Lesbian Storytime Theater 1

30 years ago Shelley Duvall produced the wonderful children's series "Faery Tale Theatre", generating classic episodes starring Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Gregory Hines, Sofia Coppola, Eric Idle, Elizabeth McGovern, Robin Williams, Klaus Kinski, Billy Crystal and Mick Jagger among many others. This Adult series for Lesbians is hosted by Veronica Hart, who exhorts us to come back for more, but alas only one video was released.

The four stories run extremely long (3 hours 15 minutes total) but are well- enacted and interesting vignettes. With Hart voicing over brief intros from her open storybook, first segment is slightly overwrought soap opera, as sister-in-law Veronica Avluv tells Deauxma that her brother has been unfaithful, and wants to console the old friend and relative. This vignette is very slow-moving, as both actresses walk on eggshells until VA finally admits she's in love with her in-law, and Deauxma very reluctantly has sex with her. In-joke of course is that Deauxma is the doyenne of Lesbian talent, but this 4 big breasts festival plays well due to the girls' convincing sex simulation.

Part Two is a traditional oiler, with Zoey Holloway perfectly cast as a masseuse fired by her salon for sexually tampering with the customers. Now she's working out of her home, and busty Brandi Love is a knotted-up client referred to her by friend Elexis (another in-joke, as Elexis Monroe wrote and directed this feature).

Like Part One, this one has a very slow burn, as Zoey's hypnotic, soothing voice wears down Brandi's inhibitions and when rubbing turns into XXX sex Brandi ends up giving as good as she gets. Both segments rely on perhaps the Prime Directive for Lesbian Cinema: initiating the non-lesbian into Sapphic bliss.

Part 3 is rather offbeat and only slightly confusing for me, perhaps a defect in Elexis's writing. Monroe stars as a woman estranged (apparently -here's where the writing is iffy) from girlfriend Amber Chase. Chase visits her a year later and shows her how to belly dance, with elaborate costumes. Of course said costumes come off and the duo makes passionate love, but the expected drama/second thoughts, whatever is missing. Only a hint of subtext (Amber expresses her philosophy of no emotional attachments) is introduced and I was disappointed by the gonzo implication that only sex matters. (I know Elexis doesn't believe this, but the episode fails to back her up.)

Finale is quite different in focusing on the bread & butter of lesbian marketing: two fresh young things. Superstar Shyla Jennings is paired with lanky redhead Elle Alexandra (who has recently graduated from bondage videos up -sort of- to horror films). The premise of the duo trying on dresses prior to a party (with two other lovely femmes cast in non-sex roles and unfortunately uncredited) is weak, but the sex is heady, made amusing by Shyla keeping on her head the bumblebee costume antenna throughout.

It's possible that this Lesbian Lite program was perhaps a bit fey for the video audience, who if they had any sense would embrace non-Gonzo entertainment (before it dies off entirely) and even spring for the brilliant (G-rated) Shelley Duvall classics as well.