Instead of starting out with my review let me first tell you a little story. (Don't worry, it's related to the video.) This video arrived at my home on New Years Eve. (I'm writing this on January 3, 2002) My wife is a big fan of Shadow Lane videos. She really likes the "Romance of Discipline" philosophy that Ms. Howard uses in her work. At 3 am, after the last of our party guests had gone home, my wife and I retired to our bedroom. We loaded the tape into our VCR and jumped into bed. The video opens with John (Played by Dallas) balancing the family checkbook. He calls his wife, Lydia (played by Alexandria Panos) into the room. He inquires about an unusually large phone bill. She notes that the bill was so high because she has been seeking advice from the psychic hotline. John asks his wife " Did they tell you that there is a hard spanking in your future"? John then pulls his beautiful young wife across his lap.
At this point my wife becomes very turned on by the scene unfolding on the screen before her. My wife had taken notice of the virile Dallas (an extremely handsome guy with muscular arms, great haircut and a gold earring in each ear) as he applied his hand to the lovely bottom of Alexandria. The next thing I know it's 5am and the two of us are physically exhausted. To quote Woody Allen " It was the most fun that I've ever had without laughing.". I wish to thank Ms. Howard and Mr. Elka for a most enjoyable way of " ringing in" the New Year.
This video is a good example of the best in spanking erotica. It features two very attractive performers, great dialogue, a superb and believable storyline and very hot spanking action. The video is also notable for its excellent production values.
The spankings featured in this video are different from the usual Shadow Lane fare. The spankings featured in this video were not a prelude to romance and sex (except on New years Eve), rather the focus of the chastisement was on discipline. Ms. Panos absorbs three very hard and long spanking over the course of the video.
In fact, Tony Elka informed me that there was a lot of concern after Alexandria had taken her first spanking. Dallas had given her a very severe spanking during the initial segment of this production, leaving Alexandria's bottom sore and crimson red. The script called for three spankings. He and Eve were concerned about Alexandria's ability to continue. Like the true professional that she is, Alexandria persevered. The show, (spankings) must go on!
John (played by Dallas) and Lydia (portrayed by Alexandria Panos) are a young couple who have included spanking as part of their marital covenant. John runs the household with a firm hand. (Belt and paddle too)
The spankings are broken up into three distinct segments set one month apart.
In the opening sequence John spanks his irresponsible wife for running up a high phone bill. John pulls Lydia across his lap and initiates the punishment by spanking her over her tightly fitting skirt. After a few minutes John proceeds to remove all of the clothing that stands between him and his wife's naked bottom; layer by layer. He lowers her pantyhose and then her panties, exposing her lovely, but already glowing backside. John verbally chastises his recalcitrant spouse as he applies his hand to her reddening bottom. In a very nice touch, John includes his wife's upper thighs as targets of his behavioral modification program.
Throughout her punishment, Lydia attempts to maintain her self-control and tries to accept her punishment with out much complaint. As the punishment proceeds Lydia's ability to control herself wanes as she absorbs the intense spanking. Gradually, she pleads with her husband to stop and promises not to commit the offense again. At the end of this spanking sequence John asks his wife" Have you ever seen a fireworks display?" Lydia tentatively responds " yes". John then replies " Well this is the finale!". With that John applies several hard and fast spanks to the naked red bottom before him. Lydia attempts to protect herself with her hands, but John quickly locks her arms with his and she can do nothing but experience the "fireworks" exploding across her backside. With that, the first segment ends.
As the second segment of this production begins, it is now one month later. Once again John is hard at work reviewing the family's financial situation. John discovers that the lovely Lydia has indulged in another extravagance. It seems that Lydia had enlisted the services of a hypnotist. " I am doing that to help me stick to my diet", Lydia informs John. Realizing that she is "in trouble", Lydia tells John that she needs to go to the market and quickly walks towards to door. John intercepts her in the next room. " You're not going anywhere!", John says authoritatively. With that John sits down on a nearby couch while grabbing Lydia by the arm and guiding her across his lap. Lydia is briefly spanked over the fashionable, black summer dress she is wearing. He then spanks her over her sexy silk panties. After several hard swats, John lowers her panties and punishes Lydia on her bare bottom. It is clear that Alexandria is having a difficult time absorbing the punishment that Dallas is delivering to her already sore backside. The reality of Ms. Panos' pain works well in the context of the video. Alexandria, in the role of Lydia, is barely able to hold still for her punishment. I found Lydia's/ Alexandria's squirming about to avoid Dallas's/ John's hand to be very erotic.
