THE SEDUCTION OF MISTY MUNDAE

Produced and Directed by Michael Raso Written by John P. Fedele and Michael Raso Edited by Tony Marsiglia Director of Photography - John P. Fedele Misty - Misty Mundae Aunt Inga - Julian Wells Billy - Mario Desi Girlfriend - Allanah Rhodes Party Girl - Esmerelda DeLarocca

My exposure to the work of Joe Sarno is extremely limited. The few films of his I've seen are due primarily to ei Cinema and their releases of Sarno's grindhouse erotica efforts such as SWEDISH WILDCATS and the incredible Sarno boxset (review forthcoming). Like any auteur, his work contains certain themes that become visible over time, some gradually while others grow clear immediately. The most glaring concept in Sarno's work is the notion of a "sexual awakening in women." He focuses on the sexual curiosity of the virginal heroin, then her loss of innocence, and finally her blossoming into womanhood through a sexual awakening and eventual sexual appetite. Of course this is all told through a distinctly male point of view where the phallus is the key to unlocking all the secrets that comprise womanhood and femininity, but that's a discussion for another time...

Director Mike Raso is an obvious fan of Sarno's work, and even if Raso didn't mention it during the DVD commentary, THE SEDUCTION OF MISTY MUNDAE is very much a loving tribute to Sarno. The movie could even pass for a contemporary effort by the famed erotic filmmaker. The primary difference between this work and other Sarno films is that this is told with the Seduction Cinema's overtly sapphic underpinnings. The sexual world of Raso's ei Cinema and Seduction Cinema is one where the phallus is of secondary importance; it's the vagina that holds the secrets of the universe and is the key to sexual self-awareness (either a much more grounded reality than Sarno, or Raso just knows his audience...).

The history of the Misty Mundae character is an interesting one, albeit confusing. As a teenager, one Erin DeWright started making features with the underground filmmaker known as Bill Hellfire and his film collective Factory 2000. Going along with the F2K tendency towards pseudonyms, Erin adopted the name Misty Mundae and used this moniker for years. All her various characters were credited as Misty. Eventually, once ei Cinema started distributing Hellfire's work, the Misty persona started to take off with fans blossoming left and right and lining up at conventions for her autograph. Eventually, ei purchased ,and now owns, the rights to the "Misty Mundae character, " and the company has spent years developing projects around her. Of course, the years of being pigeon-holed as someone you aren't has led Erin to breakaway and start seeking out work under the name Erin Brown. The confusing nature of the situation sometimes makes it hard to distinguish where the character ends and the girl inside begins.

Raso and screenwriter John P. Fedele place the Misty character in a situation that's similar to Sarno's INGA. The stories seem so similar that one could argue that the newer film is a retelling of the older work. Perhaps Raso was inspired by the striking facial similarities between Brown and INGA's beautiful Marie Liljedahl. Brown was, after all, the model featured on the cover for ei's initial video release of INGA, and she's a natural choice for bringing the character into the new millennium.

The movie opens metaphorically with Misty traveling to her Aunt Inga's (not really an aunt, but a close friend of Misty's mother), played by my personal favorite Seduction starlet Julian Wells. When Misty comes to the end of the road at her aunt's home, we know that Misty's journey into womanhood is nearly at an end. This is her destination, this is the place of her sexual awakening, this is where she becomes the woman she's destined to be.

Jullian and Erin have an interesting chemistry together, almost like sisters. On the commentary we hear that this production was only Wells' second for the company, but she's so natural and relaxed in front of that camera that one would think that she and Erin had been friends for years, and worked together often. That's a true testament to her natural skill as an actress. Wells comes across much more confident and intelligent than the usual softcore actress, and both traits add that extra level of sexiness you won't find in the less talented, albeit silicon-inflated, starlets currently making waves on late-night cable.

Erin has been hit and miss with her work as Misty in the past, but you can chalk that up to the effectiveness of past directors. This time she delivers the performance her fans have been waiting years to see, and she gets every note right. She delivers a few awkward lines, such as one where she asks Inga to "teach me how to fuck," but the awkward nature of the line is hidden by her performance as an awkward woman unsure about how to speak and interact socially. In the past, Erin has acted with only her body and sexuality, in THE SEDUCTION OF MISTY MUNDAE she acts with her face to create her best and most well-rounded performance ever. Every choice, every line, every action hinges on Erin's ability to sell them to the audience, and she's able to convincingly convey through her eyes and mouth all the innocence, wonder, amazement, and enthusiasm for the sexual energy around her. This woman who has played an erotic screen siren for half a decade makes us believe she's virginal once again.

