(1980)

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7/10
Insatiable:Part 1.
morrison-dylan-fan22 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Talking to a friend recently about films that they were searching for,I found brain to suddenly go "blank",when he began to mention about being interested in tracking down some titles starring an actress called Marilyn Chambers.

Admitting to my friend about never having heard of Chambers before,I was happily caught by surprise,when he gave me a very kind offer of borrowing one of Marilyn's most famous films from him,which led to me excitingly getting ready to unlock this beautiful looking chamber for the first time.

The plot:

Feeling annoyed at the absurd amount of time that is it taking for a film producer to get their movie off the ground,which she hopes will give her the opportunity to enter mainstream cinema,model and wannabe film star Sandra Chase begins to remember some advice that she received from her Aunt Victoria on a recent trip to London,with Victoria telling Chase that she must do everything possible to stay at the top,especially since it will allow Chase to have the very best things in life.

As she beings to push the producer on finally getting the movie into production,Chase also begins to dream about all of the amazing men & women that she has met and slept with,thanks to remaining at the very top.

View on the film:

Marking Chamber's return to the Adult film industry after working on a stage production in London, (where footage for this movie was illegally shot) and also having entered the mainstream film industry thanks to starring in David Croenberg's Rabid,the first half of Daniel Short (possibly an alias name) screenplay takes a very direct aim at Chamber's personal life,which helps to give the film a terrific fourth wall breaking feel,with Short showing Chase to be someone who is desperate to break out of her "underground" status and enter the mainstream as quickly as possible.

Disapointingly,at about half way into the film's running time,Short sadly drops the tantalisingly autobiographical elements of the movie,and instead solely focuses on Chases memories of the people that she has slept with,that leads to the second half of the film feeling pretty aimless.

Teaming up with Chambers for the first time,director Stu Segall, (who has a cameo as a passerby wearing a yellow jacket in the London footage of the film) and cinematography James R. Bagdonas, (who has since gone on to direct a number of highly praised TV shows such as Boston Legal and Modern Family!)shoot the film in a stylish,glossy manner,with Segall and Bagdonas cleverly using soft lens to show Chase's dreams about the people she has gone with,that can also be seen as Segall and Bagdonas showing that Chase's desire to enter the mainstream can be nothing more but a dream.

Showing no signs of missing a beat from being away from the Adult movie industry,Marilyn Chambers (who says on the movies audio commentary that this is her favourite films of the ones that she made) gives a terrificly charismatic performance as Sandra Chase,with Seagall making Chambers look nothing less than glamorous-no matter what the situation is!,and Chambers also doing well at getting to the heart of Chase's desire for mainstream fame in a number of witty scenes with Aunt Victoria, (played by a good old-time British Comedy actress called Joan Turner)which leads to this chamber of secrets being one that I am thrilled to have burst open.
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MARILYN-BRIGHTEST STAR IN A GOLDEN ERA
cbarfield23 March 2002
This movie will seem like a breath of fresh air for those of you which have grown up in the modern video generation.Its high production values not only allowed shooting in both L.A. and London, but was also filmed in glorious technicolor.Its use of outdoor locations will make you believe you are watching a mainstream movie(just wait till you see the overhead shot of Marilyn driving her Ferrari in the country)and a certain way of filming intimate sequences without encroaching on the performers enjoying themselves.

Sandra Chase,top model/actress is preparing for her latest production to begin,shes rich,beautiful and owns a mansion,in fact more than likely she lives Marilyns true life.While the plot is nearly non-existent,it is quite unlike the current video fodder that is shuffled out as quick as possible.

Godrey Daniels takes time in building up the couplings,in particular the scene with Jessie St James and John Leslie.It begins as they are finishing some after dinner conversation,while out on the patio and under the moonlight they start to kiss, giving the film both passion and realism before moving into more advanced foreplay.There is more traditional segments,my own favourite is when Arti Goldberg's (Richard Pacheco)car has run out of gas and Marilyn offers to syphon some juice out for him(this is not a metaphor created by this reviewer). John Holmes and David Morris also try to satisfy this charming woman,and if these legends fail what chance do the rest of us stand ? The only downside is the London footage which has no purpose other than padding out the running time.

