Naomi... There's Only One

Reviewing John Leslie's estimable directing career, I can see a demarcation between his rather brilliant storyline features (e.g., "Brianna", "Chameleons" and "The Tease") and his well-crafted but no content gonzo exercises. Rather embarrassingly nominated for industry awards (left-handed compliment time) this tribute to sexy star Naomi plays too much like generic porn a decade on, for comfort.

One can see the detrimental affects of the gonzo revolution in John's career trajectory: the last 100-plus videos he made are rather forgettable gonzo exercises ("Brianna" clearly the exception) after terrific early '90s narrative work. Gotta pay the bills.

My chief disappointment here is that other than a voyeur segment (hurt by the presence of no-talent super-duper superstar of the future James Deen), Leslie's approach is highly derivative. It might as well be a John Stagliano video, with endless butt shots of delectable Naomi, and John even joining in for sex with her as the not so inimitable Johnny Stag is wont to do. Luxurious settings and remote, who cares? group-sex also recalls the Butt's most successful imitator Jules Jordan. The fans will certainly enjoy Naomi's constantly exuding sensuality in an unhibited performance, buttressed occasionally by deep-throater Mysti and mixed-combo Marie Luv.

So where's Leslie's personal involvement here? His place in Adult Entertainment history is secure, so I found it distasteful to see him conforming to the successful gonzo's auteurs' stylistics just to make a buck. A blindfold test would likely identify Buttman as the director (especially since this video was made for Stagliano's company Evil Angel), so "Naomi" is of little interest. Even Stagliano in recent years has aspired to much higher ground, as witness his storyline classics in the "Fashionistas" and "Voracious" series.