Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno Is Back and Steamier Than Ever

I could watch Isabella Rossellini do anything. She was fantastic in Two Lovers, she starred in David Lynch's bizarre epic Blue Velvet and she even voiced a character on the Simpsons. It's hard to see how anyone else could make the secret sex lives of animals, especially creepy crawly invertebrates, as compelling.

That's right folks, the third season of the Webby-award winning Green Porno is out. There's also a companion book out too.

The latest season is just as riveting as past episodes. They are short, snappy, colorful pieces that are designed specifically with portability and shareability in mind. They are intended to play well on mobile devices (I wouldn't know, I'm still a loser without a smart phone). I do wish they were available as embeddable videos, and they certainly should be on Sundance Channel's YouTube page. You know, that's because where the kids are these days. Luckily the videos are available for free on the channel's website.

In fact, Rossellini told Reuters that she is interested in trying to make the franchise into a viable business model. As it stands, although some two to three million viewers have enjoyed Green Porno, it doesn't seem to be profitable. The groundbreaking web series has been made possible by Robert Redford and Sundance Channel, but season 3 is likely to be the last unless they figure out sponsorship or possibly a pay model. (Though Rossellini wisely told Reuters, "People expect online content to be free.")

So the future of Green Porno is uncertain, much like the futures of the wildlife the series covers. This time, the brief videos make a strong connection between the food we choose and what is happening in the oceans. The clips start with Rossellini doing a little cooking demonstration, her adorable accent and mannerisms in full force. She wonders where her ingredients come from, and is transported to a highly stylized, beautiful aquatic world. As a horny squid, "I would give the most passionate 20-arm embrace… although two are not arms, if you know what I mean," she purrs.

This time the creative prop art is supplemented with some real footage, and interviews of the elephant seal biologist Claudio Campagnal (also with soothing accent). The segments of overharvested shrimp, bycatch and other threats to marine life are hard-hitting, although the series is weak on actual suggestions. "The real solution: just be very careful when you choose what you eat," Campagnal concludes.

There isn't enough detail in the videos to instruct people exactly what to do next, although it's easy to see that the medium shouldn't get bogged down by too much information. Hopefully, viewers will be inspired to take the next step, and will seek out alternatives that are better for our oceans (the Marine Stewardship Council is one great place to start). While the immediate response of some viewers may be to eschew all seafood, it's also true that sustainable fisheries could help preserve coastal communities, as well as raise much needed money and awareness for preservation.

Let's face it, seafood is delicious and nutritious, and it's unlikely that everyone is going to stop eating it (particularly when it comes to the millions of poor people crowded onto the margins of continents). So we have to find better ways to manage the harvest.

Aspiring video artists might also like to take note that Rossellini is chairing the jury of a competition launched by independent web and mobile platform Babelgum to seek out edgy content. Nine winners will have their videos exhibited in New York City's Times Square on December 17, and cash prizes are worth $30,000. Details at Babelgum.

By the way, I just learned that elephant seals can dive 5,000 feet underwater, slow down their heartbeats and hold their breath for two hours. Thanks Green Porno!

Watch Green Porno now. Or see the trailer:

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