In the past we’ve seen the likes of Hustler, Penthouse, New Look and Playboy attempting to turn their glossy pages into high-tech adult video outings, highlighted by the same features that made their print incarnations so successful. Electric Blue was probably the first multi-formated videomagazine on the market, debuting in the early 1980s, and proving incredibly popular in Europe and on cable TV, as well as on videocassette.  Originally distributed on tape by the New England-based Kenyon Video, the series has returned to the home market with Caballero handling distribution chores.

The first four releases in the new series, which run 60 minutes and are priced at $39.95 each, offer a mix of the old with some slickly shot new features, several of which star some of adult film’s top performers.

Collector’s Edition serves as an entertaining introduction to the series, as some of Electric Blue’s most popular features are on view. There’s a short spot on a geriatric brothel, where senior citizens pay for sex with veteran madams, while George, the New York-based purveyor of sleaze whose hobby of photographing women taking off their clothes in his “Polish Penthouse,” is featured in a segment.  Also on hand is a look at Prince Andrew’s ex-lover, softcore starlet Koo Stark, and an X-Rated Critic’s Corner focusing on the films of Chuck Vincent.

In a similar mold, Presenting Desiree Cousteau has classic features on British punk rocker hazel O’Connor (unclothed, of course), a Critic’s Corner on the films of Radley Metzger and a sensual lesbian love-making session. It’s hosted by bubble-boobed porn starlet looking sophisticated and sexy, hosts Royal Follies, which finds the blonde starlet heading to England in search of Prince Andrew.  While on her journey, the Platinum Princess finds time for some horseback riding, a seduction by an aspiring actress and a bath with her stiff-upper-lipped tour guide.  In the features department, Pistols & Petticoats serves as a saucy take-off on Spaghetti Westerns (with a rugged outlaw and innocent town gal getting it on, natch), while Brigette Monet and Dave Cannon square off for a soft romantic interlude.

While some newly shot segments have been added to catalogue footage in the aforementioned volumes, Camp Fever, featuring Ginger Lynn, contains primarily freshly shot stuff. It opens with a great montage of Electric Blue segments past, made especially exciting by a catchy theme song and slick editing.  Then it continues into a college classroom where a stuffy hygiene teacher is attempting to teach his class about the birds and bees.  Ginger, apparently bored by his methods, scares the teach away with her promiscuity, and proceeds to lecture the class of horny students in her own style.  This sets up the thread that ties the rest of Campus Fever together, as the finer points of kissing, lingerie-wearing and love-making are demonstrated between softcore sex segments and other features.

Features include a look at Candy Samples and her gargantuan headlights dancing at the Calgary Stampede, a therapy corner with Veronica and a survey of the films of Cecil Howard.  There’s also a story about a housewife who decides to become a high-fashion model.  Needless to say, her photography session turns into an erotic interlude with the guy clicking the photos.

Joining Ginger in this outing are other adult stars like Brigette Monet, Stacey Donovan, Heather Wayne and Francois Papillon – some of the better lookers in the business.  The production quality is superior, with the accent on crisp camerawork and synthesized music.  The only setbacks are the fake overdubbed “oohs” and “aahs.”
Indeed, more interesting features are needed; we’d like to see the producers take their cameras around the world to peek at how the other half lives.  Why not allow some top adult and non-adult directors handle a few segments?  How about insightful interviews with controversial subjects?

Perhaps this stuff is on the way, perhaps not. Either way, if Campus Fever is any indication, Electric Blue, hopefully, will regain its stride as one of the more innovative, sexy hours available on the video market.