The Little Details

Running Time: 52 min.

Production Date: 2002

Director: Kenneth Knoll

Cast: Linda De Villers, Ph.D., Bryce Britton, M.S., and Alexander B. Taylor, Ph.D. as sex therapist commentators and Tawny Roberts, Ricky Roberts, Sabrine Maui, Donald James, Lorna Payne, and Jason Creed in sexual roles

The Short Story

Initial Expectations: This one strikes me as being either interesting or something Im going to make a lot of fun of...

Initial Reaction: Its very well done.

Who Should Watch It : Anybody interested in the Kama Sutra or different positions

Who Should Avoid It: Anybody wanting a release that goes into the spiritual aspect of the Kama Sutra

The Technical Stuff

Audio /Video Quality: The technical aspects are nicely done. The audio is clear and well balanced, with both the voiceovers and the performers appearing at the same level. The video is also nicely done. Theres just a hint of grain, but that is also somewhat due to some of the footage being slowed down to match the voiceover a little better.

Music: The music has a very soft feel, and somewhat surprisingly keeps a very western feel to it. It works well for the feature, and helps to keep it romantic.

Menus: The main menu is okay. It nicely lays out the choices and has a little animation throughout the menus to give a good first impression. There isnt any chapter menu.

The Feature

Unlike the Kama Sutra, which was written by one man, the Tao was put together by many people. After a little talk about sex and culture, Positions of the Tao moves on with the different positions. It breaks things down position by position, starting with major breakdowns and then showing different variations. It covers male on top, female on top, side-by-side, kneeling / lying, sitting, and rear entry positions. It also covers the Kama Sutras views on a mans duty to his partner, as well positions best suited for G-Spot stimulation. Each section gets a few minutes to cover the body positions, benefits, and shortcomings of the position.

Positions of the Tao is a very nicely done educational movie. The voiceovers do a very good job of talking through the different aspects of the positions for both partners, and the comments from the doctors are nicely blended in to keep the knowledge flowing through out the entire feature. The narrator can be a little too soft at times, but I really cant complain because it doesnt get so soft to hold the feature back. It also does a great job of reminding people that sex is supposed to be fun, and even gives a few reminders that some positions are better suited for acrobats than normal people, and are more worthwhile for the humor than the sexual gratification. The demonstrations are also very well done. It doesnt get overly graphic, but it does get some nice angles to show the positions. The three couples all look like theyre having a lot of fun. You can feel plenty of chemistry flowing among each of them which makes the positions seem much more friendly and appealing. The only thing that some people might find lacking here is a discussion on the spiritual aspects of Kama Sutra. Chakras are mentioned a couple times, but thats about as far as it goes. Personally, I was very happy with this. I think people who seek out releases like this are interested in the sexual aspects, and religion is a very personal thing. Although it could definitely be brought up here, I think it could also turn a lot of people off and leave them with a more apprehensive feeling of what they came looking for here. I really liked how Positions of the Tao stayed focused on the sex, and would highly recommend it to anybody curious about Kama Sutra or looking for ways to spice up their sex life.

The Extra Stuff

The photo gallery contains over forty nice looking snapshots. Theres also a positions menu that lets you see each position in a small window at the side of the screen. Its okay, but would be much better if you could see the positions better.

The Down -n- Dirty Sex Stuff

Themes: Straight and educational

Raincoat Factor: High

Condom Usage: None

The Bottom Line:

Currently, Romantic Arts DVDs can be found online at many mainstream stores for around $15. If youre interested in this release, Id definitely recommend at the very least renting it. It does a great job of presenting the information while also being pretty sexy. The technical aspects are nicely done but there isnt much attention given to the extras. This is a nicely done educational release.

Note to Romantic Arts: You did a great job with your feature. I hope you expand the extras a little on your DVDs in the future, as right now its the only thing which seems to be lacking.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me .

Other reviews by Astroknight