Hotel California

Although it was reissued on DVD by Digital Playground a decade later, this is still an obscure movie, released on VHS is a quality effort, shot on film and boasting fine production values in its setting at the "Player's Inn" located in California.

Richard's conceit has the seven vignettes seamlessly connected by the comings and goings of guests at the small hotel. One pair or trio of lovers arrives just after another group leaves -there is never anyone else present at the building and it seems to be more of a vacation rental than an actual hotel designed for multiple occupancy.

Concept fits the standard Porn Vignettes style, as characters are introduced and each scene set-up with minimal information and very brief running time, with the sex beginning in just a minute or two. Concise editing keeps the show moving, quite different from our current era of 20 to 40 minute sex vignettes (with very little editing at all) constituting almost all Adult content being shot.

As presented, the Movie's time frame appears to cover less than a day, with a clock chiming to signal the beginning/ending of the later vignettes at night. The movie's tagline is somewhat ominous: "You can check out any time you like, but... you can never leave".

A quite effective musical score emphasizes both the romantic and gonzo elements of the sex footage, with classical, jazz and hard rock music alternating. Felecia and Misty Rain star in the opening segment, having lesbian sex before heading out to a night spot where Misty dances.

Next up are sophisticated Sophia Ferrari and Guy DiSilva dressing to go out to a play performance, but finding time for anal sex in the interim. As they leave, T. T. Boy drives up as porn's familiar "pizza delivery boy", greeted by a sultry MILF expertly played by Nina Hartley who is only interested in sex, not food.

After Boy departs, we see Peter North on the phone at the Inn, talking angrily with his wife as his marriage goes caput. He's a movie producer looking through stills of bombshell Olivia, and phones her to come over to discuss a potential part in his next film. She arrives in a sexy black gown and casting couch action commences, with Olivia not surprisingly earning a role after Pete's copious money shot.

Scene Five arrives with the chiming of a clock as a trio of rockers descend the stairs in the inn to go outside and make love in the dark, with hard rock music playing. It's 2 on 1 dick time for Sid Deuce and Kirsty Waay servicing Alex Sanders.

That clock chimes once more as Nick East drives up to see his teacher Rebecca Bardoux for another MILF scene, the only segment featuring safe sex with a condom worn, after which he calmly asks the satisfied educator for the answers on an upcoming test.

As he leaves and the clock chimes once more, Melissa Monet arrives carrying an attache case, filled with money. Her accomplice Alec Metro is furtive, as they make love on a bed strewn with Franklins, but when they drive off to catch a plane headed for Fiji, the sound of police sirens is heard, previously telegraphed by some intercut shots of a police car's flashing lights. "FIN" indicates the show is over, its meaning left cryptic.

This somewhat different Adult Movie suggests it would be worth researching obscure pornographer "Andre Richard". I had seen an unsuccessful crossover (erotic horror) movie he made, "Screamers" starring Dee, but he's only credited with directing a handful of movies in the late VHS era. I was quite surprised to find L. Q. Jones and Doug Harms in the credits as associate producers: both indie filmmakers NOT associated with pornography, with L. Q. so famous as an actor as well as having backed indie productions like "A Boy and His Dog" and "The Brotherhood of Satan". This overlap between porn movies and mainstream indies is fascinating and under-reported.