User reviews

As far as I can tell, "Zazel" represents the true "State of the ART" in erotic films at the moment. The film may be better than most, if not all, mainstream art films. In fact, the film is so artistically well-done and beautiful, I believe this film should be exhibited in some way (appropriately of course) in a high-quality art museum! According to my present understanding, this film was one of the first erotic films to be released in the new High Tech DVD Video LaserDisc format. The film is very impressive with lots of artsy stuff and high-fashion models as well as quality erotic settings and goings-on - everything about this film is first-class including the hi-fi stereo background music. A Highly Recommended View (but perhaps not for all tastes or for those who might find erotic material, even that which is very well-done and meritorious, objectionable for some reason)!

Dr. Dennis Bogdan

Grandmaster Editor at Wikipedia (User:Drbogdan)

More related film details on Wikipedia.

Zazel is the first adult feature since Night Trips 1 and 2(1990) to make an adult film enjoyable for both men and women. The men will enjoy the beautiful entertainment magazine models. This film includes Penthouse pets Sasha Vinni,Gina Lamarca and Lene Hefner. For women, it has exotic locales and costumes. The first scene opens with Sasha Vinni,covered in blue paint, performing an exotic dance for another woman near a waterfall.In another scene, we have Ms.Vinni prancing around in all her glory with tiger stripes circumferencing her body(Mr.Mond you sure do know how to paint a woman pretty).In the closing scene of the film, we have a gorgeous amazonian She-Devil decked out in red latex-horns and whip included. If you are a single male -watch this film! And if you are not-watch it with your woman. Believe me,this is one film that both men and women will find highly erotic!

It's difficult to make a film for adults which is at the same time artistic, erotic and enjoyable. The film of Philip Mond deserves a place in the conventional cinema. The only critic I can make is the story which is, as always in erotic movies, a bit weak. I sincerely regret that ZAZEL is the only work of Philip Mond. Could somebody explain that to me ? As far, I never saw a film so beautiful in the genre. No doubt Sasha Vinni is, with Dahlia Grey, the heroïne of Andrew Blake, one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Apparently just another attempt by a rival porn production company – in this case Metro – to ape the sophisticated style of Playboy photographer turned pornographer Andrew Blake, the award-showered ZAZEL far surpassed its source of inspiration, courtesy of the presence of a true artist rather than a pale imitator behind the cameras. Dutch picture snapper Philip Mond was known and revered by connoisseurs of carnality for the much needed shot in the arm his idiosyncratic visuals had provided for then somewhat dwindling Penthouse magazine in the early '90s. Their mutually beneficial cooperation begot Mond's first movie, self-explanatory titled SEX OFF THE RUNWAY, one of Bob Guccione's groin child's infrequent stabs at cornering the explicit erotic entertainment market and a virtual dry run for Mond's subsequent masterpiece. The no brainer winner of AVN's Best All Sex Film prize for 1997 – along with additional compensations for the director's awesome camera gyrations, art direction and famed fornication filmmaker in his own right James Avalon's exquisite editing – ZAZEL took the industry by storm with its flurry of Penthouse Pets (noblesse oblige !) featured in invariably startling, not to mention subtly kinky, sexual scenarios.

As a matter of fact, if there's anything predictable or pedestrian about the movie, it must be the unifying premise tying together its out of left field flights of fancy. Tortured artiste Zazel, portrayed by ravishing raven-tressed Sasha Vinni who had also decorated Mond's virgin cinematic effort, has to come up with an innovative ad campaign for a new perfume and looks towards nature as well as iconography both religious and pagan for inspiration. Breathless voice over blubbering portentous purple prose that sounds profound but means squat aside, that's it as far anything resembling a proper plot's concerned, but the images will absolutely take your breath away. Vinni emerges from a crystal pool, painted bright blue and wearing a gold turban as a Hindu love goddess, slowly seducing blond, busty Grace Harlow. Former Vivid contract star Lené Hefner, who proved herself a decent actress under the tutelage of Paul Thomas in movies like MASK and CONTROL, sensually submits to the probing caresses of tattoo artist Devin Wolf (Jenna Jameson's boyfriend from Brad Armstrong's wonderful DREAM QUEST) in a tantalizing tribute to Japanese classic IREZUMI. The tiger and orchid body painting interludes provide a stunning "trompe l'oeil" (which literally means : to deceive the eye) effect that viewers will never forget.

With ANGELS & DEMONS raking it in at the box office as I write this, Mond provides his personal interpretation of both. The sepia-saturated cherub climax is something to behold as it answers the age old theology conundrum whether angels possess genitals or not. Guess what ? They do, even if they're not their own as Anna Romero and Kevin James "stunt doubled" for the penetration parts as Antonio Valentino proved unable, unwilling or probably just uninvited to sully Sapphic sirens Vinni, Helena and Brooke Lane, who displayed no such qualms in Michael Ninn's FOREVER NIGHT and SHAYLA'S WEB. Ironically, this heavily doctored tableau went on to win AVN's Best Group Sex Scene award, thereby unwittingly scoring another triumph for its behind the scenes technical prowess. Romero returns to chew up the scenery, among other things, as a scarlet devil woman, beheading Sasha and employing her severed noggin for oral gratification ! Still, my personal choice for best of show would be the black and white coupling of Gina LaMarca and Jon Severini, which really does look like some pretentious perfume ad, with the added appeal of the pervasive passion these real life lovers so obviously share. For those of you, like me, enamored of this delectable duo, they supplied a very modest repeat performance in Armstrong's palatable BREEDERS prior to calling it quits on the porno front.

