 |
| Emperor (2006) Box Cover VIA Adult DVD Empire Online |
“Emperor” features a “who’s who” list of adult actors from the modern era. This film by Paul Thomas was nominated for several awards by the XRCO in 2006. That included nominations for best actor, best release, and most outrageous DVD extras. There are 10 scenes in this one, and the stars of this movie include Janine, Rocco Siffredi, Tawny Roberts, Tera Bond, Alberto Rey, Mya Diamond, Sophie Angel, Christina Bella, Dasha, Paul Thomas, Frank Gun, and Leslie Taylor. These are all modern actors in adult film, and you may know some of them, while others may leave you scratching your head. The most famous of these of course is Janine, Rocco, and Manuel Ferrara. Those names are going to be repeated in a lot of movies that will no doubt get reviewed throughout this site.
This movie is one of those Paul Thomas movies where he tries to create story more than sex, and while there’s definitely sex here, there’s story that is both visual, and intellectual at times. It’s really a shame that these types of movies aren’t shown on the big screen, because Jack Cole’s writing and Paul Thomas’s direction are quite strong for what this is. There’s a lot of great edits, lots of great moments, including the opening baptismal scene. It’s equally creepy, and somewhat death defying, in a cult way. From that opening we are sent to Budapest to a porn theater, and you get the information of what the movie is all about. Rocco plays a porn director that seems to have lost his edge, and while he’s in Budapest, he’s trying to figure out his past’s greatness, with something new, something that will rebirth him, which is a nice juxtaposition of the opening baptismal sequence. In case you were wondering, this is not a gonzo movie, because the setup is story driven, and there’s a lot to this movie, including dialogue, good editing, and musical elements that are very much focused on telling a narrative, not just sex. It’s a throwback to the 1970s and 1980s where story mattered as much as the sex. However, as some reviewers note, the “sex” takes a backseat at times during this production, because Paul Thomas’ direction focuses on story more often than not.
Before getting into the sex, there’s some mediocre CG where Rocco talks to himself in the mirror, and that leads you to the opening scene, where Janine and Rocco finally get together. Now, from what I’ve read online, Rocco kept trying to take his condom off, and he even cut holes in the tips of the condom so that they would break. Janine apparently hated working with Rocco, but if you watch this movie, it doesn’t seem that way, as the two seem to really go forward with a steamy scene, and should please both fans of Janine and fans of Rocco. However, if you’re a fan of Janine, you’re most likely dying because she’s doing a guy, as this was part of her return to the world of porn, and starting to work with men. Although, it’s odd to think that the two didn’t have a lot of chemistry, because there are some very specific moments that would tell you otherwise, including Rocco rimming Janine, and then going in raw at one point. It’s an interesting sequence that leads to the two going forward with full sex. Janine rejects him at first, and then flashes back to the mirror, and away we go into the story of this film. Even though Rocco tries to go in raw, Janine pushes him away and swears she would never have sex with him.
The story moves on quickly, and honestly, it really does feel like a film, not a porno. The movement of the camera, the music, and the elements all point towards a more “sophisticated” approach to the film making process, as well as the sex. By the time you finally get some sex, you are treated to Tawny Roberts and Rocco, which is actually passionate a little. Tawny is a blonde that has a very unique “California” look. She reminds me of this high-end escort I once saw advertising on Twitter, and for all I know it’s her. The two get straight to business and while there are condoms used throughout this film, there are moments where you swear that Rocco started without it, but the editing switches over to show condoms. It’s a small issue but it’s one that is noticeable. This scene is hardcore, it is raw, it’s a standard Rocco scene to some, but there’s enough gusto to make this somewhat fun for the viewer, as the two have good on screen chemistry.
For fans of Janine and Rocco, here’s the famed scene that you probably have seen on a lot of tube sites. The tube sites edit it, and often do not have the full scene, which is quite lengthy and features a lot of movement. Even though Janine said that she didn’t like working with Rocco, the two were able to put on a show in an empty theater. I read online that this was shot at an old Pussy Cat Theater, and it was empty, of course. If you have ever fantasized about having sex in a movie theater, this is going to be your favorite scene. Rocco and Janine, despite any issues off set, were able to put on a very unique, and heavy handed scene. Whether Janine was acting or Rocco was upset, you can’t really tell as the two put on a show that features a lot of positions, a lot of powerful back and forth, and some stellar momentum at times. The scene ends with a masturbation sequence, but it goes through every motion that you’d expect from a sex scene.
Now going forward, Janine is featured again, this time with Manuel Ferrara. I like Manuel because he seems to have a certain passion to his performances, and this is no different. Even though you are going to be watching the two with condom use, you are going to notice that Janine is far more into this than she was with Rocco, which is saying a lot. The two scenes are quite good, but it’s here that Manuel is able to get Janine to squirt, and the water works are incredible. That’s a testament to how much chemistry the two have together. Manuel at one point picks up Janine and takes her to a taxi cab hood and goes to work. Janine legitimately looks like she’s having fun, and Manuel, always the professional goes to town here, and I’m utterly surprised that the condom didn’t break mid-way through this scene. I’d be surprised if the two didn’t see each other off set, because this scene is that hot, and the two have that much chemistry together. Imrpessive, if you ask me. This scene was spliced twice and edited oddly, with music that isn’t half bad, and while the money shot was good, there’s a little bit left to be desired in terms of editing and sequencing. But Janine is a powerful performer and Manuel does great with her. I’m telling you, these two seem to have had a lot of fun doing this scene, and I for one was impressed.
