Private Techniques

I'm getting to appreciate the erotic films of the mysterious "Stills by Alan", a still photographer (hence the screwy moniker) turned porn director. "Private Techniques" maintains high quality throughout its five sex vignettes.

Breakout star for me here is Alison Tyler, a plus-size porn actress who is eye-catching on the DVD cover and more than a handful on screen. She is featured in two separate segments, in different roles (once as a client, then later as a proficient masseuse), compiled from the streaming vignettes made for the Fantasy Massage websites.

As unsuspecting customer, she is rubbed down and oiled up by diminutive blonde Charlotte Stokely, an actress nine inches shorter than La Tyler. The contrast in their body shapes and dimensions is extreme, and adds to the panache of watching little Charlotte in control of the Big Woman for 40 minutes or so. As an extra in-joke, Charlotte has become a prolific bondage video performer in her career of late, but is the dominant here.

Back as masseuse, Tyler's soothing voice is quite hypnotic as she services busty (but not compared to Alison) client Brandi Love, one of my favorite performers in Alan's stable. Their teaming is incredible, and Alison's performance as both masseuse and sex partner is memorable.

The other match-ups are just as arousing, notably Sovereign Syre doing her vibrator thing on fan favorite Jenna J. Ross, as well as the wonderfully top-heavy pairing of Mia Leilani (as masseuse) and Stevie Shae, as just as blonde customer. Also effective is familiar face Tanya Tate, no stranger to oilers, taking care of business with Britney Amber.

What makes this format work, and is respected by director Alan, is the willingness to linger over the soft-core pre-foreplay, namely the massage action. Folks with short attention spans or not attuned to the oiler genre might find the action tedious, but the eroticism stems from not only the slow burn of the soothing hand movements and lulling voice of the masseuse, but also the corny but effective seduction/resistance/surprise as the exercise eventually shifts from therapy to explicit sex. It remains a surefire formula, dependent only on rounding up an attractive and alluring cast, hopefully with some chemistry between the hands-on participants.