Nina Hartley's Guide to Seduction Review

Cast: Nina Hartley, Missy, Mickey G., Midori (with partner Michael), Aiko (with partner Dave), Ty Law.

Director: Nina Hartley

Production date: 1/97

Length: 158 min.

Extras: A three-page biography of Nina (with no option for viewers to navigate at their own pace).

Audio/visual quality: The visual quality is weak. The images are too soft, and the colors are washed out. Light levels vary noticeably when the camera angles change. There are problems with shadows, poor focus, oversaturated and insufficient lighting (both extremes) and blemishes that look like scratches in the master print. We do get a direct view of the action much of the time, however.

The audio quality is also substandard. There are persistent and annoying background sounds, as if the microphone is repeatedly bumped. Dubbing is obvious in a couple places. Several scenes contain jazz music, which is quite pleasant except for the obvious looping. The sound of one of Nina's climaxes has been edited out. Most dialog is audible, though, and the overall volume is good.

False Advertising: Nina Hartley's Guide to Seduction compiles unedited versions of her Guide to Foreplay and Guide to Private Dancing onto a single DVD. In theory, this is a great idea—the programs are highly compatible, and the double feature format is a better buy for the viewer. However, the cover makes no mention of the fact that this disc contains the exact same material as the other two guides. Customers who unwittingly purchase any combination of these DVDs will be justifiably angry when they discover the duplication.

I also take issue with the cover text, "See Nina show you step-by-step her own sensual dance moves..." In reality, instructions for specific dance steps are completely absent from this disc. These types of oversights in the packaging are inexcusable.

First impression: This is a commendable concept that stops short of its potential.

Scene highlights: The educational content comprises seven distinct sex scenes. Some have a strong instructional slant (Nina talks about the action as it occurs), while others are bonus scenes that simply display the principles at work.

In the first scene, Midori reclines in Michael's embrace while Nina pleasures her. Nina illustrates many types of tactile sensations on various body parts, including dusting, brushing, squeezing, kneading, pinching, jiggling, pulling, pressing, kissing, sucking, biting, twisting and tugging. She briefly discusses anatomy and provides much general advice ("Ask about boundaries," "Let her know you want to be there," "Pay attention to her responses," "Less is more," etc.), which is usually supported by specific examples. Michael also contributes helpful remarks in an unobtrusive way. After sufficient foreplay, Nina dons a pair of stylish pink latex gloves and uses manual stimulation and finger penetration to help Midori to an unfettered and unambiguous orgasm. Nina also offers soothing touch to Midori during a few minutes of afterplay.

Nina then applies a few of the same ideas ("Don't go too fast" and "Vary your touch") to Mickey G., with blowjob assistance from his partner Missy. Nina's demonstration is too brief and basic; she concentrates her touch on Mickey's cock and thighs, soon jerking him to a hearty ejaculation. Afterwards, Missy has a "dream" in which a veil flutters over her body while four pairs of hands lightly stroke her and sprinkle her with rose petals. This slow-paced segment accomplishes nothing for me except a slightly itchy feeling all over my skin.

Fortunately, the final Foreplay scene cures the itch. Mickey G. drives Nina home in a sporty red convertible, and they park and play in the garage. The momentum builds naturally, with lots of smiling, sweet talking, kissing and laughing. Eventually, Mickey rips open Nina's pantyhose, which she cheerfully donates to the cause. He teases her clit with a rose until she claps her hand to her mouth and squeezes her quivering legs together. They face each other in the car while they masturbate, and Mickey slides his fingers into Nina's vagina to assist her orgasm. Her handjob competently coaxes him to a climax of his own, nicely decorating her breasts in the process. They both look blissed as they plan their next date.

In the first scene of Private Dancing, Ty Law caresses a blindfolded Missy. After a little teasing, he removes the sash so she can watch him dance and strip for her. Ty gyrates his hips enticingly, and Missy settles into the couch for oral and manual stimulation. They alternate between blowjobs and missionary sex (partly in slow motion) until he ejaculates onto her tongue. The mood of the scene is wrecked by the muffled yet unending conversation of crew members in the background.

