Spa, The (Wicked) Review

Distributor: Wicked Pictures Edition Details: Standard DVD Movie Specs: Genres: Feature Film, Drama Run Time: 76 minutes Rated: XXX Release Year: 2000 Director: Bob Chinn Written by: Deborah Sullivan Director of Photography: Will Lee Cast: Stephanie Swift, Tina Cheri, Temptress, Devinn Lane, Regan Starr, Gauge, Alexxxis Tyler, Erik Everhard, Brick Majors, Devin Wolf, Dale DaBone, Billy Glide Release Specs: Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo 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: All Access - The Making of The Spa, Star Galleries, Audio Bios, Promotional Material, Photo Gallery, AVN Awards - Winners and Nominations, Company Profile, Trailers DVD-ROM Special Features: Wicked Casino, Wicked Web Hyperlink

Synopsis:
In a soap opera style plot we see the goings on at a spa where the definition of the word monogamy is unknown posing as a plot.

Video/Audio:
The Spa is presented in the full screen aspect ratio, 1.33:1, which appears to be the original aspect ratio for the film. The picture is sharp and clear with no blemishes or artifacts present. The color levels are set right.

The available audio track is a 2.0 English Stereo mix which is more than adequate for the film. There are no audio special effects and the music is unspectacular so there is no need for a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround track, the film would have probably been fine with just a straight mono track. The dialog can be heard at all times over the sound of the music. There are no other language tracks available and no subtitle options.

Chapters/Time Code:
There are seven chapters available from the main menus for The Spa. Each one is identified with a short descriptive title and a short video clip from the scene. The chapters are decent for good navigation through the disc and you can identify the chapter stops in the film easily. There is a time code for this feature, so time searching is available.

Special Features:
As per their usual, Wicked has packed this disc with extras, some specific to the feature film and some the usual Wicked extra features. First up are the feature film specific extras. All Access - The Making of The Spa is an interesting 16 minute feature about, bet you can see this coming, the making of the feature film. There are five star biographies, each featuring pictures, text info, audio info and a Wicked filmography, for Stephanie Swift, Temptress, Devinn Lane, Tina Cheri, and Devin Wolf. There are five star photo galleries, each containing 20 photos on a track, for Stephanie Swift, Temptress, Devinn Lane, Regan Starr, and Tina Cheri. The Photo Gallery contains 20 photos on a track from the feature film.

Now we come to the standard Wicked DVD fare. AVN Awards - Winners and Nominations is a text feature on a track that lists the AVN Award nominations for Wicked Pictures followed by the winners for that year for the years 1994 through 2001. Company Profile is a text feature on a track that tells the history of Wicked Pictures. Promotional Material is the adult expo reels from 1998 through 2000 and the Wicked Essential Elements reel. Available trailers are for Hell on Heels, Knockout, Dream Quest, Sex Safari, Working Girl, Pornogothic, The Bride of Double Feature!, The Kissing Game, Vengeance, Satyr, Double Feature!, and Flashpoint. And an unadvertised spam feature is an advert for the Free Speech Coalition.

DVD-ROM Special Features:
The DVD-ROM extras for The Spa are Wicked Casino and Wicked Web Hyperlink. As I don't have a DVD-ROM drive, no additional information on these features is available.

Review:
The Spa is a somewhat disappointing release from Wicked and Bob Chinn. To begin with, the plot for The Spa is bad. I'm usually a fan of Bob Chinn's work, but very little effort appears to have gone into the story and even less effort into making it any where near believable. Not that the plot of most porn is great, but this is well below average. So the plot here ends up being completely throwaway fast forward fodder.

The cast, on average, is attractive with one female exception which did nothing for my eyes, let alone my groin. The sex scenes are fun and filmed in typical Bob Chinn style. The scenes have some variety to them with themes of oral, vaginal and lesbian sex. The scenes are tame and should be good viewing material for couples. Most of the sex scenes are intercut with one other that is going on at the same time, which some viewers may not like.

The acting in the film is as bad as the plot. The sets are decent although there is some ridiculous set work. The worst offender would be the back room of the hair salon. The rest of the sets look nice though.

The Money Shot:
Although The Spa is not an awful film, it is also not a great film. If you are a hardened fan of the director, cast or film itself, you'll probably want to pick this title up. If you are not, this is a good one to pass up purchasing, although you might want to think about giving it a rental. The Spa should be enjoyed most by couples and viewers that like a plot with their porn. Viewers who hate a plot with a passion or require anal or nastier sex will definitely want to pass on this one.

Past Reviews Interviews