Tropic of Desire

I'm currently watching all (or nearly) of James Avalon's erotic videos, and found this forgotten Metro release "Tropic of Desire" a key title in understanding some changes his directing career took over the years. I was mystified recently by his departure from storytelling & characterization to direct a string of wall-to-wall sex videos for the Canadian label Erotic X, but this forerunner 15 years earlier helps explain why.

Avalon as both writer and director made his name as a reliable craftsman of engrossing films, often winning accolades, such as "DarSide" and both the Red Vibe Diaries and Les Vampyres series. He was an outspoken foe of the gonzo trend, though using pseudonyms would on rare occasions dabble in these bread jobs (e.g., Bikini Pick-ups or his Mondo Tundra silly comedies).

But "Tropic of Desire" is a dreamy, no-plot exercise in erotica, just as his recent Erotica X videos are, and is quite accomplished. Set in a lush tropical paradise, albeit "spoiled" in the sense of a luxury hotel there that is the setting for some interior scenes, where lovely Nicole Sheridan wanders around in various swimsuits, imagining sex scenes in which she either participates or is a voyeuse.

With her better half Voodoo also on the payroll, that is the entire feature, six arousing sex scenes for the viewer to find either hypnotizing or sleep-inducing. Nothing wrong with that: in keeping with the turn of this century trends in porn it was a fine Couples video, worth watching at bedtime to cap off the day with a bang and then drift away into slumber land.

with plenty of lesbian action on tap, Nicole's perfect figure and beauty is matched by a fine cast led by April, Sky Taylor and superstar-to-be Sydnee Steele. Peter Mueller is credited with both cinematography and editing in a quality collaboration with Avalon.