Lesbian Prison

I was never, ever particularly fond of prison movies, even when used as vehicle for lesbian scenes which involve captivity, submission and domination, rough sex and even revenge fantasies. The necessarily dank and dark settings and costumes can be more cold and depressing than suspenseful and arousing. There are a few exceptions of course, but by and large I prefer to see female talent in high heels and short skirts and frolicking in opulent mansions than in prison stripes and sneakers surrounded by iron bars.

Directed by Tony Del Duomo, LESBIAN PRISON really doesn't change my feelings towards the subject matter, although there's no doubt that this video is one of the most stylish and arousing of that genre I've ever seen. Of course, coming from a studio as reputable as Marc Dorcel, there's no reason to expect anything less than above-average stroke material with these European imports. This feature focuses on a Siberian gulag where prison guard Tarra White takes advantage of her authoritative position, and treats her sexy inmates like sex toys. Mia Vendome plays a nurse who also enjoys playing "doctor" with the other prisoners, which include lipstick lesbians (Lucy Lee, Claudia Rossi, Eufrat, Lena Cova and Christina Jolie) and those who look rather street-wise and butchie (Ashley Robbins, Eliska Cross).

The very attractive cast and occasional sexy outfits help relieve the movie of it's generally unpleasant and clinical atmosphere, made all the more unsettling by the authentic prison location along by the presence of one specific female performer whose appearance constrasts starkly with her younger co-stars. (For those who may want to avoid this scene, it occurs half way through the movie, in which a morbidly obese figure - apparently a leader in her community - sits in the background being pleasured by one girl, as Claudia Rossi and Luciana put on a sex show for her benefit.)

Don't expect an uplifting payoff from LESBIAN PRISON, because this video is more SHE-WOLF OF THE SS than THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Certain scenes are intentionally shadowy and grainy, while other shots are presented in black and white. A threesome involving Miss Rossi, Luciana and Lucy Lee which takes place in a shower is captured brightly, however, and a concluding "romantic" affair between Lena Cova and Christina Jolie is filled with candles in the background. Although narrated by an "ex-prisoner" there's no real resolution to this story, the whole thing just ends without fanfare. Still, if you keep your remote control closely by your side (and away from equally important tools like lotion and kleenex), there's more than enough hardcore footage scattered across this disc to provide some enjoyment.

Even with the erratic SAW-ish videography, the DVD picture is solid. The Behind The Scenes featurette serves up interviews with the cast and the director, who is pretty articulate (even through his thick accent) at explaining his creative intentions, especially with the scene involving the portly female prisoner. If I were into bondage and domination fetishes, then I suppose I would find this movie to be a real trip and a half. Instead, the kinder, gentler side of me found LESBIAN PRISON to be a bit too confining.

I think this is basically every single night I spent clandestinely watching Cinemax rolled into one film. Lesbian Prison? Really? I mean, aside from the more explicit action than Cinemax ever gave me, this has everything else. Absurd premise based on male fantasy? Check. An amazingly high density of attractive woman? Check. A good film? Check. Tarra White? Check. Alright, that last one wasn't from memory. But with the lovely Ms. White as our main antagonist, there's quite a bit of fun to be had.

A couple of points: this is allegedly a Soviet-era Russian prison, and they do a pretty nice job of getting the feel right, at least for a stereotype. Tarra could stand to not be wearing such ridiculously large sunglasses - not exactly Top style, these. She's involved in a strap-on scene first, which has an interesting feel, though I expected Tarra to be demanding pleasuring a bit more than we have here. It's a very toy-centric kind of scene, but it's still a pleasure to watch tongues get used that way.

The third scene has a great deal more to it for me, as there just seems to be more chemistry, more appeal between the two ladies. They seem like they would be doing this together whether or not they were on camera. The tongue work here is just fantastic, some of the best I've seen this side of Jenna Haze and Belladonna from the Fetish Fanatic series. Great rimming is joined by several fingers at a time, a feast of touch and penetration. It's some kind of hospital room, and it seems to leave the general prison feel behind, which is weird, but also really doesn't matter. Then we're reminded of it, as the prison guards are watching this tryst go through some bars I didn't notice before. Good work all around.

We head back outside to reset the scene, then wander back in with deliberately grainy and low-quality footage. I can't really explain what is going on at this point, as it's just weird, with decorations of some sort being put up in one cell - scarves and curtains and the like - while the two female prison guards wander the halls. Somehow we then wind up with a shower scene. Very odd sequence, this, but the new girl gets brought in, strips, and then gets her exam. The guards leave, and then it's shower sex scene time. They get really bloody long showers in these prisons, I guess. I'd hate to see their gas bill. Not much of a rhythm gets going in this scene, but it is nice to watch all of the bodies together. An okay transition scene.

The following two scenes just bordered on the bizarre, though. In the first, Tarra shaves a prisoner and then they have baton sex. That is, they penetrate each other with Tarra's baton. It didn't do a whole lot for me because there wasn't much in the way of feeling in it. The one after it is a multi-girl affair, but it involves this rather large older blonde perpetually in the background. I'm really not sure why she's there, but everyone else's performance seems to be for her benefit while she gets her tits licked. The lighting is low and the feeling is all off, so it didn't do anything for me.

And this is the kind of theme the film keeps going until the end. First there's a girl who is getting finger fucked through the door of her cell (we can't see who is on the other side), and then there's a very lipstick scene that has low lighting and not a great deal of energy to it. The setting just feels very late 90's feature film. And, really, that's the end of the film.

The thing I liked about Lesbian Prison was that it was unabashedly stereotypical, not trying to live down the stigma of the overdone prison for femmes. It instead embraced it. It just didn't keep up the interest of the director - or so it felt - beyond the shower scene. A tale of two films, this one. Just keep to the first few scenes and you'll be a satisfied viewer.