A Touch of Genie (1974) User Reviews

XXX-rated version. A classic! Never forgot the scenes from this movie

[peterpocket · 10/10 · 18 March 2022]

Back in the 1970s, I used to watch a few porn films at the regular movie houses in town. They would usually be shown afte 10pm. The first mainstream porn movie shown as, of course, Deep Throat followed by many imitators. While I do not recall anything memorable from Deep Throat, other than the ending, I do vividly remember many of the scenes from a Touch of Genie. That, in itself, is quite remarkable for having seen a film only once 47 years ago. Quite frankly, porn movies they make today are boring, repetitive and just plain stupid. They are more neurotic than erotic. By contrast, this movie had scenes in it that I have never seen repeated anywhere else and that's a shame.

The storyline was also very funny and entertaining - quite unlike today's shot on video crap that has totally contived storylines that you've seen too many times before (for avid watchers, that is). A Touch of Genie is very entertaining from both a theatrical perspective and erotic one.

If you ever get the opportunity to watch this film, I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

An amusingly broad and goofy porno comedy from the always dependable Joe Sarno

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 5 November 2007]

Hopelessly gawky'n'geeky mama's boy Melvin (played to endearingly nerdy perfection by Doug Stone) discovers sexy genie Amara (the absolutely adorable blonde dish Chris Jordan) in a bottle. Amara grants Melvin five wishes. Melvin wishes that he can become his favorite hardcore movie stars so he can make love to beautiful adult film actresses. Writer/director Joe Sarno, who usually makes thoughtful and intelligent serious soft-core pictures, loads this radical change-of-pace full-blown goofy porno farce with plenty of often hilarious crude jokes, lots of gleefully inane Jewish shtick humor, and outrageously broad Jewish stereotypes. While it might sound offensive, Sarno thankfully takes any potentially objectionable edge off by successfully creating and maintaining a sweet good-natured sensibility that's impossible to either resist or dislike. Moreover, the capable cast have a ball with their colorfully kooky roles. Ultramax in particular contributes a hysterically sidesplitting portrayal of Melvin's overbearing shrew of a mother Ms. Finkelfarb. Harding Harrison likewise amuses as Melvin's whiny kvetch best friend Irving Stein. Delicious brunette Tina Russell enjoys a nifty dual role as both herself and Melvin's flaky gal pal Janet Geckel. The sex scenes are quite funny and fairly explicit: Highlights include doctor Harry Reems having a threesome with a trio of hot babe patients, private detective Marc Stevens giving a luscious female criminal the special treatment, and hunky insurance salesman Eric Edwards getting intimate with his libidinous distaff clients. Joao Fernandes' rough, no-frills cinematography, the blithely bouncy'n'playful score, and the authentically grubby New York City locations further enhance the infectiously silly charm of this cute little hoot.

R-rated Version

[Michael_Elliott · 26 April 2017]

A Touch of Genie (1974)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Melvin (Douglas Stone) is a rather weird man who works in an antique store. When he's not working he's putting on a funny facial costume and heading to the local porno theater where he watches the movies. One day he masturbates into a vase and out pops a genie (Chris Jordan) who grants him five wishes.

A TOUCH OF GENIE is out there in two different versions. One of them is a full XXX porno while the other one, clocking in at 69-minutes, is a R-rated cut. It's the shorter version that is on review here so if you're wanting comments on the porno version then I can't offer any. As far as this version goes, I must say that it really didn't work too well with me. Director Joseph W. Sarno made some decent comedy films like THE SWITCH and he also made some awful ones like DEEP THROAT PART II. This one here falls into the middle of them but for the most part it's not all that memorable.

Again, perhaps the porn brought more out of the film but as it stands, this version is rather flat, although the cast members are certainly giving it their all. I thought both Stone and Jordan were good in their parts. We've also got a lot of famous porn stars playing themselves including Harry Reems. The problem I had with the movie was the fact that the comedy just wasn't funny and especially the Jewish humor.