CARTER STEVENS' TEENAGE TWINS COLLECTION

One of the living legends of the Golden Era of porn, Carter Stevens (born Malcolm Stephen Worob) may have looked like a nerd with his tidy student beard and thick glasses - but he knew how to make a good "rhythm" film.

Part of the reason his films stood out from the milieu was down to his ambitious streak: Carter wanted his films to tell stories, boast half-decent production values and concentrate as much on amusing his audience as making them stiff.

This is never more evident than in the second film in this 3-movie set, 1976's ROLLERBABIES.

But first ... TEENAGE TWINS (1976).

Apparently this film came about when porn icon Annie Sprinkle introduced a young aspiring actress to Stevens and, after being initially unimpressed with her drugged state, his ears (and everything else, I'd assume) pricked up when he learned she had an identical twin.

Yes, it's high concept time: Stevens convinced producer Artie Weisberg to hand over the required cash in a reported 10-second pitch: twin sisters get it on!

As such, it seems silly to expect too much storyline from this particular outing.

It begins innocuously enough with dinner being cooked in a colourful house while music that wouldn't sound out of place on "Starsky & Hutch" plays. Already, the considered camera angles and lighting suggest that here is a director with greater aspirations than merely making you cum.

A conversation round the family dinner table reveals that twin sisters Prudence and Hope (Brooke and Taylor Young) live with their mother Claire (Tia von Davis) and stepfather Gerald (Leo Lovemore). Gerald is studying witchcraft at University and has learned that twin girls are said to be the product of the devil.

But how can this be when, in true TWINS OF EVIL style, the girls appear to be so different in personality - one prim, one a dirty little minx?

Anyway, the stepfather scuttles off to continue his studies while the girls get busy reading the contents of his newly acquired book: a copy of the Necromonicon.

That's pretty much it as far as story goes. Now, cue more funky flute-led music and some book-on-clit masturbation. Then, 11 minutes in, and Carter can't hold back anymore - the reason this film exists happens: the twin girls get it on.

This is a lengthy scene of mutual masturbation, cunnilingus and even nipple-tweaking. It's to Carter's credit that the scene becomes quite heated and erotic, as he's gone on record as saying these girls were clueless when it came to sex ... and more than a little whacked out on Quaaludes.

If you think the girls are naughty, then they must get it from their mother. While they're getting frisky in their bedroom, she receives a visit from lover Robert (Eric Edwards, WATERPOWER) and promptly starts to suck him off on the living room settee. When Hope walks in, she is disgusted - and decides to fuck Robert in front of her mother as punishment. More Lalo Schifrin-esque music and hairy bushes ensue, until eventually the mother gets in on the act too.

Where's it all leading? Who cares! The sex is sweaty and hirsute, the gimmick of sisters getting it on is plainly wrong - but riveting - and the whole thing emerges as a well-edited, hot 68-minute sample of vintage porn conventions. It even ends in the obligatory orgy sequence when everyone fucks each other in the mother's living room.

The twins are skinny, brunette and dumb as fuck. They're funny though, and when they perform they do so with enough aplomb to get it right. But, as young as slim as they are, it's Davis who gets top marks for sexiness. Which is weird. She's older, uglier and has terrible hair. She even keeps her socks on for one sex scene. But she's the hottest, dirtiest woman on offer.

TEENAGE TWINS is a weird, fast-moving and intermittently amusing film punctuated by beguiling hardcore sex scenes and some truly scathing John Waters-type dialogue.

Could it have been legal for Stevens to even film these scenes of incest? That's a whole different discussion altogether ...

So, to ROLLERBABIES. The undoubted highlight of this set.

An aged boffin who looks not unlike Rolf Harris opens the show, addressing the audience to warn us of a future where sex and sexuality have been repressed to the point where they hardly exist anymore. "In the not-too-distant future, sex will be illegal" he warns, "but there will be ... Rollerbabies!"

"This is their story ..."

And so we open to a bald black chick (Yolanda Savalas) getting licked out by porn entrepreneur Sherman (Alan Marlowe). It's the future, sex is outlawed - folk take suppressants to keep natural urges at bay - due to over-population and the only gratification people get is through watching a licensed TV channel ran by Sherman.

Enter Hope (Terri Hall, THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - looking hotter than ever here), who wants a job at the channel as a "sex artist". She professes to be a virgin - an uber-keen one, at that.

