Filmmaker/cameraman Francois Clousot, who indeed is French and whose work is usually routine, scores a bulls-eye with this highly effective exercise in neo-noir Adult cinema. I liked everything about it, especially the excellent acting and concise sex scenes.
Michael J. Cox, for whom I have new-found admiration, is terrific as the world-weary private eye (and narrator) Eddie Reliant - even his character name is evocative. With his partner Evan Stone he gets caught up in a baffling case of infidelity and treachery revolving around a local real estate magnate smoothly (and slimy) played by Herschel Savage.
There are clever red herrings and plot twists, all of them easy to follow in Clousot's script, leading to a satisfying conclusion that is not entirely predictable and manages to tie up all crucial loose ends. Final statement, repeating in voice-over what he's told us before, by Cox is a perfect summation combining two elements of his interesting profile: "I refuse to care", yet "If there's been a crime, I'll bring the guilty to justice".
Along the way Clousot delivers seven rousing sex scenes enacted by an unusual and evocative cast: Julie Meadows the perfect not-so-innocent heroine, surrounded by a bevy of huge breasted actresses led by currently hot returnee to the biz Ryan Conner, breast in show Sammie (as Cox's secretary, worthy of Mike Hammer's Velda), Tina Cherie and exotic Cheyanne. A crew member, "Pepermint Stick" is thrust into action in a key acting role and she does a bang-up job.
This is the porn equivalent to real mainstream films noirs and other B movies of yore that were often more entertaining due to colorful characters and fabulous atmosphere than their prestige A-movie counterparts. My survey of turn of this century Adult videos is uncovering hundreds of these worthwhile efforts (released by Sin City, Adam & Eve, Metro, VCA, Vivid and Wicked among others), now few and far between on the gonzo-dominated release schedules.
Michael J. Cox, for whom I have new-found admiration, is terrific as the world-weary private eye (and narrator) Eddie Reliant - even his character name is evocative. With his partner Evan Stone he gets caught up in a baffling case of infidelity and treachery revolving around a local real estate magnate smoothly (and slimy) played by Herschel Savage.
There are clever red herrings and plot twists, all of them easy to follow in Clousot's script, leading to a satisfying conclusion that is not entirely predictable and manages to tie up all crucial loose ends. Final statement, repeating in voice-over what he's told us before, by Cox is a perfect summation combining two elements of his interesting profile: "I refuse to care", yet "If there's been a crime, I'll bring the guilty to justice".
Along the way Clousot delivers seven rousing sex scenes enacted by an unusual and evocative cast: Julie Meadows the perfect not-so-innocent heroine, surrounded by a bevy of huge breasted actresses led by currently hot returnee to the biz Ryan Conner, breast in show Sammie (as Cox's secretary, worthy of Mike Hammer's Velda), Tina Cherie and exotic Cheyanne. A crew member, "Pepermint Stick" is thrust into action in a key acting role and she does a bang-up job.
This is the porn equivalent to real mainstream films noirs and other B movies of yore that were often more entertaining due to colorful characters and fabulous atmosphere than their prestige A-movie counterparts. My survey of turn of this century Adult videos is uncovering hundreds of these worthwhile efforts (released by Sin City, Adam & Eve, Metro, VCA, Vivid and Wicked among others), now few and far between on the gonzo-dominated release schedules.