mex_amcleaning2007 Reviews

Blonde Fire (1978)

The better of the Johnny Wadd series!

[8/10 · 9 June 2020]

It's all about the chicanery, the subterfuge, and the sex (...and not necessarily in that order...) when everyone's favorite porno action hero, John Holmes (as Johnny Wadd), is put to the task of purchasing and bringing home safely an extraordinarily rare and expensive South African diamond. Of course, no one is to be trusted in this endeavor and just about everyone is--and turns out to be--a potential threat. Such is the case in I-Candy's "Blonde Fire", a very good, 1979 release from director Bob Chinn that features Holmes in yet another, acting-heavy, protagonist-type role that presents him again as the suave, cool-under-pressure, up-to-the-challenge hero.

Indeed, despite being beset by obstacles throughout, John and his massive tool manage to calmly sex their way through friend and foe alike--raping one, romancing others, and so on--until their job is done and done well. As his accompaniment in the film, the viewer is treated to the luscious likes of such Golden Age stars as Seka, Jesie St. James, Dorothy LeMay, and more...all of whom look great and play their roles well. Also adding value to the production is its plot, which--despite a couple of minor disconnects--is relatively strong and engaging.

The settings--which are quite realistic--further aid in driving home the authenticity of the work, as well. As such, for fans of features, the classics, Holmes, and/or any of the fine ladies on display here, this one's worthy of a watch.

Sadly, this marks the end of the Johnny Wadd series as far as Bob Chinn's involvement was concerned. The next two planned Johnny Wadd films Waikiki Wadd, some footage had already been shot for the film during the filming of Prisoner of Paradise, and Magnum Love were never made due to John Holmes' escalating drug use.

In 1986 Penguin Films released another entry in the Johnny Wadd series, The Return of Johnny Wadd, reportedly with Penguin Films and John Holmes obtaining Bob Chinn's permission to do so. Bob Chinn eventually ended up turning the script for Magnum Love into a film in 1999, altering the script to make it the start off for a private dick series around a new character named Peter Magnum.

Talk Dirty to Me (1980)

A Great Classic!

[9/10 · 9 June 2020]

One of those movies from the mid-period of what they call "The Golden Age" of porn, which bears all the trademarks of it's time. Strong story, good acting, high production values and slick camerawork adorn this steamy Summer drama which forever engraved director Anthony Spinelli's name on the XXX wall of fame!

The plot follows the adventures of Jack (John Leslie) and Lenny (Richard Pacheco), two close friends who couldn't be more different if they tried. Jack is a first-class ladies man, a smooth, silver-tongued hustler who can, and often does, charm his way into the pants of any woman he meets. Lenny is the polar opposite - awkward, nerdy and mentally very slow, he has neither Jack's physical charisma nor his sharp, quick-talking wit, thus often ends up feeling dejected and worthless while Jack swans off with his flavour of the week girlfriends. One day, they see blonde stunner Marlene (Jessie St James) walking along the beach and Lenny bets Jack that he can't go from meeting her to sleeping with her in under three days. Jack, confident in his own abilities, takes that bet and begins plotting ways of achieving his nefarious ends.

There are innumerable subplots going on throughout all this, a couple of which are slightly implausible and occasionally lend the film an unwelcome episodic feel, but it's strung together admirably by John Leslie's tour-de-force, utterly engaging performance as Jack and the seriously hot, legendary sex scenes that feature some of the most gorgeous and talented women of late 70's porn. Juliet Anderson plays a flirty estate agent who gets it on with Leslie in easily one of the most passionate, exciting scenes of the era. Both partners are loaded with energy and put across believably enthusisatic performances. Of course, the famous scene is the one between Leslie and Jessie St James in which she breathlessly utters those classic lines in the title and, naturally, it stands up to all you've heard about it.

The plot is extremely well done for porn-there's not too much and not too little. Thought and effort has been put into the character development, yet the sex doesn't feel shortchanged. The dirty talk is lightly risqué, not degrading.

