Page 86 - AVN September 2016

editor’s choice
Babysitting the
Baumgartners
AAAAA
Adam & Eve Pictures
AdamEve.com
Director: Kay Brandt
Cast: Anikka Albrite, Sara Luvv, A.J.
Applegate, Mick Blue. 243 Min.
Category: Drama, Polyamory
When looking for one word to
describe Adam & Eve’s new
movie Babysitting the Baumgartners,
“unicorn” comes to mind: this near
mythic figure, in swinger parlance,
is a single, smoking-hot bisexual
woman who’ll play with a couple,
no strings attached.
For one thing, the term aptly
describes the main character: nubile
babysitter Ronnie, played by Sara
aroused after sunbathing topless with Mrs. B
(as Ronnie calls her), followed by voyeur scenes
where she watches the Baumgartners make love.
The tension heightens deliciously throughout,
climaxing first when Mrs. B. picks out a micro-
bikini for Ronnie, tsks over the young girl’s
bush, and then shepherds her into the bathroom
for a shave. As Mrs. B washes the shaving
cream off Ronnie’s labia, it’s clear from her
canny smile that she knows exactly the moment
when Ronnie can’t hold back her orgasm. The
combination of sexual excitement and emotion
makes this scene a standout—and it features
none of the acts that one would usually tick off
when shooting a girl/girl scene.
The first DVD in the two-disc set has an
abundance of similar non-formulaic scenes that
earn it the “feminist porn” descriptor. But by
the second disc, the scenes will become more
familiar to porn aficionados, with the requisite
boxes checked off: toys, deep throating, pop
shots (including internal), more girl/girl (Luvv
and A.J. Applegate), anal (one scene each for
Albrite and Luvv). But what makes this so
good as “couples porn” is the prevalence of
foreplay—plenty of hugging, kissing, oral sex
... and more important, laughter. Throughout,
the talent assembled here (among them director
of photography Mike Quasar, production
Luvv. For another, the movie itself
is the porn equivalent of a unicorn,
serving both sides of various
erotic and aesthetic divides: men
vs. women, feminist erotica vs.
mainstream porn, even straight vs.
kinky.
The force behind this sprawling
epic—four hours long, broken down
into 16 sex scenes on two DVDs—is
writer/director Kay Brandt, who
adapted the story from author
Selena Kitt’s best-selling book.
She’s no stranger to ambitious projects—for example, her girl/girl series Cherry
(Digital Playground) and last year’s Safe Landings (also for Adam & Eve)—but
Baumgartners far outstrips what she’s done before. And it should capture her
widest audience to date.
The plot is simple, seen in its more base form in hundreds of “bang the
babysitter” adult movies. But here one feels not just titillation but true arousal,
and even wonder, at being offered a window into a young woman’s initiation
into sexual maturity, guided by an experienced and loving couple.
As the many stories posted about this movie have noted, the sensual tour
guides are played by real-life couple Anikka Albrite and Mick Blue—an almost
accidental casting that turned into cinematic gold. These seasoned vets are
able to shed their professional porn personae to focus instead on making their
characters fully believable while at the same time an idealized version of an
open marriage: two people at the peak of their sexual prowess who are both
enamored and polyamorous. It would be fair to credit both Brandt’s direction
and the pair’s own natural charm for the freshness of their performance.
As Ronnie, the inexperienced 19-year-old who shares in the sexual bounty,
Sara Luvv more than fills the bill. Naturally wide-eyed, she looks astonished at
each milestone she crosses with the Baumgartners. And each of the 16 scenes
brings Ronnie one step further on the journey, from the first time she becomes
ratings guide>
manager David Lord and producer Red Bud) is
committed to creating a world that celebrates
mutual, guilt-free pleasure. It’s the kind of adult
entertainment worth brandishing at critics who
say porn celebrates titillation, degradation and
coercion. Yet at the same time it’s not afraid to
give porn fans what they want: beautiful bodies
fucking with athleticism, stamina and grace.
— Iris Blocks
Summer of Love From left, A.J. Applegate, Anikka Albrite, Sara
Luvv and Mick Blue.
review guide>
AAAAA
AAAA 1/2
AAAA
AAA 1/2
A rare honor bestowed on only a handful of releases each year.
Outstanding. The sex is scalding; production values are top-notch.
Excellent. Multiple orgasms assured. Stock several copies.
Above average. Definitely strokable. Unambiguous recommendation.
All-Girl No boys, maybe some toys.
Interactive DVDs that allow viewers to choose from a range of actions and performers.
All-Sex Nothing but wall-to-wall action, baby.
Interracial For fans of dark and light meat.
Amateur Performers you’ve never heard of, shot with equipment available at Target.
Oral All about the pleasures of the mouth.
AAA
Anal Banging on the back door, mostly.
Parody Mainstream titles seen through the porn lens.
Average. Run of the mill. Par for the course. Get the picture?
AA 1/2
Big Butt The cheekiest porn around.
POV To misquote Christopher Isherwood, “You are the camera.”
It’s a pretty run-down mill. And that sand trap is a bitch.
Big Bust Boobs, racks, melons, juggs ...
Pro-Am Features little-known to unknown performers sometimes paired with name stars.
AA
You’ll probably need a crane to get it up.
Ethnic Focus on performers of a specific ethnicity.
Even a crane won’t help.
Vignette Sex scenes depicting self-contained stories or scenarios, with or without a connecting
device.
Gonzo Porno vérité, in which performers acknowledge the presence of the camera, frequently addressing viewers directly through it.
MOVIES
Specialty Fetish and other specialized adult entertainment genres. Genre specified in parentheses.
A 1/2
Feature Plot-oriented movies, aimed primarily at couples, emphasize acting and dialogue.
A
Try jerking off in the shower instead.
Young Girl The doctors of tomorrow funding their education today.
86 | AVN.com | 9.16