Bad Wives (1997) Review

Bad Wives (1997) Vivid Video DVD Release (VHS Was Same Cover)

When I was working at a casket retailer in my late teen years, I found that I could order things and mail them to my office. It was quite interesting overall, and in that world I discovered mail-order VHS tapes, including porn. So I would buy discounted items from different retailers online. One of the movies that I remember purchasing was that of “Bad Wives”. This is a Vivid Video release from 1997, and it was only about four bucks at the time. I loved the cover, and thought it was interesting enough to buy, instead of rent, so I went for it. It’s a studio picture that is filmed on a higher production element that most videos that were coming out at the time. As with all studio releases, this was a bigger budget option, and one that looked a lot like a “film” rather than just a gonzo porn. With that in mind, you are thrown into an interesting set, you have a bit of a story, and of course you have sex. What I did note from the beginning of the film, and throughout this 2 hour plus movie is that there is a lot more sound design, audio design, editing, and even acting involved. Aside from that, the sexual encounters are longer, and the chemistry between some of the stars is even better. This immediately throws you into a sexual loop within 3 minutes, as you have office sex, with sounds of a heart beat, and phones in the background. This of course leads to sex, but the overall set design, lighting, and editing starts out like something you’d expect to see on the silver screen, not a VHS or DVD. That’s what initially interested me in this movie, and well, it carries over a bit through the scenes to follow.

Tricia Devereaux and Tony Tedeschi start things off, and to be honest, the two have some great chemistry in this scene. Tony really seems to be in his prime here. I’ve seen him in other scenes, and he isn’t nearly as into it as he is in this one. He is a total pro, mind you, so his work here is quite good, and Tricia reacts quite well to every move. There is some good foreplay as the two end up having sex on an office table. What threw me off here was the constant heart beating that was in the background. The music was also a bit of an odd choice, but aside from that, you’ll find that this scene is actually kind of hot, and at one point there’s even a random voyeur that shows up. This is a great opening sequence, if you ask me.

The movie then changes gears, and goes into a different sequencing. This movie gets into the titles, and it starts with a very cinematic approach. The cinematography is quite good considering this is a porno film. I liked the introduction that features the camera spanning a lot of products across the shelves, and then the director’s name shows up, Paul Thomas. No wonder. This guy makes the most “film” like pornos and there’s a lot to them, besides just the sex. The film, as you would guess is about wives that are cheating, and up to no good, getting themselves in trouble. The opening sequence features Dyanna Lauren stealing some cookies, and then trying to play off like she didn’t do it. Steven St. Croix accuses her of stealing, and she denies it. She eventually admits to it, and St. Croix gets a good look at her assets, and tries to put the moves on her. Of course, these two are destined to have sex, right? Dyanna Lauren has amazing eyes, by the way. I got lost in her eyes for a moment, and the director took full advantage of what was going on there.

The story is paramount here, this is not all sex, and it is not a gonzo movie. From this scene in a bodega, you are taken to a location where a couple is having a pool party. While there is some splashing going on, Dyanna Lauren imagines what it would be like to have sex with Steven St. Croix in a fantasy land scenario that has to be seen to be believed. She’s not in it, mind you, but she’s imagining it.

This scene is quick, it features Mellissa Hill, Stephanie Swift, and Steven St. Croix. The little clip of the threeway is quite good, and the set is really cool. it gets broken up by reality, and Dyanna Lauren seems to be down as her friends bring out a cake, with a 36 on it. It’s her birthday, and she’s not happy. The movie goes on with Lauren and Hill shopping and talking, and they encounter Steven St. Croix again, as he’s a store clerk. Moving along Melissa Hill dreams of being a threeway with him and Stephanie Swift, and that scene happens in the back of a bodega. It’s not a bad scene, and I’m not familiar with Melissa Hill, but she has a very lovely face, and red hair. She’s a pretty woman, and of course sharing St. Croix with Stephanie Swift is actually kind of fun. Melissa Hill reminds me of a woman that I once went on a date with, and I guess there’s a fantasy about being with her, so that’s kind of cool to watch. The music here is interesting, but the meat carcasses in the background kind of took me out of the scene. St. Croix wears a condom here, and that’s interesting considering the initial scene that started this movie didn’t have safe sex. This is a good scene, and perhaps the best in the movie, from set, to sex, to chemistry, to music, and everything. This happens 30 some odd minutes into the show and it’s really good overall.

Dyanna Lauren is in another fantasy, this time she imagines St. Croix in her bedroom and he rips her dress off. She looks at her husband, and she looks back and St. Croix is no longer there. Lauren then moves down stairs to dance naked, and seek her lover, but he’s not there. Jon Dough gets up, and sees her dancing, and comes down to be with her, watching her masturbate. This is a very sexy scene, as Dyanna looks amazing and she really seems to enjoy herself while Jon Dough watches. Lauren’s eyes again captivate me here, more than anything else. The two do end up having sex, but not right away, as the movie cuts to another house.

