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Reviews
Sweet Alice (1983)
Poignant story of the choices people make and how they affect those who love us.
I recently viewed Sweet Alice on a first edition VHS cassette. I was motivated to see this film because of the participation of many of my favourite performers such as Seka, Lysa Thatcher, John Holmes, and Jamie Gillis. My expectations were low given the lack of reviews for this film and, because it was made at the tail end of the golden age of adult cinema. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film was well made and quite enjoyable to watch.
The story is about man who's wife has gone missing and has not been heard from in a year. He hires a private detective to find her and is shocked to learn that she has become involved in the adult film industry.
The cinematography is excellent in this film. The insert shots give a good sense of time and place and the inclusion of location shots like the Pussycat cinema and the Cave cinema give a street level realism to the film. The sex scenes are well shot and are displayed in the loop format(I believe shot for the film) and location shot(both interior and exterior). The performances are professional but not quite passionate. John Holmes, in a scene with Seka and Desiree Cousteau, is quite funny and makes an off-the-cuff remark asking if the ladies "do this kind of thing often".
What is impressive are the acting of the two principle characters in the film. Both Kevin James and Honey Wilder deliver believable and sensitive performances given the emotional dynamic of the story. Their sex scenes are played as you would expect average people in the context of the story to behave rather than as adult cinema stars. The scenes are edited to appear naturalistic rather than as contrived porn experiences. Bill Margold is effective in bringing humour to the film if you are not offended by his portrayal.
I also liked the theme song which is heard through-out the film. My only regret is that the lyrics are sometimes hard to discern.
If you like the performers who participated in this film I recommend watching this as you've probably already seen them in much worse films.
Come Get Me (1983)
Ironic title for a film who's stars have seen better days.
If you are familiar with P.T. Andersen's Boogie Nights, you will remember that he choose '83 as the year the characters in his film hit the skids. I wouldn't be surprised if he had seen Come Get Me and based the chronology of his story on the film in review.
I recently viewed Come Get Me on VHS and was left with the impression that this was a vanity porn film produced by coke dealers who perhaps wanted to meet some porn stars, or show-off their houses. That this was committed to film instead of video is testament to the fact that someone had money to burn.
What there is of a story line is based on Kandi Barbour's character and her boyfriend's relationship being on the rocks and the boyfriend is about to leave her. She gives him the option to think it over and if he wants to maintain the relationship to "come get her" at her girlfriend's, Jennfer West's, house where she will be staying. While waiting at this house, we are privy(or not!) to witness a number of sexual encounters involving the assorted people who are passing-by to visit.
Although there is no display of any drugs in this movie(Jennifer West's character is described as "coked-out"), my guess is that folks are dropping-by to buy some coke given that all the male participants in the sex scenes appear to be suffering from coke dick! It all appears morbid rather than erotic.
Sadly, both Jennifer West and Kandi Barbour are not looking their best in this film. They are both overweight and spent more time using their hands to hide the unattractive parts of their bodies. In the scene where Kandi Barbour is partnered with Jennifer West, it's difficult to say whether she is acting or is genuinely lost in a haze.
This film can only be viewed as evidence in a cautionary tale about real life Icarian flights in a fantasy world that is the porn industry.
Kandi Barbour R.I.P.