User Reviews

Nearing the end of my run of Film Noir from around the world,I started thinking about what title I should pick from the US,and the first thing which came to mind was something from the Adult genre! Having found his non-Adult titles Deranged (1987) and If Looks Could Kill (1986-both also reviewed) I was excited to stumble on a XXX Noir from Chuck Vincent, which led to me waving goodbye to Scarlet.

View on the film:

Unmasking the scene of the crime in the opening orgy sex toy murder co-star/co-writer/(with James Vidos and Cecil Howard)editor/directing auteur Chuck Vincent & his occasional cinematographer Stephen Colwell slide into the Golden Age of Adult cinema with a riff on the glamour of the era, via Vincent panning down the mansion rooms filled with the lust of beautiful people, chocked out by a kinky killing. Attempting to strip bare what really happened at the party, Vincent opens up a cheeky Noir atmosphere that follows Dexter Sleuth interviewing suspects in low-lighting which dissolves into misty flashbacks on what the former guests are covering up.

Greeting the audience with the carnal delight orgy intro, Vincent balances close-ups to the sleaze,whilst continuing to build on his motif of criss-crossing the comedic with the sensual, as Vincent and Colwell break into Scarlet's past with a glorious breaking of the 4th wall turning Scarlet "method" on a film set, allowing Vincent to take Scarlet's film past to a absurdest level with a Third Reich 3 sum!

Displaying a excellent eye for keeping the comedy and the sex scenes grounded in Film Noir, Vincent gives the passionate flashbacks from the guests to the mansion frolics a steamy erotic atmosphere in sensual close-ups on the upper-bodies of the partners, wrapped in classical music.

Rubbing up against the surviving guests memories of the night, the writers brilliantly party on a theme that Vincent would explore in a serious style with Deranged- the unreliability of memory, in this case intentionally due to the guests using funny euphemisms to cover their true saucy memories.

Whilst flashing back to comedic set-pieces, the writers hold the laughs and the sex together with a exciting Film Noir thread spinning round Dexter Sleuth's interviews and and shaking hands with a slippery politician, in the hope of learning who waved farewell to Scarlet.

In this tongue in cheek spoof of the murder mystery genre, Scarlet (played by Terri Hall) throws a sex party one night during which all of the attendees are naked and blindfolded so that no one can discern who their playmates are. Not long after the fun begins, Scarlet winds up dead when someone suffocates her by forcing a dildo in her mouth. Given that some of the party attendees are very well- to-do, they say little of what happened to the police, who have come up with no leads. So Scarlet's aunt, Olga Rich (played by Dulce Mann) hires private dick Dexter Sleuth (played by J.P. Paradine) to crack the case. Sleuth tracks down every party attendee including tennis star Bret Volley (played by Eric Edwards) who had planned to marry Scarlet, Senator Gilbert Graft (played by Bob Stevens) who invested in x-rated films made by Sam Smut (played by Douglas Wood), Beatrice Broker (played by Darby Lloyd Rains) who felt threatened that Scarlet would steal her husband Al (played by Roger Caine), Connie Columnist (played by Jennifer Jordan) who despised Scarlet for seducing her lover Rhoda Roomie (played by Katia Mara), and famed actress Celeste Starr (played by Kim Pope) who Scarlet was blackmailing. Even Basil the Butler (played by Marlow Ferguson) is under suspicion. Motives abound in this hot and hilarious whodunnit. Story Grade: A.

This movie was shot on film, which would benefit by a restoration. Medium Grade: A.

Sets were artfully done. Real locations were used and there were some outdoor scenes. Set Design Grade: A.

The sexual performances were good, but generally brief. During the opening orgy scene at the party it's difficult to tell who is who given that characters have not be introduced yet. (Flashbacks later in the film help to resolve this.) Close-up penetration shots are minimal. Performers seemed enthusiastic. Sexual Performances Grade: B+.

There was genuinely good acting from the entire ensemble. Acting Grade: A.

Wardrobe and make-up seemed appropriate for the characters and the gag about what a stereotypical private investigator should wear at the beginning was a nice touch. Wardrobe/Make-up Grade: A.

Some of the scenes could have used a bit more light, but overall lighting was generally consistent. Lighting Grade: B.

The score was good and appropriate. Generally, the sound quality was decent and consistent throughout. Sound Grade: A-.

The script was well-developed and gave sustainable motives for each of the characters. The film was well-shot and well-edited. Directing Grade: A.

There was a definite effort to make an artistic movie. The sets were well done and had a stylistic flare, even in the sparse surroundings of the Eric Edwards/Terri Hall scene. Artistic Merit Grade: A.

OVERALL GRADE: A.