My Day At Mighty Con

One of the advantages of living within easy travel distance of the DuPage County Fairgrounds is that there's always something interesting happening there.  On the 15th of December, that turned out to be Mighty Con: A comics and collectables trade show that is working hard to grow itself into a serious science fiction and fantasy convention.

Admission was only $5.00 and they were reducing it to $3.00 if you could show that you'd just come from the flea market that was taking place in the building next door.  In a tight economy, it's good to see small events like this working together to help each other.

One of the things that sincerely impressed me about Mighty Con is how much effort the organizers have put into recruiting and promoting small companies as their vendors.  There were a slew of small manufacturers and small press publishers, representing their wares.

Comic Books
Graphic Novels
Dolls
Games
Action Figures

I've included a link to the video to help you learn more about the artists and writers.  If you want to learn more about Mighty Con ... Please check them out at www.mightycon.com.

Travis Clemmons

Sweet Serenity

It was in December of 2002 that the science fiction community received some rather saddening news.  A very promising TV Series titled Firefly had been cancelled by the Fox network.

Although the quirky little critter was stopped at 15 episodes, it quickly developed a fan base that refused to allow it to die out.  DVD sales were impressive enough to help convince a rival studio to produce a 2 hour theatrical movie (Serenity) which did modestly well.  Several short run comic books and graphic novels have been produced and all have sold very well.  Firefly / Serenity fan fiction is abundant, both in written form and in independently produced  video presentations.

In honor of this monster that would not die, I present the following tribute song.

SWEET  SERENITY

(Performed to the tune of "Sweet Baby James")

There is a Space Cowboy ... He flies past the stars

His partners in crime are his only companions

He's argued with God and he's washed his hands of him

Yet still prays that somehow his fortunes will change

     And as the sun rises ... He makes planet fall

     Thinking about money ... Such wealth to be had

     Puts his faith in a River to balance it all

     Tells the good Doctor "there's naught can go bad"

     Then hopes they don't all wind up dead

          Now watch the pretty lady

          Tear up the bar ... One, two, three

          They've twisted her mind ... Now she's bound to unwind

          And the problem falls squarely on me

          Take her back to Serenity

Now, some years ago ... He did follow a flag

Then came the day when this Sergeant player General

And he rallied his troops and brought victory in battle

While those high above him ... Turned their backs and gave up the war

     There's a part of his heart that still wants to stay angry

     A place in his soul where it's too black to see

     No room for a God or for love or for caring

     Yet a voice deep inside screams it wants to be free

     If somehow ... It only could be

          Hello my Painted Lady

          Why have you called back to me?

          I've left you behind ... Yet you still haunt my mind

          If you loved me ... You'd just let me be

          But for you, I leave Serenity

Now the path of this River is winding and strange

So are the patterns of Agents and Lawmen

As a problem long dead, rears it's ugly head once again

And a Space Cowboy follows an Albatross off to war

     There's a poem that he quotes as he rescues his Lady

     A Shepherd he mourns as he makes plans for war

     A vow to his friends as he starts misbehaving

     And his chains fall to dust as he takes up this chore

     Cause he knows now what he's fighting for

          Welcome home, my Lovely Lady

          Courtesan though you may be

          Though I've left friends behind ... I have you on my mind

          And your smile ... It looks so bright to me

          And I have my Sweet Serenity

lyric copyright  ©  2006 - Travis Clemmons & Python University Productions 

A Windmill Wonderland

It was Black Friday and my wife and I decided to go in a slightly different direction.  Instead of hustling about some overcrowded mall, we headed up to Long Grove to mill about the shops and enjoy a lovely late Autumn day.

On the one hand, the various windmills were delightful.  The downside was that I was surrounded by all these lovely visions in motion, and the only camera I had was my GE X500.  Incredibly good for still pictures but the video resolution is only 640 by 480.

The first bit of good news is that the X500 is fairly lightweight and very easy to balance.  The few instances where you see the picture shaking is where I was being buffeted by 20 mph gusts of wind.

Good news part 2 is that I have a very good video editing program.  Kdenlive allowed me to substantially improve the quality of the picture.  While it isn't as good as if I'd been able to use a Hi Def camera, it does make a nice YouTube video.

Travis Clemmons

James Bond Interview: Raymond Benson

The following interview was originally posted at Chicago Buzznews in the Autumn of 2009.

