Holy Homage, Batman!

The cool thing about the new Batman parody released recently by Vivid isn't that a) Vivid has finally gotten on the parody bandwagon that's currently keeping the industry vibrant or b) the sex is gloriously hot, with such superbodies as Lexi Belle (Batgirl -- an outstanding casting selection by director Axel Braun) and Tori Black (femme fatale Catwoman, another perfect choice) . . . it's that Batman does what parody is supposed to do on all the levels.

The sex is hot -- the first scene, with a delightfully psychotic Riddler (played by Evan Stone), bangs his kidnapping victim (Bruce Wayne's fiancé) in exchange for better accommodations, is a lusty romp that has the added benefit of the performers staying in character. Every scene is that hot.

But the thing that's coolest about the flick is the fact that not just the performers stay in character, but the movie does as well. All too often a parody can venture into campiness and self-referential humor about the porn industry that falls flat outside of Chatsworth. Not this time -- the flick is campy, but it's Bat-campy. It follows the spirit of the original television show brilliantly, if one can use that term for a porn flick. The sets maintain the illusion that we are not seeing a hacked-together half-assed attempt at "spoofing batman" of the 1960s in the 21st century with anachronisms popping out all over; instead we're seeing actual 60s-styles in clothes, in decor, in cars, in language. The illusion ripples every now and then, but considering how farcical some parodies can be the effort is a welcome one.

Additionally, the script (while delightfully inane in places) seeks to re-create some of the better-known moments of the beloved show. Dale Dabone's dead-on Adam West impersonation includes a stop at a go-go club where he re-creates the "Batusi" (with a little post-Pulp Fiction tongue-in-cheek humor) for instance -- just before getting a club hummer by Alexis Texas in a beehive-ish 60s hairdo. Randy Spears is a wonderful Joker, and Tori Black was made to play Catwoman (think a slinky Julie Newmar who takes it anal).

Everyone has fun with the role -- and that's the cool thing. You can tell that everyone on the set was enjoying not just getting paid real money to have sex, like they do every day, but they were all happy making a really, really cool porn parody. The medium was helpful, of course -- 60s Batman lends itself to over-the-top performances and camp in a unique way (only Star Trek comes close -- and Evan Stone nailed Kirk in both of Hustler's parodies). But there was pride in the workmanship and it shows. It's sexy. It's confident. It's entertaining.

And that's what the parodies are: a return to porn as entertainment. Sure, we stroke to it, occasionally watch it at work, but when it comes to a very special "date night" the choices are all too often either Hardcore Butt Sluts #54 or Endless Sensual Interludes, complete with jazzy new-age music -- too hard or too soft. If your woman was reluctant to begin with, then the hard stuff is often an instant turn-off which she watches mostly to humor you, and the soft stuff, intended as "female friendly", just lacks the heat, intensity, and horniness as it tries to build some semblance of plot and the cinematographer tries to work out his artistic vision -- and that leaves most dudes as limp as a noodle and bored out of their minds.

But with the parodies, both sides can be equally entertained and aroused. You don't have to pay careful attention to the plot -- you know what's going on because you know the show. You can instead enjoy the cheesy lines, the over-acting, and the in-character play wholeheartedly, and still keep your woody. Batman XXX: A Porn Parody is thus far the high-water mark (Star Trek is an arguable contender, and there have been plenty of other worthy efforts in the last year.). And it's particularly telling that the flick has a "non-sex" version, with all of the lead-up but none of the excplicit stuff. So now you can not only watch it with your wife, but you can watch it with your mother-in-law safely, too!

The possibilities are staggering . . .