I’ve written before about “the best of the future” – or the “predictive power” of Elegant Angel, as I like to call it. Here’s the thing…
Every year (well, every year since 2008), Elegant Angel has done something intriguing. They name *The* performers of the upcoming/just-beginning year!!
Shot annually for release late December/early January, the Performers of the Year series highlights a collection of the industry’s hottest established women performers. Each title in the series features a collection of new scenes, and each new scene stars one of the named Performers of the Year in some form of Elegant Angel-style tryst.
It’s an interesting concept – not mind-bending in its “best of”-type originality, but well-executed and consistent. Plus – and I gotta say – the folks at Elegant Angel do have an eye. Though I find it curious (and simultaneously so obvious in its pragmatism) to name *The* stars for a year at the BEGINNING of said year, if you look through installments of Performers of the Year (here), their picks are pretty right on.
Performers of the Year 2013 seems no different.
(pictured: Performers of the Year 2013)
Ever clever, Elegant Angel started their Best New Starlets (ladies who are coming up versus ladies who are currently dominating) series in 2012. I have the same general things to say about Best New Starlets as I just did about Performers of the Year.
So when I recently received copies of both Best New Starlets 2013 and Performers of the Year 2013, I wondered: what new could I learn from these titles?
Hmmmm… Of course, I learned something!!
My favorite part of Elegant Angel titles in general – well, at least those directed by Mason and William H. – is that they always have some sort of interview footage/lead-in sequence complimenting their very unique, high-end, aesthetically beautiful hard hard sex. Though these interviews and sequences vary in depth and quality (not everyone has something to say, not everyone can pop their ass as well, etc), I always enjoy getting to hear a little from the performers. I like the humanizing dimensions that also function to combat anti-porn folks’ ideas that these women are somehow being forced by pornographers into this stuff – nope!!
Both Best New Starlets 2013 and Performers of the Year 2013 stick with this elegant Elegant format.
Performers of the Year 2013 is a two-disc set: disc one contains six scenes (five boy-girls and Lily Carter’s gangbang, which actually is a deviation for the series), disc two has some bonus interview and BTS footage… with all the ladies except Lily.
Now, speaking of Lily Carter, her featured segment was interesting. Her ‘interview self’ was surprising – a tender and sweet, if not kinda timid, baby bird who discussed how nervous she was about acting. As I said, this was surprising, especially relative to 1. the voraciousness of her sex performances in general and 2. the fact that she just won almost every acting award possible for her lone foray into that sort of performance – as Anna in Wasteland (2012).
I found it odd that there was no additional interview footage of her, given the intensity of her scene and all. It made me think…
(pictured: Lily Carter)
I also really liked Brooklyn Lee’s interview sequences, both before and after her scene, in Performers of the Year 2013. One of the most visible (and, in my opinion, compelling) powerhouse performers working today, Brooklyn seemed awwwkward. Not awkward shy and not awkward bad, just kinda nervous and tense in a really interesting humanizing way. Her ‘interview self’ in this particular instance surprised me… because she works and speaks all the time …with Elegant Angel …and with Manuel Ferrara. What did she have to feel awkward about?
And why should that even matter?
The idea that someone can work all the time – literally baring the inner-most depths of her body – but not always necessarily be ready to comfortably disclose the inner-most depths of her soul via a camera interview was interesting. This level of humanity should be expected (verses being surprising), and it made me think…
(pictured: Brooklyn Lee)
Though not as elaborate as Performers of the Year, Best New Starlets 2013 followed the same elegant Elegant format – lead-in interviews and sequences for five scenes (all boy-girls except a girl-girl between Mischa Brooks and Remy LaCroix, a deviation in of itself). I was especially interested in Riley Reid’s.
Riley Reid is a sweet-seeming smiley young woman from Florida (if memory serves). And during her interview, she tells us a story that would make anti-porn folks twist with delight.
According to her interview in Best New Starlets 2013, Riley didn’t really have much going on and she didn’t really know where she was going in life… and she was kinda hard-up for cash… so oh my goodness, she decided to do porn.