Raymond Benson is most well known as the author who became the third major contributor to the James Bond collection of stories. Accepting the assignment in 1996, he spent the next seven years adding six novels, three short stories and three movie novelizations to the series. But before tackling this endeavor, Raymond had already spent more than two decades carving out a career for himself in several other areas of the entertainment industry. Musical Theatre Composition—Play Writing—Directing—Video Game Design.

Travis: It's a sunny afternoon on the last Wednesday in September of 2009, and I've gotten the opportunity to have a chat with Raymond Benson. How are you today Sir?

Raymond: I'm fine, Travis, thanks.

Travis: How does a boy from Texas wind up living in Chicago and becoming the "Official Bond Novelist"? What got you here and what brought you to the attention of Ian Fleming Publications?

Raymond: I grew up a Bond fan, having been a child of the 50s and 60s... Was fortunate to see the original Connery films in the theater... Started reading the books at the same time, so from the get-go I was heavily into Bond. But I became a normal person, finished high school, went to college in Austin, Texas, studied theatre, graduated with a degree, and went to New York City to direct plays. In the early 80s, I got the idea to write a non-fiction "encyclopedia" about Bond, because at the time there weren't any. Now they're a dime a dozen. It was 1981 when I made contact with a publisher, submitted a proposal, and lo and behold I got a contract to write the book. It took three years to complete. During that time I traveled to England and met members of Ian Fleming's family, his business associates, friends and colleagues... And then when the book came out in 1984, the Fleming people were pleased with it. This was THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION.

The book established me as something of a Bond expert, so I got involved with the American Fan Club and wrote articles for their fanzine, BONDAGE Magazine, spoke at fan conventions, and whatnot. Meanwhile, Glidrose Publications (that's what Ian Fleming Publications was called then) and I stayed in touch. I did small oddjobs for them (no pun intended).

Travis: (snickering)

Raymond: Then, in late 1995, John Gardner announced he wanted to retire from writing the Bond books. IFP contacted me to see if I was interested in taking over. I was flabbergasted. I had to write an outline of a story on spec. Once that was approved, I had to write the first four chapters on spec. Then, once that was approved, I was awarded the contract. The press release went out in March 1996 that I was the new author.

Travis: Sounds like a very interesting set of twists and turns

Raymond: It was a dream that I didn't think I was allowed to dream.

Travis: Do you think your experience in play writing and theatrical production helped?

Raymond: Absolutely. I owe a lot to my Directing professor, Francis Hodge, who wrote the most widely-used textbook on stage directing in the country. Hodge taught me how to tell a story, no matter what the medium-- theatre, writing, whatever. I've used all the principles in everything I've done.

Travis: Okay ... Besides the Bond stuff, what else have you done to keep yourself busy during the past thirty or so years?

Raymond: For a lot of the 1980s, I was directing plays and composing music in New York... the off- and off-off-Broadway scene. My career took a sharp unexpected left turn in 1985 just as home PCs were appearing and computer games were starting to happen. I landed a job writing and designing computer games (the role-playing, story-based adventure style games). This continued back in Texas in the early 90s. I worked for several game companies until I got the Bond gig. It was a game company that brought me to the Chicago suburbs, where I still live. But I've left that behind and now write books full time. I also dabble in film studies. I'm a film historian and teach Film History at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL, among other things. I've teamed up with Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire to do a series of programs at area libraries called "Dann & Raymond's Movie Club".

Travis: Your first Bond story (Blast From The Past) is essentially a direct sequel to Ian Fleming's 1964 novel You Only Live Twice. Why jump back to that story line?

Raymond: Because it's mentioned at the end of Fleming's book that Kissy Suzuki is pregnant with Bond's child.... and then we never hear what happened to it. John Pearson, in his "James Bond--the Authorized Biography of 007" (1973), said the boy was named James Suzuki. John Gardner never could use the character because the film company bought all rights to Bond's offspring. But we figured that if the character was DEAD, then it was fair game. So James Suzuki appears as a corpse in my story!

Travis: A lot of people who have only seen the movies don't realize that the producers basically kept the title on this one and tossed out about 70% of the original storyline. That Bond essentially did live twice because there was a period of several months where he had amnesia and thought he was someone else.

Raymond: Yes. More like 95% (wink).

Travis: I was trying to be kind (smirking). How did you go about laying the groundwork for your incarnation of James Bond?

