DIRECTOR: Candida Royalle presents "Rites of Passion," a two-part Star Directors Series title. The production consists of two short films, "In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience" directed by Annie Sprinkle, and "Shady Madonna," directed by Veronica Vera.

CAST: In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience stars David Sandler, Jeanna Fine and Roger T. Dodger.

Shady Madonna stars Nina Hartley, Robert Bullock and Scott Baker.

RUNNING TIME: 80 minutes.

EXTRAS: Photo gallery, message from Candida, Natural Contours info, About Candida, Previews, No Regional Coding

DATE OF PRODUCTION: 09/30/2004

BODY:

I happily join the legion of female adult film fans who worship the goddess Candida Royalle; one of the first and few directors to produce woman-friendly adult films.

Royalle, in fact, has achieved a number of firsts in her extensive career, including the first woman-directed adult comedy ("Stud Hunters") and one of the first truly moving, introspective adult romances ("My Surrender").

By presenting "Rites of Passion," Royalle achieves another first: a 'his-and-her porno.'

Sure, today's adult market boasts a plethora of couples movies (though your typical DVD store still will carry far more copies of "Teen-Age Teabagging Tarts" and "Kiki Does Kansas"). Yet "Rites of Passion" actually features two separate scenarios; one custom-made for females and the other seemingly geared toward males -- though in a way that still respects and empowers the female lead.

Jeanna Fine, an actress whose strength and talent I've always admired, stars in "In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience;" a segment directed by the legendary Annie Sprinkle.

Billed as an 'autobiographical tale,' "In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience" could be retitled "I Dream of Johnny," as it concerns a sexually deprived woman who finds ultimate and romantic fulfillment in the arms of a muscular dijin; one who aims to conquer her inhibitions and show her the true path to sexual enlightenment (translation: he's some sort of mystical he-babe determined to show her a really, really good time -- score!).

The film uses humor as foreplay, relaxing and amusing the audience before presenting a truly beautiful sensual act; one that draws upon both modernistic lovemaking techniques and the ancient arts of the Kama Sutra.

The other segment, "Shady Madonna," centers around another strong female; this one a temptress (played by a ravishing Nina Hartley) who permeates the sensual psyche of a repressed televangelist (translation: She's some sort of mystical she-babe determined to show him a really, really good time -- score, I guess).

Although I liked the film's empowerment of the temptress figure, and thought that Nina Hartley made a shrewd and articulate heroine, I wasn't at all sensually excited by "Shady Madonna."

However, a woman who had been sufficiently revved by "In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience" could get her mate in a similar state by showing him "Shady Madonna." And that's why I feel that, taken as a whole, "Rites of Passion" is the ultimate his-and-her adult film.

CONCLUDING WORDS: Who is David Sandler (the dijin in "In Search of the Ultimate Sexual Experience" and why hasn't he done more films? The man is freakin' hot!!!