With the advancement of technology for motion picture
production, only one genre has stood up to the evolution of
filmmaking and regressed: the porno. Instead of adopting computer
special-effects wizardry, recent porn harks back to the day when
the use of night vision was innovative and exciting. And leading
the way is the “Titanic” of the sex tape genre,
“The Paris Hilton Sex Tape.”
While the sex tape is often seen as more intimate kind of
filmmaking, meant only for the privacy of the couple involved or
their snooping friends, it has also seen an explosion in popularity
thanks to the Internet and, more importantly,
celebrities-turned-sex-tape-directors.
However, the sex tape industry has undergone massive changes as
the majority of the industry’s output now falls under the
Webcam sub-genre. Masterpieces of mise-en-scene and marketing soon
proved that pure spectacle alone was not enough for a successful
sex tape; a true blockbuster needed scandal more than
celebrity.
This is the market in which “The Paris Hilton Sex
Tape” has entered. Reportedly shot in May 2001 when hotel
heiress/star Paris Hilton was 20 and Shannen Doherty’s
ex-husband/costar Rick Salomon was 32, the pair successfully
vaulted the film from the public’s eye for two years. Then
rumors spread around Hollywood of its existence and with a leak to
the Internet the “Passion of the Christ”-like fervor
truly began.
For a long time the only way the average Joe could get a hand on
the film was through illegal Internet downloads of a night-vision
highlight reel running around two minutes and 50 seconds. Now,
after a series of lawsuits between the self-described entrepreneur
Salomon and the Hilton estate, Salomon has launched his own
website, Trustfundgirls.com, where he offers five different
download options, each for an arbitrarily expensive price.
Salomon’s film jumps right into action with a close-up of
pulsing pelvises and intimate intercourse. The tight close-up may
be immediately stirring, especially with the pan across
Hilton’s breasts and body and the joint moaning on the
soundtrack, but the shot feels all too derivative of Orson
Welles’ early close-up of a pair of lips mouthing
“Rosebud” in his classic “Citizen Kane.”
The night-vision also takes some getting used to, but
Salomon’s handheld POV keeps the frame steady enough and
almost clear.
With no narrative at work, the highlight of the film comes from
the middle sequence featuring a distant wide-shot of the king-sized
bed. It is here that Hilton’s natural charisma comes through.
With Salomon acting as director in the rear of the screen, casually
petting his unit to keep himself strong, Hilton toys with the
camera, staring into it, giggling and all around acting out the
role of a spoiled little girl. Her cell phone rings and the
audience never saw it coming.
Concluding with an intimate moment between Hilton’s mouth
and Salomon’s penis, Salomon’s leading lady not only
shows Salomon the attention the obvious narcissist probably
doesn’t deserve, but she also supports him in his TV watching
as she turns around to get a glimpse of the stand-up comedian whose
jokes dominate the soundtrack. While neither original nor all that
sexually adventurous, “The Paris Hilton Sex Tape” still
seems worthwhile as it so easily confirms all your malicious
thoughts of the talentless girl who boldly described herself in the
Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit as a model and actress.
Video Review: 2 out of 5 stars