Peter Debruge, Chief International Film Critic at Variety, recalling a time when mainstream film critics at his publication reviewed porn films like Deep Throat and The Devil and Miss Jones, caught up with the HUMP! Tour in Long Beach, California:

Simply put, it’s refreshing to see erotic films in which there’s actual chemistry between sexual partners, where the couples (or groups, as in “Dungeons & Dragons Orgy’s” horned-up nerd herd) appear to be having fun, rather than working. It also underscores the importance of screenwriting, even when it comes to dirty movies. By taking the time to plan things out in advance, these incredibly creative teams manage to capture and hold our interest, even when the “action” isn’t necessarily to our liking—like “Pie Sluts,” in which a stern mistress splats her clients in the face with cream pies. This isn’t a real phenomenon any more than the viral “Cake Farts” video it may or may not be parodying, but it’s plenty entertaining all the same.

I clearly wasn’t the only one who had checked my hangups at the door either. It was an incredibly warm room, as we all applauded each and every short, no matter how “amateur” the effort. That’s the beauty of Hump, and the best-of tour in particular. When cruising for porn online, people naturally gravitate to what turns them on. By carefully curating an eclectic lineup, Savage manages to expand his crowd’s horizons. It’s not that audiences are likely to leave the event having discovered a new kink (though the self-explanatory “Fun With Fire” certainly lives up to its name). Rather, it’s yet another way of communicating the same sex-positive message he preaches in his podcast: As long as you’re not hurting anyone, embrace whatever makes you happy, and accept the fact that your neighbors might be into something different.

Thanks, Peter, for coming to Long Beach and for really getting HUMP! Just one quibble: there are definitely people out there who get off on having pies smashed in their faces—it's a real phenomenon!

Read Peter's entire review HERE. Find out if HUMP! is coming to your town HERE. (The HUMP! Tour plays in Seattle and Portland in May! This is your chance, Seattle & Portland, to see HUMP! films you never thought you would be able to see again!) And info about making and submitting a film for HUMP! 2014 is HERE!