David Duchovny still plays Jake, the betrayed man who only gets through life thanks to his dog Stella and a personals ad that requests sexual situations from its readers. The responses are anonymous, Jake reads the letters while trying to understand what happened to him when he lost his one true love, and the viewer is tantalized with nude semi-name actors and actresses in this semi-popular late night cable series. Each of the three tales on the video is reviewed separately below:
"Just Like That" (Directed by Ted Kotcheff) This is a rather simple tale, without much depth or sex. The cute Trudy (Nina Siemaszko) is a law student working as a receptionist in a law office. She meets bike messenger Kyle (Matt LeBlanc, in a role not even Joey would have taken on "Friends") and Phillip (Tcheky Karyo). She begins dating both, and having amazingly well lit sex with both, and eventually suffers a bit of a breakdown trying to keep her relationships straight. While nothing earth shattering happens, all eyes are on Nina. The entire video has a distinct lack of male nudity (sorry, ladies and some gents) but Siemaszko is flat out gorgeous. Watching a familiar face like LeBlanc go through the paces is also entertaining, although he does not get as much bed time with Nina as Karyo does. An average effort, directed by a name director.
"Another Woman's Lipstick" (Directed by Zalman King) I don't know who in the world would want to cheat on Zoe (Maryam D'Abo), but Robert (Kevin Haley) does with another woman (Christina Fulton). Zoe finds out, mopes a bit, spies on her husband, then tries to seduce the other woman herself. An interesting concept turns into all-style as director King goes through the motions here. A body double may have been used in some close-up shots of D'Abo, and even the sex is rather mild. Watch for Fulton's striptease with a lamp, as concern for light bulb burns take precedence over any erotica.
"Talk to Me Baby" (Directed by Rafael Eisenman) Bud (Richard Tyson) and his girlfriend Elaine (Lydie Denier) fight constantly but have an incredible sexual history. One night out, Bud tries to comfort a wet T-shirt contest winner by having sex with her in the men's room, and is discovered by Elaine. The rest of the episode is a virtual monologue as Bud tries to defend himself, tries to get Elaine to talk, and eventually goes to great lengths in a souped-up muscle car to do so. Tyson is an underrated actor who also starred in "Two Moon Junction," and had been banished to either softcore or secondary roles. For such a jerk, Bud does elicit some sympathy. Also watchable are some of Bud's remembrances of the past.
David Duchovny's Jake serves as a bumper between the three episodes, and his scenes are a bore. I remember the first "Red Shoe Diaries," and Jake's heartfelt pain, but now he is just a weird guy who reads smut and talks to his trained dog, reaching no insightful conclusions about his circumstances through the musky missives. "Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's Lipstick" is a mixed bag of softcore erotica. If you are a fan of the series, then by all means go for it. If you and your partner are looking for something to jazz up your nightlife, maybe you'll find it. If you are a fat bald guy reviewing obscure videos on the internet, you will give this an average rating and move on.
