Millennium

The DVD boxcover for MILLENNIUM features a beautifully shot close-up of blonde beauty Katja Kean overlayed with high-tech imagery and a couple of hardcore scenes (to make sure you don't confuse this release with a Disney film, I assume), which is absolutely eye-catching. On the strength of Katja's presence inside and outside of this entire package, I thought that this video would be an immediate keeper.

However, Sin City's latest release on the digital format demonstrates that the company still has to work out a few production problems in their line of DVDs, which are worse than those noted on 30 MEN FOR SANDY or SIN CITY THE MOVIE.

So before I continue with this review, I must point out a few significant problems that may immediately effect whether you want to bother with this title at all. First of all, there is a flaw during playback where you cannot proceed to scene three (this video is not chapter or time encoded) without going through the main menu. At the end of scene two, the movie pauses and returns back to the beginning, essentially starting the whole disc all over again. Secondly, it is apparent that this video was shot in a widescreen, 16:9 ratio (as clearly shown on the director's monitor during the "Behind The Scenes" section), and so it has been slightly letterboxed for video (note however, that this is not an anamorphic title for widescreen TVs). However, it also appears to me that the image was also squeezed a bit vertically so as to fit more picture information on the screen, and to lessen the letterboxing effect. As a result, most of the movie looks distorted, like a fun-house mirror where everyone is taller and more slender than they should be. I particularly noticed this when we see Katja Kean in a tight dress walking outdoors, where her already gorgeously slim and long-legged body seems has been stretched to epic proportions.

I admit that I am not at all sure whether I'm just seeing things, or whether the director intended this effect. However, it sure does seem like a flaw in the transfer to me. Reasonable minds and people with better vision may differ...

Anyhow, MILLENNIUM is a well-made, ambitious film that I enjoyed reviewing, but that's about it. The theme and scope reminded me an awful lot of Michael Ninn's classic works: LATEX and SHOCK. Indeed, despite it's timely title, MILLENNIUM derives a lot of its look and design from films of the past, including mainstream works like MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME and THE MATRIX, and breakthrough movies like NIGHT TRIPS, SEX 1 and 2: FATE. I have to praise director Michael Raven for including more than enough oral and facial cumshots despite the wide use of condoms throughout the feature.

Although Katja Kean is the star attraction in this video, she is a bit underused with one very good straight scene, and a wilder two guy threesome towards the end, but no extended lesbian scene despite all the (missed) opportunities. However, when it comes to sucking cock, I am mightily impressed by Ms. Kean's style: lots of deepthroating, plenty of eye-contact and plenty of passion. Since blowjobs are standard in all porn films (even all-girl videos show someone going down on a dildo or vibrator), it's rare to find an exceptional performer in this regard, but Katja is one of them. Her surreal scene with Evan Stone and Chris Gannon at the end is preceded with a lot of strange dildo penetrations from and hoses of all types (reminiscent of Japanese porn anime), which make their DP of her somewhat standard fare. She does get a double dose of male cream rinse all over her face that is almost a lot art in most of today's porn films.

The remaining scenes are all straightforward girl-guy action with mixed results. The so-called "Producer" of this movie, Eric Price, gets his hands and cock on jailbird Paisley Adams in a prison sequence which was pretty hot, thanks to Paisley's aggressive attitude. Candy Apples uses her large chest and sexy mouth to good use on Herschel Savage, with a great oral workout that results in a hearty cum facial. The films ends with a surrealistic, three couple fuck fest that unfortunately suffers from too many quick edits and an over-kill on special effects editing. Lexington Steele is paired with a blonde hottie for some good, hard interracial fucking and sucking, while Mark Davis is paired with the fun-loving Shay Sweet, and a guy I could not identify somehow fails to get it up for his very sexy partner. To be perfectly candid, with the exception of the featured star, Paisley Adams and Sydney Steele, most of these girls were not easily identifiable (the credits don't list their respective roles), and given the surprising lackluster presentation of this final scene, I really didn't care to find out who they were. Since Mark and Lexington are the only two out of three studs who can muster up facial cumshot, this film ends on a rather disappointing note. A final scene with Katja Kean, preferably teamed up with a nubile female like Sydney Steele, would have been a perfect capper.

With the exception of the image proportion problems, picture quality is pretty good for this soft-focus, softly lit video. Sound is clear and audible, but despite the "Dolby 5.1 Digital Stereo" designation, this DVD isn't exactly Lucasfilm THX standards.

MILLENNIUM is a good film that falls short of greatness, but is still an entertaining romp. Once Sin City hires a better quality control inspector, their DVDs will be the ones to challenge VCA and Wicked in the "mainstream" porn market.