I never thought I would be writing a review of a London/HOM film but the latest poll and discussion of the relative appeal of women before, during or after whipping gives me an excuse to do so.

A little about London/HOM videos; they were popular about 30+ years ago and by today’s standards were pretty tacky as illustrated by titles such as Kiss My Whip and Bondage Gymnasium. The plots varied but in the main were excuses to get some naked babes into the dungeon (or its equivalent) for some whipping, clothespin application and breast clamps. Note I did not say torture because the main problem was that these torments were as a rule, lame. (Clothespins happen to be a favorite peeve of mine; it's sort of like a dialogue going, "I'm going to torture you to make you talk. I'm going to fry your nipples with electricity, pull out your toenails slowly and burn your clit off with a soldering iron. Wait, I've got a better idea: I'll put clothespins on your tits.")

The video opens up with three women waiting for a "delivery," and immediately we see why HOM has become synonymous with "porno kitsch." The credits tell us two of them are named Annie Warhol and Tiffany Storm, and all three are carrying whips or a crop and are dressed in black leather retro-dom outfits, just what a government interrogator would be expected to wear. The package they are expecting is Theresa, the daughter of one of the richest men in the country, and she is suspected of hiding rebels.

A car pulls up and a sleeping bag is lifted out of the back. Inside the sleeping bag is the bound and gagged Theresa (played by Aja), and this starts stage one of the three stages of a whipping, the anticipation.

The chief interrogator prods her with her riding crop and tells her, "I am the Comtesse Suarez. Perhaps you have heard of me. Welcome to the house of pain." This promising beginning continues in the next scene where we see the lovely Theresa seated with her wrists bound behind her being questioned by the Comtesse. When Theresa refuses to admit to aiding the rebels she tells her minions to strip her but not gag her as "I like to hear the screams of the highborn."

Theresa is bound AOH and her blouse and then her skirt are cut and torn off her body unhurriedly, and a great body it is. It is noteworthy that her back is toward us while she is being stripped. We not only get to appreciate her firm well shaped ass and legs but there is the anticipation of seeing her full frontal which will not disappoint. All in all, the prelude to her whipping was quite well done and I would rate it highly.

The whipping itself was pretty tame. It includes the dreaded clothespins on the tits torture. The only redeeming fact is that it is Aja who is being whipped. Her reactions and cries of pain are OK, especially considering the meekness of the punishment, and she is a pleasure to watch squirm. All in all, a letdown from the opening, but still worthwhile.

The last part of our trifecta shows Aja hanging exhausted from her bonds. Even the last few strokes of the flogger don't get the same reaction as the earlier ones. Clearly she is exhausted. I can't help feeling that this stage of a whipping doesn't get enough love.

I liked this medley even with the bad acting and mediocre whipping. The one thing they certainly did get right is that whipping (or other torture) should be a three act play.

The rest of the video isn't that bad either. Another rebel is captured and whipped in front of Theresa. She screams and thrashes about quite convincingly, and the lashing is much more believable, if still not totally acceptable.

Meanwhile Theresa watches on her knees with her wrists fastened to a chain that runs to the ceiling. Then Theresa is chained to the floor with her legs up in the air, hanging from a spreader bar. As she struggles the Comtesse walks in and says, “Those chains are stronger than you will ever be,” and commences whipping her, but it lacks gusto.

When this does not get Aja/Theresa to talk, they decide to use electro-torture. She is spread-eagled on a table while Annie Warhol attaches the electrodes to her breasts and inside her thighs. Theresa struggles enough that her two torturers have to restrain her to get the contacts on. “Oh boy,” one thinks, “this should be good.” It isn't. Not one watt of current gets to flow through that lovely naked body before the good guys (gals actually) show up. This is a perfect example of a great buildup ruined by no follow up.