Sex Safari Review

Reviewed by Principal Skinner  on  10/15/2000

I have to admit that when Stephanie Swift first came onto the blue movie scene, I was not much of a fan. There was no doubt that she's cute as hell, and since I have a special effection for raven-haired brunettes, Ms. Swift should have been placed high on my list of new favorites...But for some reason, I chose to overlook her many porn appearances while searching for titles starring Inari Vachs or Tera Patrick; I just wasn't that interested.

However, thanks to the good people at Wicked and Adult DVD Talk, I have now jumped on the bandwagon (as I recently have done with Jenna Jameson based on her appearance in UP AND CUMMERS #11 --- better late than never) and have become a Stephanie Swift devotee with SEX SAFARI, a star vehicle which shows this sexy thing at her best. Of course, the overwhelming use of rubbers in all the "poking the whiskers" scenes can be a bit intrusive in a porn fantasy, but what the hell...this DVD is a digital wet dream for any fan of hers. Although the premise has been done to death, and then some, SEX SAFARI follows Ms. Swift on a journey to various continents and countries for her to get an international sample of sex practices in different cultures. Naturally, the theme of each scene plays up the general stereotypes one expects to see in porn films, but director Brad Armstrong cleverly makes this films a World War II-era period piece, and the cliches never really go over the top.

Flying all over the world (in black and white footage), Stephanie is joined by co-pilot Randy West (who of course has turn with her at the end of the movie) on a colorful (literally and figuratively) trip which takes her to Africa, Spain, England, Asia, Egypt and Russia and finally back home (presumably the United States). Our adventurous star appears in each of seven very good to excellent sex scenes, and is joined by several female co-stars along the way. With each visit to a new and exotic land (which is more than likely various locations in Southern California). She hooks up with a pseudo-Tarzan jungle man; teams up with Jill Kelly and a very WASP-ish looking matador (played by the director himself who doesn't seem to mind flaunting his casting couch before the cameras); throws herself into another threesome with two Buckingham Palace guards; explores her Asian heritage with Mia Smiles; participates in an Egyptian mini-orgy with Inari Vachs, Sterling and two other guys; and then gets dirty in the Gulag with Jessica Jewel and another commie stud.

What is amazing about this video is that the viewer never gets tired of watching Stephanie in action even though she appears in every scene! Even with popular performers like the superb Inari Vachs and the overrated Jill Kelly appearing in this video's many threesomes, Stephanie manages to outshine them all. Because of the different settings, the viewer gets a chance to see her in different outfits and fashions, all of which display Ms. Swift at her sexiest. My personal favorite was seeing her wrapped up in tight dress designed out of the British flag, as she strutted around in white, Nancy Sinatra-ish boots, and looking more appealing than any Spice Girl (remember them?) could ever hope. When she kneels down to deliver her always enthusiastic blowjobs to each guy, it's a sight to behold. Naturally, then can't help but break their deviate from their stoic duties and give Stephanie the kind of attentions she needs. Her scene with Mia Smiles is nice eye-candy, but the girl-girl scenes in most Asian- inspired videos always involve the same demure scenario. It would have been more interesting to see Stephanie dressed as a ninja-type and engage in more physical behavior.

Even though facials and oral cumshot have become rarefied in today's porn, Stephanie does not shy away from a post-cum blowjob, nor is she adverse to having the male orgasm spill on her pretty little mug. Fans of anal sex will have a satisfying number of scenes to like in this video, although you will have to ignore the rubbers which rear their latex head throughout.

Director Armstrong clearly has made good use of every penny in his budget; the production design, costumes and "special effects" give SEX SAFARI a classy, upper-echelon work which, while not in the same class as an Andrew Blake film or as a title from Private Video, makes the film worth watching repeatedly. Like most Wicked DVDs, this title has some entertaining extras including a "behind the scenes" featurette which really isn't a documentary per se, but a random collection of extra footage which showcase Stephanie on the set of her film. The photo gallery is like anything else, and the promotional items for Wicked are just okay.

I have to give credit where credit is due to Wicked Pictures. Instead of making a full blown movie with new, inspired vignettes, it would have been far easier for them to simply gather a collection of Stephanie scenes and release it as an unmarked compilation video. Instead, Wicked has turned out a winner of a project and has given her fans a new DVD to call their favorite. Good job, Wicked!