Private Gold 53: Center Of Sex Review

Center of Sex
Private
Directed by Antonio Adamo
Starring: Bridgette Kerkove, Felecia, Nikita Denise, Samantha Sterling, Sophie Evans, Syren, Toni Ribas, Mark Davis, Erik Everhard, Pat Myne, Joey Ray
Running time: 1hr 38mins

Antonio Adamo directs this slick but flimsy tale of Bruce and Diana, a couple (played by the real-life pairing of Toni Ribas and Sophie Evans) who come to Los Angeles to further the husband's fledgling career as a porn scriptwriter.

After their arrival at a familiar beautiful house, they meet Nick (Mark Davis) a porn director who invites Toni (to ease my confusion, I'll stick to actors' rather than characters' names - Mark even calls "Bruce" Toni at one point during the movie!) to the set of his latest "big budget" movie. Turning down sex with his good lady wife, who clearly had her eye on Mark, Toni arrives on the set next day. No wonder he's surprised at that "big budget" tag; Mark's production looks like a cheap off-cut from Virtualia.

On with the shoot, which provides the first sex scene. Heavily made up in outlandish face paint that does nothing to flatter her, Samantha Sterling copulates with Joey with attendant verbal proclamations of high excitement, but the film-within-a-film setting makes it seem doubly artificial. Aside from the way she takes his cock in her mouth, there's very little thrill about it. Frankly, it's hard to believe I'm watching sex like this in a Private movie. They go at it till his come streaks the busty American actress' throat and ample tits.

To help Toni get more idea about what's needed in his scripts, Mark arranges for Toni to join him in the company of another porn actress (Nikita Denise). The sultry, raven-haired temptress eagerly plants herself in Toni's lap. His initial reluctance is indecently brief (Wife? What wife?) before he fingers her and she seeks out and swallows down his cock. After Mark offers his cock for similar attention, she sucks him as Toni bangs her. The chaps exchange roles, Mark slapping her bum as she rides him keenly, and then she roars as Toni completes the DP. A little reverse cowgirl anal leads on to another DP and ultimately the lads deposit thick loads on her curling tongue. There's a wicked glint in her icy blue eyes - Nikita is hardly my dream girl but an accomplished performer nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Sophie occupies herself by taking their car to a garage, ostensibly for repair, but clearly she'd rather get her hands inside grease monkey Erik Everhard's overalls. He doesn't say no. Her skimpy black clothes are shed, they exchange oral, Erik bangs her standing up, and then she slides down onto his jackhammer cock, taking it vaginally and anally. Some raw anal action ensues before Erik's come trickles over her tongue.

Later that evening, there's some tension in the air as Sophie suspiciously quizzes Toni over his plans to keep visiting the porn movie set to gain "inspiration". Speaking of which, we return to Mark's movie (I'd hoped to avoid more of this, but unfortunately not) where we see how Bridgette Kerkove really does come out of a mould! Or so it seems as she emerges from the scenery on this "sci-fi" set. Sorry, but I find it hard to imagine this overly altered blonde is the stuff of anyone's fantasy. The close-ups of her collagen-stuffed lips sliding over Pat's cock do not help her. I run away screaming from the TV, as she looks "seductively" into the camera. Why, Bridgette, why? Lots of uninvolving anal sex happens on my return, and then she emotionlessly instructs Pat to come on her mouth. He misses, from 1mm range. It's that kind of scene.

Afterwards, for some inexplicable reason, Toni asks to meet Jennifer (Bridgette) and arranges a date for another day. Oh no, does that mean more of her? I am afraid so. Mark doesn't think Toni can hold out till their meeting, so he arranges a surprise.

Straight into the next scene, which I guess is the surprise; dusky girl-girl star Felecia already has her legs spread while sexy Asian girl Syren slicks Felecia's slot with saliva. While Toni reaches into her "whale net" style fishnet tights, Syren uses a dildo on Felecia, slapping her clit to bring her to heights of unimaginable ecstasy. Then she slides a silver bullet vibrator into Felecia's ass. Felecia continues anally fucking herself while intently watching Syren give Toni some wet oral, then take his come on her chin, throat and tits. Quite a pleasant little scene, but though Felecia still looks very good, would it be impolite of me to suggest the lady is not 19 as the cast notes suggest, nor has she been 19 for quite some time?