The casting is also flawless. John Leslie is perfect as an oversexed scoundrel. Richard Pacheco is perfect as his sweet but slow-witted friend. Jesie St. James is perfect as a young and somewhat frustrated wife.

And so on. No one seems out of place, and the lead performers in particular put a lot of practice and polish into their lines. At one point, John does a hilarious impression of Jimmy Stewart that cracks me up.

Charli (1981)

An Erotic Classic!

[9/10 · 9 June 2020]

Following INSATIABLE, Daniels took a daring gamble with this attempt to appeal to a wider audience than traditional raincoaters. It is a film that breaks new ground, and as such, may not succeed. But it is the absolute perfect film for most American women. Regard it as a landmark in adult cinema that paved the way for other crossover films. In the sense that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford made so-called "Women's Pictures" in Hollywood in the forties, CHARLI can be considered the first true woman's picture in the adult genre.

The plot deals with the six year marriage of Jack and Charli (Eric Edwards and Jesie St. James) that is starting to sour, even though they are both still in love. Unlike other films, it is not just run to the sack with the nearest partner. All that happens extramaritally is thinking and fantasizing. In another major move, it is the husband who realizes he is more in the wrong and makes the major concessions. Some people may not be able to take a man apologizing for his insensitivity and admitting that he is wrong.

The sex is erotic, tender and caring. The plot allows enough time for character development to show what actually motivates their actions, something lacking in most films. The subtle touches that Daniels is so good at are all intact, like Jack's Jeep and Charli's VW parked side by side in the driveway. The music is well above average but not quite up to the level of excellence usually found in a Godfrey Daniels film. The video store sequence is cute, and remember who made the film that Jesie purchases. The climaxing scene has no ejaculation shot and is shot very romantically with emphasis on the upper body.

CHARLI makes very positive statements about relationships, and despite a few minor flaws, must be credited with opening new doors in erotic films. All but the most super-tragically-macho men should enjoy it immensely. But those kind of dudes are the most insecure anyway and wouldn't or couldn't openly relate to sexuality without revealing deep secrets imprisoned in their souls.

Easy (1978)

Classic!

[8/10 · 9 June 2020]

Wistfully conjuring daydreams and calling them goals, some often say that before they die they'd like to travel the world, or finally read the complete works of Shakespeare. To those people, let me say this: Everything worth seeing in Europe is on top of a hill, and the important characters in Shakespeare all die. Actually, I don't recall anyone dying in A Midsummer Night's Dream, but that's beside the point. What I'm getting at is that these lofty goals are frequently not worth pursuing. Europe is exhausting and Shakespeare is sad. Instead, may I recommend you turn your cultural attentions to classic porn? Nobody gets stabbed with a poisoned sword and everyone gets laid. And sometimes, they have funny haircuts.

One of the best, and most overlooked among the "good ol' day" roster of porn titles is Easy. Shot long ago during the Carter administration, Easy is an edgy story of a well meaning school teacher turned disillusioned slattern. Jessie St. James, who looks at once like a California beach blonde and an exotic beauty from parts unknown, works overtime here as she appears in almost every scene. And that's a good thing by the way.

St. James' legend isn't as great as some of her contemporaries. You're not likely to find the same kind of following for her as you will someone like Marilyn Chambers, but the following she does have is just as loyal. She's hard to explain. I think her appeal may be that she's sexually aggressive without appearing over the top, but Easy does a better job of illustrating her intense sexuality than any amateur porn critic can in describing it.

The film begins with St. James being forcefully seduced by a student who may be better served to think more about baseball and less about sex when committing acts of verbal assault. You'll see what I mean. Beginning with these opening moments, St. James' character sets out on what could be described as a sexual journey. Conventions tell us that these kinds of journeys begin with the hero (or heroine) starting the trek in a state of not knowing something, and ending it with having learned something very important. That's not so much the case here. St. James moves from one humiliating experience to the next. She's raped, insulted, dumped, and raped again, but by a woman the second time around. I'm not sure she ever learns anything.

