I recall thinking that the '92 softcore Showtime TV movie "Red Shoe Diaries" being underwhelming, but I guess it was a big enough success that it spawned this, in my opinion, superior TV series. For one, I thought the actress playing the femme fatale of the movie wasn't very desirable and didn't get why those 2 guys saw in her. One of those guys was Jake, played by David Duchovny of X-files fame, who is the protagonist/narrator for the series. The format of the show is that Jake starts a Dear Abby type pen pal service using the pen name "Red Shoes" in honor of his late girlfriend's red high heels from the movie to understand her sexual desires and what drove her to cheat on him, then take her own life. Various women across the world write to Jake/Red Shoes revealing the most intimate details of their sexual encounters. One of the best aspects of the series is the catchy, jazzy intro music.
First up is this Pilot episode, which stars Joan Severance and Steven Bauer, two actors who got their big breaks in the 80s. Severance started out as a fashion magazine model and got her big break ironically co-starring alongside Kevin Spacey in a couple of mild late 80s hits: a guest starring role in a season long arc of the show Wiseguy where they played psychotic siblings and then co-starring as a pair of murderous thieves in Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor film comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Then in the 90s she went onto to a lot of sexy, softcore movies. Bauer got his big break with the '83 cult Al Pacino classic Scarface as well as being in such eclectic stuff as the '83 "Dare Me" music video by Pointer Sisters as well as the '87 cult skateboarding movie "Gleaming the Cube." Both Severance and Bauer are perfectly cast for a show like this being extremely easy on the eyes. Plus, their chemistry is electric.
The plot of this fascinating episode involves Severance's character, The Woman, a hard-working, sexually repressed yuppie in her early 30s who has a chance encounter on a rainy night with Bauer's character, The Man, as they share a cab ride and stop at his apartment. They have a night of intense passion and agree to meet every Tuesday and Thursday night alternating who chooses their "adventure" of the night. Their arrangement is purely casual and fun as the vow to not know each other's name or personal business. But things get complicated as the women gets in over her head and starts to develop deep feelings and wants to know more about his life. The man resists at first, but gets in deep himself by the ending. Bauer is great as the strong, silent leading man, but it's really Severance who carries the episode with her stunning beauty and sex appeal. The camera loves her and with good reason. The costume department really went all out with Severance's classy, expensive outfits.
This episode is like watching an extended romance commercial, a clinic for how to present a softcore sex series: great acting from two beautiful in-sync leads, ultra romantic music, striking camera angles, montage storytelling, all against the backdrop of a sensual, dangerous, and dark atmosphere. And what's refreshing about this episode is that the sexual situations are as much about stimulating the mind as much as all the physical stuff. This show was about getting into the minds of it's characters figuring out what makes them tick against the backdrop of a steamy, sensual setting. And this perfectly executed Pilot got the party started!
First up is this Pilot episode, which stars Joan Severance and Steven Bauer, two actors who got their big breaks in the 80s. Severance started out as a fashion magazine model and got her big break ironically co-starring alongside Kevin Spacey in a couple of mild late 80s hits: a guest starring role in a season long arc of the show Wiseguy where they played psychotic siblings and then co-starring as a pair of murderous thieves in Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor film comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Then in the 90s she went onto to a lot of sexy, softcore movies. Bauer got his big break with the '83 cult Al Pacino classic Scarface as well as being in such eclectic stuff as the '83 "Dare Me" music video by Pointer Sisters as well as the '87 cult skateboarding movie "Gleaming the Cube." Both Severance and Bauer are perfectly cast for a show like this being extremely easy on the eyes. Plus, their chemistry is electric.
The plot of this fascinating episode involves Severance's character, The Woman, a hard-working, sexually repressed yuppie in her early 30s who has a chance encounter on a rainy night with Bauer's character, The Man, as they share a cab ride and stop at his apartment. They have a night of intense passion and agree to meet every Tuesday and Thursday night alternating who chooses their "adventure" of the night. Their arrangement is purely casual and fun as the vow to not know each other's name or personal business. But things get complicated as the women gets in over her head and starts to develop deep feelings and wants to know more about his life. The man resists at first, but gets in deep himself by the ending. Bauer is great as the strong, silent leading man, but it's really Severance who carries the episode with her stunning beauty and sex appeal. The camera loves her and with good reason. The costume department really went all out with Severance's classy, expensive outfits.
This episode is like watching an extended romance commercial, a clinic for how to present a softcore sex series: great acting from two beautiful in-sync leads, ultra romantic music, striking camera angles, montage storytelling, all against the backdrop of a sensual, dangerous, and dark atmosphere. And what's refreshing about this episode is that the sexual situations are as much about stimulating the mind as much as all the physical stuff. This show was about getting into the minds of it's characters figuring out what makes them tick against the backdrop of a steamy, sensual setting. And this perfectly executed Pilot got the party started!