By now Sophie's character is wondering if what he sees on set isn't turning Toni on. He assures her it's all strictly professional, but after another cold shoulder in bed that night, and Toni arranging to meet Jennifer, Sophie goes to the set with Mark to see for herself. Spinning her a line about becoming an actress, Mark moves in for the kill and soon is feasting on the receptive Sophie's boobs and pussy, fingering her ass too. She swallows his cock to the hilt. From spoons to reverse cowgirl, there's a little bit of energy from both parties. Sophie nearly laughs as she says, "Your cock is so big!" It seems like she can't take this sort of nonsense seriously either. Whatever the truth of this, her bum is filled as she moves her hips on Mark's prick. Mark stuffs her ass in doggy and comes on her face. She sucks him wickedly.

I'll say this for Sophie - though her facial appearance hasn't quite clicked with me, in terms of her physique, her performance and natural sexiness, her star quality is undeniable. Which makes it all the more incredible that Ribas' character should turn her down in favour of someone looking like Bridgette Kerkove. But here they are together. At least Bridgette's bum is still her own (I think) and is easy enough on the eye as Toni plumbs her depths with fingers and tongue. I'll refrain from further comment on Bridgette's looks because it will only involve needless cruelty. Her eyes are nice, though. Toni lifts her and bounces her on his cock, bangs his dick up her hard and ends up urging her to ride herself silly with his prick stuck deep in her ass. She strokes him off into her mouth.

I won't disclose the ending, not that it's much of a finale anyway, but I can only say that it's a down note and quite unsatisfying.

Overall
Center of Sex is a real missed opportunity. Would it be expecting too much to have Sophie and Toni use their own experience as a real-life couple in the porn business to bring some genuine passion to the drama? Sophie Evans herself has commented that jealousy is only natural in this situation. One has to take into account the limitations of the cast's acting skills (Mark Davis aside), but there's little impression given of the jealousies inherent in the lifestyle. No one really gets hot under the collar about the conflicts between on and off screen sex lives, and instead they shrug, mutter excuses about being professional and happily wander into the next encounter. The potentially interesting basis for the story becomes a flaccid, flimsy yarn. In the end it's another lightly plotted porno soap opera.

But then that's all down to me taking the plot even halfway seriously, silly boy. It's a porn film; isn't it really meant to be about sex? I'm afraid it's none too impressive on that level either. With the exceptions of Evans, Ribas and Davis, much of the sex is even more stilted than is usual for Antonio Adamo; the female US-based performers really don't help on that score (Nikita Denise perhaps excepted).

Following from this, Center Of Sex lacks the ample visual compensation Adamo usually provides for the sexual shortcomings (by which I mean that the sex is explicit enough, but that x-factor - chemistry, heat, passion, call it what you will - is absent). A modicum of Adamo's visual polish has been applied, but the camerawork is surprisingly deficient at times, and those cheap sci-fi sets and garish make up are just horrible. All in all, it smacks of a contrived attempt to create a Private product especially for the US market - not that it needs another contrived porn movie. Center Of Sex? Not even close.

DVD Comments
Good picture quality, good sound, just as you should expect from Private. No issues there, but extras fans will be disappointed with the lack of any report or additional footage. There are photos, cast and production notes, oodles of language and subtitle options and a DVD-Rom feature with catalogue and pictures. There are also trailers: for this movie and five others.

One side note - the closing credits cite Antonio Adamo as the scriptwriter. Then a few seconds later, additional titles name the ubiquitous Barbara Brown as writer (credits on recent DVD reissues of some older Private titles attempt suggest she was the writer of virtually every Private movie ever, except for where Pierre Woodman's name is so prominently displayed). So what gives? Who is Barbara Brown? Can't Private let people take credit for their own work? Let's face it; if Adamo wants to take credit for this movie, Private should let him have it…