Still, Easy is not a misogynistic movie. At least, it's no more misogynistic than any other well made adult film, and certainly less so than any five minutes of a poorly made one. Yet, Easy could not be made today. You're not going to find many rape fantasies on your video store's shelves, and scenes like the one in which St. James covers her fingers with butter and sticks them up a blind man's ass are, well, not kosher by today's standards. If all this were played like some kind of live action sex cartoon, then no one would bat an eye. But it's not directed by an abusrdist. It's intended to be intense, and it often is. Easy is an old film, but it's also a kinky one. Don't go mistaking it for dry hippie porn. It's not.

Vista Valley PTA (1981)

Classic!

[8/10 · 9 June 2020]

Inspired, of course, by Harper Valley PTA, Vista Valley PTA puts Jessie St. James in the Barbara Eden role of a new teacher at a troubled small town high school. The original movie was a comedy based on a popular song. This time, we know from where the inspiration comes, but it's not so easy to label this as comedy, melodrama, or anything else. I suppose the term "porn" will have to suffice.

Shot in the early 80's, Vista Valley PTA is considered a classic if only for it's age, but God bless NuTech Digital for releasing it despite it's dated look.

What could have easily been a funny little piece of smutty fluff about cheerleaders and horny delinquents, this film instead is made up of individual moments one could describe as dramatic, comedic, and even disturbing. Jessie St. James takes top billing, but the movie is really about her various students and their always dysfunctional families. Dorothy LeMay is the slutty daughter of Juliet Anderson, who sports a proper exterior but harbors perverted thoughts. Kay Parker, the mother of another student, pushes her husband to the breaking point most nights because it makes the sex better. Most unsettling, though, is Jamie Gillis, who looks eerily like Cat Stevens here, but plays the part of a bible thumping fundamentalist who secretly visits prostitutes and harbors rapefantasies involving his teenage daughter, embodied by a very young Sharon Kane. Gillis doesn't play this lecherous character like an over the top zealot, but instead as a very troubled and confused man. Believe it or not, there's actual good acting afoot in this movie.

Building to the film's climax, however, are significant carnal moments, as well. John Leslie, after thoroughly working over Juliet Anderson, follows Dorothy LeMay into the bedroom and lets her thoroughly work him over herself. Like St. James, LeMay is intensely sexy, and we get to see her in action twice here. Kay Parker is also on hand. For those who enjoyed her in the Taboo movies, but couldn't find her anywhere else, here she is again in her mature and natural glory.

And of course, there's Jamie Gillis and his scene with Sharon Kane. It's presented as a fantasy sequence, but that doesn't make the quiet intimidation of his teenaged daughter any less difficult to accept. Perhaps it's the way a self centered pervert thinks, or it's the way old school porn portrayed such scenes, but even though what goes on in his character's mind (and on your television set) is rape, Kane is soon begging for more and pleading for him to cum in her mouth. As unsettling as incestuous rape can be, this is fiction, and the scene is smoldering. If you've ever wondered why Sharon Kane remains such a figure in porn at her current age, take a look at what she was like when she was younger, and you may have your answer.

There are other hot moments, too: A quick Dorothy LeMay oral kiss delivered in the front seat of her boyfriend's car, Juliet Anderson paying for auto repairs the hard way, and Jessie St. James offering special after-class tutoring against the wall with her skirt pulled up and her legs spread. Sex is such a subjective thing, it's much too difficult to guess what other people will like, so let me recommend Vista Valley PTA not by saying that it's a movie everyone must see, but by saying it's the kind of picture that made long time porn afficianados fans of porn in the first place.

3 A.M. (1975)

Classic of the genre!

[7/10 · 9 June 2020]

Gary Graver (sic. Robert McCallum) was one of the finest directors ever to work in hardcore film. A student of the great Orson Welles, Graver always brought a heir of sophistication and characterization to his films which few other directors could approach. This is his first film and is is his best.