And she seems just fine.
She tells her story in a matter-of-fact way, open and happy – all good. I liked her interview because she seems to have every situation-specific characteristic that some people WANT to go all bad. But it didn’t, at least not the way Riley tells it here.
(pictured: Riley Reid)
I like the interviews that Elegant Angel does with the performers, before and after their scenes. Certainly, some would question their purpose and veracity, but I would suggest those questioners slow their roll – there is much to be learned from women choosing to share their insights in this manner.
Performers of the Year 2013
With performances from Jada Stevens & Mick Blue, Asa Akira & Erik Everhard, Skin Diamond & Ramon Nomar, Brooklyn Lee & Manuel Ferrara, Lexi Belle & James Deen, and a gangbang between Lily Carter, Alex Gonz, Bill Bailey, Erik Everhard, James Deen, Jon Jon, Ramon Nomar, & Toni Ribas.
Also, four bonus scenes (all boy-girls) from ladies with Honorable Mentions: Allie Haze, Eva Angelina, Holly Michaels, and Remy LaCroix – kinda interesting.
Directed by William H for Elegant Angel. Released in December, 2012. Buy your copy here.
BTS and Extras: additional BTS, post-scene, interview-type footage with each lady… except, as I mentioned, Lily Carter.
Best New Starlets 2013
With performances from Riley Reid & Manuel Ferrara, Annika Albrite & Mick Blue, Jessie Rogers & Manuel Ferrara, Mischa Brooks & Remy LaCroix, and Maddy O’Reilly & Manuel Ferrara – this collection could’ve been sub-titled “Breakin ‘Em in with Manuel Ferrara” …jeez!!
Directed by William H for Elegant Angel. Released in January, 2013. Buy your copy here.
(pictured: Best New Starlets 2013)
* * *
Like what you see? Follow PVV on Facebook and Twitter!!
Visit Dr. Chauntelle at ChauntelleTibbals.com and on Twitter at @DrChauntelle!!
All images used with permission.
You may quote anything herein with the following attribution: “Reprinted from Porn Valley Vantage/PVVOnline, copyright © Chauntelle Anne Tibbals, PhD (www.PVVOnline.com).”
PVVOnline – Critical Commentary on Adult Production
It comes as no surprise that I adore these two series; anyone reading my reviews at Xcritic of them might think I’m on the company payroll (falling just short of the gushing comments by other reviewers who are even worse). Seriously though, the company takes a simple formula and follows through on it by picking some of the very best talent available at a given time. The strong lighting, set of sexual tricks, makeup, locations, and everything else help serve as control variables.
Best New Talent: What I think Elegant Angel does though is not predict success so much as select ladies that have already shown great potential (in most cases at least) and make it happen. They typically follow through by putting the performers in showcase efforts that focus on a single lady, promote the heck out of them in all sorts of ways (love those podcasts and individualized scene trailers), and this typically gets the other two major gonzo companies to shoot the ladies more. As much as I enjoy some of the better works by smaller gonzo houses, the overall quality drops quickly outside of Elegant, Evil Angel, and JJV; each catering to a similar but different crowd.
Best Performers: Elegant uses the top names, makes a big effort to pair them with big male talent (a term some disagree with me even exists but watch Manuel with a lady vs some fourth tier mope to see the difference as one example), and follows the formula. Mason and Nutsack are very similar when it comes to the technical matters and the usual control variables, Patrick or Graham likely picking the top talent for these showcases. And if you track such things like a few of us do, you will see that most of the related titles offer a few “firsts” for the diehard crowd, be it first anal, first DP, first gang bang, or whatever.
Oh, and as far as Brooklyn Lee is concerned, I found that interview to be especially endearing as it helped humanize her. I am a fan of hers and have consistently pushed her to those in the industry as well worth their money, the young lady showing that absent a showcase title from Jules, Elegant, or Evil, she could win awards via Gazzman’s Nymphomaniac series.