The Devil in Miss Jones

The Devil in Miss Jones (2005)

** (out of 4)

Do we really need a plot description other than this is a remake of the 1972 classic, which helped make the porn genre what it is today? This is a very loose remake to say the least so if you're expecting anything scene-for-scene then you're going to be disappointed because we basically just get the title, a few small connections and a cameo. Outside of those things this here is pretty much on its own and I must admit that I really wasn't all that impressed. The original film is certainly a legend in its own right but I wasn't overly fond of that one either but it's certainly much better than what we have here. Yes, the cinematography was good and they were actually trying to do a "real" movie here with "real" performances but clocking in at 109-minutes, this thing just drags way too much with one boring sex scene after another. Again, people are going to be watching his movie for a variety of reasons. Some are wanting a movie. Some are wanting to get off. Others might just be a fan of the genre. Either way, the sex scenes really weren't anything we haven't seen countless times before and I must admit that I didn't find any of them erotic. Perhaps I'm just an old fashioned person where I prefer that not everyone look like Ken and Barbie models? Either way, both Savanna Samson and Jenna Jameson are pretty enough as are the rest of the girls but their performances....not so much. The original film's Georgina Spelvin makes a cameo appearance, which is probably the best moment in the film. The story itself is a complete boring mess that rarely makes any sense but then again, this is a porno so perhaps we shouldn't have expected one.

I do not like paying for movies, but when I do, I want quality.

If you ever saw the original The Devil in Miss Jones, you pretty much saw this one too. Yes, the cast is different, and the scenes are shot different, but the scripts are the same, and therefore, so is the story. Of course, you are not planning to watch this for the story, are you? I would have rated this film higher, except for one issue. The acting is terrible. The dialogs are extremely annoying, to say the least.

In the future I will not be purchasing any more remake productions until, but maybe I'm too nostalgic

No pun intended - Jenna Jameson .. I don't think anyone doubts her fame. I assume if she was active nowadays, she may be way more famous. Maybe even be a movie star ... although she seems to have gone of the deep end. Quite conspiracy heavy stuff she is into, so there is that. But that should not matter if you watch the movie - and this can be called a movie.

Also if you are into these "for the first time" ever things: well this has 3 audio commentaries, it has angle selection (which I guess is just more footage of the - well "important" stuff) ... and so many other things that may not be normal for adult movies. But the director seems adament to really want to make something of substance. And his update of the Devil in Miss Jones theme ... works quite well. And still has a lot of the scenes you came here for - you have to have at least one of theses jokes ... you just have to.

The first The Devil in Miss Jones was a great movie, the remake tried to bring back former glory but lacks.

The sex scenes are reasonable, but Savanna past her prime. It features an all-star cast Savanna Samson, Jenna Jameson, Roxanne Hall, Angelica Sin, Jessica Jaymes and Vicky Vette. It is too bad they did not cast Belladonna. Despite that they still managed to show some evil and sexiness. I watched it on DVD, so it came with interesting extras and background information. The movie had a big budget and even brought in some of the old stars as extras.

You can see the director tried. The ending wasn't brilliant, but what can you expect from and adult film?

The most eagerly awaited adult film of 2005 or so hype would have it. Having cut their teeth on countless DEBBIE DOES DALLAS remakes/updates/sequels, Vivid Video and their flagship filmmaker Paul Thomas decided to do the same to one of the industry's even greater sacred cows, Gerard Damiano's untouchable 1972 classic DEVIL IN MISS JONES, "re-imagining" the legend for today's audiences. As a longtime genre fan of a quarter century and counting, I couldn't help but be curious about the outcome, especially faced with the prospect of reigning quim queen Jenna Jameson essaying the part of the Horned One (Ms. Devlin, if you please !) and exciting new Vivid contract actress Savanna Samson – who had received plentiful critical kudos for her work in P.T.'s LOOKING IN – filling the void left by Georgina Spelvin. Most exciting though was the news that Spelvin herself would make a cameo comeback to tie this "cover version" in with the original, which was added as a bonus in a luxurious three disc DVD set. To my great surprise, I was not the slightest bit disappointed.

Working from a compelling screenplay by two of the industry's most intelligent scribes (Raven Touchstone and Dean Nash), Thomas has elaborated upon the central conceit within Damiano's first masterpiece, the one questionable element being the odd decision – in light of the original's familiar outcome – to obscure what leads to Justine's skewed perception until the very end. This is partially made up for by a knockout dramatic scene that has Spelvin, as a maternally protective bathroom attendant, explains what has really happened to the shell-shocked Miss Jones in dialog lifted ad verbatim from the '72 film where she herself received it from John Clemens' Mr Abaca, giving it the feel of a mythical tale passed on from one generation to the next. In this version, Justine's a lonely office worker who's awakened on her birthday by a chiding voice mail message from the date she apparently stood up, superbly played by Dick Smothers Jr., indeed son of the legendary entertainer. People at work casually ignore her and her sole card comes from an insurance company. Things are about to take a turn (for the better ?) when she's summoned by enigmatic chair person Ms. Devlin, after which she's hurled from one outrageous situation to the next with little or no recollection of how she got into this mess in the first place. One minute, she's a shocked – not to mention very naked – bystander at a Vicky Vette gang bang, guys silently queuing up to take their turn atop a centrally located dumpster, seemingly disembodied hands furtively groping our embarrassed heroine. Next thing, she's finally mustering up the courage to confess her feelings for swaggering office stud Jordan, played by impossibly handsome soap star turned stud Nick Manning, the brooding detective from Michael Ninn's PERFECT. Their poolside liaison proves one of the film's highlights, Samson remaining admirably in character as an insecure woman in awe of the incredible hunk she has finally landed. Watching bemused from the sidelines, Ms. Devlin orchestrates the proceedings towards the inevitable conclusion. Prior to attacking Justine herself in an award-winning Sapphic scorcher, Jenna lets off steam in a dungeon dyke scenario with the appropriately Gothic Rachel Rotten, who appears for an encore with real life husband Rob as part of the convoluted climax where all hell literally breaks loose. Smothers as the painfully pathetic Ted gets a few licks in with the formidable twosome of Roxanne Hall and Angelica Sin in a purposefully frustrating encounter, echoed by a genuinely shocking final revelation not carried over from the original.

Thomas cleverly thwarts expectations by throwing the viewer a number of curve balls, retaining just enough of the classic's flavor for this to work as a remake while still paradoxically making the material his own. Jameson further solidifies her superstar status with a wickedly witty portrayal, not hampered at all by her on-again/off-again decision to only work with other women at the stage this was shot. If anything, it makes sense to me as a gay man that Satan would be a lesbian ! Just kidding, ladies… Of course, Savanna Samson has the tougher assignment here with a part that takes up the full emotional range the actress can display, beautifully rising to a challenge presumably no one expected her to pull off. The first DEVIL was a tremendously well-produced film for its era, but Vivid has pulled out all the stops to blow it out of the water in that respect. Ralph Parfait, son of Ron Sullivan, signed on for the fluid photography, making splendid use of exteriors especially, and composer Michaelangelo - who has the odd distinction of scoring both the original MASSEUSE and its 2004 remake - added a truly haunting soundtrack. While comparison was bound to be inevitable, this NEW DEVIL really does stand on its own as a superlative achievement from an always interesting filmmaker and a heartfelt tribute to one of the founding classics underpinning the billion dollar porn industry of today. You have come a long way, baby