotape, with the sound coming from a TV speaker. The movie looks and sounds even better on DVD and with the sound coming from a stereo. The digital transfer is excellent. This is one movie that definitely benefits from the DVD format.

Since this is a porno film, I can't ignore the sex. The sex in the movie is definitely on the tame side, but it fits the soft style that Blake's movies are known for. I also like it that for the most part the music is the only audio, because not only does it fit Blake's style of movies, it's as important as the visual aspect, so more focus is placed on it.

Sadly, the extras are minimal. There is only a photo gallery. I wish the DVD had at least a commentary track and a behind-the-scenes feature. I would love to get more insight on the making of this movie. But I'm not complaining that much, since it's the main feature that counts.

"Hidden Obsessions" is a true cinematic masterpiece, and every movie fan should see it.