The DVD is excellent with loads of extras including a commentary by Gloria Leonard,trailers,slide shows etc.

DVD finally offers the chance of seeing adult films from the golden era in top grade quality and this presentation is as good as it gets.
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9/10
Poor Little Rich Girl
Nodriesrespect2 March 2008
One of the all time adult blockbusters, mainly because of the much awaited return of superstar Marilyn Chambers, who had taken a hardcore hiatus after exploding on screen in the Mitchell Brothers classics BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR and RESURRECTION OF EVE at the dawn of what was to be fleetingly labeled as "Porno Chic". In the meantime, the former Ivory Snow girl garnered considerable critical acclaim for her "straight" acting jobs both on stage and as the tormented anti-heroine of David Cronenberg's disturbing RABID. She was well aware however that she was the proverbial "big fish in a small pond" as far as her sex industry status was concerned, meaning that she could pretty much call the shots in ways her mainstream work would never allow. For her heavily hyped comeback extravaganza, she wisely called upon the talents of easy-going "Godfrey Daniels" a/k/a future TV producer Stu Segall, who had made a seamless transfer from sexploitation (including rough stuff like SADDLE TRAMP WOMEN and THE DIRTY DOLLS) to full color penetration with a slew of frothy fornication farces like the ludicrously titled but effortlessly entertaining TEENY BUNS, the terrific Laurien Dominique vehicle SUMMER SCHOOL and the sprawling SPIRIT OF SEVENTY-SEX, his most elaborate and ambitious feature to date. As he would put Chambers through her passionate paces on several more occasions – the sequel, the Country & Western carnal concoction UP 'N' COMING and even some of Marilyn's PRIVATE FANTASIES videotapes – we can safely assume that their collaboration was indeed a happy one.

Production and distribution was handled through Segall's newly founded Miracle Films, with the unforgettable tag-line – borrowed from the Amero Brothers' wickedly witty BLONDE AMBITION, credit where it's due – "If it's a good film…it's a Miracle !" Sugar-coating aside and disregarding its top spot on many a favorites list of "those in the know", INSATIABLE actually proves a fairly flawed film in many respects, perhaps none more so than its unnecessarily disjointed narrative. As wealthy heiress, world-famous model and budding movie star – enough already ! – Sandra Chase (Marilyn, of course) wanders through London's tourist traps, complaining to elderly aunt Victoria (well-played by renowned British stage soprano Joan Turner, who recently turned up in Curtis Hanson's superior chick flick IN HER SHOES) how lonely life is at the top, the story proper unfolds through flashbacks within flashbacks in a structure that would be sophisticated if there were any story substance to support it. Auntie gets the flick's best line as she counters Sandra's self-pitying soliloquy with the remark that you can be lonely anywhere, "at least at the top, the food's better !" Much is made of our have it all heroine tragically losing both parents in a car crash on a trip to Switzerland a few years earlier, hopefully providing an explanation for her naughty needs, but Chambers doesn't strike me as particularly traumatized, just a happy healthy girl who likes sex a lot. Surely, porn has long passed the stage where supposed psychological aberrations were required to underpin such "bad" behavior in the name of "socially redeeming value" !

