Aw hells yeah! Every time an article of mine goes up on TheWomansPOV.com I get all tingly. Here’s my review of Triangle Films’ River Rock Women’s Prison, which absolutely astounded me. Kathryn Annelle is one hell of a writer and director. Regardless of the fact that I LOVE lesbian and queer porn and she makes it, she puts together erotic films that hold together as artistic wholes better than, well, just about anyone else working out there at the moment. And, um, Syd Blakovich is SO hot. And, speaking of ladies I like, working with Madison Young is such a privilege; that woman blows me away.
And I mean it. I just watched a scene of hers in another Triangle Films movie (which will be reviewed on TheWomansPOV next month), and you know, at first I was thinking that she kind of terrifies me. And she does. But in a good way. In that “She’s my boss kind of, but I’ve never met her, but I’ve HEARD about her, and she’s a legend, and I really want to impress her” kind of way. And also in that “She’s such an empowered woman, I don’t want her to think I’m nearly as naive and lame as I really am” kind of way. And even in that, “This woman would TEAR ME UP in bed” kind of way. But mostly, mostly,Madison makes me crazy impressed and scared at the same time because of her ferocious performances.
Madison Young is fearless. I mean really, totally, completely goddamn fearless. She is into just about everything that would usually earn someone the label of “freak,” and she owns all of them with pride and passion. When she goes on camera, she leaves behind every ounce of inhibition and self-consciousness, does what she’s there to do, loves every second of it, and to hell with what it looks like. Well, that’s not entirely true: she’s an artist in that she cares very MUCH what her films and scenes look like. But Madison makes the exact opposite of “pretty” porn. When she goes into a scene with another woman, she gives not one iota of a flying fuck about what’s traditionally thought of as “nice” to look at. She doesn’t give a hoot what people think a woman is supposed to do to look “sexy.” She doesn’t bother with fluttering eyelashes or pouty faces or cute gasps or soft, demure actions. She is the opposite of “gay for pay” lesbian porn, the antithesis of socially acceptable femininity. She doesn’t care if what she’s doing is really intense, or if her body isn’t shown at its most aesthetically pleasing angle, or if her face is contorted because she’s so intent on what she’s experiencing. She doesn’t do things quietly or cutely; actually, when she gives head she kind of sounds like a dog lapping at a water dish, panting and slurping and lapping. She’s balls-to-the-wall into what she does. And, you know, it’s really kind of scary.
I’m just being honest here, and I’m glad I realized that the intensity of her performances is daunting to me. It jolts me out of that “Oh my god, why is she making that face?” mentality that my experience with super-feminized “lesbian” porn (and a larger culture that tells us women should always look cute) has ingrained in me. It makes me realize that I’m still expecting women to look and act a certain way, and you know? That’s bullshit. If I was with someone in a sexual situation and they told me I was making too much noise or not looking pretty enough with my O-face, I’d storm right the hell out of the room. But part of me, until I started thinking about what it is that intimidates me so much about Madison, was still expecting women in erotic films and porn to look “cute” for me all the time. And that wasn’t cool. I don’t want to be a sexy-time hypocrite.
So, thanks, Madison! And just know that, when I finally meet you, even though I’ll try to use my brave face, I’ll be quaking in my boots.