The arc of Misty's character is all about her sexual development and it's relationship to her self-worth. When Misty first arrives at her Aunt's home, she's shy and embarrassed by her small bustline. In order to become confident in herself, Misty must first learn to please herself, this being the psychological representation of learning to love one's self. And the rule is driven home, you can't love someone until you learn to love yourself. Misty then allows herself to be pleased by a male, and this is where she realizes that she is worth something in someone else's eyes. She's not merely given value as a sexual being, but as a woman and as a person. The reassurance that she is a soul worthy of being loved allows her to love in return. Finally, there's the climactic encounter with Inga where Misty learns to enjoy her newfound self-worth and sexuality. Only once Misty becomes a complete woman is she allowed to leave her aunt's home and start the rest of her life.

It's not clear whether Aunt Inga is supposed to directly represent the Liljedal character, but it makes for a nice passing of the torch. The now sexually aware Inga helps guide a young girl who mirrored herself so many years ago. And like Liljedal was in the 60's and 70's, Misty Mundae is the virginal sexgoddess of the new millennium.

In recent years, movies released by Seduction Cinema have grown more and more explicit. People expecting something along the lines of Lust Connection will be surprised to find a serious lack of explicit interaction in this much tamer film. Raso and Fidele have placed characters and story ahead of the standard exploitation. The effect is that the nature of what interaction that does occur becomes more important than the action itself, while in traditional sexploitation, the sex act is the sole point. Rather than masturbatory fodder for horny collegians, the film takes on a more adult nature where the psychological motivations and ramifications become far more important than titillation shown. As audience members, we're left wondering why Misty mimics her aunt and masturbates rather than simply sitting back and enjoying the goodies. Are we to believe that someone so sexually curious has never touched herself before? If not, why? Fear?

It could also be argued that I'm overanalyzing, and there's no way I could prove you wrong.

John Fidele does double duty as the movie's director of photography and provides the perfect look for the movie. From the fall foliage falling from the trees to the woody interiors, from the conservative nature of the clothing to the dimly lit backgrounds, everything is soft, muted Earth tones. Browns, tans, darkened oranges. Flickering flames from fireplaces and candles. The visual feel is warm and inviting, and brings a smile to face when I try to recollect the movie's look. It feels like home, or at least how I always wanted my home to look and feel: safe, warm, and natural.

The commentary by Raso and Marsiglia is one that I've been looking forward to for some time now. Raso, like Sam Sherman who provided some of the best ei commentary tracks, details the rise of ei and its various labels. The tone often varies between the self-deprecating and the self-congratulatory, but Raso never comes across as a man full of ego who knows he's directed the best movie his company has ever produced. He discusses his inspirations (Sarno) and his goals (producing horror and taking Seduction into a new direction) while providing a historical framework on how this long-delayed movie was finally completed. Much of that thanks goes to Marsiglia who look this once-shelved movie and oversaw the final edit. For those that don't know, Marsiglia is ei's most interesting filmmaker and their best director. By editing THE SEDUCTION OF MISTY MUNDAE, Marsiglia proves that he's also their most well-rounded filmmaker, one who is able to move freely between his own creative work and onto other people's projects while still applying the same attention to detail.

Besides a commentary, this disc also contains a video interview with Raso, a small behind-the-scene featurette shot on the day an encounter with Wells and Allahna Rhodes was taped, as well as a featurette highlighting one of Well's modeling gigs. There's also a Misty Mundae trailer vault as well as a classic erotic stag reel billed as a Retro-Seduction Peep-Show. In addition, the 2-disc set contains the cd soundtrack, and the music is definitely worth listening too on it's own. The dvd perfectly packages this movie that should be required viewing for all fans of Misty/Erin and Jullian. None of their work to date even comes close.

Misty Mundae
Jullian Wells
Seduction Cinema
ei Cinema

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