Having long been a fan of low-budget, independent movies, I was pleasantly surprised by Secret Games II. Martin Hewitt as performance artist Kyle Lake shows a side of his acting that we haven't really seen before, and we are witness to an interesting psychological tug-of-war between his art, erotic call girls, and the hard, revealing truths behind their dangerous "games." As he sinks deeper into this world, it is Kyle's art (videotapes) that becomes the vehicle for the answers he seeks -- done ingeniously through dialogue directly to the audience. Add Amy Rochelle, Sara Suzanne Brown, and Marie Leroux, and the erotic quotient goes up considerably. But perhaps most exciting aspect of the movie is the reappearance of the writer Russell La Valle, whose skills I first noticed on his film Sins of the Night. Once again, La Valle shows a talent that stands above the rest in this genre. After "Sins" I would often come across other, non-entertainment writings of his and always came away with the feeling that here is a writer who deserves assignments that are commensurate with his talent. I can only hope that someone else takes notice of his capabilities and hires him to tackle movie projects of larger scope and importance. Until then, I will continue to champion these low-budget cable features whose entertainment value has been undervalued and under-appreciated for too long.