To juxtapose the scene, up next you get a three way with Tera Bond, Alberto Rey, Rocco Siffredi. After watching Janine perform with two different men, you would think that the next scene would’ve been quite good. It wasn’t that great, or rather isn’t that great. Tera Bond does well, Rey and Siffredi are good here, but it’s not that grand. It’s workable, but the story seems to get in the way of the sex, as Rocco has to break from just being a performer to play the character that is seeking a greater glory, and that throws you off. Otherwise, you are going to get a standard threesome, with Bond going to town on Rocco, and Alberto Rey just pumping away. Not bad, but definitely lacks that gusto that was within the other scenes with Janine, mind you. I thought there was going to be a DP sequence here, but there wasn’t. Again, I’m not sure how these condoms are staying on without breaking, but they seem to be working well. One note, Alberto wears his glasses throughout this scene, which is something I’ve never tried before, so maybe next time I’m with someone I’ll leave them on. The final moments of this scene feature an argument that ends up with Rocco apparently getting sodomized? At least that’s what it alludes to, even though you don’t see it.
The next scene is an orgy scene that features Black Diamond, Mya Diamond, Sophie Angel, Victoria Swinger, Lauro Giotto, Leslie Taylor, and Rocco Siffredi. This seems out of place. The film grain is gone, it seems to be recorded on a standard video camera, and it moves around a lot from performer to performer. It’s a standard orgy scene, with cool backgrounds, and just standard sexual moments. It just seems out of place if you ask me.
The story continues, with Rocco’s character screening movies, talking on the phone, and going out on a date with Sophie Angel, before heading to a bedroom to have sex with her. It’s important to note that the story takes a great deal of time to work through before the next sex scene, making this above standard. The film grain returns, and the camera and editing feature a focus that changes from the orgy scene back to a premium filter. Sophie Angel is another blonde and she works with Rocco quite well. This is a more passionate scene than the others, and once again there is condom use, so if you were expecting raw, you aren’t going to get it in this movie. Blue seems to be enjoying herself, and Rocco throws in a few romantic kisses amidst the sex, which is ok at best. This isn’t as hot of a scene as the Janine options, but Blue keeps her heels on, and the two have some chemistry. So it’s not a bad one, just not great if you ask me.
The next scene features Christina Bella, Victoria Swinger, Antonio Ross, Dominic Ross, Frank Gun, and Lauro Giotto. It’s here that you are seeing Rocco’s character as the director of a movie, working on set in a very meta moment. There’s sex here but it’s really a “behind the scenes” look at how porn is made more than anything. Rocco is playing director here, and he’s instructing his actors to get to work, and they go for it. It’s an ok scene, with standard moments of sex, but mostly just Rocco getting turned on by watching his crew get to work. In one of the more interesting notes, there is a condom blow job which is rare for porno movies, but that ends after some time. There’s a few moments here where one guy struggles to get his condom on, and it’s fascinating to see this in a major production. Condom use for blow jobs, and condom use for sex aren’t always found in porn, but here it’s all over, even a hand job with a condom on! Now that garners this a great deal of upside if you ask me. If you wanted to see any DP, this is where it happens, around 97 minutes into the scene, where the orgy takes on a whole new world. It should be noted that even though there was condom use, the money shot did not show that off, so I don’t know, this is a very odd scene with lots of changes throughout the sequencing.
The second to last sex scene is a lesbian affair between Dasha and Janine. These two push through a good scene together and you already know that Janine is an expert with these types of scenes. Your standard lesbian play works here, with lots of finger use, rimming, and more. This is a hard scene with a lot of masturbation, so if you’re not used to it, you may be surprised. However, this is a good scene with two women that seemed to really get off with one another, and the camera just happens to be there.
The grand finale features Dasha and Rocco. By this point you’ve seen nearly 2 hours of movie, and Rocco’s character goes to his hotel room to find Janine and Dasha getting it on. Janine leaves, and Dasha is left with Rocco. He goes through his standard moves, a hard scene, with a lot of powerful strokes, and no real romance at times. There are a few moments where he stops to enjoy a kiss here and there, but it’s mostly a sex romp in the porn sense, and that’s ok. It looks like he’s wearing two condoms here, as it’s very visible on screen, but I don’t know. The scene is a hard one, and Dasha seems to really get into it, and that’s good for the most part. Rocco knows what he’s doing and Dasha lets him get carried away while she moves positions with relative ease. The two share some great chemistry, and it’s a good ender to a long movie that features a lot of plot points rather than just gonzo sequencing.
The movie ends with dialogue. Janine confronting Rocco, and Rocco having a conversation with himself about his experiences and future. And that’s it. You then get about 10 minutes of behind the scenes filming, and direction from Paul Thomas. It’s kind of cool to get this scene at the end, but by this point you’re probably tired of watching this thing. It’s over 2 hours at the point that you get to the end and you are seeing the behind the scenes elements of Emperor.
I give “Emperor” a 5 out of 5.
That’s right, the first movie that I’m reviewing to get a 5. The reason is simple, it has film grain, a plot, and there’s a lot to offer the individual porn watcher. If you like hard sex it’s here, if you like blondes they are here, if you love Janine she’s here, and of course Rocco doing as good of an acting job as he can is here too. Paul Thomas creates a very unique, and interesting movie, that is sexy but also artsy at times. Sometimes that art gets in the way of the sex, but hey, that’s why this is a great one.
No comments:
Post a Comment