Raymond: I was told by IFP that I could "use or ignore" anything that the other continuation authors (Amis, Pearson, Gardner) had done. I didn't contradict anything Gardner did, I just changed a few things back, like the whole "Captain"/"Commander" thing and the gun Bond uses.

Travis: Gardner had promoted him to Naval Captain at one point in his series but you started your series with him still being a Commander.

Raymond: Exactly. And I always felt that the Walther PPK should be Bond's gun, his signature piece, no matter what the time period. I also gave Bond back his vices. The smoking/drinking/womanizing. But there were some things of Gardner's I acknowledged... I mentioned a few of his women characters at some point.

Basically, the Bond continuation novels should not be taken as an extension of the series that was before it.... they are separate series by individual authors... the only thing we really need to be faithful to is Fleming's universe. After all, if we were REALLY being a continuation, then Bond would be in his 90s by now.

Travis: A very good point. I think it's safe to say that the books exist in one universe and the movies occupy another. Should we say something similar about Gardner's 007 and your 007?

Raymond: Yes. Gardner's and mine both exist in separate universes than Fleming's!

Travis: And I think that each (to a certain extent) is dictated by the decades that the authors are in.

Raymond: Yes they are. IFP had also asked me to make the character and storyline "more like the movies."

Travis: When you did the novelizations for the movies Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day ... What did you have to do to fit the stories into the reality and you'd already spun?

Raymond: With the first one, "Tomorrow Never Dies", I tried to fit it in with the continuity after "Zero Minus Ten" (my first Bond novel) and mentioned that 007 had been to Hong Kong etc.... but then after that I realized it wasn't worth the trouble. EON didn't care about the novelizations fitting in with my original books, and neither did IFP. They were treated like separate entities, just tie-ins to the respective movies, which is what they were. I don't consider the three novelizations part of my "oeuvre", so to speak

Travis: Gotcha. If one of your novels or short stories got made into a Bond movie? Would you see a serious windfall or would most of the money go to Fleming's estate?

Raymond: I'd see some money, but nothing serious. It would be nice enough (grin).

Travis: You're also one of the authors who have written Spy Novels under the pen name of David Michaels? How did that come about?

Raymond: Tom Clancy's publisher also happened to be the same publisher who did my Bond novels in America. The editor approached me to adapt Clancy's "Splinter Cell" videogame into original novels featuring the character Sam Fisher. But the publisher wanted an in-house pseudonym for ALL the books that would be written based on Clancy's extensive videogame franchises. Hence "David Michaels" was created. I was the first David Michaels. There have been at least two more since me.

Travis: Much like Glidrose / IFP tried to do before hiring Gardner.

Raymond: "Robert Markham"?

Travis: Yeah. Several different authors were supposed to use that name but only one novel (Colonel Sun) came out that way. And there was something of a screw up and some of the printed editions of Colonel Sun identified the author as "Kingsley Amis writing as Robert Markham". Then things languished for a few years before Gardner took over.

Raymond: Yep.

Travis: Would you go back and be David Michaels again, if the offer was right?

Raymond: Not sure... would depend on what I was doing at the time and what the offer was. But I've just done something similar—METAL GEAR SOLID, two books, only this time under my own name.

Travis: Okay. What's going on there?

Raymond: It was pretty the much the same type of thing. The only difference is that the Splinter Cell novels were original stories. The Metal Gear Solid books are strict novelizations of the games' story lines.

Travis: But you do get actual credit as Raymond for the novelizations?

Raymond: Yes. First one came out in 2008, the second one comes out next month.

Travis: And you've recently put out a couple of novels that focus on a private detective named Spike Berenger? What's going on in his little corner of the world?

Raymond: Those two books are "rock 'n' roll thrillers"... where I skew the rock 'n' roll world to be a very dangerous place... so Spike Berenger and his "Rockin' Security" team must be called into action. The first book, A HARD DAY'S DEATH, takes place in New York, the second one DARK SIDE OF THE MORGUE is in Chicago. There's also a short story that was in Crimespree Magazine, ON THE THRESHOLD OF DEATH. Lots of humor, music references, cameos by real rock stars... sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll! Instead of a Table of Contents, there's a Track Listing. Instead of Acknowledgments, there's Liner Notes.

Travis: (snickering) Should we look forward to seeing Spike again?

Raymond: Don't know.

Travis: The muse hasn't either flirted with you or smacked your face and told you to take a hike?

Raymond: The muse isn't the problem... it's the economy and publishing industry!

