Wicked One, The Review

Reviewed by Principal Skinner  on  2/1/2001

There is no question in my mind that Jenna Jameson epitomizes the prototypical porn babe: blonde, flashy, curvy and with a eye-popping, healthy chest courtesy of Dow Corning, it's easy to see why she has become America's hardcore sweetheart.

However, I will admit that with the exception of her earliest appearances in Old Man Randy West's UP AND CUMMER series (in particular the previously reviewed UP AND CUMMERS #11, where she is, in the words of Robert Palmer, "simply irresistable"), I have not exactly been a member of her fan following. To me, she just doesn't have the appeal of a Ginger Lynn, Nikki Dial, or even Ashlyn Gere, to name a few undisputed legends of porn. And her 1995 starring role in THE WICKED ONE does nothing to change my mind.

Beginning with an opening scream and scrawled warning, "Don't fuck with Jenna" on the DVD's menu, this release from Wicked is a fairly good porn package, and co-stars some overlooked favorites like Tiffany Million and Channone, as well as present-day superstars like Jill Kelly. The movie focuses on a radio station, cleverly called W-KED, with Tiffany Million as an advice- giving deejay. Directors Brad Armstrong and Greg Steelberg (it took two people to direct this?) try to keep the tone and tenor of the film in line with its cultish theme, but have gone a little overboard with scenes that are just too damn dark (both literally and figuratively). The sex is for the most part good, and often great, but all those shadows and stark backgrounds often obscure the hardcore action. The opening scene is creatively shot, with Jon Dough having a candle-lit, ritualistic romp with Jenna and Tiffany alternately. Some excellent blowjob and spooning positions are well-coreographed here, but again, a little more lighting would have greatly improved the action. Tiffany takes the oral cumshot, but it's Jenna who lets out a primal scream at the end, which makes the whole scene seem more ridiculous than moody.

Jill Kelly than gives DJ Tony Tedeschi a wam and wet blowjob, which is great if enjoy long, lingering close-ups of her mouth in action. Tony briefly gives her a rim job before porking her doggy-style over the radio console. There is no oral or facial finish here, although Jill does get in a few post-climax licks. The movie then barrels onward leading into a solo Jenna masturbation scene. Although she looks great in a shiny skimpy top and short skirt, Ms. Jameson's skills at self-pleasure weren't all that interesting to me. She does better in a girl- girl match-up with Patricia Kennedy, a superb performer who never got her due credit in porn, but again, the look of the scene is just too murky to enjoy.

A stairway semi-threesome between Channone and Tom Byron (with Jenna participating only with respect to Channone) is much more pleasing to the eye, for the simple fact that it is better lit than the previous scenes. Mr. Byron gets to sodomize Channone with Jenna supervising, but the anal lube all over the condom and his fingers distracts the all-important penetrating shot. Jenna does participate in a three-way with Peter North and Mark Davis, which leads into an oral cumshot courtesy of Mr. Davis, and a body wash by Mr. North.

Surprisingly, my favorite scene was the bathroom affair between Jenna and Tiffany, which is heatedly aggressive and has plenty of deep kissing and hearty pussy-eating. Tiffany has always been an over-the-top performer, and is ideally paired here. Even better is the complete absence of dildos and other toys which are sometimes used as a literal crutch for most lesbian scenes. Instead, both actresses let their finger do the walking and their tongues do the penetrating for a scene which makes this disc recommendable.

Since this is an mid-1990s release, extras here are somewhat less than what is usually expected of a Wicked feature. Nevertheless, there is a enjoyable director's commentary and some behind the scenes photos that show Wicked tried to go the extra mile for this DVD presentation. Incidentally, the title song "Wicked One" was apparently "written" (term used advisedly) by Greg Steel and "sung" (again, depending on how you interpret the word) by Jenna herself. Listening to this little tune just made me all the more grateful that Jenna's oral skills are usually limited to cock-sucking.

THE WICKED ONE isn't a wonderful video, by any means of the imagination, but there are enough flashes of excellence here to please even the most non-ardent Jenna Jameson groupie.