Venus in Furs

I first saw this film in its shortened, soft-core version on Showtime cable after dark, with the rather pointless title of FATHER KNOWS BREAST. I later independently bought a copy of VENUS IN FURS, and watching it immediately recognized the earlier film, only with the really naughty bits restored.

Director Skye Blue is better known to me as a fetish director, whose Bizarre Video releases are entertaining and weird, often starring the top fetish actress Summer Cummings. Here she makes quite different film, highly professional and emotionally moving rather than facetious.

Ann Marie Rios, one of the great stars of the previous decade, is a strong presence in the central role, a Latin beauty who falls in love with both father (Tony De Sergio) and son (Xander Corvus), without knowing their relationship. They don't even know it themselves, and that's what makes for a romantic and dramatic story.

If features the requisite lengthy sex scenes, but departs from today's porno and its rigid structure by including several additional sex trysts featuring Rios that are strictly soft-core. This makes the overall narrative more believable, and when the bittersweet ending unfolds, more satisfying.

Along the way, Capri Cavanni with dark hair for a change is her ultra-sexy self handling some delightful footsie action with silent Chris Johnson. Huge-breasted Alanah Rae as a swimsuit model gets it on with Rocco Reed, briefly stealing the spotlight. In this scene buddy Xander rejects the opportunity to make it a three-way, winning viewer sympathy.

This particular breed of romantic porn has already gone out of style after about a four year run, but watched today VENUS holds up quite well and I think demonstrates the staying power of storyline porn vs. ephemeral if flashy gonzo.