FASHIONISTAS SAFADO - THE CHALLENGE
DVD Region 0. Evil Angel / Harmony

John Stagliano’s Fashionistas was probably the standout adult movie of the last decade, but its sequel – clumsily titled Fashionistas Safado - The Challenge – is a bit of a let down.

Split over 2 DVDs, it is rammed with fetish-flavoured, no-bullshit rough sex (some of which has been trimmed for UK viewers by our ever vigilant censors), but the story which propelled the original film is lost amidst overly lengthy orgies which would actually be a lot hotter if they were a lot shorter. It's difficult to follow the characters motivations, emotional traumas and the plot of a rival 'underground' competitor to the Fashionistas fetish label emerging when the story grinds to a complete halt for so long. This might not be a problem in most porn movies, but Stagliano is trying to tell a story here - something he did superbly in the first film - and Ican't help wishing he'd shown more restraint.

20 minutes of opening footage from Stagliano’s Fashionistas dance show in Las Vegas is interesting, showing the acrobatic performances. I'm sure the show is impressive, and probably deserves a DVD release of its own, but here it but adds little to what feels – even at well over 4 hours – like an incomplete project. And given that a third part is ready for release, that feeling seems more than justified, making this the Empire Strikes Back of porn - a film that is all middle and no end.

Still, it’s good to see Belladonna fucking men again, and at least Stagliano is making the effort.

LES DE MONZE

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