An inherent problem plagues the specialty video magazine: the tendency to repeat its own ideas.  The pioneers of the sex-magazine for the home records, Electric Blue, have luckily avoided that would-be trauma.  But one wonders how long the ideas can stay fresh.

The eighth edition of Electric Blue (actually seventh as the first two were combined) is still filled with the short, sassy featurettes that gave Electric Blue the slick, glossy feel of a Playboy or Penthouse magazine. The simulated sex scenes, often between two lesbian lovers, are tactful and beautifully done, emphasizing the nudity rather than hardcore sex.  Gone are the rugged fillers of earlier videocassettes – the fiery car crashes of Indianapolis and all-girl Roller Derby.  But still present are the celebrity nudes, clips from X-rated or sex oriented movies, and the famous hostesses, which in the past have included Desiree Cousteau, Seka and Britt Eckland.

Marilyn Chambers hosts her second Electric Blue here, with emphasis on promoting her new feature film, Up and Coming.  And although its being promoted as an all-British edition, there’s nothing overtly royal about Marilyn being oil massaged by a pretty blonde actress.

In fact, Electric Blue 008’s major selling point proves to be a big disappointment.  We’re supposed to get the beautiful, controversial Koo Stark in full nudity.  We do, but it shapes up as an all-too-short montage of some of Koo’s soft-X film appearances. One of her sexy scenes, though, is enough to make it worth a peek.

Also included among the sex features is an incredibly erotic sauna scene with three lovelies called “Steam Heat,” and “Shore Leave” which features sailors and chicks in Hong Kong’s backstreets.  Here we find out how a sailor fares when two oriental hotsies take him home, (he’s left out in the cold!).

Marie Harper, a 19-year-old auditioner for the electric centerfold, is British, built, wild-looking and alas, also loves women. We’re also taken on trips to a London sex shop (where we delve inside the peep shows) and to one of Europe’s hottest sex-act clubs.  And of course, nude wives pose on the Electric Blue set.

Rounding out the festivities is an ad for vibrator batteries that gets totally out of hand and clips from the softcore sex comedy, Can I Do It Til I Need Glasses?

The tape quality of this quarterly magazine is uniformly good.  Graphically impressive, it features personable stars, beautiful women and shot, sensual sex scenes.  However, Electric Blue sometimes takes itself too seriously. Even with the special editions, that in itself are lighthearted entertainment, the subject matter is sometimes presented more like an instructional tape than pure fun.  For example, The Sex Maniac’s Guide to the U.S.A., a funny hour-long escapade into the weird and wonderful, is marred by a boring narrator who has nothing to say and who possesses a monotone voice, to boot.  The Electric Blue series has a polished, professional look – but sometimes an icy feeling leaves it just short of achieving excellence.

With Playboy’s first video magazine making a strong showing, and with many more Playboy tapes on the way, Electric Blue will have to keep their quality top-notch.  But there should be no problem.  After all, they are the pioneers!