X-RATED 2: THE GREATEST ADULT STARS OF ALL TIME! (2016) ***

This sequel to X-Rated:  The Greatest Adult Movies of All Time shifts its focus from classic XXX movies to some of the most famous porn stars to ever grace the silver screen.  Hosted by Mr. Skin, it is slavish to formula, breaking down the retrospectives on its subjects into several sections.  There are segments on superstars, legends, trailblazers, and alternative icons, among others.

Many of your favorite starlets are interviewed, including Christy Canyon (who still looks great), Tera Patrick (who sadly remains firmly retired), Seka (seen in clips from her best movies like Prisoner of Paradise and Inside Seka), Jesse Jane (someone calls her “porn Barbie”), and Nina Hartley (who is lauded for not only her longevity and timeless sexiness, but for her tireless role in sex education).  There’s even a segment focused on the male actors such as Lexington Steele (who seems down to earth and grateful) and Rocco Siffredi (who says, “Woman.  You just don’t fuck them with the dick.  You need to fuck them in the brain!”)  Probably the most interesting segment is the one focused on the stars best known for their acting, like John Leslie (probably the best male actor in porn), Veronica Hart (so good that her XXX films could be re-edited into “real” movies), Jamie Gillis (whose amazing screen presence and ability to embrace his perverted side made him a favorite), Annette Haven (who fought for women to portray their sexuality without being degraded), and Richard Pacheco (famous for winning Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year at the AVN Awards).

For someone who prides himself as a porn historian, I was shocked that there were a few people featured I’ve never heard of, like Tori Black (who nevertheless looks great in a Catwoman suit), Misty Stone, and Asia Akira.  I can think of plenty of other stars who should’ve been covered besides them, including Amber Lynn, Janine, Chasey Lain, Traci Lords, Georgina Spelvin, and Linda Lovelace.  The filmmakers acknowledge that they’ve left far too many people out during the wrap-up segment, so maybe they’ll be featured in another sequel.

It was also fun seeing Kylie Ireland appearing in clips from Judge Judy.  I also appreciated the fact that lots of screen time was devoted to Marilyn Chambers’ Insatiable (which I prefer to Behind the Green Door).  The best segment though belongs to Vanessa Del Rio, the first Latina superstar of porn.  It’s a real eye-opener.  Not only was she the highest paid actress in the early days, she also was a pioneer of double-penetration whose enormous clitoris was a product of excessive steroid use in her bodybuilding days!  She could easily have a feature-length documentary devoted to her.

There’s even a segment on porn stars crossing over into the mainstream.  Not only are there sections devoted to Ginger Lynn, Sasha Grey, and Ron Jeremy, their mainstream directors Rob Zombie, Steven Soderbergh, and Adam Rifkin are interviewed as well.  I was a little surprised that the part about John Holmes was so short (given his giant member), but honestly, his story has been explored in more detail in countless other documentaries.

In the end, they crown Jenna Jameson as number one star of all time.  I guess I can’t argue with that too much, even though I was always a Ginger Lynn fan myself.  (Though in my heart of hearts, the title probably should’ve went to Marilyn Chambers.)

X-Rated 2 works very well as a fast-paced historical sketch of some of the famous faces (and bodies) in porn.  If it does have a flaw, it’s that it sometimes it feels rushed, as if it’s merely scratching the surface on its subjects.  (Maybe if they chose half the number of stars and devoted twice the amount of screen time to them, it would’ve been a classic.)  Still, there are enough interesting stories and revealing interviews to make for an absorbing and enlightening experience.