Shooting Savanna (Blu-Ray)

Vivid Entertainment

Genre: Vignette

Director: B. Skow

Cast: Savanna Samson, Marco Banderas, Britney Stevens, Kimberly Kane, Evan Stone, April Blossoms, Alan Stafford, Savanna Samson, Charles Dera

Length: 114:40 minutes

Date of Production: 6/8/2007

Extras: For most of the world, the two bonus scenes, also provided in high definition, will be the best extras, including scenes from 59 Seconds (10:24 minutes) and Stood Up (10:09 minutes) that I described below. The set up for the action wasn't included but both scenes added some value that fans will appreciate; showing Savanna and Skow teaming up to make some appealing work outside of this release. There was also a set of six trailers to newer releases by the company but my favorite was the 14:37 minute long Behind the Scenes feature by Graham Crack Herr (edited by Jim Rios) as it showed some clips, some goofing off, and a glimpse into the hard work needed to make a porno as good as Skow is able to do. For the record, all the extras were presented in high definition, making it a pleasant change of events from some of the competition still stuck in the old ways.

Condoms: None

Audio/Video Quality: Shooting Savanna (Blu-Ray) was presented in the widescreen color presentation as shot by director B. Skow for Vivid Entertainment using the AVC Codec with the 1080 picture looking exceptionally fine as a result. From the glimpse of the BTS feature that caught the screen of the camera used to shoot the movie, it looked like it was a 1080i camera, the interlaced images converted successfully to a progressive image with ease, surpassing the more common 720p titles up converted to the format. The attention to detail was clear from the very start too, the bitrate moving all around the board but often in the 30+ Mbps area (except for Savanna's last scene that seemed mired in the ~18 Mbps range). The detail was very nice, thanks to the lighting, the composition of the angles, and the minimal editing; all taking advantage of how much the camera responds to Skow's expert guidance. The flesh tones were accurate and the better your home theatre is, the better this one will look. The audio was presented in a 2.0 Dolby Digital English using a 192 Kbps bitrate under a 48 kHz model; decidedly on the low end for current high definition but adequate for the kind of attention it got/gets these days too. There appeared to be some separation on the musical track in the background but it really wasn't the best kind of music in each scene (serviceable but not outstanding) with the exception of the uncredited female vocalist's songs that I found very nice indeed; the vocals equally balanced between both channels. The dynamic range was better than any of the company's SD releases of late but that's a low standard so many of their peers have clung to as well and doesn't say a whole lot.

Body of Review: B. Skow might be best known for helming the Brand New Faces series over at Vivid Entertainment these days but my admiration for his skilful touch with a camera goes much further back than that; having been a lone voice in the wilderness for a very long time telling others about his talents. Now that some of the major organizations have noticed him, his star is definitely on the rise, his ability to get the best performances out of performers exceptional but his ability with a camera even better. If a guy like Skow can make a jaded old reviewer like me appreciate newcomers with the aforementioned series, how well does he fare with the features or vignette driven titles that he cut his teeth on a few years back? Well, if Shooting Savanna (Blu-Ray) is any indicator, he's still on a roll since he proves that lovely Savanna can look as fetching as ever in glorious high definition, the adage coming to mind being that she gets better with time like a very fine wine. The cover said it like this: "Savanna. April. Britney. Kimberly. What's it like when the cameras start flashing and so do they? When the voyeuristic thrill they get lifting their shirts and then their skirts, and spreading their moist shaved pussies overtakes them? No one coaxes the slut from the star like maverick director B Skow...and in Shooting Savanna, we take a full-on, hard-core, behind-the-scenes look at Skow's inimitable techniques, as well as the stars that make him sweat! Shooting Savanna will have you shooting something else in no time!" Here's a brief look at the scenes by cast and action, noting that no condoms were used for those still interested:

Scene One: Savanna Samson, the hotty featured on the front cover, was up first with studly Marco Banderas after she teased in a pink sundress that gave her the freedom to flash and dance about the small room. The editing of the sequence was particularly good even if the music was too abrasive for my ears, and she went right for his package as soon as he entered the room. Savanna sucked him off aggressively, displaying her years of experience as well as her devotion to an erection few of the newcomers have offered of late, Marco hungrily devouring her biscuit as she settled in comfortably (knocking something over in the process by the sound of it combined with the look on her face). Her swelling mound and elevated respiration rate displaying her growing frame of mind for some penetration. His fingers were followed by his cock, Savanna actively riding him in all positions as she got off. The scene eventually ended with a stream of population pudding gracing her mouth and face, Savanna licking him clean as she thanked the director. Whew!