Travis: Ahhhh ... As Mike Williamson said in my last interview ... "Tis a very fickle business"

Raymond: That's a polite word for it. :)

Travis: My Mama did raise me to be a gentleman. Which was balanced by Daddy raising me to be a scoundrel.

OK .... 7 Quick Questions On The Movies!

Favorite Bond Movie
Favorite Bond Actor
Favorite Bond Supporting Actor
Favorite Bond Villain
Favorite Bond Babe
Favorite Bond Gadget
Favorite Bond Supporting Character

Raymond: Hmmmm ...

Movie: From Russia With Love
Actor: Connery
Supporting Actor: If you strictly mean Felix Leiter, then Rik Van Nutter. Moving beyond that character ... Pedro Armendariz was great, and Topol was good.
Villain: Auric Goldfinger
Babe: Tatiana Romanova
Gadget: Aston Martin DB5
Supporting Character? I was friends with Desmond Llewelyn, so I'll say Q

Travis: Okay. Anything else before I condense this down and send it off?

Raymond: CHOICE OF WEAPONS, my second Bond anthology, comes out next spring. THE UNION TRILOGY is still in the stores.

Travis: It has been a pleasure.

Raymond: Thanks!

Travis: You're very welcome.

-- Interview Update --

Since this interview was originally published, Raymond has come out with a new series of novels.  He has just released his second book in the series.

The Black Stiletto stories begin with a very intriguing premise. A son comes across evidence which causes him to believe that his mother was a masked vigilante back in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Black Stiletto -- 2011

(Hardcover, Paperback & Kindle Edition)

The Black Stiletto: Black and White -- 2012

(Hardcover & Kindle Edition)

Both stories can be found on Amazon.

The Glamour & The Grind

This exotic looking young woman is known as Bridget Blonde.  And while I have no idea what the name of the puppy is, I'm fairly certain a good many fellows would immediately offer at least  $100.00  for the privilege of taking its place.


Bridget functions within a category I affectionately refer to as the "Tease Model".  She most certainly gives the audience something to look at but she always leaves them wanting more.  One of the quickest ways to insult a woman like Bridget is to offer to hire her for a sex scene.  To put it simply and sincerely ...  That isn't what this girl is about.

While Bridget enjoys looking sexy in front of the camera, her overriding goal is to use her body as a way of creating art.  The philosophy of the Tease Model is that showing her private parts would be an incredibly shameful and tawdry form of cheating.  Even worse than that, it would be an unforgivable sin against the Burlesque Muses.

In the world of Tease Modeling, the first commandment is that when you seek the attention of the audience, there are no short cuts.  You absolutely have to work for it.

And to demonstrate how much the girl does work for it, please allow me to a point everyone's attention to a couple of the videos Bridget has posted on YouTube.


The first clearly demonstrates that even the process of being glamorous is filled with a great deal of hard work and intense preparation.  The time spent in the make up chair or setting up the scene often dwarfs the amount of time in front of the camera.

In the second, a less glamorous looking Bridget shows the intense degree of physical conditioning a model or actor must go through to make sure the body remains in good shape.

What the girl does is as much work as it is play.  While Bridget is clearly having a lot of fun when I see her at entertainment conventions and other special events, that shouldn't cause someone like me to make the mistake of believing she simply dances through it all.

To enjoy the Glamour ... She's gotta put up with the Grind.

Travis Clemmons

Author Interview: Candice Stockstell

Over the past few years, I've had opportunity to interview several well known authors. Among them have been Raymond Benson (six James Bond Novels and several Murder Mysteries) and Michael Z Williamson ( noted Military Science Fiction Author).

This particular interview is going to be just a bit different.

This past November, my wife and I were introduced to an attractive young woman named Candice Stockstell. Because of her poise and her charming nature, I immediately knew that she had to have done some modeling in the past. To my surprise, Candice Stockstell had been in the military before becoming a model. The lovely young woman is now attempting to make a name for herself as an author of Science Fiction.

A few weeks ago, my schedule cleared a bit and I had the opportunity to talk with her about the first two careers and how this pathway lead her into the third.

Travis: How old were you when you entered the military?

Candice: 19

Travis: And what made you interested in being in the service.

Candice: I wasn't all that interested in going to college

Travis: And how long did you stay in?

Candice: About four years

Travis: If I remember correctly, you got your modeling start while in the service.

Candice: Yes, I was a Miller Lite Model. Spokes Model I should say.

Travis: So you modeled in Germany while serving your country and then continued to do so when you came back to the states.

