Going Up Season 1 Vol. 1

Basics
"Invent nothing, deny nothing" was playwright David Mamet's famous comment about acting and the theater. Well, performer and director Casey Calvert practically reinvents porn itself in Going Up Season 1 Vol. 1, and there's little denying it's another triumph for this innovative artist. This series of scenes, compiled to form a single feature, focuses on the trials and tribulations of a theater group attempting to mount a new production. Can it survive the defection of its leading actor on the very night of its premiere? XBIZ's Gustavo Turner aptly compared the movie's milieu to Waiting For Guffman, the famous 1996 mockumentary about a regional theater. Going Up has been a critical darling, too, earning an AVN nod for Grand Reel and an XBIZ nomination for Feature Movie of the Year, among many others. While highlighted by three excellent sex scenes, the movie also gives many actors a chance to shine in non-sex roles.

Scene highlight(s)
(Spoiler alert! This scene recap divulges certain plot details from Going Up Vol. 1.)

After an introduction featuring a behind-the-scenes drama involving a new theater production, we drop in on a hookup between theater player Travis (Seth Gamble) and Anna Claire Clouds, who steal away during a job break to have sex at the back of the building. This sequence notched a 2023 XBIZ nomination for Best Sex Scene - Feature Movie, making it a clear stand-out from the outset. The couple's afterglow is interrupted by Travis's boss, who informs him of a developing crisis at the theater. ("Dude, if you're going to fuck her against a dumpster, at least wear a rubber," the boss jibes.)

Scene two transitions to an erotic moment between actor Michelle (Charlotte Sartre) and crew member Maya Woulfe. Sartre's attentive, erotic delivery of oral sex, dominated by her expressive eyes, is an undeniable highlight. Tensions surface afterward, though, as Sartre reveals it's likely ill-advised for her to mingle so intimately with the crew. Just like the opener, this scene has garnered award attention with a nod for AVN's Best Female/Female Sex Scene.

Meanwhile, back at the theater, the actors discover that understudy Travis will be stepping into the lead role after the last-minute withdrawal of the original performer, Dominic. Unfortunately, Travis is struggling with his lines, and his co-stars are less than confident in his acting abilities. As the backstage chatter builds, we slip into Ryan Keely's office to join her dalliance with Brad Newman, which plays out on her desk and ends with a memorable cumshot to Keely's mouth and breasts.

The movie winds down with a cameo by director Casey Calvert herself as opening night draws near. The series story continues in Going up Season 1 Vol. 2 (coming soon).

Quotable
"This is the biggest project that I've done in terms of budget and scope. We had a very lengthy audition process. I asked for video auditions and I got like a million!" (Director Casey Calvert as quoted by XBIZ)

Why we love it
When I think of behind-the-madness set in the world of theater, I can't help but recall Noises Off, the classic play about an onstage comedy gone hilariously wrong. Calvert's serious take on the same general themes could well be called Getting Off, with its appealing mix of backstage drama and onscreen sex. She's a very adroit, intelligent director, whose mastery in both character drama and sex scenes is evident throughout. (I love the shot in the first sex scene where we see only the legs and discarded clothes of Gamble and Clouds. These artistic moments add a wonderful flavor and artistic intimacy to the sex.) It's the sort of prestige project that might make even the most jaded of anti-porn reconsider the potential of the form. Going Up Season 1 Vol. 2 is set to debut on Adult Empire next month. I, for one, have my calendar marked, and so will you.