Spare the Rod

Scarlett (Sage) has a blossoming sexuality and she’s finding it nigh impossible to resist the carnal urges she’s feeling. Unfortunately, her curiosity has earned her the ire of Sister Joanna (Angel) who will not tolerate sexual deviancy at her strict all-girl’s Catholic School. Frustrated with Scarlett’s resistance to conformity, Sister Joanna brings Scarlett’s stepmother Sarah (Vandella) in for a meeting to discuss an appropriate disciplinary response.

Co-written by Joanna Angel and Shawn Alff for the MissaX offshoot studio AllHerLuv, “Spare the Rod” seems to fit into a framed narrative world that could include other projects from the studio like “The Path to Forgiveness.” The characters aren’t the same, meaning this movie shouldn’t be considered a sequel, prequel or spinoff, but the subject matter is strikingly similar and it could absolutely fit into a space where people are sitting around telling similar tales that take place under similar circumstances. I really like this style of storytelling, so this short film was right up my alley. I thought Vandella and Sage were particularly good here, with both showing some pretty intense emotions. The fauxcest is strong with this scene, but the narrative is more developed than audiences might be accustomed to seeing with these types of scenarios.

The story picks up in the middle of things, with Scarlett already in trouble for repeatedly kissing girls and getting caught. The maniacal Sister Joanna recommends corporal punishment to steer her back onto the straight and narrow path, but Sarah is hesitant to comply. I’ve got to give credit to everyone involved in escalating this portion of the film. Angel is unsettling to say the least, and Vandella feels genuinely overwhelmed under Angel’s barrage of pressure. There’s a spanking sequence that serves the dual purpose of showcasing naughty, kinky, spanking foreplay, and pushing the audience towards discomfort as they watch Scarlett beg for mercy. It’s a great contrast that is nicely done.

Later on, Sage and Vandella have a very touching conversation that moves the encounter to the sex, but both ladies play it well enough to keep the audience engaged with the story. When the sex does finally happen, it’s all desperate groping, lascivious kissing and freed passion. The strength of the scene is the way both ladies constantly come back to kiss each other. They are doing more than simply fucking each other, they are connecting on a deep physical level that matches the emotional connection they make moments prior. The best sexual moment in the scene is watching Scarlett bring Sarah to a heaving orgasm with her mouth that causes Vandella to collapse onto her side, only to find another burst of energy as Sage descends on her for a hungry kiss. It’s like every time these two ladies started to come down from their carnal high, they kissed each other and re-ignited their lust instantly.

It would be really interesting to see the preceding story elements that led to this scene. There is potentially a lot more to tell concerning these characters and if we’re lucky, someone will tell that story for us. I liked these roles and I thought the scenario played very nicely, especially if I think about it as a small story in a connected framework. I think Scarlett Sage has a very bright future ahead of her and Sarah Vandella is one of the sexiest women working in the industry today. Seeing them together was dynamite and audiences will be more than satisfied with their journey here.