The Masseuse

Frequently cited by adult movie sources as the perfect film to make your significant other cross the line from simulation to penetration, it seems somewhat unfair to confine former performer Paul Thomas' groundbreaking MASSEUSE to the porno genre, even if it does contain elements which inevitably place it in that category. For many aficionados, this flick will be soft on sex, basically just two people in one extended encounter, spread out over four explicit scenes. Other characters are represented only peripherally to the central relationship growing between virginal 28-year old librarian Jim (Randy Spears) and the sympathetic masseuse he frequents, Barbara (Hyapatia Lee), their subtle shifts in dynamics beautifully conveyed through insightful writing from Mark Haggard, best known for co-directing the silly but highly enjoyable FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL with Bruce Kimmel. Coupled with career performances from both leads, who would be re-teamed several times (perhaps most memorably in CENTERFOLD, arguably Bud Lee's best film), this proves a perfectly realized gem, easily one of the finest features to come out of the late '80s/early '90s period, a particularly barren wasteland for the American adult industry. The 2004 remake retains the original's director yet streamlines the story into a more conventional format, i.e. more than two people make the beast with two backs. Reshuffling character motivations to suit his new stars, PT offered a nonetheless interesting twist on familiar material while shedding new light on larger than life porno queen Jenna Jameson who has never been better.

Presumably a great many people acquired this movie on DVD as an extra to the updated rendition so, regrettably, they might not see it as more than a bare bones rough sketch. Both movies kick off identically with its male protagonist stuck in a dead end job, looking to the personal ads for a way out. While co-worker Amy (nicely played by Spears' real life spouse Danielle Rogers) attempts to get him to ask her out on a date, his debilitating shyness keeps him from acting on what's obviously a mutual attraction. One of the best actors ever in adult movies, Spears has to overcome the additional "handicap" of being almost ridiculously gorgeous (think gay porn level), making it seem most unlikely that some enterprising female wouldn't have taken initiative by now but he makes viewers buy into the premise through sheer thespian talent. Faced with the less daunting role of a world-weary masseuse with a few restless skeletons of her own in the closet, luscious Lee (already something of a veteran, having made her dirty movie debut back in 1983 with Bob Chinn's THE YOUNG LIKE IT HOT) matches him every step of the way, their sizzling chemistry absolutely essential for the story to work. Obtaining a genital shaving, manual and oral relief on separate visits, Jim ultimately asks Barbara to come to his house, at which point the narrative diverges most substantially from the new millennium version. Initially acquiescing to his request of tying her up, Barbara has a panic attack at the last moment, a considerably more realistic reaction than Jenna's quiet done it all acceptance of the subsequent and admittedly eye-popping B&D session. There are still a few unexpected twists – even if you have already watched the remake – until the film reaches its wistful ending that seemed abrupt the first time I saw but has grown consistently more resonant whenever revisited.

Chances are, if you have been watching porn for as long and in such ill-advised quantities as I have, that you have pretty much seen every sexual variation known to man and then some. However, when was the last time that you could honestly say you saw two people making love and not have it sound like a euphemism demanded by "polite" society ? Now I'm not talking about stereotyped fireplace 'n' candles romantic encounters since those are about a dime a dozen but a man and a woman (or two guys or two gals, equal opportunity obliging) pleasuring each other the way we supposedly all do in real life with talking, laughing and awkward moments along the way intact. In that respect, this is indeed a perfect "starter" film for couples to enjoy but good luck trying to find others just like it.

In part out of economic necessity, resources having dwindled down to a shadow of their former selves since the adult industry's heyday when movies still received amply attended theatrical screenings, PT had to work with a small technical crew who make up in talent for what they lack in number. Not that this type of intimate endeavor should warrant or could even sustain the more "important" approach that throwing more money at it might have generated. Cinematographer Jack Remy favors uncluttered, deceptively simple compositions with flattering diffuse lighting, edited together by Michael Zen with a watchmaker's precision that could hardly be any less ostentatious. Best of all is Michaelangelo's eerie tinkling soundtrack, one of the best ever in porn and wisely carried over in its entirety for the remake.