Scene Two: Britney Stevens, a busty brunette, and lean alt-queen Kimberly Kane, were next up as they posed for a photographer, finding some comfort in the arms of the mighty Evan Stone. I found it interesting that the ladies spent so much time addressing each other while Evan assisted (holding Britney while Kimberly fingered and ate the lady) but he was rewarded by both of them with some fine oral too. The cunnilingus and blowjob quality aside, Evan tore off his jumpsuit and upped the ante by banging the ladies, all three of them dripping in sweat that only blu-ray could show so perfectly. Both ladies were active riders and while I preferred the nuances offered by Britney, I'd have done Kim if given a shot too. Fans of "squirting" will delight in Britney's waterworks too but the ending came soon after with the ladies taking the facial pop; Britney getting the lion's share and giving a bit of it to Kimberly.

Scene Three: April Blossoms, a gal that I've seen a number of times in recent years, was up next as she bounced around outside, showing her goodies and changing outfits while managing to take her time teasing the camera. She looks a lot like the type of gal I go out with on occasion (no, not a hooker!) with a nice body and smile but not really a major hotty if you catch my drift. She masturbated in the back yard the scene was being shot in, Alan Stafford laughing as he jumped down to get some from her. The music was again too loud and obnoxious but he ate her like he was in heaven and she seemed to appreciate his efforts at least a little bit even if she overacted substantially in the process (weakening the scene). His attempts at warming her up led to her reciprocating orally on his dick, sucking him off briefly before actively impaling herself on his cock. I would have preferred a higher tier couple in this spot but at least there was some enthusiasm, the scene showing Skow's efforts not completely infallible as I tend to forget. The vaginal ride engaged in several positions and led to a mouth pop that she apparently swallowed, ending the only scene that felt mediocre in the process.

Scene Four: Savanna Samson, up one last time in a carnival themed setting, poured on the charm as she teased by a "ball game" where you get three balls for a dollar (knock the heavy cans over and win a prize type of thing). In this case, the concept had Charles Dera offering her a ball for free, Savanna working on his penis like crazy to accept the offer. Savanna enjoyed his efforts and the oral led to the expected vaginal pounding, her activity level starting off slowly but evolving rapidly to the point she was at in the first scene. Savanna clearly likes sex and seemed to like Charles an extra little bit, the pop shot to the belly ending what was another reason for fans of hers to go out and buy this movie. As another aside, Savanna did a lot more PTM between positions, savoring her own juices off his dick and escalating the heat levels of the scene. It wasn't quite as good for me as the first scene she did here but it was a fitting companion piece that was nicely strokable.

Bonus Scene: 59 Seconds: Savanna Samson, up last as a teacher in front of a group of meat puppets including Evan Stone, Marco Banderas, Christian, and Jay Huntington, showed her last gangbang was not a fluke; she really likes a bunch of guys at the same time. She made sure each of the men had learned the lessons she was teaching by testing them with an impromptu quiz involving skills; Evan playing dumb which resulted in her calling him "Mr. Smarty Trousers" (making me laugh out loud). Evan's cock was the first one to fuck her face and the others soon joined him as they took turns getting blowjobs and tapping her pussy on the table. Savanna was have a tremendous amount of fun with this scenario and considering the first scene of hers I ever saw was a gangbang, it made sense to me that as her career slowly starts ending, she return to her roots. She did some anal here and pushed back against the cock penetrating her pucker, but it was largely driven by oral and vaginal sex before the men popped loads of semen on her face and crotch. Whoa!

Bonus Scene: Stood Up: Kimberly Kane, Savanna Samson, and the mighty Evan Stone, were up next as Bob toured the southern states to find the hillbilly heaven of Georgia in 1992 to be a pit hole where an anonymous clone playing Jeff Foxworthy was the latest wannabe comedian to steal his act. Some of the losers in the bar might have passed for redneck losers like another wannabe in the form of someone named "South", missing teeth and more than a few brain cells from what their limited dialogue could show. Aside from giving a whole new meaning to the term "family relations", the setting gave some satisfaction in Bob getting his comeuppance when Evan and Kimberly knocked the snot out of him. Savanna paid them back with a little sexual fun, the trio moving to the trailer where some comedic talk led to more serious fucking. The emphasis on blowjobs and pussy was clear here and he went back and forth between them as the greedy gals tried to dominate who would get the most cock from the big guy. The closed quarters of the location proved to be a bit tougher to shoot them in a variety of styles but the lighting and limited camera angles aside, they did a pretty solid job. It ended with some minor waterworks from Savanna and a shared facial that the women clamored for, the post coital sucking finishing it up nicely.

Summary: Shooting Savanna (Blu-Ray) by director B. Skow for Vivid Entertainment was a lot of fun to watch, especially given the quality of the visual imagery upgraded by the high definition format. I like Savanna and find her sexy as all get out so it makes sense that I'd rate this one as Recommended for other fans. I'd still prefer more unique extras to be included, maybe even a bonus for blu-ray adopters that wouldn't be included on the SD disc as a way of coaxing consumers over to the newly championed format, but in terms of Savanna getting the kind of exposure she needs from a talented director unwilling to sit on his past glories, Shooting Savanna (Blu-Ray) made my day. It may not have been as perfect a tribute to her as Sunny Loves Matt was to Sunny Leone but it was well done and I appreciate the visual quality of the show.