Up 'n Coming

Welcome back to 1982, an era when at least some adult firms had production value on par with or better than most straight-to-video releases of today.

Marilyn Chambers both acts and sings in this story of the rise of a country/western singer hampered by rival Lisa DeLeeuw and supported by lover Cody Nicole. The sex scenes are shorter and less explicit than modern-day viewers are used to, but besides the above-named, Loni Sanders, Tina Marie, Richard Pacheco, Herschel Savage and John Holmes provide plenty of heat.

Frankly, that's all beside the point. What sets this apart is the plethora of extras, foremost of which has to be the real-time commentary by Herschel and industry veteran Gloria Leonard. The pair talk about the movie itself, the state of XXX at the time, deliver anecdotes about the players and joke with each other in a way that's sure to hold your interest.

But that's not all. There's also a photo gallery of 30 photos from the film, 20 of Marilyn in other productions, biographies and filmographies of all the main cast (with Marilyn's a bit more extensive than the others), previews of upcoming i-candy titles, and even a trivia game based on the film. The only other things we could want would be a behind-the-scenes featurette (it's unlikely backstage footage was shot) or commentary from director Godfrey Daniels (equally as unlikely, since it's doubtful he would return to porn, even just for commentary).

Up 'n Coming certainly rates pre-noms for both Best Classic DVD and Best Extras, and i-candy deserves kudos for creating a true, quality product.

I agree with Saki about this movie. But my big gripe is the Cut Scene with Marilyn and Holmes. Its only the best scene of the movie and its cut. Other then that an, excellent disc from I-candy.

Gojira54

As much as I love iCandy and Marilyn Chambers, I have to admit that the sex is not the highlight of this DVD. Up n Coming is loaded with plot and (aside from Marilyn's enjoyable songs) bad country music. The movie script, the audio commentary and Marilyn are what make this DVD so great. I may be crazy, but Marilyn's body looks even better in this flick than in Insatiable. When she's rubbing herself in the shower, every muscle in her body flexes. This is really a stunning opener, even though it doesn't lead to anything.

Plot
The plot centers on the trials and tribulations of up and coming country music singer, Cassie Harland (Marilyn.) Cassie learns that PR equals giving good head and falling legends, Lisa DeLeeuw, don't take their loss of stardom lightly. The acting and character development are excellent. So good that you really don't want to see the mean Lisa get any good sex (though she does get a nice threesome with her studly thug and his girlie.)

Sex
A few sex scenes stand out. Marilyn and Hershel Savage have a short, but hot scene that culminates in a cum shot where his dick is pressed against her pussy. This kind of intimacy is such a nice departure from the cold, 'where can I shoot my ' of today's porn. While watching the movie, I thought, "Wow - these two have an incredible rapport." Ironically, Hershel says in the commentary that Marilyn is simply one heck of an actress.

On her debut tour Marilyn runs into two boys (over 18, of course) she used to sing with (one being the now famous Tom Byron.) I sat there hoping she would take on these two cute youngins and my wish came true. So here's Marilyn flat on her back swallowing one guy and getting pounded by the other - in front of a romantic fire with soft music in the background - hunh???? Strange juxtaposition aside, the two young men thing is a fantasy for many women. The abrupt end of the scene (no cum shot) was a real disappointment.

Meanwhile on a yacht near Catalina, Cody Nicole, who looks like crap until she takes her Elton John glasses off, pleasures Marilyn with a couple fingers in each hole. The two look great together - two hard bodies with small, perky breasts writhing in ecstasy. I wish Cody reappeared in the final orgy with John Holmes instead of the strange girl with the blonde, fuzzy pussy. The fuzzy girl really took away from what could have been the best sex scene in the movie (sadly Holmes' only scene.) Something must have happened to the original footage because the movie ends with Holmes about to stick his big genius into Marilyn's little hole (so to speak.)

Porno?
The movie's big budget becomes quite obvious during the helicopter shots of the yacht on the way to Catalina. And the footage of Catalina itself is very beautiful. In fact between the camera work and the long span of plot at this point, I started to wonder if I was still watching a porno. In the commentary Gloria Leonard states that the judgment of a good porno during the Golden Age was whether or not you still had a movie when you cut away the sex. Well, Up 'n Coming definitely fits the bill.

DVD Stuff
While the video is a bit dark (I recommend you adjust the brightness on your TV,) and the audio has some noise; the extras are typical iCandy greatness. The commentary with Gloria Leonard (Golden Age star) and Hershel Savage (Golden Age star who made a comeback a few years ago) is fabulous. They talk candidly about changes in the industry, high colonics, Ron Jeremy, John Holmes and how the industry has "milked the shit out of Debbie Does Dallas." The photo galleries and star bios provide for endless viewing entertainment. The menus are as groovy as in Insatiable. And iCandy threw in a couple trailers and a trivia game to top it off.

Conclusion
I wouldn't let my collection be without an iCandy DVD or a classic Marilyn flick. But for the plot fearing, gonzo fanatics, this is not the movie for you. While there are 7 sex scenes, they don't add up to the intensity of the pool table scene in Insatiable (no, I can never get enough of that scene.) Marilyn is great, in and out of the bedroom. And Up 'n Coming goes on my short list of fast-forward free DVDs (I enjoyed the whole thing.) I feel greatly indebted to iCandy for raising the bar in adult DVD.