Wicked! are shameless. Don't contract stars like Jessica Drake and Brad Armstrong know that they're "only" pornstars? Why do they insist on producing porn like they were making REAL movies?

I don't know the answer to that - only that I'm happy they are. Speed, their latest collaboration, is another labor-of-love that mixes high production values, tight scripting and great performances with the x-rated action we've come to love and expect from Wicked!'s stable of stars.

Set in the seedy world of illegal motorbike racing, Speed plays out kind of like The Fast and the Furious with bikes instead of cars (and Derrick Pierce instead of Vin Diesel.)

Speed has a surprisingly complex plot - following several storylines, but centered around ex-con Jessica Drake's reimmersion into L.A.'s underground biking scene. Given the reputation real-life street bikers have, the fact that their world seems to consist of one Corona-fueled orgy after another isn't all that unbelievable; although there's a certain disparity between some of the beautifully-filmed sex scenes and the "real" movie itself. Some work perfectly organically - others seem a little tacked on.

Director Brad Armstrong also treats the mechanical stars of his movie almost as erotically as the flesh-and-blood cast. Speed is ultimately porn for bike fans as well as x-rated aficionados. There are a host of high-speed thrills to erm... "thrill" at; and it's clear Armstrong put as much effort into the bikes scenes as the sex ones.

Wicked! also go all-out with the packing of Speed. It comes in an oversized, fold-out box and once you (eventually) get to the jewel-case itself, you'll find not one but 4 DVDs to browse through. There's the movie itself, plus two discs of special features and a free promo for "A Sure Bet."

What does that mean? That even at Wicked!'s high prices, you certainly end up feeling like you got your money's worth with Speed. It's a truly epic release, sexy and sinful and beautifully realized with love and attention to detail.

If I have criticisms, they're minor and subjective. Obviously, to fully enjoy this movie you should love bikes and wild women with tattoos and peircings; there are no "barely legal" ladies here; these broads are all beautifully high-mileage.

Similarly, this isn't a release for those interested in instant gratification. This is a movie that happens to have sex in, not porn that happens to be a movie. It's subtle distinction, sure - but ultimately just what I believe director Brad Armstrong was going for (and he nailed it.)