At the end of the chastisement, John makes his spendthrift wife lie on the couch for thirty minutes with her glowing bottom exposed.
In the third and final segment, we are transported one month hence. In reviewing the monthly bills, John has discovered that his wife had sought out the services of a massage therapist of the masculine persuasion. John is enraged over the idea of another man touching the naked body of his wife. Firmly, he instructs his wife to wait for him in their bedroom and prepare for punishment. As John enters the bedroom we see the lovely Lydia standing in the corner, facing the wall. She is nearly naked, clothed only in a white bustier and silk panties. John sits on their bed and instructs Lydia to bend over his lap. John initiates this chastisement by striking Lydia's backside with a strap. After several lashes across the seat of her silk panties, John then exposes her naked, red bottom. He then applies several more lashes to Lydia wiggling derrière. Then John begins to spank Lydia with a flexible, leather paddle. With each stoke of the paddle Lydia lurches forward, pain etched upon her face. John concludes this chastisement by having Lydia lie over the edge of the bed with pillows under her belly, thrusting her naked bottom in an upward position. He then applies the cane to Lydia's gyrating backside. This concludes this punishment session and the video.
While the focus of this production is clearly discipline, I feel that it is done within the " The Romance Of Discipline " philosophy that Shadow Lane espouses. In the December, 1996 edition of " Spank Hard" magazine Eve Howard was interviewed about her creative vision. The interviewer noted that her videos and publications had a different look and feel when compared to the spanking erotica that had been traditionally available. Ms Howard replied " I was interested in reaching the vast female audience that exists for spanking, and that couldn't be done with the same old punished- victim formula. Women into spanking crave mischief and romance, with a bit of witty inventive thrown in now and then to spark the interest. In fact, I think that there should be a whole new classification for people like me, called Enlightened Traditionalists. Traditional because discipline is still very much an element, but enlightened because we're not into breaking spirits or promoting the inferiority/superiority syndrome so common within the larger B&D community".
I feel that this focus is what makes a Shadow Lane Production unique. In this production of " Love, Honor and Obey" Ms. Howard has successfully presented a video in which a woman receives a harsh chastisement, but in no was she demeaned in the process. Despite the severity of the punishment, it is important to remember that it occurred in the context of a loving marital relationship.
This production of " Love, Honor and Obey" is another success for Shadow Lane and for the Enlightened Traditionalist in all of us.
About the Director:
Eve Howard is first and foremost a superlative writer. She wrote for " Spank Hard magazine under the pen name, Lizzie Bennet. She went on to be that publications editor for nine years. During that time, Eve became a featured performer in several Nu-West productions. (My favorite being " Two Spanked Secretaries") She is the author of several books of spanking fiction and writes and directs the vast majority of Shadow Lane's videos. In issue #2 of Spankasm magazine, Mistress Jacqueline of Pacific Force, Incorporated wrote: " In the chronicles of alternative lifestyles, Eve Howard is surely the pioneer of the spanking scene. Along with her company, Shadow Lane, Eve has embarked on a life-long quest to present corporal punishment as a viable choice on the lifestyle menu. Shadow Lane videos, books and publications reflect the loving, traditional aspects of the discipline scene".
The Cast
Dallas :
Dallas has appeared in several spanking videos. His credits include: " A Bad Day For Michelle - Nu-West, L.A. Spanking Society #1 - Nu-West and L.A. Spanking Society #2 - Nu-West. Dallas also produces his own line of spanking videos and is the propritor of a website. Both the website and video productions are known as " Dallas Spanks Tiki".
You can find Dallas' website and information on DST spanking videos at: www.dallasspankstiki.com
Alexandria Panos:
Alexandria is a co-owner of Impressions Videos and web site. Alexandria writes a monthly column on the impressions website called" Alexandria's Corner". You can reach the Impressions website at: www.impress4u.com
