Miles' Rating:

Starring: I know I'm in the minority, but I admire Paul Thomas's early work for Vivid. These small gems from the mid-'80s showed how a director could take a no-budget production and, on the strength of characters, create engrossing little sex stories. This one takes some familiar turns, but holds your interest thanks to the cast's sincere performances and the nerves Thomas strikes along the way. The plot is simple: Tom Byron and Ariel Knights, a married couple in a dry spell, have Barbara Dare as a new neighbor. It's no surprise when we learn there's more to Miss Dare than she pretends.

Raincoaters beware. This well-shot, character-driven plot will have you pushing the fast-forward button. But if you can wean yourself from gaping drop shots and trashy cum-queens, you may find yourself slowly entranced in Thomas's web.

Byron effectively captures the lust of a dissatisfied husband and the stupidity of blindly stumbling into a sexual swamp. Ariel, we learn, is no different. Their sexual outburst are electric.

Then there's smoldering Barbara Dare, who plays her character as both seductively sweet and shrewd. Aja is also on hand as a different sort of sexual animal, more biting and ballsy.

You'll the climax coming. These kinds of morality tales are nothing if not predictable.

Still, the sex is real and passionate, making this a video worth hunting down. A 9.

Posted By Miles, www.excaliburfilms.com | 10/12/06 1:58 PM