ChanelPreston.com
Outside of Comic-Con, there isn’t much happening in the movie world. Oh wait, there’s that 50 Shades of Grey trailer that was released this week in an attempt to bring balance to the force of nerd movie goodness. This is a different kind of nerdy, as we’ve found out over the course of tracking the movie’s development. It involves whips, chains and plenty of suppressed emotions from your mom’s neighborhood book club. It’s something that plenty of us around here aren’t really into – at least that anyone in the office is willing to admit – the world of BDSM. With that in mind, we might not be the right people to dissect the mix of pain and pleasure that make E.L. James’ book such a sensation.
In order to fully understand the first trailer for Sam Taylor-Johnson’s upcoming film adaptation, we asked fetish porn performer Chanel Preston to answer a few questions about the trailer, the book and even her thoughts on the Beyonce song. We wanted an expert opinion on the tale of Christian Grey and his riding crop, and that’s exactly what we got…
Seeing as we’re not familiar with your work (sorry, my mom reads the site), let’s establish some credentials. What are the names of some of the fetish movies / scenes you’ve starred in?
Two of my most popular are “Get My Belt” by Kelly Madison Productions (this scene won Most Outrageous Sex Scene at the 2014 AVN Awards) and “Strap For Teacher” by Evil Angel. Most of my traditional fetish / BDSM (bondage & discipline, dominance & submission) scenes are web-based and can be found at kink.com.
Did you ever read the book “Fifty Shades of Grey”? If so, what was your impression?
I actually read the book a little before it became whatever it became. Christian Grey did have vampire-like qualities, and I know it was initially meant to be in that realm, so that’s how I approached it. I loved vampire books growing up, so this fed that guilty pleasure. I tried to read on to the second and third book, but I lost interest after the first chapter…
Have you been looking forward to the movie?
I can’t say I have been really looking forward to the movie, but I am a little curious about it…
What do you think of the actors they cast to play the roles of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey? How is their acting in the trailer?
I know a lot of people are not very happy with the casting, but I think they did really well. I love that they used actors who are not extremely well known. It gives the movie a bit of an indie feel, which I am a huge fan of.
I’m reading that people don’t feel Dakota Johnson is as beautiful as Anastasia was portrayed in the book, but I think she is very beautiful. She definitely does not depict the sensationalized, Hollywood notion of beauty, but that’s what makes her relatable. I think the movie would have been horrible had they cast anyone of this type. Once people see the movie, I think people will feel differently about her. I will say that at the point where she says, “Then enlighten me” I wanted to suck on her lips, so she clearly did it for me.
I’m still waiting to get a feel for Jamie Dornan as Christian… so far I like him. He has a bit more of a baby face then I imagined, but I do think he will do well. However, that could be because I’m not as passionate about seeing the perfect Christian Grey as many people seem to be. I just hope he spanks Ana hard enough! ;)
Focus Features
Does the trailer offer a good balance of fetish and romance, or does it lean too far in one direction? Why?
I felt it was balanced. Although, I would have loved to see more fetish material, but that’s coming from someone who rips clothespins off men’s nuts for a living.
Do you recognize any of the fetish / bondage props or acts in the trailer?
Yes, I recognized the riding crop, which is one of the more recognizable BDSM implements, and some light bondage. I also saw an eye mask, which is often used in various kinds of fetish play.
Is the fetish aspect of the film accurately portrayed in the trailer?
I think many BDSM/fetish lifestylers (those who participate in these acts in their personal life) will say no. I think this is because it doesn’t accurately portray their own relationship with BDSM, and they are very protective over their community or lifestyle. However, people participate in this lifestyle for MANY reasons, and to varying degrees. Therefore, it’s not far from the truth for many people’s situations when you see Ana’s curiosity piqued because someone she is in a relationship with is interested in it. Also, many domme/sub relationships can be very complex and too abstract for a general audience. It wouldn’t have been beneficial for the book or movie to have gone beyond its rudimentary portrayal of BDSM. An audience may want to feel challenged, but not beyond their comprehension.
There is also a part in the trailer where Christian says, “You should stay clear of me.” In the story, Christian is not necessarily proud of his sexual desires, mainly because the desires are a result of being wounded. Although, portrayed in a bit of a cheesy way in the trailer, this is common in the BDSM community where people express or deal with wounds through their participation in this lifestyle.
Is there anything you would’ve done differently when creating the trailer and depicting the world of fetish and bondage?
I feel they are trying to be tasteful, but I wish they would have thrown in one “shocker” moment, whether through a strange implement used, or a quick, extremely sexual moment where the audience may have gone, “What the hell was that?”. Most of the audience watching has read the book, so they already know the story line. The trailer should have given them a quick something to pique their interest a little beyond what the book had.
How do you feel about using a Beyonce song for the trailer?
Although the song sounded good on the trailer, I wish they went with something more obscure to stay with the indie-ish vibe.
Anything you want to add about the trailer or upcoming movie?
Even if the movie is a little cheesy, I love that it will introduce people to new ideas when it comes to sex. I’m sure it wasn’t the intention of the author, but the hype about the book and movie already has ignited an interest beyond the traditional views of sexuality. Whether the hype moves someone to explore light spankings on the butt or a full lashing with a single-tail whip, I think it’s important people feel comfortable exploring their sexuality.
Chanel Preston (@ChanelPreston) who is known for many of her fetish scenes for Kink.com, as well as her AVN Award for Most Outrageous Sex Scene in fetish movie “Get My Belt.” Chanel explores America’s views on sexuality with her web series, “Naked with Chanel” found at www.NakedWithChanel.com.