The film opens with a slow pan and then zoom into a beach house in the dead of night. As we enter a room, Kate (Georgina Spelvin) begins her narration. She is the sister of Elaine, a married woman whose husband Mark owns the house. She explains that her sister has two children with her husband, Ronnie and Stacey (both of whom are to be supposed to be in their mid teens). As Elaine and her husband have sex (which is audible to everyone else in the house), Kate sits awake in her bed and explains (in voice-over) that she has been having an affair with her brother in-law for many years. Ronnie and Stacey are also awake, nervously listening to their parents lovemaking which quickly turns into an argument culminating with Mark saying that he's fed up with his life and needs to get away (i.e. he's gonna leave for good). Kate runs after him (unknown to everyone else in the house) and follows him to his prize boat on which she asks him to to go away with her. He says no and in a momentary fit of rage she hits him on the head with a bottle of wine, knocking him unconscious and sending him tumbling overboard. Quickly jumping in the water after him, Kate quickly realizes that he is gone for good and returns to the house both grief stricken and terrified.

The film then proceeds to chronicle how each family member copes with the loss of a loved one. All the while, Kate keeps her secret as her own struggles with guilt and loss are quickly catching up to her...

Although director Graver had worked as both cinematographer and director on a few softcore films prior to this endeavor, his move to hardcore marks his true transition from noteworthy cinematographer to a truly visionary director.

Graver skillfully crafts a very moving and at times downright depressing tale of an isolated family's descent into near madness. Perfectly cast with Georgina Spelvin playing a heroine and a villainess simultaneously, Graver makes sure never to directly cast stones at the actions of any of his characters, no matter how disgusting and evil they might be. In fact, despite her malicious deeds, Spelvin is almost made out as a pitiful woman rather than an evil one.

The three other principle cast members, Charles Hooper (Ronnie) Clair Dia (Stacey) Rhonda Gallard (Elaine) are also cast to perfection and each brings a sense of believability and desperation to their roles which makes their individual stories all the more affecting.

Although taught by Orson Welles, Graver seems to draw more heavily on Ingmar Bergman throughout this film. From the cool, foggy beach on which the film takes place, to the constant feelings of both isolation and claustrophobia, to even the cinematography, Graver's nods to Bergman are apparent from beginning to end.

It's somewhat hard to pin down a direct philosophy or "deeper meaning" contained within this film as there appear to be a few. For one, Graver attempts to show the effects of living in an isolated world where secrets, no matter how well concealed, can really stay buried for ever. Characters make frequent mention of the physical walls of the house being unable to keep sound from traveling to everyone inside of it. From the opening sex scene and argument which is heard by everyone, to Ronnie remarking to Kate "Don't you know how sound travels in this house?" and "I heard you crying in your room last night," and even Kate's final act which is eavesdropped on. Graver also makes a strong attempt to examine the sense of loss and internal guilt felt by each family member when Mark is killed. Through this, Ronnie is established as easily the strongest character, yet even he is shown to have his faults. One particularly interesting sequence involves Stacey attempting to rebuff what she felt was her father's preference for her brother. Her approach is direct as she flat out tells her brother "You might have thought dad loved you more but you're wrong; he loved us both equally." It is soon revealed that despite her seemingly jealous attitude towards her brother, she is actually looking at him as almost a replacement for her father.

Photographically, 3 A.M. is near perfect, with much attention payed to skillful composition and pitch perfect lighting. The script and dialog never misses, and the excellent cast truly do bring "Tony Trelos'" brilliant script to life. The music, a stirring mixture of atmospheric original and classical pieces, perfectly enhances the mood of any scene and is used to great affect.

Although better known for his later efforts such as V The Hot One and Amanda By Night, 3 A.M. is easily the best film Gary Graver ever directed and one of the top 10 American hardcore films of all time.

