Plot: What’s it about?
This release is a volume in Showtime’s Red Shoe Diaries, which is a late night series on the network which features some sexually charged sequences and plenty of naked flesh. This series is helmed by Zalman King, who many believe to the king of soft-core and they are more than simple T&A offerings. Sure you’ll find enough boobs and butts to keep your eyes busy, but these episodes also have decent storylines and production values also. So you can satisfy your erotica fix at the same time you take in some nice visuals and at times, even decent acting. Showtime has decided to release this series on our beloved format and it looks like they’re serious as these are some nice discs. Each disc contains three complete episodes, complete with all sorts of bonus goodies including audio commentary from Zalman King himself. Not too bad, eh? If you’re a fan of this series I can’t imagine a better way to own the episodes than this terrific DVD series. Below you will find a listing and description of the episodes specific to this disc.
1. The Game– As she tells stories of her experiences with the Red Shoes Diaries board game, Lilly becomes more and more heated up and you know she’ll find some fashion in which to satisfy her urges, of course. This isn’t the best episode of the show I have seen, but it does deliver the basics of the series with a decent storyline and ample nudity and sex.
2. The Cake– The innocent housewife Juliet meets the dapper and suave Leonardo and sparks seem to fly from the start. Good old Leonardo shows her some things she never dreamed of and even uses some cooking supplies to create a delicious recipe for passion. This is an almost hilarious entry in the series and I think it’s more about laughs than sex but it still makes for an interesting watch.
3. Like Father, Like Son– When Jamie was a young boy, his father was involved with a woman named Celeste who was one fine piece if you know what I mean. When the two meet again however, Jamie has become a strapping buck and wants to put the moves on the older lady. This one seems to be the most serious of the trio and it should please fans of the series, though I didn’t care for it that much.
Video: How does it look?
Each episode of The Red Shoe Diaries is presented in a full frame transfer, which retains the original aspect ratio of the show. The image seems to be much like it would be during broadcast, although I imagine this is a little sharper. The colors look bright and full, with no bleeds at all and flesh tones (and there’s lots of them!) appear natural at all times. The contrast seems in order also, detail is high and shadow depth is strong also. This looks as good as you can expect for a television show, so fans should be quite pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a stereo track and I can’t imagine needing anything more for this material. The music is nice and fits the material well, within this mix is sounds terrific and is allowed to conjure the perfect atmosphere. Sounds effects are minimal, but when groans and moans are present they come across just fine. The dialogue sounds crisp and clean also, with separation issues at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release is loaded with features, including audio commentary by Zalman King that runs through all the episodes. King has a lot of technical information and even does a fair amount of criticism about the work on the series. There are some gaps at times, but usually King has something to say about the episode or series as a whole. You’ll also find a trivia game that rewards correct answers with footage from the episodes, a photo gallery, filmographies, a unique random response game, a diary loaded with text adventures, and the screenplay for Like Father Like Son. You can compare the screenplay to the finished product with the push of a button, what more can you want? The last bonus feature is a collection of unused footage, some extended cuts, some alternate takes, and even some rehearsal shots.
