Pleasure or Pain

There isn't much in the movie aside for erotic scenes and stupid script. Acting is shallow, because let's be honest, these are porn stars. The movie is basically a series of cheap sexual fantasy delivered in monotonous tone. Production value is passable, and the ladies are nice, but for those wanting a psychological thriller or intense drama might have to look elsewhere, after a few ogling here maybe.

Story follows the main girl as she retells the story of her encounter with a rich man who has strange appetite. Plenty of monologues are used and they are all delivered with overly sensual tone and corny lines. Sequences are done for the purpose of creating titillating situations, these are mostly misdirected as the characters are inherently too cheesy and the performers can be quite zealous.

The movie doesn't attempt to be overly hardcore or theatrically artsy, it simply presents attractive girls prancing about in sexually explicit way.

Directed by Zalman King...who's that you ask? He brought us Two Moon Junction, Wild Orchid, Red Shoe Diaries and assisted Adrian Lyne in making 9,5 weeks. So you get the theme: he's into making erotic films. Pleasure or Pain is his last directorial effort before he croaked (he made it to 69, ain't that fitting). Contrary to his other films this one stars real life pron stars like lava-melting-hot Malena Morgan and also Elle Alexandra, Hayden Hawkens, Kayla Jane and Aubrey Addams. Now you might be thinking this fact would mean that it's a LOT more explicit than say 'Fifty Shades of Grey' but it certainly is not. The sex scenes are pretty short and you hardly see anything like in most other soft-porn movies (to which you could count his previous work I guess). Worst of all is that they aren't very erotic either which should at least be the point of this film but there it falls short. Though she looks gorgeous Malena is not a great actress. Well nobody in this film is. But they're better at other things lucky for them. Overall I found the story pretty boring, slow moving and poorly written as is the dialogue btw. Some credit to the DP who did a fairly good job with the lighting and such but it doesn't matter. This film is hardly worth watching because it is neither a good plot based film nor a good erotic film. Skip it!

Between the underfed women and the bogus sex scenes, this has got to be the worst Piece of Garbage ever produced.

As usual white dudes trying to act cool and it doesn't fly here, just as it doesn't fly in the real world. And as it has been stated by other reviewers, just a weak AF pron rip-off and frankly the cheesy porn films would be better than this dumpster fire.

Fast Forward was my best friend and I FF'd this entire debacle to the trash bin. I don't know who these scrawny no ass women appeal to, but I can tell you for a fact that it ain't me. They remind me of Steve Rogers before they turn him into Captain America.

The few reviewers here who gave this hot mess high scores must be easily entertained. And IMDb really needs to allow negative voting here.

So I did some research and it seems Pleasure or Pain is an edited down version of the 26 episode series that are basically around 10 minute each vignettes of the same "movie" narrated by and starring Malena Morgan.

After watching as many as I could find on free sites, I did notice quite a few scenes that Pleasure or Pain did not include. Not that you're going to notice a huge difference, or see many more crotch shots, but there are some.

It's a shame such a talented director wouldn't try to take softcore films of the past, such as those starring Catalina Larranga in House of Love, Voyeur Confessions, Word of Mouth, etc. by Indigo Entertainment (others by Universal/Playboy, etc.) to the next level by adding an extra level of X-rated-ness vs. tease. But here again, you get quality porn actresses forced to only briefly flash some goods, vs showing/performing actual sex acts. I'm not saying go porn gross, but this movie would have been great had it just taken it up a notch, and not left the viewer wanting more.

Also, I'm assuming it was made as a full movie, Kamikaze Love, and then broken down into vignettes to post to the site SexArt (not sure if an exclusive) in 10 minute increments. But calling it Series 1?? Was there a Series 2? Considering the director is dead, doubtful. They do use episode 1-26 on that site. Better if they just left Kamikaze Love as a full movie, and allowed the actors to do what they do best. Ever watch a porn movie made for late night TV? It's like that. Not as bad as using a different camera to only capture above the waist shots, but nearly.

I implore these directors in the future, please make this type of movie again, but with a bit more storyline as the movies mentioned above, and give us softcore PORN like the old days, only better. I'm sure budgets are an issue for most and that's why we get half-assed attempts, but I for one would pay a premium to see House of Love Rated X anyday over a watered down, badly acted movie-vignette of tease.

Seems a long time since such movies have been out of production, with everything that an adult movie could ask for. Hot and sexy girls, good locations, good story and story-telling and best of all - Great Sex Scenes. Set in the form of flashbacks during an interview hasn't broken the continuity of story. Pleasure and Pain in depiction of pain via pleasure gives a new idea of how adult entertainment can be portrayed without Banging and Faking expressions and doing all the ugly stuff in the dirtiest possible way. Sex scenes are beautifully captured. Movie has sex scenes from start till end with no repetition. The movie had everything covered to satisfy the need of viewer.