Saturday, February 16, 2008
Batteries Not Included Vol. XIV #10-12 (Oct-Dec 2007)
Richard Freeman, Fairborn OH / $3@ US, $4@ outside / What's new in the wonderful world of video smut? BNI won't tell you except for tidbits and gossip to be picked up from the letter column, news isn't a major part of the zine's appeal. Instead it provides features, some quite thoughtful, interviews with performers, some quite revealing (I wish they'd get around to Victoria Paris), cynical reviews (I believe the editor provides the same for Adam Film World), some sharp comedy. In these issues, M. Christian writes about writing porn, John Mozzer describes his early years in the business (apparently competing with Quaaludes for actresses' attention), Richard Pacheco a terrific writer interviews Ona Z, Jeff Jarvie paeans Kylie Ireland (he wishes!), Netta Gilboa recaps her career as a sex toy saleswoman ("women would sit on items that they really wanted"; wasn't that the point?). You come away from BNI with a sense of the porn industry as a place where people with very heavy questions find very light answers but if you forego being judgmental you'll find yourself entertained and informed.