Candice: Yes, I started working as a promotions model for One Magnificent Model Agency, while I attended school for TV/Film.

Travis: Having met you face to face, I can verify that you have the looks and the personality that are very good for being a product or trade show model.

But then you walk away from modeling and the business world because you have these ideas for a book pop into your head.

Candice: Yes, I was working in Sales at the time, still doing promos here and there. It got boring, life in general had gotten boring. One day, I just decided that I wanted a different kind of life. That same morning, I resigned from my job and started writing an outline for my book.

Travis: How did all of that get started?

Candice: Well, I've always been an over-analyzer and as curious as George. So, I fell in love with philosophy ... It gave me an outlet to explore my own theories... So, I pretty much became a philosopher, spent all my free time trying to figure out the world, how it works, why it is the way it is, and what could be done to change it.

Travis: And this gradually lead you towards the character of Milla Blaire?

Candice: That and Quantum Physics...

Travis: And where did she come from? What was the seed that started Milla growing?

Candice: Well, a lot of Milla Blaire came from my own personality.

Travis: Then how are the two of you alike?

Candice: We think a lot alike and our families are pretty similar.... kind of scared for mine to read the book. (chuckle)

Travis: I know exactly what you mean. There are a few stories I wouldn't want my favorite aunt to read

Candice: Hahaha ... I can relate to that. I think most artists, writers, actors, comedians, film-makers etc., have been there at some point or another.

Travis: How is Milla different from you?

Candice: Thinking...

Travis: That explains the smoke coming from my computer (snickers).

Candice: LOL (you're a funny guy) ... At the beginning of the story, she's not as tough as I am. She's kind of a softy with a big mouth.

I'm not as much of a 'girly,' girl as Milla. The military toughened me up... quite a bit. I'm the one who will quietly kick ass without question.

But as the story progresses, her reputation consistently grows to something along the line of "Supreme Bitch". So by the end of her story, I'm the much nicer individual (wink).

Travis: As I understand it ... Becoming Milla Blaire contains certain elements that would be considered science fiction or fantasy. It also has the basic elements of a love story.

Yet you state that it isn't a "Paranormal Romance".

Candice: In certain ways, its hard to decide what to call it. There is a lot of comedy, quite a bit of romance and lots of supernatural aspects. The basic framework of the story is an interweaving of science and philosophy. A good deal of this philosophy mirrors my own.

Milla and Aden, the main characters, have a very deep connection. Sometimes, its very intimate and romantic, while other times its very comedic and nonsensical. It's very realistic, even for fiction and consistently maintains its philosophical integrity.

If I had to choose a neat little description, I would call it a Sci-fi Thriller. And there are elements of romance, but the book was absolutely not written to be a love story.

Travis: And was this was one of the issues that kept you from going with a large publishing house? Were the big kids trying to pigeon hole the story into that genre?

Candice: Yes! One publisher, who shall remain nameless, just wanted to call it fiction. Didn't really know what to say about that. WTF?

Travis: So ... How is the book being sold and marketed?

Candice: Literally, at the last minute, I pulled out of a contract and decided to self-publish and self-finance the entire project. I must say, it's a bit more work than I thought, but to have total freedom of my project was certainly worth it. And yes, I would do it again.

Travis: Are you selling through Amazon?

Candice: Yes, Amazon. It will be available in e-book and paperback this coming September. Although, a little birdy tells me that it might be released earlier.

It has cost me quite a bit of money to do it all on my own, website, video trailer, cover design and marketing strategies, but its my blueprint and I love it.

Travis: When you find yourself opening a book, what do you like to read?

Candice: It totally depends on my mood. For instance, I love, love to cook. When I get into that mode, I read cook books. When I'm in the mood for a change, I read self-help books. Other times I want to laugh, so I read comedy. Of course there's also romance and erotica, which I generally choose over dating, Lol. Nothing like a glass of red wine and a Joey W. Hill novel...

Strangely, I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi books. I guess its because I'd rather watch it on film. However, I could read about astronomy and quantum physics all the day long...

Travis: And once this initial trilogy is finished ... What do you think you'd like to tackle?

Candice: I'd love to see it on film... as my goal is to become a screenwriter.

Travis: Thank you very much, Candice. It's been a pleasure.

Candice: You're quite welcome, Travis.

