Whether you're venturing into the world of adult film for the first time or you're a skinflick veteran, the dizzying array of porn available these days can be overwhelming. Luckily, we here at Babeland have been busy "researching" porn for years and can give you an introduction to the basic types of adult videos as well as answers to some frequently asked questions. Hold on to your hat, and you'll be picking porn like a pro in no time.

The Wonderful World of Porn

There are as many different kinds of porn as there are people in the world, but the main types of movies fall into predictable categories. These descriptions of the basic types should give you an idea of where to start in your search for the porn that's right for you.  

Wall-to-wall. The most basic type of porn. Essentially, there is no plot to get in the way of the hours' long fuckfest. It's a great choice for people who find plots unwieldy and distracting. Babeland favorites: Welcome to Chloeville and Deep Inside Chloe.

Plot-driven. A lot of folks want some context with their sex. While some folks just want a setting and characters, others love lavish costuming and storylines. Love the Wild West? Pirates? Cops? Sci-Fi? Comedy? There's a porn film out there for you. A lot of newer, independent films feature shorter vignettes rather than one long plot. It's like reading short erotic stories versus an entire novel. Babeland favorites: Edge Play.

Classics. Most classic films excel in the area of sexy plots. Filmed in the 1970s, also known as "The Golden Age of Porn," these movies often feature lush sets and storylines. Some were even filmed on location with budgets that seem outrageous by today's standards. All of them were shot on film, so the production values are very high. Classic films are also a good choice for people who want to see natural-bodied beauties because they were made before the advent of major plastic surgery, especially breast augmentation. And the pubic hair is generally a little more generous than today's bare shaven styles. Babeland favorites: The Opening of Misty Beethoven and Sex World.

Amateur. Amateur videos feature everyday people with natural bodies, including real-life couples performing for the camera. They're great for folks who want to avoid mainstream porn star bodies and who want to see real people having real sex. At their best, amateur films have an almost voyeuristic quality about them—you get a peek into someone else's relationship and love life. At their worst, amateur films can seem awkward, with bad production values and the actors looking very self-conscious. Babeland favorite: Urban Friction.

Gonzo. Gonzo is a style of filmmaking that is often associated with amateur films. In a gonzo flick, actors talk to the camera and the person behind it. The person is essentially a character in the film and usually directs the action. There is often minimal plot or background music. Babeland favorite: Evil Pink.

Girl-on-girl vs. Dyke/Lesbian. The distinction between girl-on-girl versus dyke or lesbian porn is a fascinating and confusing cultural phenomenon. Here's the scoop.

Girl-on-girl films are generally made by mainstream porn companies and are geared toward audiences of straight men. The women conform to standard porn star bodies, which means they tend to be tall and blond with surgically enhanced breasts and long, manicured fingernails. Depending on the actors, the scenes can seem genuine and exciting or hesitant and tentative. Babeland favorite: Four Finger Club #2.

Dyke porn is mostly made by small, independent, dyke-run production companies. The casts are much more diverse, featuring an array of body types and a much higher-prevalence of people of color. You're likely to see women who identify as butch.  In addition, most actors in dyke porn are lesbians in their day-to-day lives, which makes the sex seem more genuine and "true-to-life." The sex itself is much different than in a girl-on-girl film. Strap-on action, whole-hearted pussy licking, and finger fucking are standard. Babeland favorite: Hard Love and How to Fuck in High Heels.

"Bisexual." It's worth noting that the term "bisexual" has a slightly different meaning in the world of porn. Since virtually every "straight" movie has a girl-on-girl scene, "bisexual" porn signifies a movie that features straight sex as well as man-on-man scenes. Babeland favorite: Slide Bi Me.

Are You Looking For . . .

• Woman-directed porn? More and more women are directing porn these days.  Candida Royalle, the first major female porn director, is a consistent favorite for couples-oriented movies. Veronica Hart's popular film Edge Play is highly recommended. In addition, two of our favorite porn stars—Chloe and Belladonna—have started directing their own movies.
• Good-looking men in straight porn? Many straight ladies find their porn-watching aspirations are stifled by the lack of hot male porn actors. You can go three ways in your search for attractive guys. 1) Seek out movies with well-known hotties Lexington Steele and Mr. Marcus. Or find your own favorite porn star and rent all his movies! 2) Go straight to where the hot boys are and rent some gay boy porn.  Widening your search to gay porn takes an open mind, but a lot of women find the hot bodies more satisfactory. 3) Skip the boys altogether and rent lesbian porn. At least you won't be distracted by men you find unattractive!
• People of color? Most porn stars are white folks, although there are some notable exceptions. Look for movies with Lexington Steele, Asia Carrera, Tera Patrick, and Mr. Marcus. Afro-Centric Productions such as the Sista series and Sex Positive Productions like Slide Bi Me and Voluptuous Vixens feature diverse casts.
• Natural bodies? Some of our favorite porn stars, including Chloe, have beautiful natural bodies. Classic 70s porn and amateur porn are also great resources for women with natural breasts.
• Decent music? You may have to negotiate on this one. If the low-quality background music in porn drives you crazy, it might be best to turn down the volume and put on your favorite make out CD. New productions like Erocktavision are beginning to combine MTV-style vignettes with rockin' sountracks.
• Better production values? Any movie shot on film will have production values miles ahead of video or digital productions. Check out classic movies or films directed by Andrew Blake. Also, Fashionistas, one of our favorite films to come out recently, is a high-budget production that was shot on film.