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How
do you even review a movie like this? While Seduction Cinema
has at least tried to put the barest effort into their previous
movies plot-wise, Curious Obsessions is this,
and only this: One day, two young women find a 16mm film projector
left on their doorstep. Once set up they watch the film, which
consists of peep show clips. The girls get horny and then
simulate sex acts on each other. That’s it. For 77 minutes.
To know that it took three writers to come up with the script
to this film is like hearing the punch line to a joke about
your mother being penetrated by a pack of vicious wolves infected
with the Marburg virus.
It might sound mean, but let’s face it – there
is now hardcore pornography trying its very best to both integrate
actual stories, acting, special effects, dialogue and even
artistic statement into what is normally perceived as simply
“fuck flicks.” Simultaneously, the world of independent
and “art house” filmmaking has been trying to
incorporate actual sex acts into films. They might be considered
opposites by many, but they’re both trying to  achieve
that goal of finding the fine line between art and sex –
and God bless’em for trying, even if the experiments
don’t work out that well. But Seduction Cinema seems
to be in a constant state of decay.
Though maybe there’s something to celebrate in Seduction
Cinema being true to their format. You’ve got your tasty
ladies, you’ve got your lesbian footage, and you’ve
even got it intercut with footage of vintage erotica loops.
You’ve even got a woman rubbing her dainty-bits down
with a film canister, for god's sake. But just don’t
forget that sticking to your guns eventually leads to being
that guy on the corner wearing a sandwich board proclaiming
that Jimmy Carter’s resurrection will eventually lead
to the end of the world despite the fact that Carter is very
much alive.
I think what I’m trying to get at is that with previous
Seduction Cinema attempts, the films at least fell back on
cheap comedy or ham-fisted drama. But removing any semblance
of a plot in Curious Obsessions results in
a film that isn't erotic, but dull. If I have to
see another blank face let out a moan or hear more
overdubbed simulated  slurping
I’m going to scream. My only dream is that true lesbian
sex is like a Seduction Cinema movie. That would mean lesbians
were just as, if not more, sexually discontent as I am. And
that would be pretty funny.
Or sad.
…I haven’t decided yet.
Presentation
At the very least, the film looks nice. The vintage
clips are in much better condition than expected (though damage
and grain is present in the footage, which is warranted considering
the concept of the film), and the new video footage is quite
pleasing – though the constant Photoshop-esque filters
applied in many scenes are pretty awful. At the very least,
director John Bacchus tried to add an artful touch to the
film, which is a rarity when considering the field of work
the man is in. On the  audio
side, there’s nothing much to say. You can see things,
and you can hear things, and that’s all you need to
know when considering the movie itself..
Extras
What we have here is a mishmash of nothing in particular,
starting with The Genesis Of Curious Obsessions,
where producer Michael Raso speaks about acquiring vintage
loops which spawned the idea behind Curious Obsessions.
There is also a behind the scenes featurette which
involves one of the women in the film stretching her labia
for the camera. Classy. Other than that, there’s a collection
of stuff – a deleted sex scene from the movie Spiderbabe featuring Bethany Lott, and a collection of trailers.
Overall
If you’re a fan of vintage erotica,
don’t bother with this disc – Seduction Cinema
has released these loops in their own little collections (though
why they tout the matted widescreen presentations as a good
thing, I have no idea). Even enthusiasts might have a hard
time getting through this.
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