Sensual Experience Review

Reviewed by Saki  on  2/9/2000

Sensual Experience (1998)
Studio: Nu Tech/Silver Star Entertainment
Directed by: Francois Clousot
Starring: Asia Carerra, Raquel Devine, Heather Hor'nay, Vanessa, Janis Jones, Vince Vouyer, and Michael J. Cox
Running Time: 1:27
Format: Double Sided, Dual Layer
DVD Features: Animated menus, full motion video chapter selection, full motion video star biographies, 20-picture animated photo gallery, 11-minute featurette "Intimate Portraits: Asia Carrera," trailers for The Price of an Education, Coming to Beverly Hills, Sensual Experience, and Sex, Lies and the President

The First Word: At first glance, this looks like a winner: An Asia Carerra movie with digital surround sound and presented in "Collectors Edition" treatment. Unfortunately, the movie looks like it was shot on a very small budget and in a real hurry, and even Asia's presence can't save it.

Plot Synopsis: A newlywed couple, Julie and Alex (Asia Carerra and Vince Vouyer) are living their dream by moving into their first home, a new house with a scenic view. After celebrating with champagne and sex, things appear to be going well. But a week later, while Julie is fetching a nightcap for Alex, she sees mysterious lights and noise coming from the living room. There, she sees the ghostly image of two women (Raquel Devine and Heather Hor'nay) making love to each other. The next morning, Julie tells her husband what she saw the night before, but he doesn't believe her. She convinces him to bring in a psychic investigator named Frank (played by Michael J. Cox), who immediately senses that ghosts are afoot. Staying the night, Frank has a close encounter with a ghostly maid (Vanessa). But when he reports his findings in the morning, he's kicked out of the house by Alex, who's mad that he's confirming Julie's sighting.

But that night, Alex himself encounters a ghost (this time, a blonde one, played by Joelani). Even though he tells Julie that it "was just a dream," the anal sex seems real enough to him that he calls Frank back. Frank explains that the ghosts aren't evil but just lonely--they want human companionship. So Frank and Alex plot to convince Julie that the ghosts shouldn't be excised from the house, by way of a movie-ending orgy between the three humans and the ghosts.

Notable Performances: Although Asia performs admirably in her sex scenes (as we've come to expect), there are two other scenes that I took notice of. The first is a quick, but hot blowjob scene between Michael J. Cox and Janis Jones. It's a throwaway scene that has no usefulness other than to increase the number of sex scenes. But it's a nice BJ nonetheless. The second scene also features Michael J. during his close encounter with Vanessa. In addition to some nice reverse cowgirl penetration shots, the combination of his rock-hard dick and her "bullseye" pubic hair pattern brings to life the old "freight train entering a tunnel" metaphor. :) Michael J. Cox is no Peter North, but he can hold his own against many other guys.

Dislikes: Unfortunately, there are a lot more things about this movie that I don't like than I do like. Aside from the weak story, worse than B-movie acting, and practically no production value, I found most of the cast to be, well, less than stimulating. Raquel, Heather, and Joelani all have had boob jobs, and it's pretty obvious that they didn't use a good plastic surgeon either. Vanessa, while all-natural, isn't the prettiest girl to begin with, but with the "ghost" makeup, she looks downright scary. The two studs in the movie aren't much better. Michael J. Cox and Vince Vouyer may be competent woodsmen, but I can't imagine anyone finding them all that handsome.

This video reminds of something from the late 80's: a movie shot with a very small cast at someone's house in one day, with only a skeleton plot serving to tie the sex scenes together. It's definitely useless as a couple's video and the sex isn't hot enough to be a stroker either. If it wasn't for Asia's starring role, this would be a throwaway video. I don't mean to suggest that it's a crappy video, but it just screams "typical porno" from start to finish.

DVD Notes: The major extra feature on this DVD is an 11-minute video interview with Asia Carerra. It reminds me of a Playboy video since there's a combination of direct interview footage and "fantasy" segments that show Asia in some softcore nudity (rolling around on a bed, in the tub, etc.) with her voice in the background. It gets a little corny at times ("I get a lot of fan mail . . . but this one's for you," she says as she starts writing on a tablet of paper) but it's one of the better profiles of Asia that I've seen. It's nice to see the effort that Nu Tech was willing to make for this DVD (this interview was shot specifically for this disc). Other than the interview, it's a rather lackluster disc--some extras, but nothing really substantial. I don't think it compares to the polished product that Sex, Lies, and the President is. Also, the audio was a bit too hollow for my tastes--at higher volumes, there's quite a bit of echo in the dialogue (but that's probably a production sound problem more than a mastering problem).

The Last Word: To use an old-world analogy, if this DVD was a VHS tape, you'd see it in your local adult bookstore in the "bargain" bin. It falls into one of the thousands of fuck videos filmed in the Valley each year who's only recognition will be an entry in the actors' filmographies. I suppose that if you're an Asia fan, it might be worth a look (especially for the bonus Asia interview on the DVD), but I can't imagine anyone listing this one as a keeper.