Dildo Heaven (2002) Film Review - Doris Wishman's Swan Song

Dildo Heaven is a 2002 American sexploitation comedy written and directed by Doris Wishman. The story follows Lisa, Beth, and Tess, three roommates living together, all trying to seduce their respective bosses. Less of a straightforward plot, Dildo Heaven is presented as a series of soft pornographic scenes tied together by a series of characters and scenes expressing sexual self-discovery and fantasy; notably, one woman buying her first dildo at a store, which plays into the film’s namesake. More importantly, Dildo Heaven presents the last work of acclaimed cult/nudie director Doris Wishman, and a proper release after its premiere at the New York Underground Film Festival just months before her passing in 2002.

Dildo Heaven exists in a fascinating space in the career of Doris Wishman, billed as her big comeback before its release. The movie loses the sting the filmmaker once had with her earlier works, such as Bad Girls Go To Hell (1965), Nude on the Moon (1961), and Indecent Desires (1968), which were seen as boundary-pushing cinema at the time. In fact, in the landscape of modern erotica and pornographic material, Dildo Heaven feels wholesome in its portrayal of sex despite still touching on many taboos. It even stands in stark contrast to the push for ‘more’ as far as exploitation and pornography have gone, bringing it back to the basics of cinematic eroticism that Wishman pioneered to a loving and arguably horny audience.

Yet, it is in staying the course from the 60s all the way to the 2000s that the true brilliance of Doris Wishman becomes more evident. Notably, her exploration of female fantasy may have been taboo in the 60s due to the social and political climate, but still making the same movies decades later shows an utter sincerity in her desire to break the status quo by focusing on the female fantasy. Dildo Heaven solidifies her legacy as one of the most altruistic and genuine directors to emerge from the swinging sixties. She can still be championed for her pioneering work in bringing sex to the screen. Yet, Didlo Heaven shows a unique authenticity that is seldom found in the entertainment industry, especially when revolving around eroticism.

Stepping away from viewing the film historically, the moments of humor, mainly through eccentric characters, do little to alleviate the work beyond its niche audience and drawn-out soft-core porn scenes; especially given its low shot-on-video production values. This sentiment is only amplified in a day and age where desensitization, both in pornography and media as a whole, makes Dildo Heaven seem overly tame, despite how gloriously Wishman portrays her subject as flawed goddesses and the amount of breasts on display. Yet, Doris Wishman’s film and career belong to the people who openly embraced her work from the 60s onward, and fans will find the release of Dildo Heaven after all these years a true treat.

Still from the Doris Wishman Film Dildo Heaven

Dildo Heaven feels like an essential piece of history for the iconic filmmaker and a film that truly encapsulated Doris Wishman’s career as an unapologetic purveyor of female fantasies. You either get it or you don’t. However, it is inarguable that decades after its debut, Dildo Heaven is worthy of getting a proper release, with Fantastic Fest the perfect showcase for the film to be seen once more.

score