-- Click on the picture below to purchase a copy through Amazon --

Adult Movie Review : Sleeping Beauty

---  VIEWING  ADVISORY  ---

SPEEPING BEAUTY is most certainly a motion picture that SHOULD NOT be viewed by anyone under the age of 18.

When we're children, most of us have an insatiable curiosity about the world we inhabit.  We try to experience everything we find.  We touch.  We taste and sniff.  We run, jump and spin.  We climb a massive tree, simply because it's there.  We resist going to sleep at night because there are still so many interesting things we haven't had the chance to explore yet.

A part of growing up is learning to take a step back from this behavior.  Hopefully, we don't lose our curious nature entirely, life would become incredibly boring if we did.  But we do have to slow the curiosity monster down a bit, bring it under control so that we can lead fruitful and productive lives.

SLEEPING  BEAUTY is a 2011 Australian film which takes a look at what might happen if an individual's curiosity hasn't been tamed in any way.  In Lucy's life, the monster is always there and completely unchained.  Curiosity has never been Lucy's friend.  The thing holds her hostage and constantly demands that she provide it with newer and more exciting forms of information.

Emily Browning portrays Lucy as a twenty something experience junkie.  Attractive, intelligent and very talented at interacting with people.  Yet she's completely incapable of carrying on a long term friendship or romance.  Lucy would sleep with a man or a woman simply because she felt the need to know what type of sex and bed partner they'd be.  And once that experiment had been successfully completed, she'd probably move on to learning what would happen if she took this new form of drug some casual acquaintance had just told her about.  When the local university is advertising for individuals to be involved in a fairly intense rotation of extensive medical testing, Lucy volunteers because she's interested in finding out what will be done to the people who participate.

The girl constantly moves from job to job, often juggling two or three at the same time.  They pay the bills and each new job is very interesting at first but all of them seem to get old in a fairly short period of time.  It seems there's never enough emotional stimulation in her life and this leaves her feeling contrary.  While renting a room at a boarding house, Lucy seems determined to test how long she can stiff the landlord before he finally tosses her out.  The girl has the money, she simply refuses to spend it on anything.  She lights a fire and burns it instead.

Eventually, Lucy begins working for a very respected "Entertainment Coordinator".  The Madam offers Lucy the opportunity to begin as a well paid party hostess and gradually work her way up the from there.  Lucy proves herself to be well mannered and enthusiastic and she quickly becomes very popular with the clients.  Within just a few weeks of beginning the job, she's offered one of the most high paying assignments the woman has in her portfolio.

Lucy can earn several thousand dollars in a single night by taking a drug that will put her to sleep for almost ten hours.  During that time, someone will be allowed to enter the bedroom at the mansion and sleep next to her.  Their contract with the Madam is that they aren't allowed to penetrate Lucy sexually.  Other than this, they can touch her ... kiss her ... slap her ... do anything they want as long as it doesn't kill Lucy or damage her body.

Considering the nature of Lucy's personality, this assignment has the potential to be both a perfect fantasy and a complete nightmare.  One the one hand, she's very interested in the money and intrigued by the thought of being used like she's nothing more than a life size plastic doll.  On the other, while she's comfortable with the idea that she'll have no say as to who enters the room and plays with her body, she's frustrated that she'll never be allowed to learn who any of her users have been.  The agency's pledge to the client is that only the Madam will ever know his or her identity.

I've often said that the dividing line between Erotica and Pornography is very similar to the one between Epic Adventure and a Shoot Em Up Western.  In Erotica and Epic Adventure, the action that exists is there to advance the plot and the character development.  In Pornography, a Shoot Em Up or a Sword Fight Movie ... the bare bones of a plot are there to present an excuse for the action to take place.

SLEEPING BEAUTY is a marvelous example of top notch Erotica.  It's an intriguing character study that takes a thoughtful look at a young woman's personality and sexual nature.  Lucy's obsessive need to experience new and unusual forms of emotional stimulation (only some of them sexual) is most certainly the basic foundation of the plot.  But where a sexploitation movie would quickly devolve into a series of excuses for showing the girl jumping from one tawdry encounter to another, SLEEPING BEAUTY constantly stays focused on the fact that Lucy exists in a world she's incapable of properly relating to.

The fact that the young woman is a sexual freak doesn't prevent the movie from portraying her as a person.  This is what causes the story to be so interesting and enjoyable.  I sincerely look forward to seeing more from Writer / Director Julia Leigh.

You can find out more at ...

http://sleepingbeautyfilm.com

Travis Clemmons