Wild Orchid 2: Blue Movie Blue (1993) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)

Of course, maybe you think that erotic entertainments for couples are not worth producing, but I disagree, and I think that these movies are sexy when done right. The screen classic 9 1/2 Weeks, which King wrote, is one of the very favorite movies of many women I know, including one of my ex-wives. Let's acknowledge that women sometimes get in the mood for a sexy movie, and most of us guys want to be around when they get in that mood. Unfortunately, very few filmmakers know how to make erotic movies that turn women on. The film must deliver the kind of material most women find sexy: a real storyline, sensuous music, beautiful images, slow teases, swirling romance, lingering kisses, expensive wine, more slow teases, elegant seduction, pretty speeches, and emotional involvement. Zalman knows how to do all that. His films are the cinematic equivalent of torn bodice novels. He writes and directs erotic entertainments that have the look and feel of real movies, incorporating colorful photography, carefully composed images, sentimental storylines, and sexy music. He takes the time to let us get to know his characters, so that we can care when they are hurt or happy.  

I don't like everything Zalman has ever done. In order to create these films correctly, one must strike a delicate balance between tease and delivery, between suggesting nudity and showing nudity, between pleasing female viewers and irritating their male companions. Sometimes he delivers too much tease, to the point where it gets irritating. In some of those episodes of Red Shoe Diaries, I just want to say to him, "Stop pulling the camera away every time it's about to reach some naughty bits. In fact, stop moving the camera for a minute and just show me this woman's face and her body at the same time." At other times, King lingers too much on shirtless male bodies for my taste. Oh, I know why he does this, but it doesn't interest me. On the other hand, when he strikes the correct balance, or at least the one that is correct for me, I enjoy watching his little fairy tales, even though I don't lose sight of their lack of Oscar-worthiness. I genuinely like some of the scenes in Two Moon Junction and Wild Orchid.

Here is a Zalman King filmography. You'll note two things:

• I'm not sure what it means, but you'll notice that he did not write his two best films as a director, and he did not direct his best script.
• Wild Orchid 2 is considered to be at or near the bottom of his output.
• His best work is dated 1986-92. As I write this, Zalman is 64. He was originally a television actor, and got a late start on writing and directing. His first successful script, for 9 1/2 Weeks (1986), was produced when he was already 45 years old.

As writer:

1. (5.29) - Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)
2. (4.70) - Red Shoe Diaries (the movie) (1992)
3. (4.67) - Two Moon Junction (1988)
4. (4.45) - In God's Hands (1998)
5. (4.26) - Lake Consequence (1993)
6. (4.09) - Roadie (1980)
7. (4.00) - Wild Orchid (1990)
8. (3.87) - Return to Two Moon Junction (1994)
9. (3.69) - Women of the Night (2000)
10. (3.57) - Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue (1992)
11. (3.31) - Black Sea 213 (1998)

As director:

1. (5.63) - Boca (1994)
2. (4.78) - Delta of Venus (1995)
3. (4.70) - Red Shoe Diaries (1992)
4. (4.67) - Two Moon Junction (1988)
5. (4.45) - In God's Hands (1998)
6. (4.00) - Wild Orchid (1990)
7. (3.69) - Women of the Night (2000)
8. (3.57) - Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue (1992)

For mystifying reasons, Wild Orchid 2 has absolutely nothing to do with Wild Orchid. It takes place in a different locale, occurs in a different time period (35 years earlier), and features completely different characters. It has a sentimental storyline about a young girl named Blue (her dad was a blues musician) who is forced into prostitution by economic circumstances. She tries to live a double life in and out of the brothel and, in a vaguely Elizabethan twist, ends up providing paid pleasure to her dream man while she is in disguise. By gaining the same sort of edge Portia builds with her disguise in The Merchant of Venice, the knowledge Blue gains while in disguise allows her to evaluate her lover's sincerity later on. With the aid of a sympathetic brothel bodyguard (Robert Davi), Blue escapes the hold exerted on her by the madam, leaves town, and tries to establish herself as a high school student - in the same high school where her dreamboat is the school quarterback! They end up courting one another chastely, although he remains unaware that he has already had sex with her. Meanwhile, the jilted madam wants Blue back, and will stop at nothing to get her.

Wild Orchid 2 has its moments, although it is not in the same league as the films mentioned above. In evaluating Wild Orchid 2 as an erotic entertainment, my only real complaint about the R-rated version is that it delivers too little of the nudity from the characters we know, while front-loading lots of more explicit material from anonymous women. I'm not sure how this fits into the psychology of presenting erotica for women, but I always vote to have the nudity provided by the characters (and actresses) I can relate to. Background strippers and hookers don't do a thing for me. In fact, I think of them as set decoration rather than as people. Therefore, although the DVD of Wild Orchid 2 features a lot of nudity, including full frontal and rear exposure from various women, there are only tantalizing flashes of Nina Siemaszko's lower body. I much prefer the approach King used in Wild Orchid and Full Moon Junction, in which he got his stars (Carre Otis and Sherilyn Fenn) naked in beautiful lighting.

Apart from that, Wild Orchid 2 is satisfactory "couples erotica." It provides a substantial quantity of nudity and romantic sex within the context of enough plot, characterization, and atmosphere to hold your attention. Although it will not soon be mistaken for Gone With the Wind, it shows signs that a lot of thought and effort went into it, and it should be rated much higher at IMDb than 3.5, which is Ed Wood territory.

(NOTE: There is also an unrated version, not available on DVD, which shows more of Siemaszko. On VHS there were two versions:  a 112 minute unrated version and a 108 minute R-rated version. The DVD has only the R-rated version, which is missing four minutes of the best nudity, including THE best nudity from Nina Siemaszko. Since the only good reason to watch this movie is the erotica, the DVD is not recommended.)

SIDEBAR:

Here's the situation at the end of the state championship game.