The other house has Melissa Hill and Tony Tedeschi. Melissa Hill masturbates heavily, and Tony Tedeschi walks in to see her, and gets turned on. But in the middle of this quite lovely scene, the director decided to go back to Lauren and Dough. The two have a suburban sex scene and it’s just something that is great in terms of setting. It’s got a suburban house feel and the whole thing just screams suburbia. If you see this, you’ll know what I mean because the house the two are in looks like a track home. While there’s a lot of oral in these sequence, the director again decides to cut, to Melissa Hill and Tony Tedeschi. So if you get off on oral, then you’ll like the scene, but then you get jolted into a scene with Melissa Hill.

Bad Wives (1997) Back Cover - DVD

Melissa Hill and Tony Tedeschi have some great chemistry. Hill gives Tedeschi a good blow job, and the music works quite well here, as well as the suburban home setting. But before they start going further, the director cuts back to John Dough and Lauren. They are on a white couch having sex and once again there are condoms. These two are supposed to be married, but I guess since it’s fantasy land, you have to ignore that. You can tell the sequencing was not done straightway. Dough starts getting slapped hard by Lauren and then she runs upstairs and he doesn’t have a condom on any more. Shen then asks him to spank her and he runs up the stairs and the two keep going on the staircase but he has a condom on again. He goes from limp to hard fast, so that little edit threw me off a little. I may be nitpicking, but it’s noticeable on an otherwise really good production. There’s an interesting point where Dough uses one finger in Laurens butt, while fingering her, and then the director again cuts to Melissa Hill and Tedeschi. This back and forth is getting annoying by this point.

The change of pace and setting is not half bad, as Hill and Tedeschi have great chemistry in their scene compared to Dough and Lauren. They don’t use condoms in this one, so perhaps that’s an important element. The two seem to really be having fun in this scene compared to the other one, as the two have sex on a couch, on a wall, juxtaposed against hardwood floors and art-deco. This is another good scene, and the two seem to really have great chemistry, which is great overall.

Even though all of this is going on, St. Croix’s character is at a pool directing everything? Like he has a sexual possession? It’s a weird wrench into the whole scene, but it kind of works.

True to the title of the movie, the sex stops and the plot thickens. The women start to lash out about their lives, and the men. At one-point John Dough shoves Lauren’s face and delivers a pretty good speech about how lucky she is and how rich he is, etc. The car has just been painted and she is covered with red paint. The two end up fighting, with Lauren slapping the crap out of him, and Dough slapping her back, then throwing her in a pool. This scene was far better acted than a lot of other movies in the porn industry, and it hooked me. The spousal abuse thing, man, edgy for a porno.

The movie continues with Melissa Hill trying on all sorts of different garments, and she looks a little like Jessica Rabbit from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. Hill and Tedeschi’s characters showcase a rough patch and it looks like they are going to get divorced, as they have a conversation about thei relationship etc. While the Dough and Lauren scene had good acting, this doesn’t. Hill can’t really act, and while I’ve seen Tedeschi do better acting, this is not his best one, though he shows a lot of range. Hill tries, but she’s a bit off, and I can’t put my finger on it. Her eyes though, wow, watch her eyes, they are stunning here.

Melissa Hill ventures to her husband’s office, only to see Tony Tedeschi giving oral to his secretary, the same woman from the opening scene! She is so distraught at this, that she ends up crying and I kid you not, eating what appears to be a bar of soap, or a block of cheese. I couldn’t stop laughing at the premise, but it’s sad.

This movies to a threesome between Missy, Tricia Devereaux, and Tony Tedeschi. This is an ok scene, with Tony throwing down a lot of work, but the chemistry was a little off here. Miss is thrown into the scene for good measure, and while she’s interesting, this seems like a second serving of what we already saw at the beginning of the film, only with an additional blonde thrown in for good measure. This is a passionate scene, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not that exciting after you’ve seen some better work earlier in the same movie.

Going towards the finish line, this movie turns into a full drama. Dyanna Lauren runs down John Dough and basically is going to leave him and take everything, and Dough’s reaction is a great one. She then goes the Bodega where she saw Steven St. Croix initially, and that’s where this film decides to give you a grand finale. I recognize the store, mind you, it is in Southern California, and it was shot after hours. This leads to the final threeway, and it features Dyanna Lauren, Melissa Hill, and Steven St. Croix. This movie was building up to this for nearly 2 hours, and this scene gets into some heated action at 1 hour and 50 some odd hours. This wasn’t half bad, and St. Croix has done great work here with the two women. However, the setting, lighting, music, and direction is totally different here. Maybe it’s because it’s supposed to be a fantasy, or maybe it’s just supposed to be a glorious ending, I don’t know, it’s just odd, with a large bed, lots of lighting, and an obvious warehouse set. The three do well here, and it’s a sexy scene with everything you’d expect from a threesome. St. Croix and Melissa Hill steal the show here.

I give “Bad Wives” a 4 out of 5.

This is a good movie, with some seriously good sex, and some interesting music here and there. The plot, the acting, and the sets are all great, and the movie is shot on film. It has a film grain to it and I could totally see this playing in an adult theater, because it totally belongs there. Paul Thomas does it again.

You can buy “Bad Wives” online through various sources.

Did you see “Bad Wives”? If so, drop me a comment below and let me know.