Plot: What’s it about?
A lush tropical island, a group of pampered castaways, and revealing bikinis, you’d think this was the latest season of Survivor. This island isn’t about the method of outwit, outplay, and outlast however, this is about outmodeling. Yes, Maxim’s fourth annual swimsuit issue has been released and thanks to this disc, you can take a peek behind the curtain. A group of seven gorgeous models were flown to a remote, beautiful tropical paradise known as Mustique, where only those on the special lists can even visit. So if you’re not part of that in crowd, you can forget about being present on the shoots, let alone up close and personal with the models. But in this special disc from Maxim, you can live through others who were lucky enough to attend, so through interviews and candid footage from the shoots, you too can see how it all happened. You even have your own personal guide, as VH1 hottie Rachel Perry takes you into all the best moments from the shoots, so you can soak up all the wonderful visuals. So if you’re ready to join the fun, then don’t just stand there, buy this thing! Or at least that last line is what the case instructs, but I don’t suggest following orders from a hunk of plastic.
The swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated has turned into a true icon, a magazine with half naked women that even respectable men could peruse without fear. The issue would travel to schools, places of business, and the homes of upstanding citizens all over the globe, with no feelings of shame whatsoever. No other magazine has been able to undermine that success, but Maxim has been determined to dull Sports Illustrated’s shine. This disc covers the fourth annual shoot for Maxim’s Real Swimsuit Special, which much like the competition, features scads of incredible hotties in very skimpy bathing suits. And in some cases, with only half their suits on, which is of course, more than alright by most folks. Maxim is a men’s magazine that houses some racy photo shoots, so you can expect more edge from their swimsuit special. But the boundaries remain intact, so if you like one magazine’s edition, then the other will be of interest also. This piece runs about an hour in duration, enough time to explore the shoot and more often than not, parade the models in front of the cameras in different outfits. I’ll never complain about hot women in few linens, but this kind of feature takes a special audience. A rental is good in most cases, but for diehard Maxim fans, this look inside the shoot is worthwhile.
Video: How does it look?
The feature is presented in full frame, as intended. This program is made up of footage from numerous sources, which means the visuals are varied somewhat, though the end result is a solid treatment. This is shot on video material, so there isn’t the same kind of refinement, but viewers won’t be let down. You have to judge the transfer with the material in mind, so in this case, that means slanting the scale for video based sources. The material all looks clean and sharp, with only some minor softness and jagged edges to mention. I wouldn’t say this piece looks excellent, but it looks good enough. And trust me on this one, you won’t be paying attention to the transfer on this one, not even close.
Audio: How does it sound?
Not much to talk about in terms of audio, as this is a visually driven program that deals with real life events. So the audio is limited to low impact sound effects and dialogue, with some music thrown in at times. The included stereo track is more than sufficient, with some decent presence and separation at times. I don’t think this show would benefit much from surround sound, so the lack of depth is never a concern. All that matters is that Smith’s vocals come across well and in truth, even that doesn’t matter that much here. All the elements seem in proper order however, which leaves me to score this one as a solid presentation.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes added bedside interviews with the models, an animated short with Maxim’s own Hiroki, and a special tour of Mandalay, the over the top island home of Felix Dennis, the owner of Maxim.