The Journey of O (1976)

Not the original version!

[3/10 · 9 June 2020]

You cannot give a fair review of a film, most especially if it is not the original release.Journey of O in the current DVD release is not the original release. The original film version, contained pee scenes that were edited out by VCX in the 1980's. As a result, more scenes of porn legend Serena were added to fill the gap.

The film star, Claire Dia has a pee fixation, unfortunately... you will see none of that in the current release. Also, there is some bad editing in the last 20 minutes of the film that cut from one scene to another, and back again. Just sloppy work by VCX.

The plot in incoherent and has little to no point to its relevancy. The acting is good, as is the sex. But, falls flat halfway through. especially since it was edited poorly and the pee scenes, the main plot point, was removed.

I really do hope that a uncut, original version is eventually released, I highly doubt it.But, this is the only version available... It's a fair film to a point, and truly a 1970's film...but lackluster because of the editing and cut scenes.

Qiao tan nu jiao wa (1977)

Classic Shaw Brothers!

[7/10 · 1 February 2019]

This has always been one of my favorite Shaw films. There is plenty of action, regardless of previous reviews... Of course, the best sequence is the finale... There are at least four fight sequences in between before the finale... as the story builds up.

The story is simple, a trio of female cops, along with a blonde bombshell Interpol agent attempt to stop a murderous gang of diamond theives. There is some nudity, not much but some and, as I stated before, plenty of action.

This movie has yet to be released in a remastered version... Celestial which owns the Shaw library still has not released this film as they have with the majority of the Shaw library... I don't know why. I've asked, but they simply say, in the works...

The only available version is a cropped, VHS english dubbed version with Greek subtitles... in the 84 minute uncut version. I believe there is an English version with no Greek subs available... but not sure. This is a hard to find, mega rare title... A definite collectors item for any Shaw fan...

Highly recommended!

The Story of Prunella (1982)

Dark and gritty... a roughie classic...

[7/10 · 29 April 2017]

Definitely belongs in the grind-house "roughie" series. A film of gritty, violence and rough sex. No romance for sure. Ron Jeremy proves he can act well. The violence is limited, but the sex scenes in most cases are pretty rough, especially the final sequence. The surprise for me, was Dixie Dew... her scene with Ron was pretty good, a bit raunchy... Not much is known about Dixie Dew, she has appeared in only about 5 films, in small roles... Don't know what happened to her... But, so many women come and go in the porn world... never to be seen again. I wish there was more of her, but alas, it is not to be.

All in all, Prunella is a classic of the genre. A bit short, barely 60 minutes... but still a joy to watch for fans of Ron Jeremy and the grind-house genre...

7 Into Snowy (1978)

Essentially a Snow White porn film.

[7/10 · 29 April 2017]

If you know the story of Snow White, then 7 Into Snowy is essentially the porn version of that story. An evil step-mother wants to destroy Snowy and goes to great lengths to do it, but, as in Snow White... it all fails.

Kay Parker, as Fedora is in her darkest role. Truly an evil step-mother. Abigail Clayton is sexy as Snowy... Paul Thomas does another good performance... The sex sequences are pretty good, but the final scene with Snowy and the 7 is raunchy, but badly edited and cuts way too much... kind of ruins what could have been a wild ending.

All in all, a good "fairytale" film...

Whitechapel (2009–2013)

Awesome series!

[8/10 · 30 October 2015]

I have watched the entire series, all 4 at least three times... This show really started out well, with a copycat Jack The Ripper storyline... Series 2 and 3 were also really good. This series really exemplifies what a gritty, thought provoking UK series is... it exemplifies what a series should be even in the States...

The only issue I have is that series 4 goes more paranormal than the previous 3 series... I believe that is what killed the show. I think if the writers stayed the course with investigating murders, and linking them to historical crimes... the show would still be on.

I will sadly miss seeing new episodes, and will have to watch only the 4 series that are available...

Great show!