41 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Complete waste of money, February 2, 2005
This review is from: Classic Better Sex Video Series Vol. 1 - Better Sexual Techniques (1991) (DVD)
I seldom find myself in such complete agreement with one-star reviews, but with this piece of junk, the other reviewers have hit it right on the head. I'll try to provide a bit more and different details (in a non-inappropriate fashion) and hope this review won't get censored for well, PG to PG-13 language and content; it is a so-called educational DVD for adults regarding adult content, so no one should find this review offensive (except perhaps the DVD's producers and actors).
First, while the credits for this DVD claim to have been originally from 1991 and revised in 2002, I don't think any of the "learning" segments were filmed after Reagan's first term at the White House. Big hair, lame polyester clothes, non-artfully applied makeup - unlike most retrospectives to the 1980's, this one doesn't even feature any catchy pop tunes. While the subject of this DVD is what people do when they're not wearing clothes, which should be relatively timeless, I nonetheless found it dated to the point of being unappealing.
Also, the actors were not particularly inspirational. I think they were supposed to be "real" couples, but I kind of doubt it - some looked like porn stars and not very aesthetically pleasing ones at that. One of the guys is one of the most evil looking persons I've ever seen - the serial killer look really doesn't promote a romantic atmosphere, at least not in my house.
The hostess and host of the show (who probably normally are hawking junk on the 2-4 a.m. timeslot on a shopping network) tell us about scenarios involving six different couples experiencing sexual problems, interspersed with commentary from some individuals with mental health and or sociology backgrounds represented to be experts in human sexuality. The scenarios all involve one or both of the two following problems: the woman is unhappy, inhibited and dissatisfied with the lack of intimacy and the man's slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am approach to lovemaking; or else the couple's love life has grown stale.
So what do they recommend? Some revolutionary solution or mind-blowing techniques from the long-lost, secret final chapter to the Kama Sutra, you ask? Nope. They recommend better communication and more intimate kissing, cuddling and foreplay. They tell you that both men and women appreciate oral sex and changing positions. They also recommend spicing up your love life by varying locations in or outside of the home. That's it folks. These "solutions" are so basic and obvious that a genuinely chaste nun could have given you that advice.
I'm guessing that anyone interested in this sort of instructional DVD wants to learn interesting, exciting and unique techniques, variations and positions. This video doesn't have any of that. No instructions, no toys, no games, just the very most basic basics. I'd say it's rated X, not XXX - not blatant hardcore, but it does show the acts and organs and probably would be offensive to right-wing/fundamentalist religious types. If the actors were actually demonstrating any particular techniques, I would say that too much of the photography is from too far of a distance or a non-direct angle such as to render the scene less than helpful, but the creators of this DVD have eliminated that issue by not having the actors actually teach anything.
In summary, there are DVD's to buy, DVD's to rent and DVD's that make you wonder why they were made in the first place. Better Sexual Techniques fits in that third category. It appears on first glance at least that some of the more "advanced" DVD's in the Sinclair Intimacy Institute's The Better Sex Video Series may be more useful or interesting (at least one of the above reviewers makes this comment, so why is he/she giving Volume 1 the higher marks earned by Volumes 2 and 3?), but this Volume 1 DVD will have the same effect on your expectations as going to an exclusive wine tasting event and being served Thunderbird out of a paper bag. Avoid.
Ok, I'm back, I've seen some of the subsequent four and five star reviews and I genuinely think those "reviewers" were actually from the DVD's production company, were actors in the DVD or otherwise have a financial interest in boosting the sales of this pathetic piece of dung. Maybe, just maybe they came from a highly religious background that makes virtually all sex a taboo subject (and hence found this educational), but I doubt it. Notice how they gush praise but don't explain what about the video they found helpful or useful? That's the sign of a questionable review. You can learn a lot more about sexuality and a mutually enjoyable sexual relationship from the latest edition of the venerable book Our Bodies, Ourselves. Plan on skipping this video unless you're dying to flush $15 down the toilet.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sex Techniques for Virgins ONLY!, September 19, 2004
This review is from: Classic Better Sex Video Series Vol. 1 - Better Sexual Techniques (1991) (DVD)
If you have at least had sex one time in your entire life, you have mastered this video, now adays, this could be a sex education film for 6th grade elementery school children and even then, they probally know more about what to do then this video could teach the.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Ugly and booring, February 24, 2006
This review is from: Classic Better Sex Video Series Vol. 1 - Better Sexual Techniques (1991) (DVD)
The sinclair institute may have a reputation for quality products but the better sex series is a big let down. What the other reviews fail to tell you is that these videos were originally produced in 1990. IT was an exeriment to use "actual couples for loving sex". It was a neat idea at the time but this is what you get. Ugly models having sex. My wife and I had to turn this off the first time. The models are just ugly and old. It seams as if the majority of models are over 4 and not good looking at all. Kinda like a swing fest for loosers.
If you are going to look for help on sex, look at Anne Hoopers guides or the old Kama Sutra series. They were much better than this.
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