Mere words can't do justice to the sheer level of perfection Mond and his tremendously talented collaborators bring to each aspect of production, all to glorify the beauty of its ladies to the hilt. Yet rather than with Andrew Blake, to whose increasingly tepid universe we forcibly return through continuous critic comparison, these women explore their innate earth mother wantonness rather than stand around looking bored amid designer interiors ! Coloring each sequence with an appropriate musical tone, the amazingly eclectic Dino and Earl Ninn (formerly Double Vision, but settling on their current monikers courtesy of their fruitful association with fine filmmaker Michael) still manage to outdo themselves, impressive track record notwithstanding. Reeling from both actual achievement and awesome audience response, Mond took a full decade to return to movies with the astonishing INSEXTS and the Club Jenna blockbuster SINEMA.

This movie's trailer declares that "the new age of erotica coming in 1997". Unfortunately, the movie itself hasn't become the beginning of a new era of porn. It rather remains a sole achievement, a still unattainable paragon of the genre (however I should mention that I am not familiar with other Philip Mond's endeavors ).

The movie's biggest accomplishment is the way in which it approaches the most critical problem of porn movies - a 'meaning' thing. The total absence of any sense (even on some atmospheric level) which characterizes almost all productions of this genre renders almost immaterial any other 'developments'. The attempts to deal with this problem (some of them were pretty expensive) have one common mistake - they tend to ignore the objective parameters set by the genre (you have only 20 min between 'action' scenes, at most, to tell a 'story'; this 'story' should live through these scenes which last much longer etc.). As a result, in almost all those movies that undertook somewhat ponderous attempts to bring in some 'meaning' through introducing some 'plot', the latter exists separately from everything else. "Conquest" with Jenna Jameson is a good example - the plot does not affect the 'action' scenes in any way - in fact, most of them are worse than those from any average quality production. So what we have is just a silly waste of time and money.

Having, obviously, grasped the same idea - you can successfully handle this problem only by incorporating somehow a 'meaning' into an 'action' - "Zazel", on the contrary, finds a perfect solution. It offers a plot, chaste as it is, but which immaculately pulls this whole thing together. Without any dialog (the only thing that we can hear is a narration) it renders meaningful not only all the 'action' scenes, but each element of them: settings, costumes etc.

Apart from this accomplishment the movie has two indisputable assets: a marvelous soundtrack by Dino and Earl Ninn (it contributes into the general meaning with its every instrumental part as well as with occasional lyrics) and a piece of stunning perfection - the red beauty Anna Romeo. This graciously moving gray-eyed honey has three scenes in the movie (plus one as a body double) and is absolutely dazzling in all possible ways.

All those things compounded give us something that goes far beyond subjects that are commonly considered the pinnacles of the genre - normally gorgeously looking, but, in fact, pretty tedious and senseless Andrew Blake's average fumbling around, for instance. Something that even in strictly cinematic terms (considering the amount of resources used) is way above a good half of conventional Hollywood mainstream. It's the quintessence of the genre - an exquisite visual meditation on pure beauty of pure form. When you are watching it, at times, it feels like the world might make some sense.

If only they gave Oscars to adult movies. This one would have cleared out every Golden Globe.

I saw it about nineteen years ago. It brought tears to my eyes. That feeling of, WOW, I TRULY FOUND SOMETHING GREAT!! Look, everything good you hear about this movie, is true. It really is something unique. It is a blue movie that looks like it's been shot by somebody tripping, like, really, really far out, like WAY OUT, man! Everything comes to life, everything wondrous and beautiful and pure. Mermaids, tattoos, water sprites. There is even a demonic turn of events near the end which I at the time thought was gonna ruin the ambiance, but, fortunately, no. Believe me, the beauty of this skin-flick will astound you. Seen-it-all XXX-watcher? You will not believe your tired, jaded eyes. You will watch it again and again and again. There is just one catch. You will want more. BUT THERE IS NOT. In the entire world of Adult Cinema, there is nothing like this. There never had been and there most likely never would be again.

This is truly, truly an ART FILM in the fullest sense. A blue movie that even a staunch porn-hater might like.

You know what? Back then this little gem was freely available in this country for a minimal amount compared to the astronomic price it now has on seller sites.

If you're artsy and into really pretty girls, whatever you do, obtain it. This masterpiece is worth every buck you're gonna have to shell out.

This Penthouse filled movie is definitively among the best movies in those 200+ reviews because it has everything an adult movie needs and at such high level, you left it totally enthralled and exhausted !

First, it has a story or as it seems the rule in that domain, it has at least an original thread that links all the vignettes : the design of a the perfume that will offer the scent of love : so it's about sketching in a mansion and going into the garden to try the natural flavors. For sure, every coming idea leads to an erotic fantasy. Next, it has a wonderful and enchanting scenery : it explodes of colors, of seasons, of setting indoors, outdoors and each time, the score fits wonderfully : it's not some irritating jazz or piano but rather traditional, worldwide folklore and sometimes sounds like religious music ! At least, it has a unbelievable cast, full of Penthouse Pets which is the proof that this was indeed the magazine of reference in that field : the buxom blonde Grace Harlow, the wild curvy Nikkie St. Gilles are just amazing but when you add the first role with Sasha Vinni, you reach the firmament : she is a stunning natural brunette with magnetic eyes and strong tongue and she gives an extraordinary performance, really carrying the whole movie on herself as she is almost in every scene ! So this movie goes where all the Andrew Blake, Micheal Ninn and others fails : it's poetic, outrageous and really exciting ! For sure, as it's so good, there isn't another like this one so taste it again and again

a classy film with top talent,best scene of all is the last with popular stripper anna romeo dressed in a killer outfit very nasty indeed with a long red tail sticking out of her glorious behind,before she gets pounded by two studs she does this cool sexy dance wearing these remarkable shoes fetishists will love em ,a shame she hasnt done other films she is fantastic