"Rebound" exemplifies Stormy Daniels' approach as a filmmaker: wisely noting that Hollywood mainstream rom-coms have abandoned the old sentimental style of the Golden Age (think Dunne, Durbin or Colbert romantic sagas with tear-jerking involved) leaving an opening for a talented pornographer to take up the abandoned mantle of traditional storytelling. So, while "clean" Hollywood releases in this genre tend toward the gutter approach of either the Farrelly Bros. or Judd Apatow for obvious commercial reasons, Stormy storms in with an unbroken string of corny, high-minded XXX features. The irony of what is actually dirty here amuses me.
Perhaps Adult Cinema's most convincingly romantic actress Sam Ryan (whether in straight or lesbian contexts) stars as a self-help relationships expert who is promoting her new book, in which she boasts of having a "perfect" relationship with her lover of five years. After an opening vignette of Tyler Nixon humping plummy-voiced newcomer Lyla Storm in an idyllic cabana vacation setting, story begins in earnest with Ryan appearing on a TV talk show hosted by our busty auteur Stormy, in one of her frequent NonSex cameos.
Stormy plays "gotcha!" with her guest, showing a photo of Sam's boyfriend Tyler Nixon hanging out on vacation with Lyla from the scene we've just watched, thus humiliating our heroine and ruining her book tour and sales since she's hardly an expert on perfect relationships.
SPOILERS:
Rest of the film, which is directed in cinematic fashion and plays throughout looking and playing as if it were a "real movie" but with 15- minute XXX porn sequences included, details Sam's funk at her love life and career ending so abruptly, and her inevitable comeback in time for a Hollywood happy Ending.
A ski resort setting where Sam stays at her brother's cabin opens up the action with plenty of atmosphere and fine S.O.L.I interludes with her new romantic interest, a former skateboard pro turned (after injury) into kindly neighbor Michael Vegas. Both he and Sam give quite traditional, empathetic performances as the sometimes-at-odds but eventual lovers, whose XXX consummation brings the film to a warm conclusion. Stormy's filmmaking skill is most evident in a judicious saving of tight close-ups for the key scene near the end when Sam apologizes to Vegas for abusing his trust (she used him as the basis for a fictionalized main character in her hit novel she wrote, facilitating her comeback to best-selling author status), resulting in his effective line: "Why don't we make this book into a non-fiction?".
Allie Haze is bright and bubbly as Sam's helpful agent/publicist, who also delivers an IR scene with her boyfriend Karlo Karrera, a stud in the sack but quite poor in his acting. Brendon Miller is Stormy's favorite actor, but I didn't get into the pug-ugly's role as her brother, he getting to bed down with superstar Kaylani Lei who shows up here as the token Wicked contract girl in what plays as a non-contract Samantha Ryan vehicle.
I love Hollywood traditions and remain a huge fan of the studio system, though the surviving studios currently have forgotten what made them great, emphasizing Marvel/DC and other genre films for short-term gains. It's gratifying to see femme directors like Stormy, Skye Blue and in a quite different vein Nica Noelle carrying on but in Adult Cinema rather than mainstream (where for antiquated prejudice reasons they need not apply).
Perhaps Adult Cinema's most convincingly romantic actress Sam Ryan (whether in straight or lesbian contexts) stars as a self-help relationships expert who is promoting her new book, in which she boasts of having a "perfect" relationship with her lover of five years. After an opening vignette of Tyler Nixon humping plummy-voiced newcomer Lyla Storm in an idyllic cabana vacation setting, story begins in earnest with Ryan appearing on a TV talk show hosted by our busty auteur Stormy, in one of her frequent NonSex cameos.
Stormy plays "gotcha!" with her guest, showing a photo of Sam's boyfriend Tyler Nixon hanging out on vacation with Lyla from the scene we've just watched, thus humiliating our heroine and ruining her book tour and sales since she's hardly an expert on perfect relationships.
SPOILERS:
Rest of the film, which is directed in cinematic fashion and plays throughout looking and playing as if it were a "real movie" but with 15- minute XXX porn sequences included, details Sam's funk at her love life and career ending so abruptly, and her inevitable comeback in time for a Hollywood happy Ending.
A ski resort setting where Sam stays at her brother's cabin opens up the action with plenty of atmosphere and fine S.O.L.I interludes with her new romantic interest, a former skateboard pro turned (after injury) into kindly neighbor Michael Vegas. Both he and Sam give quite traditional, empathetic performances as the sometimes-at-odds but eventual lovers, whose XXX consummation brings the film to a warm conclusion. Stormy's filmmaking skill is most evident in a judicious saving of tight close-ups for the key scene near the end when Sam apologizes to Vegas for abusing his trust (she used him as the basis for a fictionalized main character in her hit novel she wrote, facilitating her comeback to best-selling author status), resulting in his effective line: "Why don't we make this book into a non-fiction?".
Allie Haze is bright and bubbly as Sam's helpful agent/publicist, who also delivers an IR scene with her boyfriend Karlo Karrera, a stud in the sack but quite poor in his acting. Brendon Miller is Stormy's favorite actor, but I didn't get into the pug-ugly's role as her brother, he getting to bed down with superstar Kaylani Lei who shows up here as the token Wicked contract girl in what plays as a non-contract Samantha Ryan vehicle.
I love Hollywood traditions and remain a huge fan of the studio system, though the surviving studios currently have forgotten what made them great, emphasizing Marvel/DC and other genre films for short-term gains. It's gratifying to see femme directors like Stormy, Skye Blue and in a quite different vein Nica Noelle carrying on but in Adult Cinema rather than mainstream (where for antiquated prejudice reasons they need not apply).