Better to focus on the film's handful of – admittedly, perfectly realized – sexual scenarios and let them tell the story instead. Sandra carnally congregates with reigning Hollywood superstar Renée Reynolds (Serena) in a steamy hot tub encounter that now feels frustratingly truncated in most versions due to the elimination of fist insertion footage. Much more satisfying is Sandra's pick-up of adorably dorky Artie Goldberg (Richard Pacheco), resplendent in full baseball Little League regalia, whose car has broken down on the way to the big game. Excellent acting by both stars with dialog that feels completely natural – as it does throughout the entire movie – heightens the eroticism of the explicit pay-off. The scene everyone remembers, Sandra losing her virginity to crude family gardener David Morris (Georgina Spelvin's tennis pro from Ron Sullivan's superlative BABYLON PINK) on the pool table as recounted to sympathetic personal assistant Flo (the incomparable Jesie St. James), has proved problematic for some female viewers as it's one of those "they may (mildly) protest at first" numbers. In its defense, and as far as rape fantasies go (and any Cosmo girl knows by now that it's perfectly natural to have them), this kind of scene has rarely been done to better effect. A tender tryst on a nighttime patio between Flo and matinée idol Roger Adams (John Leslie) supplies a romantic counterpart – complete with marriage proposal ! – with the time-tested chemistry between the perfectly matched stars (who worked together on TALK DIRTY TO ME, HOTLINE, Matinée IDOL, etc.) very much in evidence. Refusing to be eclipsed, Marilyn brings up the rear – in every sense – with an extended fantasy sequence involving Morris, Mike Ranger and, replying to her murmured pleading of "more, more, more", John Holmes !

Production was clearly designed to achieve opulence on a limited budget, establishing a visual style that would become the stock in trade of the straight to tape/cable "erotic thriller" of the '80s. Sandra lives in a huge mansion, drives a convertible and has guests flown in by helicopter. 'Nuff said ? Plus, location shooting, however ineffectual, always gives the impression of tons of money having been spent, with Europe looking particularly expensive to American audiences for some deep-seated "Old World" reason. Subsequent TV camera ace James Bagdonas (a/k/a "J.R. Baggs"), who wound up shooting BOSTON LEGAL, makes everything and everyone look good with soft hazy lighting. An original song-filled soundtrack, a Segall trademark, completes the package. Even commonly cut-throat carnal connoisseurs like the late Jim Holliday seemed overly impressed with its shiny wrapping paper. Maybe Marilyn's award-winning theme song "Shame On You" sums it up best : "Sometimes love ain't nothing but a misunderstanding between two fools…" Read into that what you will
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4/10
An okay watch
PeterMitchell-506-56436414 November 2012
No doubt, you must have heard about this film. To my shocking revelation, they actually played this movie at a family orientated cinema back in 82. The title says it all. Wealthy fashion model Sandra has it all, but does she really? She's lonely, and craves sex like someone does chocolate. We see her on many sexual encounters, one involving a kid gas attendant. There's even a flashback to her younger years, with someone doing her on a pool table. At least we have John Leslie, an actor and old flame of Sandra's. We have some nice shots of London and an erotic sex scene in as spa, but really the whole movie doesn't add up to much. Marilyn Chamber's acting in this is so faux. She's really a bad actress, and her ten minute masturbation scene got quite irritating. It goes on and on and on. It's as if the movie desperately relied on this, to add longer length to the film. The movie's cover is inviting with Marilyn baring her buttocks, clad of only her short blue threads. I guess another plus is John Holmes as her fantasy lover who doesn't utter one line of dialogue.
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10/10
This movie is a true representation of high quality pornography
tilteddonkey8 March 2007
I saw this movie for the first time back in 82'-83'(not too long after its release)I was just a child then(11 or 12 years old),I found my dad's secret porno stash and introduced myself to the world of pornography.I remembered this movie from that point on.I brought the movie with me to my boarding school and it was soon stolen.I was heartbroken but life went on.Later in life(about 5 years ago)was at the Port Authority bus station and decided to walk across the street to the local porn shops.While inside, I managed to find this flick again, along with many other amazing vintage movies.For me, this movie was a "must buy" and that is exactly what I did.I rate this movie among the highest as far as porno quality can get.It contains the legendary John Holmes as well as other major players of the time.You might remember John Leslie from the original movie"Talk Dirty to Me"(another classic). Let me summarize it for everyone,this movie came out during a time where porn was king and amateurs would be forgotten.This movie is a must see, a true classic right up there with Debbie Does Dallas,The Devil In Miss Jones,and Newcomers.No disappointments.Period. I am quite sure however that this movie cannot be purchased nowadays with the original cover artwork(sprawled with stars on breasts).Get the movie and go back to a time when talent mattered.Now at 35, I can only be bothered by new movies containing amateurs holding no real imagination whatsoever.To me,newer porn is in fact a waste of time.Keep it real and keep it vintage(you won't go wrong). I'm not sure if there is a soundtrack available for this movie. P.S. another star very much worth seeing(if you like vintage) is the unforgettable Ginger Lynn. 2 of her greats are Pleasure Hunt 2 and Too Naughty to Say No. I hope I informed you well,thanks for reading this.
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10/10
All-Time Classic!
dgordon-117 September 2001
I had heard about this movie back in the '80s, and finally rented it a few years ago on Pay-Per-View. It was made during a time when adult movies actually looked like real movies-shot on 35mm film. The film locations and sets indicate that the movie had a big budget, compared to other adult features of the time. The charismatic Marilyn Chambers plays a model/actress that can't seem to find satisfying relationships, but has a whole lot of fun trying. It's a definite classic adult film and a must have for VHS/DVD classic adult film collectors.
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ONE OF MARYLIN'S BEST
bazdol28 November 2001
Far better than "Behind the Green Door," this is one of Marylin Chamber's best films. Her oral abilities remain uncontested to this day. The pool table scene with David Morris is something to behold. See also "Still Insatiable" which was made about 25 years late with a somewhat but still but sexy somewhat overweight Marylin. These two films have high production values for the genre and were shot in film instead of videotape. She is indeed a classy woman.
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10/10
Great Soundtrack
jimel9818 September 2006
I saw this film in the theatre and damn, what a movie. I mean, it was actually GOOD! The soundtrack still slides through my mind from time to time, though it may not be exactly correct. Miss Chambers really can act and not just when having sex and of course, even to this day, she ain't hard on the eyes! She's a rich actress/model who manages to keep herself busy, but sadly, it's never enough, hence the title, INSATIABLE! Since it's a porn film, there's really no way you can spoil the ending, most endings are meaningless, but I'll tell ya, watch for the scene in the pool. Oh my that's good pool action! If you don't like porn, why are even reading this review? If you DO like porn (on occasion, of course) this movie, though old, is timeless.
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Absolutely awesome... best XXX film EVER!
the_zero_g17 August 2003
This was the first porno I ever saw, and to this day, I am STILL in love with MC!

