Thursday, September 5, 2024

ELECTRIC BLUE 17 (1984) ** ½

When I was growing up, there was nothing better than when The Playboy Channel had a free preview.  9 times out of 10, you would see an episode of Electric Blue.  While the series itself was hit and miss, the theme song was a straight-up banger that will stay in your head for decades to come.  This episode is kind of standard, despite the participation of some of the ‘80s hottest talent, but it definitely brought back some fond memories. 

Sexy student Ginger Lynn hijacks a dull Sex Ed class in the “Wraparound Segments” (** ½) which serves as the episode’s framework. 

The first segment, “Memories of Marrakech” (**) is a take-off on Casablanca.  A dude sits around moping in a club while imitating Humphrey Bogart.  Finally, the woman of his dreams (Ginger) shows up so he can ball her.  Sure, it’s not great, but if you’re gonna steal from somebody, steal from the best.  (They even do a riff on Casablanca’s famous ending.)  However, even with the presence of Ginger, it’s still not that hot.  

That’s followed by a comic “How-To Presentation” (**) which teaches you how to arouse your lover.  This scene is narrated by Ginger, but it offers no laughs and isn’t very sexy either.  Then, Candy Samples visits a “Canadian Rodeo” (****).  The presence of the luscious Candy, combined with the cheeky narration (“Her mammoth mammaries make Mount Rushmore look like a molehill!”) make this segment loads of fun. 

The next sequence (**) finds a blonde surprising her boyfriend with a little sex.  This one isn’t all that hot and suffers from a generic set-up and cheesy performances.  “The Birthday Present” (**) centers around a bored housewife who hires a professional photographer (Robert Kerman) to take nude shots of her for her husband’s birthday.  Naturally, they end up balling.  As with the previous scene, the plot isn’t much to write home about, and it winds up feeling rushed. 

“Critics Corner” (***) takes a look at a couple of Cecil Howard’s films, including Platinum Paradise and Scoundrels.  What makes this segment so fun is how seriously the critic takes his job.  Then there’s a segment set at “Lovers Lane” (** ½) where two necking couples in a convertible decide to swap partners.  (Two in the backseat and two in the front.)  Like most scenes in this episode, it feels rushed, but it’s solid nonetheless. 

Then, Candy is back at the “Rodeo” (****).  A sexy dancer does a dance with a bullwhip and there’s even a breakdancing exhibition!  If you grew up in the ‘80s like me, you’ll remember the decade was all about bullwhips and breakdancing.  Because of that, this segment is a fun trip down memory (or mammary) lane. 

“Victorian Antics” (**) is a period piece where a cultured lady seduces a hunky gardener.  Meanwhile, her meek husband gets it on with the sexy maid.  This one is very generic and cliched, but at least the production values are nice.  Then, Veronica Hart shows up at the end as “Dr. Ruth” (**) to warn about the dangers of fucking while driving.  (The couple instead pull off to the side of the road to do it.).  While it’s fun seeing Hart popping up, there’s not much to this segment.  Finally, Ginger says “Let’s Get Naked!” (** ½) and invites the whole class to ball.  While this segment isn’t exactly hot, it’s silly and mostly fun, which pretty much describes Electric Blue 17 as a whole.

No comments:

Post a Comment