Aiko convinces Dave that they don't need to go to the movies, after all. She seduces him in their bedroom with sexy lingerie and fluid moves. Dave also dances a little for Aiko, and she provides a quiet, sensuous blowjob. The scene ends rather abruptly with a screen that reads: "What happens next? Nina says: Use your imagination!" This is cute, but it's also a bit of a shame, since Aiko and Dave are a likable couple with real chemistry. (They're also dark skinned, and her body is substantially apple-shaped, which we don't get to see every day in porn.)

Nina and Mickey join forces for some graceful and highly proficient nighttime dancing. They work their way around the edge of a pool to an indoor mattress in front of a flickering fireplace. They engage in a significant amount of playful teasing, sportive tussling and spirited kissing. They also give each other a complete tasting and make love in doggie and missionary. Mickey sprays Nina's belly with sparkling drops of spunk. Unfortunately, this scene is abominably lit, barely focused and only marginally watchable. This is a real tragedy, since Nina and Mickey are masters of flirtation. They look like they're having the time of their lives, if only we could actually see them clearly.

Thumbs up: Nina is articulate, nonjudgmental and well-informed. She models a healthy acceptance of sexuality. In short, she is an ideal teacher for this type of material, as well as a joy to watch. I like to consider myself sexually sophisticated, but I admit that I did pick up a couple new ideas from this DVD.

Midori's orgasm, which appears 100% authentic, may well be my favorite part of this disc. There's been debate at the AdultDVDTalk forum about whether it's even possible to tell an actress has climaxed. As Nina puts it, "there's no right or wrong way to have an orgasm;" i.e., they don't all look alike. In this case, Midori gets off by grinding her hips against Nina's hand while Nina simultaneously massages the G-spot. Midori also holds a vibrator above her pubic bone, but her excitement builds so quickly that she doesn't even have a chance to apply it to her clit. She closes her eyes and throws her head back. Her orgasm consists of 12 seconds of rather intense full-body contractions, accompanied by soft grunts, and followed by deep relaxation. Midori also experiences several "aftershocks" (small, spontaneous spasms) as Nina lightly touches and rubs her afterward. To my eyes, that's an awe-inspiring climax, and it's a real highlight of this DVD.

Thumbs down: Besides the false advertising and the technical issues (both of which seriously hurt the overall rating), the sexual heat is extremely uneven. The sex ratings on three scenes are worth about 4.5 stars, but the rest range between 0.5 and 2.5. Granted, this is an educational DVD. But because a few of the scenes are so well done, I'm slightly frustrated that the others fall short.

Also, a significant portion of the Private Dancing section is devoted to stretching. The attitude here is that if it feels good, it can't be wrong. Well, yes and no. Some techniques are better (and safer) than others, and as a yoga teacher, I would've liked a fuller discussion on this topic. It's pretty obvious that Mickey in particular knows how to stretch—at one point, he sinks deeply into the yoga poses called virabhadrasana ("warrior") and parsvottanasana ("pyramid"). Nina just smiles and remarks, "Ooh! See, I can't even go that low, and he's a guy." The dance instruction is similarly vague, although Nina does demonstrate some very basic hip isolation technique.

Themes: Educational (primary theme), straight, lesbian, masturbation, oral, handjob, toys (ticklers, vibrator), sensory deprivation (blindfold), facial (one only).

Condom use: None, but Nina does demonstrate the proper use of latex gloves in the first scene.

Juice-o-meter: Medium low overall, though some scenes are stronger than others.

Final analysis: Those who are interested in the fine art of seduction could do worse than this disc. In my opinion, the educational value of the Foreplay segment is significantly better than that offered by the Private Dancing segment. On the whole, it's a noble attempt that's sadly afflicted by technical problems and questionable packaging. If you can get past the poor production quality, you'll find that the information is solid, the attitude is upbeat and Nina's enthusiasm is unflagging.

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Special thanks to astroknight, reviewer extraordinaire, for his screenshots. Read his review of Nina Hartley's Guide to Seduction here.