Chuck Vincent gave his long-time a.d. Bill Slobodian a chance to take the director's chair in the light-hearted porno film LUSCIOUS. Results are good, if inconsequential.
It's largely a woman's point-of-view picture, in the couples' movie mode popular back then. I enjoyed it as fluff, unpretentious but quality porn.
Three girl friends in snowbound Utica, NY (temperature is quoted at 31 degrees below zero) are down in the dumps at their local bar (frequented by noisy barfly played by producer Vincent) when they decide a vacation in Puerto Rico would be just the thing.
Their adventures there aren't exciting, but the sex & tourism formula works. Script by Rick Marx (using his "Maria LeMans" writing pseudonym, and having a cameo as a waiter using his alternate "Earl Arno" moniker) departs from its basic structure with a lengthy, but satisfying detour.
Michael Knight (receiving an "introducing" credit in probably his screen debut) plays a rich financial magnate, and he fantasizes himself as a secret agent of the Roger Moore school. In his tux he watches guest stars Sue Nero and Sharon Mitchell have lesbian sex by the pool and then joins in for troilism. A florid voice-over narration for this MOS vignette is amusing, featuring such purple prose as: "He could do more to a woman with his tongue than most men could with a baseball bat".
After this sequence blows over it's back to the women's stories. A MILF from Cleveland staying at the resort (Jinger Jaye, a porn actress I'd completely forgotten about) is serviced by resort hotel stud Ramon (Sean Elliot, another lesser-known '80s player).
Topbilled Samantha Fox, boasting light-colored hair and a Southern accent, masturbates as she listens to them in the next room, and then romps nude with Sean on the beach and has sex with him at twilight.
Champagne (obscure '80s actress) pairs off with sailor Kevin James, the popular '80s porn star of course, not the portly current comedian. Third New York gal Lisa DeLeeuw gets it on with Knight.
Cast goes on a boat trip to a romantic nearby island, but get caught in a storm, holing up in a handy cave. Back at the hotel, proprietress Vanessa Del Rio gets serviced by sailor Joey Silvera. She looks terrific all in white: corset, stockings, garter belt and high heels.
Marx's script goes overboard at this point, with cast trapped in the cave after a rock slide. They luckily and quickly find a way out, and have a happy ending, back home in snowy Utica.
Not to be taken seriously for a moment, this escapism benefits from the cast combining both superstars and unfamiliar talent. The natural big-breast wonders Nero and DeLeeuw are reason enough to watch, while everyone seems to be having a good time.
It was shot in NYC at Adventure Studios (also a Gerard Damiano stomping ground, for such movies as THE SATISFIERS OF ALPHA BLUE), deftly integrated with second unit exteriors (the Utica snow scenes) and island scenes presumably shot on Long Island rather than Puerto Rico. Vincent's regular team including cameraman Larry Revene did a pro job.
