Ostensibly a vehicle for Vivid girl Kobe Tai, "The Awakening" deservedly won an industry critics' award instead for co-star Inari Vachs, one of the rare occasions such demonstrably corrupt institutions got it right. She's terrific in a juicy role as a typically oversexed young woman (they all are in these porn movies) who after a traumatic accident seeks spiritual fulfillment.
The script is typical of the work of prolific writer-director David Stanley, who penned hundreds of twisty, often mystical screenplays for Vivid and later Wicked. This one is directed by Hall of Famer Paul Thomas and benefits from his craftsmanship and unpredictable odd touches here and there, though it is Stanley's trademark approach to cinema that predominates.
Both auteurs keep the viewer guessing for the first few reels, delaying both plot and characterizations as we watch what I call Lifesyle Porn - observing how those fantasy studs & lasses behave in some pornutopia. An undefined menage is presented with sisters Kobe Tai (a saloon singer) and Inari Vachs (a student), with their male beaux Michael J. Cox and porn photographer Bobby Vitale. Vitale seems to be the central figure, seen taking bondage/fetish shoots of busty models Renee LaRue and Maya Divine.
As usual, Vitale overacts, given free reign with a boorish, self- absorbed role to play that combined with my zero respect for the actor was quite a turn-off. But the film (seemingly shot on 35mm) overcomes this casting defect.
VARIOUS SPOILERS:
With Vachs handling 3 XXX sex scenes in a row, defying the tried & true structure of porn films, picture takes a U turn with a sudden car crash, in which Cox is killed - a surprise in Stanley's script that is not telegraphed in advance. Kobe escapes into her singing career (featuring several well-staged scenes of her dancing and warbling on stage with an effective funk band, each leading to public sex) while Vachs ends up in a wheelchair, morose and unable to feel anything in her lower extremities, ruining her sex life.
From here the show takes on Stanley's prime mission, examining critically New Age philosophy and religiosity, a topic he often returns to (most effectively in his magnum opus "Melt"). Inari's physical ailments are cured with the help of an androgynous-voiced local store owner/healer played by the obscure Kimberlee, and after she sees a pitchman ad on TV she flees to a retreat run by fake New Age healer Tyce Bune.
Stanley is a believer in mystical stuff but chooses to debunk same here, as Bune is revealed to be a pervert and charlatan, though his empire, replete with snazzy Rolls Royce car, is not in danger given how empty- headed his cult converts are. Vitale remains fairly despicable throughout, hardly creating the dialectic needed for Stanley's script to fully work, as he has "searching for purity & enlightenment" Inari contrasted with the cynical materialist Bobby.
Along the way a vast cast, mostly uncredited, pop up for sex scenes, notably Julian doffing his fetish-masochist rubber hood and body costume to whip out his huge dick and hump a blonde in the ass, shot on videotape by shutterbug pornographer Vitale. PT always likes to throw in an odd kink or wrinkle, in this case having the blonde's head in a toilet while she's taking it from behind, Vivid condom of course on firmly for protection.
Besides Julian, I easily spotted familiar porn folk Chris Cannon and Evan Stone in sexual walk-ons, adding them to the credits for IMDb. Kobe gets to do a gang-bang, but the show remains the province of Inari, terrific both sexually and creating a very sympathetic character - explaining why she, alongside Stephanie Swift, emerged at the top of Adult's acting heap back at the turn of this century.
The script is typical of the work of prolific writer-director David Stanley, who penned hundreds of twisty, often mystical screenplays for Vivid and later Wicked. This one is directed by Hall of Famer Paul Thomas and benefits from his craftsmanship and unpredictable odd touches here and there, though it is Stanley's trademark approach to cinema that predominates.
Both auteurs keep the viewer guessing for the first few reels, delaying both plot and characterizations as we watch what I call Lifesyle Porn - observing how those fantasy studs & lasses behave in some pornutopia. An undefined menage is presented with sisters Kobe Tai (a saloon singer) and Inari Vachs (a student), with their male beaux Michael J. Cox and porn photographer Bobby Vitale. Vitale seems to be the central figure, seen taking bondage/fetish shoots of busty models Renee LaRue and Maya Divine.
As usual, Vitale overacts, given free reign with a boorish, self- absorbed role to play that combined with my zero respect for the actor was quite a turn-off. But the film (seemingly shot on 35mm) overcomes this casting defect.
VARIOUS SPOILERS:
With Vachs handling 3 XXX sex scenes in a row, defying the tried & true structure of porn films, picture takes a U turn with a sudden car crash, in which Cox is killed - a surprise in Stanley's script that is not telegraphed in advance. Kobe escapes into her singing career (featuring several well-staged scenes of her dancing and warbling on stage with an effective funk band, each leading to public sex) while Vachs ends up in a wheelchair, morose and unable to feel anything in her lower extremities, ruining her sex life.
From here the show takes on Stanley's prime mission, examining critically New Age philosophy and religiosity, a topic he often returns to (most effectively in his magnum opus "Melt"). Inari's physical ailments are cured with the help of an androgynous-voiced local store owner/healer played by the obscure Kimberlee, and after she sees a pitchman ad on TV she flees to a retreat run by fake New Age healer Tyce Bune.
Stanley is a believer in mystical stuff but chooses to debunk same here, as Bune is revealed to be a pervert and charlatan, though his empire, replete with snazzy Rolls Royce car, is not in danger given how empty- headed his cult converts are. Vitale remains fairly despicable throughout, hardly creating the dialectic needed for Stanley's script to fully work, as he has "searching for purity & enlightenment" Inari contrasted with the cynical materialist Bobby.
Along the way a vast cast, mostly uncredited, pop up for sex scenes, notably Julian doffing his fetish-masochist rubber hood and body costume to whip out his huge dick and hump a blonde in the ass, shot on videotape by shutterbug pornographer Vitale. PT always likes to throw in an odd kink or wrinkle, in this case having the blonde's head in a toilet while she's taking it from behind, Vivid condom of course on firmly for protection.
Besides Julian, I easily spotted familiar porn folk Chris Cannon and Evan Stone in sexual walk-ons, adding them to the credits for IMDb. Kobe gets to do a gang-bang, but the show remains the province of Inari, terrific both sexually and creating a very sympathetic character - explaining why she, alongside Stephanie Swift, emerged at the top of Adult's acting heap back at the turn of this century.