Do you know how many years it’s been since Bend Over Boyfriend? I hate to break it to you (and myself), but 1998 was 14 years ago. While you were suffering through “Hooch” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” while Bill Clinton was not having sexual relations with that woman, and while some dumb new search engine was launching, Carol Queen and some couples were making a video that was soon to change the landscape of sexuality. They didn’t know what to call their crazy groundbreaking sex act or how to make a video without neon lights and jug-jug-a-jug guitar noodling in the background, but by golly, they were into it. And ahead of the curve: the term “pegging” wouldn’t be coined . . . read more

[This post contains mentions of James Deen. I no longer support him or his work.] Tristan Taormino is obsessed with the butt. This is a known fact. But somehow it’s been four years since her original guide to anal sex. Therefore, Tristan Taormino’s Expert Guide to Advanced Anal Sex is a mouthful, but what else was she gonna call it? Like all the Expert Guide movies, this one begins with a workshop in which Tristan dispenses info on anatomy (including the prostate), preparation, lube, lots o’ positions, and double penetration. In a much-appreciated attempt at inclusivity, Tristan notes that “while these will be demonstrated with a male giver and a female receiver, people of all genders can try these. Most also work well for . . . read more

[This post contains mentions of James Deen. I no longer support him or his work.] Tristan Taormino does incredibly important work with her Expert Guide series of porn movies. So many “how-to” movies are yawn-inducing, but Tristan realizes that she must mix education with super-smokin’-hot sex. Sure, if you’re looking for an in-depth run-down of how to achieve orgasm, you’d be better off reading a book, but The Expert Guide to Female Orgasms does what a book can’t: it proves Tristan’s point — that orgasms come in many shapes and sizes — with moving images. Tristan’s 34-minute educational workshop is as helpful and non-judgmental as always. She discusses the phases of female sexual response: arousal, plateau, orgasm (“Women may make strange faces . . . read more

I’m not big on blowjobs in porn. I don’t hate them, but I’ll usually only watch a couple minutes of a blowjob, then fast-forward to whatever’s next. Thus, I wasn’t as excited for Tristan Taormino’s Expert Guide to Advanced Fellatio as I was for, say, Rough Sex. And while Advanced Fellatio isn’t typical-porn-blowjob boring, it’s very much a niche movie. You need to love watching blowjobs to thoroughly enjoy it. Advanced Fellatio begins with a 50-minute workshop. The anatomy section is actually pleasurable to watch, as snippets from pornstars are interspersed throughout Tristan’s lesson. Also, this probably shouldn’t have made me laugh, but it did: “the prostate is about the size and shape of a walnut. But it shouldn’t feel like . . . read more

What am I gonna do with you, Tristan Taormino? Really, if you keep making innovative and hot porn like this, people are going to stop believing me when I drool all over your stuff. Oh well — the truth is, Tristan Taormino’s Expert Guide to Anal Pleasure for Men is as delicious as it sounds. It’s educational; it’s fun; it’s sexy. It’s also a sex toy lover’s wet dream. Running an hour and forty-two minutes long, Anal Pleasure for Men begins with Tristan’s 13-minute lesson about anal play. First, straight up, she dismantles myths about male sexuality; although anyone buying this DVD probably doesn’t believe such myths, they’re still very important to demolish. She makes a few key points right away: . . . read more

In trying to articulate what makes much of Tristan Taormino’s porn so great, I’ve decided on this: she pushes her performers to express their actual personalities. Have I preached to you about her Chemistry series yet? It’s the epitome of personality-driven porn, and it’s so much hotter for it. In general, porn tends to flatten people; and while I’m all for completely mindless and raw fucking on film, I also really, really enjoy seeing genuine people get it on. Penny Flame’s Expert Guide to Rough Sex brings that to the table, with the added hotness of choking, slapping, femdom, and many more delicious rough activities. First, an admission: I am terrifyingly vanilla in my personal sex life, and my boyfriend . . . read more