I need to know if anyone out there knows where i can find the SOUNDTRACK of this film? Insatiable has an awesome soundtrack, is there a place where I can find it?
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One of the Best of the Genre
Michael_Elliott26 April 2014
Insatiable (1980)

*** (out of 4)

Classic porn film has Marilyn Chambers playing the rich heiress Sandra Chase who shares her sexual adventures with us. We learn that she has a very hungry sexual appetite and one by one we see her adventures. While it's true there's not much of a "story" here, there's no question that this remains one of the most loved and most respected porn films ever made. I'd go even further to call it one of the better made features from the "golden era" where these types of films were still playing in theaters. I think the main reason for the success is due to the natural beauty of Chambers. Lets face it, porn has offered up many beautiful women from all walks of life and all different looks. However, has there ever really been anyone like Chambers before or since? She just has an incredible, natural girl-next-door look that immediately grabs your attention and obvious she can hold her own on the camera. She certainly delivers a very sexual performance here and comes across quite charming and fun. The sex scenes are all shot extremely well and there's no doubt that the majority of them are highly erotic with Chambers really going all out on each of them. The highlight or at least most notorious moment in the film happens at the end when her fantasy boy played by John Holmes gives her a workout, which leads to the now famous final shot. There's no question that this is one of the better porn films to be made and I think the natural beauty and appeal of Chambers would make it viewable even for those who don't normally watch this type of film. It's also worth noting how terrific the editing is during the opening sequence. INSATIABLE was Chambers' return to the genre and she certainly made the most out of it.
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