Hustler Platinum: Brazilian Snake Review

Distributor: Hustler Video Edition Details: Standard DVD MSRP: $39.95 DVD Release Date: January 2002 Movie Specs: Genres: Feature Film, Thriller, Foreign (European) Run Time: 174 minutes Rated: XXX Release Year: 2001 Director: Pierre Woodman Written by: Vincent Winner (original screenplay), Pierre Woodman (written by) Director of Photography: Pierre Woodman Cast: Angelina Sweet, Yasmyne Fitzgerald (as Yasmyne), Lauren Kiss, Monica Sweet, Anita Too, Bambie Dolce (as Bambie), Sylvia, Sue Diamond (as Adrianna), Judith Fox, Petra Short, Sunny Blue, Fabiana (as Alma Dragon), Asian Shan, Barbarella, Corina Cley (as Coreena), Alain Deloin, Pascal St. James, Sebastien Barrio, James Brossman, Titof, Ian Scott, Bob Terminator, Shara McDowell, Carlos Bazuca, Thaib Dos Santos, Jair Sasilva, Ralf Vulis, Jose Motta, M. Carneiro Sales, Gilson Coelho, Sandre Barreto, Julio Cesar Tavares, Luiz de Carvalho, Antonio Pereira, Geane Almeida, Christiano Concalves, Everson Da Silva Release Specs: Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (dubbed) Subtitles: none Video: Full Frame, 1.33:1 Video Format: NTSC Format: DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 1 Disc: DVD 9 (SS, DL) Special Features: Slide Show, Interview, Previews DVD-ROM Special Features: none

Synopsis:
In scenic Rio de Janeiro, a serial killer known as the Brazilian Snake is on the loose killing girls with green eyes and leaving slashes on their foreheads in the shape of a 'V'. The police are trying to hunt down the killer before the public finds out about his atrocious crimes.

Video/Audio:
Brazilian Snake is presented in the full screen, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which appears to be the original aspect ratio for the film. The picture is crisp and clear with no artifacts or blemishes any where to be seen. The colors are perfect with dark blacks and accurate flesh tones. In a few places there appeared to be very minor haloing around some objects, but you have to look close to see it.

The available audio track is an English 2.0 Stereo track that has been completely dubbed. The dubbing is decent and better than I have seen in the past on other discs, but it is still very obvious that the disc has been dubbed. Some of the voice talents are good and use emotion, but a few are still very poor and are just reading their lines straight. The audio track is well done with nice deep bass and the dialog is always clear and easy to hear. No other language tracks and no subtitle options are available.

Chapters/Time Code:
There are seven chapters available from the main menu for Brazilian Snake. Each of them is identified by a video clip and a name for the scene. For each chapter selection there is also five to six sub chapters which are identified by a video clip and with the sex act performed or by being a plot portion. This chapter system makes for very easy navigation of the disc allowing the viewer to get anywhere they want on the disc quickly and efficiently. There is a time code for the feature film, so time searching is available.

Special Features:
Hustler has released this disc with rather scant extras of which only one of them actually relates to the feature film. That one being the Slide Show which contains 20 stills from the film on a track. The Interview is with Pierre Woodman and the focus isn't on the Brazilian Snake series but on Pierre's other films for Hustler and Pierre himself. There are Previews for Asian Fever, Barely Legal, Pornovision, Ghetto Booty, Mr. Beaver, and Hot Showers. There is also an advert for Hustler's internet presence.

Review:
The first thing I have to comment on is the forced adverts at the beginning of the disc. There are two of them where going to the menu, skipping chapters and fast forward has been disabled that you have to watch before you can view the film. I personally hate this practice and feel that it detracts from the disc.

The story is well written and keeps the viewer interested throughout the film. Viewers who care about a plot will probably want to purchase this title with Brazilian Snake 2 as the story stops at the end of the film and continues on in the second part. The dialog is decent but at certain points becomes very cheesy — then again this is an adult film. Often the sex scenes even fit into the story, but a few of them feel forced in just for the sake of having another sex scene.

The cast is good looking on both sides, male and female, which makes for an all around enjoyable film. During the sex scenes all participants appear to be having a good time and interact well with each other. The cast, for the most part, even does a good job with the plot material and don't appear to be in over their heads while trying to act, which definitely works in favor of the film.

The sex scenes are well done and more realistic than what is often portrayed in adult films. In some scenes where appropriate cloths are kept on longer than usual when the situation warrants it. Unfortunately, this film still suffers from the clothing-be-gone porno miracle where suddenly all of the people's cloths miraculously disappear. Some of the sex acts in the film fit the scenes better than they do in the average adult film. When the situation doesn't warrant it, an act isn't performed breaking the formulaic style that most adult films sink down to. For instance, in the first sexual encounter in the film where the prostitute is involved, there is no pussy eating performed as the scene is the male perspective.

The sex in the film is probably harder than what most couples audiences are looking for but soft enough that viewers who require incredibly nasty sex will probably be disappointed. The sexual themes in the film are oral, vaginal and anal sex with DP, lesbianism, fingering, rimming (female to female), anal fingering and female masturbation. For viewers who care about such things, condoms are used in some scenes but not in others.

The movie is nicely filmed with good shots that capture the beauty of Rio. The exterior locations are chosen well and add to the feel and mood of the film. The interior locations are a different story however. Most of them are very lacking and detract slightly from the film. The interior sets are under dressed and the empty look makes the sets appear to be very hastily put together. If this had been a lesser film, it wouldn't have bothered me this much, but since work went into the other angles, this problem sticks out like a sore thumb. The make up in the film is well done with realistic looking bruises and decent blood work. The deep pumping music that is used in the film adds to the film giving it a tropical beat.

The Money Shot:
Brazilian Snake is a well-done plot based adult film that should please fans of harder sex. Viewers who like really nasty sex, couples viewers who hate dubbing and viewers who hate a plot mixed in with their erotica should pass on this film. Viewers who follow the plot might want to buy this as the boxed set that is also available as the story doesn't get finished in this film so they'll have to buy the sequel as well.

Screenshots:

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