Janine Loves Jenna

One of the most anticipated titles of the year, Janine Loves Jenna is one of those DVD releases that is going to fly off the shelves regardless of what I say in this review. The movie, which was shot back in 2004, features two of adult's biggest stars in what is quite probably their final performance together. And simply looking at the movie from a performer standpoint, it doesn't disappoint. Of the film's six scenes, Jenna and Janine are together in four of them, and engaging in lesbian action in two of those four.

However - and it's a big "however" - the movie is brought down by director Justin Sterling (currently the ex-Mr. Jenna Jameson) who, much like his previous directorial efforts, seems so obsessed with quick cuts and special effects that the result is a visual mess, and the storyline isn't a whole lot better. Don't get me wrong, the actual sex is still quite good, but one can't help but wonder how much better visually it would have been if Mr. Sterling would just quit trying to "show off" in his direction and just let the sex speak for itself.

There's nothing particularly fresh about the plot to Janine Loves Jenna, as Jenna descends into Hell and tries to barter for her return to Earth. What is original is the opening scene of the movie, which is an animated segment that details how Jenna and Janine are making out in the back of a limo when the driver (distracted by the lesbian tryst) crashes, killing Janine. Jenna is apparently so distraught over her lover's death that she slits her wrists, sending her to Hell, where she meets her departed lover.

Once Jenna is in hell, the sexual fun begins, and the pairings are quite good. The opening scene has Jenna and Janine in an all-girl threesome with Justine Jolie, during which we get to see both Justine and Jenna don strap-ons and double penetrate Janine. This is followed by a threesome between Dominica Leoni, Reno and Jerry (which includes anal and a pair of facials), and then it's back to Jenna and Janine who get into an alleyway rendezvous with Justin Sterling (fucking Jenna, naturally) and Manuel Ferrara (taking on Janine). The remainder of the sex in Janine Loves Jenna consists of a "Deadly Sin Diner" threesome involving Katja Kassin, Tommy Gunn and Vincent Vega (and concluding with the best oral/facial shots of the movie); another foursome featuring Jenna and Janine (this time with Jay in full "devil" costume plus Julian); and a movie-ending girl/girl scene between the two stars.

Now, those are some great pairings and the sex is worth watching - but I couldn't help feeling how much better the encounters would have been if each and every one of them wasn't frenetically edited like a David Lynch dream sequence. Director Sterling bombards the viewer's senses with quick cuts, special effects (poorly done, even for adult, by the way) loud music and over-designed sets. If there were ever an adult movie that had too much money and time spent on it, it just might be this one. As a viewer, I found myself enjoying the action, but also annoyingly distracted by all the pomp and circumstance of Sterling's direction.

Still, it's hard not to be swayed by just how good both Jenna and Janine are as adult performers. Neither may be as young as springtime anymore, but both still know how to get each other and the home viewer off, and they're both very watchable in this movie. Katja Kassin also has one of her better scenes, and the pair of facial blasts she gets from Tommy Gunn and Vincent Vega is certainly worth tuning in for. So it's the sex and the sex alone, really, that makes Janine Loves Jenna one of the better releases of the year, and if you can get by the flashy directorial style, I think you'll find you get your money's worth with this release.

This review is of the standard 2-disc version of the movie, and the first disc in the set houses the movie, along with a number of different audio options. First, though, let's talk about the video. While Janine Loves Jenna was shot back in 2004, it was still shot in the widescreen format, so there's really no good reason why Club Jenna shouldn't have given fans an anamorphic transfer here. Sadly, we don't get one - meaning viewers watching on a widescreen TV will either have to watch a "windowboxed" version of the film (black bars on all four sides), or stretch out the image on their screens to accommodate. The audio fares much better - with an impressive 5.1 Dolby track, that has a few options to choose from. In addition to the standard 5.1 track, there's also a "Sounds Of Hell"; a "Music" track; and a "Moans & Groans" track that will amplify each of those sounds from the movie depending on your preference. The movie also contains two separate feature-length commentary tracks - the first with Director Justin Sterling and Post Production Director Trout Farmer; and the second with Jenna Jameson.

Disc 2 contains the brunt of the bonus material, beginning with a 20-minute behind the scenes look at the making of Janine Loves Jenna. Also on the second disc is 4-minutes worth of bloopers/outtakes; an 8-minute masturbation scene featuring four girls from the movie; and a 13-minute deleted scene between Naudia Nice and an unidentified male performer. Viewers will also find 9 audio tracks and a music video from The KHZ, a group that did the music that you'll hear in Janine Loves Jenna. Rounding out Disc 2 are 12 trailers for other Club Jenna and Vivid movies, and a 9-minute slide show for Janine Loves Jenna.

As adult movies go, Janine Loves Jenna is a good one and certainly shouldn't be passed up by fans of either performer. But the movie also misses its chance to be considered among adult's best-ever due to its overblown visuals, weak storyline, over-direction and virtual non-stop assault on viewer's senses. Thank goodness Jenna and Janine are around to help us overlook those weak points.