Sherman decides to take her to his 'sex club' to give her a better idea of what's expected of her. As they arrive, the compere introduces various acts on to the stage while Sherman explains to Hope how every porn star needs a gimmick to stand out (he even references Linda Lovelace's talents in DEEP THROAT).

With Hope on board but with ratings threatened by various outside influences, Sherman eventually strikes gold when he hits upon the idea of staging a live event involving people humping each other in a roller-skating rink. Hardly practical, you may think ... but it works.

ROLLERBABIES is obviously shot for peanuts but it still looks remarkably good, benefiting from coloured lighting, great music and above-average acting. It's crazy to think that the film was made over the course of two long weekends: the editing, lighting, action - it's all very good.

Best of all, the script (credited to Wesson Smith) is witty and the sparse sets - however cheaply erected - do their best to look futuristic.

The sex is hot, the cast are attractive (the odd spotty female backside aside) and the blending of hardcore action with more traditional film-style shots actually renders proceedings more erotic.

Interestingly, the film's plot also predates the likes of CAFE FLESH and VIDEODROME, foreshadowing elements of both.

Oh, and have you ever seen a man receive a blowjob while his balls and cock are covered in freezing ice cream? Hmm.

Over on disc two, we get the hardcore version of Stevens' 1977 film PUNK ROCK.

This has already been released on DVD in its alternate, soft-core version. In truth, that version is a completely different film. Although the gumshoe plot is essentially the same, the soft-core variant focuses on American punk rock bands of the time. It's an engaging and authentic postcard from a New York of the late 70s.

This is a different film, in so far as it is filmed with less emphasis on the music scene and much more focus on the fucking and sucking.

The storyline is ostensibly the same: Jimmy (Wade Nichols) is a private investigator who, when we first meet him, is busy fucking the pretty girl he's rescued from kidnappers on behalf of her millionaire father.

After spunking over the filly's face, he's called away to visit his boss - but by the time Jimmy gets there, his 'senior partner' is dead, laid in the bathtub with a knife in his gut. It soon becomes apparent to Jimmy that his boss' murder was concocted as a diversion by the kidnappers. Yes, when he returns to his little pad, Jimmy discovers that the poor little rich girl is once again missing.

His plight to retrieve the girl takes him into the seedy underworld of the New York punk rock scene.

Cue some enjoyable music (Eric and the Stilettos) and a great later appearance from Richard Bolla (a.k.a. Robert Kerman, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST).

PUNK ROCK works, as does ROLLERBABIES, as an enjoyable slice of low-budget entertainment. The script is snappy and often quite witty, the action races along at a fair pace and the performances are never anything less than spirited. Stevens shoots and edits with an unusual level of skill for the genre.

The sex, incidentally, is hot too. Even though Nichols is the gayest hetero porn star imaginable.

All three films are presented in 16x9 widescreen transfer struck from original elements and overseen by Stevens. TEENAGE TWINS looks the best, exhibiting a surprisingly clean picture despite some grain.

The other two films have a bit more print damage (specks, dirt) but all are perfectly watchable throughout.

The English mono audio offered on all three films is clear and consistent.

Extras on disc one begin with an engaging, affable commentary track on ROLLERBABIES from Mr Stevens. Stevens is on good form, knows how to hold court and has a decent memory for these events. Aspiring filmmakers can listen and weep for a time when it was possible to make a film in a matter of days.

The only other extras on disc one are trailers for BUSTY SUPERSTARS OF THE 1970S, THE COLLEGIATES COLLECTION, DARIAN CAINE EXPOSED, DEVIATE SEX THRILLS, HONEYMOON SUITE TRIPLE FEATURE, SEX ON 42ND STREET COLLECTION, SWINGING IN THE 70S, WEIRDOS AND ODDBALLS COLLECTION and WEST GERMAN GRINDHOUSE COLLECTION.

Disc two is home to a rather special on-screen interview with Stevens. Shot in 2009 and lasting 12 minutes, it's a good summation of how ROLLERBABIES came about - and the 'fun' that was had with TEENAGE TWINS.

This impressive package is completed by an excellent 8-page booklet proffering typically worthy liner notes from Michael J Bowen.

After Hours Cinema have done it again: a great set of films, presented in a brilliant 2-disc DVD package with marvellous insightful extras and transfers as good as you could realistically hope for.

Review by Stu Willis