Color, 1980, 77m. / Directed by "Godfrey Daniels" (Stu Segall)
/ Starring Marlyn Chambers, Jessie St. James, Richard Pacheco, Mike Ranger, John Holmes, David Morris / Raincoat Theatre (US R1 NTSC) / DD5.1
While the 1970s established adult filmmaking as the realm in which any genre was fair game and a good story was just important as the number of couplings, Insatiable really marked a turning point by focusing purely on visual style and non-stop coupling from its genetically impressive cast. There’s barely any plot to speak of; instead the film bounces from one set piece to the next with the always game and enthusiastic Chambers giving her all, especially in the aforementioned pool table scene with David Morris. The soundtrack (including a catchy theme song, "Shame on You," sung by Chambers) is extremely catchy and way above your average anonymous porn-funk, and director Segall (who went on to legit TV producing) keeps things fast and steamy at a tight 77 minutes.
Also included are the rather interesting cable version (which uses lots of video effects including some ridiculously elaborate split screens and artificial zooms to cover up the hardcore shots), the original trailer, a very quick bit of deleted footage showing Marilyn flying solo, some Chambers-narrated clips of the original premiere, and additional trailers for Debbie Does Dallas, Neon Nights, Babylon Pink and The Devil in Miss Jones.
After establishing herself as the porno chic startlet to end them all in Behind the Green Door, Marilyn Chambers bounced back and forth between her XXX roots and occasional stabs at commercial filmmaking with efforts
like David Cronenberg’s Rabid. However, she still had at least one bona fide porn hit still left in her with Insatiable, a classy, fast-paced international romp featuring La Marilyn as Sandra Chase, a wealthy covergirl who beds a number of partners in locales ranging from a hot tub to a pool table. Sort of modelled on the French hit Exhibition but far more palatable, the film presents Chambers as a well-heeled jet-setter with a bottomless carnal appetite, whether helping a stranded motorist (Pacheco, porn’s most reliable thespian) with his, uh, fuel hose, enjoying herself in bed at night, or having group sex with Holmes, the industry’s size king. 
Unlike many of its contemporaries, Insatiable has actually fared quite well on video over the years. The film is well-shot anyway, and transfers have usually done it justice. The first release from I-Candy looked fine, but Chambers fans will definitely want to upgrade with Media Blasters’ “Raincoat Theatre” two-disc release. Not surprisingly, the full frame (open matte) transfer looks just fine (and plays just as well masked off on widescreen televisions, pretty much how it would have played in theatres), and both the mono mix and 5.1 remix (which sounds a bit more spacious but won't stress out your speaker very much) have no room for complaints.
However, the extras are what really sets this release apart. The still-charming Chambers appears for a lengthy on-camera interview in which she discusses, well, pretty much everything, from her chaste days in high school to her first big role (and the Ivory Snow scandal) to her relationship with the controversial Chuck Traynor and her opinions on motherhood. She also reveals her personal favourite sex scene from the film (and she’s correct – it’s easily the highlight) and talks candidly about her own complex relationship with the industry that made her a star. The main feature also includes a commentary with Chambers (who obviously focuses exclusively on this film and talks about her relationships with her co-workers, her increasing involvement in the production of her films, and the state of her career at the time), as well as the Gloria Leonard audio commentary from the previous I-Candy release. Though she's not in the film, Leonard is her usual chatty and ingratiating self, spinning out trivia about the classic adult film industry so fast it's hard to believe she doesn't have a mile-high stack of notecards in front of her.
