Cathouse: The Series – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

Too many reality shows have zero real content. Does anyone believe The Hills has less script pages than Gossip Girl? Is Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels less plotted out than Father Knows Best? Were The Girls Next Door really only dating Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion? These shows are like Grape Nuts. They’re a cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts. Is there a reality series that really shows what really goes on in its subjects’ lives? Yes and its name is Cathouse. The women of the Bunny Ranch outside Carson City do work in the prostitution business. They aren’t merely wannabe actresses faking a life for the cameras. Cathouse: The Series (plus The Musical) lets you bring the brothel home for the holidays.

The HBO series does not pretend to be a fly on the wall documentary. There’s plenty of interviews on each episode’s topic instead of talking head teasers to set up the “reality” footage. The Bunnies host workshops to teach better understandings and techniques. They provide an adult education with extremely helpful demonstrations. “What Men Don’t Know” has a group of guys learning how to pleasure a woman’s g spot from the Bunnies. At the end of the show, the top students have a proper final exam. It is pointed out in the end credits that the customers at the Bunny Ranch have been invited to participate. Nobody is being recorded having sex without their knowledge.

The first HBO special (Available at Amazon) had a hidden camera recording the negotiation between the client and the Bunny. For future projects, they elevated the carnal action so the secret cameras wouldn’t cut it. Nobody wants to have visions that To Catch a Predator‘s Chris Hansen is about to step out from the closet with his crew. Everybody knows the bedroom has hidden cameras, but it doesn’t make the folks shy when it’s time to party. The lacks of surprise is a shame since it means no montage of people looking shocked that they’ll be HBO stars.

The first season features the rise of Isabella Soprano as “America’s Sweetho.” The cute and smart brunette changed the image of prostitutes. HBO viewers had only been exposed to the streetwalking nightmares from Brent Owens’ Hookers at the Point series. Those women hustled corners, lacked teeth and were really unsanitary. They were sketchy and skanky. Isabella’s the type of hooker you could bring home for Christmas to pose as your fiance. Her smile that rivals an ESPN on-field reporter. Isabella gets her own special episode with “Never Too Late to Learn” during the second season. She shows off her prom queen and cheerleader photos from high school. But she wasn’t such an innocent gal. You won’t believe what she did to stuffed animals. However as the series progressed, Isabella seems to vanish from the Ranch? What happened to her? The answer will be revealed at the end of this review.

Dennis Hof, the owner of the Bunny Ranch opens his life up to the camera. When the series starts, he’s living with porn star Sunset Thomas. Things don’t go so great for them. Dennis doesn’t hide their break up from the cameras. He rebounds with a set of twins. Hugh Hefner must be a fan of the show since he recently took Dennis’ rebound cure. “Catty Cat” shows that there are employee issues at the Ranch. Air Force Amy gets upset at her co-workers and quits the brothel. It’s a disturbing meltdown as she packs up her room. They probably needed to make two trips for her adult toys. The series doesn’t make this profession look like its always fun and fast bucks. There’s plenty of moments of new women discovering they can’t earn a living on their back. It’s harder than being a Wal-mart greeter.

The second season’s focus is the arrival of Brooke Taylor. She arrives from middle America in search of a way to pay off her college loans and mounting bills. But unlike other wannabes, Brooke rises quickly by proving that she’s got the skills. Her talent in the bedroom is so fine, she hooks Hof. During this time we also meet the world’s worst hooker in Tiffany. You will laugh when she announces what she won’t do for a customer. It’s hilarious. It’s like saying you want to be a cashier, but don’t want to touch money.

Cathouse: The Musical wants to prove that the Bunnies can do so much more with their mouths. Although the singing coach swears oral skills in the bedroom will help your vocal control. The Bunnies don’t break into song while leading guys into the various play rooms. Instead it’s a classic “let’s put on a show” production. They perform at the Virginia City Opera House. They’re having fun on stage and back at the Ranch. This isn’t just about singing. The star of the show is Brooke Taylor. She’s a natural with the microphone. Dennis even hits the stage to entertain with a tune. It’s classy and sassy like good burlesque demands. There is plenty of sex during the offstage footage so it’s not for the whole family like American Idol.

What makes Cathouse a real reality series is the fact that home viewers can step through the screen and live the life. You can spend an evening with Air Force Amy if you call for an appointment. Female fans can send off their resume and candid photos to be hired as Bunnies. You’re not going to get that action from Ace of Cakes. They don’t want you knocking on their door so you can sit around while Duff blowtorches a wedding cake. If you try to order from Charm City cakes, be prepared for months worth of a wait. Don’t even think about showing up at the Arctic Circle hoping to haul with the stars of Ice Road Truckers. If you have cash and manners, you can ring the Bunny Ranch’s buzzer and enter the world of the Cathouse. Dennis might even buy you a drink. Think Hugh Hefner will let you into the Playboy Mansion that easily? Think Hef will set you up with Miss March if you’re not an A list superstar? Hof will as long as you pay in advance. Cathouse: The Series is more than a reality show, it’s an invitation to join the party.

How can I make that claim? A few weeks ago, I spent a day interviewing Dennis Hof at the Bunny Ranch. It was like stepping into the show. They even had a birthday party complete with cake and spankings. Here’s a segment of my interview with Hof. For the first time on tape, he fully explained what happened to Isabella Soprano.


The video for the series episodes are 1.33:1 full frame. The Musical special is 1.78:1 anamorphic. Everything was shot on video so the picture is clean. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. You will feel the moans and groans.



None.

If you don’t have HBO, you need to catch up on this fantastic reality series. Who isn’t curious about what goes on at legal brothel? Cathouse delves into the various questions that arrive out of such an establishment. What sort of woman turns to this as a profession? What sort of man frequents the house? What sort of man brings his wife along? What should you expect if you ever ring the buzzer at the Bunny Ranch? If you can’t quite afford the plane ticket, Cathouse: The Series is the perfect version of “the home game.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

HBO Video presents Cathouse: The Series Plus The Musical. Starring Dennis Hof, Madame Suzette, Bunny Love, Brooke Taylor & Isabella Soprano. Boxset Contents: 18 episodes on 4 DVDs. Released on DVD: October 28, 2008. Available at Amazon.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.