Lustful Addiction

I've noticed more and more of late that the output of 'ei Independent Cinema' has been very much developing into a strong line of quality cult cinema releases. Whilst the obviously commercially attractive ground out sexy spoofs of mainstream titles continues to bring in some of the Blockbuster consumer financing it's the alluring Retro lines that are reaping the interest of the cult genre movie fan. One of the highlights of last year for myself was the release of Nick Phillip's excellent psyched out drug riddled porno 'Roxanna' so with the release of another of his heroin chic porno's 'Lustful Addiction' I was again looking forward to what would hopefully be another little seen gem.

'Lustful Addiction' is indeed another slice of Phillip's psychedelic soft porn fun but admittedly perhaps not as strong a feature as the later psychotic 'Roxanna'. The film follows heroin addict Jean and her inevitable misadventures in and out of the drug scene. Following a sleazy encounter with her thieving pusher she drifts off into the outside world where she meets clean cut Tad and soon after they become smitten with each other she swiftly introduces poor Tad to her junkie culture. Drugs, sleaze and death backed by grooved out hippie beats and a borderline beatnik narrative are the order of the day in this freaked out cult curiosity. But is it any good? Well admittedly not as powerful as 'Roxanna' (which gets right under your skin on all fronts) 'Lustful Addiction' certainly does have its merits - perhaps the pace and cold narration will leave some casual viewers disinterested but on the other hand the psychedelic sleaze level is as entertaining as ever, the groovy soundtrack is so laid back it's horizontal and on a couple of occasions Phillips's direction is very impressive indeed (the opening shot of the hooker walking down the street is grade A art house cinema). But whilst the women are exactly how I love them (i.e. shapely and all natural) I just couldn't escape the fact that the performances left me cold in comparison to the excellent performance by Uschi Digart in 'Roxanna'. That said, I must apologise for the continual comparison but perhaps with 'Roxanna' Retro Seduction played one of Phillips trump cards too early and set viewers expectations high as in reality 'Lustful Addiction' is still indeed a very gratifying (and sexy) movie. The transfer here is quite simply stunning, more so when you consider the age and obscurity of features such as this and I respectfully tip my hat to 'ei' for the stunning presentation they have delivered here.

But this journey into the weird world of Nick Phillips is not all this DVD release has to offer, far from it in fact. Seduction Cinema have got into this thing of shoring up some of their Retro releases with all new variant remakes of the companion original titles, it's an interesting idea that sometimes works well and on occasion doesn't. With the revisit to 'Lustful Addiction' Seduction Cinema have handed over the reigns to their flagship starlet Misty Mundae who delivers one of her first full-length features. The plot not surprisingly kicks off pretty much the same as its predecessor with willing addict Ruby offering up her body (well she's 'not using it right now') as trade off for a cocktail of fine substances. But rather than drifting off to meet a clean cut Tad, a wasted Ruby bumps into a kindred spirit in the form of drug lusting Misty Mundae (our films writer/director). Of course, similarly like its predecessor following a barrage of sleazy fun and a hefty amount of drug indulgence the moral majority dictate that things should go horribly wrong…and of course it does. But does Misty Mundae's reworking (as 'Lustfull Addiction') work and is it any good? Well, to be honest there was a lot to Mundae's version that I felt was much more gratifying and enjoyable than Phillips original. The handling of the modern drug culture was well done and likewise the mix of said drug use with some seriously stimulating visual erotica backed by an exemplary soundtrack and solid direction all coming together to make a commendable feature. Again though like its predecessor it is true that on occasion the acting can be somewhat wooden but this is small complaint in balance to what it delivered. One thing I can't highlight strongly enough though is the simply excellent soundtrack by Tim Tomorrows and his band, the music throughout elevates the onscreen visuals no end and at times they combine perfectly (check out the extended Misty/Ruby sexually charged chill out after the 30 minute mark for one of Seductions finest moments). And for fans of quality laid back sounds (like myself) the great news is that Seduction have included a bonus CD that includes not only the full soundtrack from 'Lustfull Addiction' but the excellent tunes from the 'Roxanna' soundtrack also, which for me at least would make this package worth the purchase cost alone (in fact this CD has been getting seriously heavy repeat play here at SGM Towers since its arrival) - simply fantastic kick back sounds.

But let's get back to the DVD itself and its extra features (as if two movies and a soundtrack CD aren't enough?!) First off there's a very nice 13 minute documentary about both Phillips original and Mundae's remake where Misty and NY porn historian 42nd Street Pete candidly chat about their thoughts on each respective production. It's great to see 42nd Street Pete back chatting about his love for this particular genre and my respect for Misty Mundae as more than a very aesthetically pleasing young woman (ok a babe) and in fact someone with great talent that we should all be keeping a close eye on. This short documentary is great viewing but frustratingly short for my liking as I'd have loved to have seen an hour or so spent on such a refreshing overview of this particular genre. Following this is a cracking super sleazy trailer for the 1969 original release (or is that a 'Couple of Trouble') and an equally alluring exploitative trailer for the 2002 remake. Rounding things off as ever is the usual smorgasbord of Retro Seduction and Sexy Spoof trailers, the Retro trailers will perhaps be of the most interest as include such gems as the much beloved 'Roxanna' and Joseph Sarno's 'Inga' (in fact throughout the disc there are a grand total of 18 trailers for the Seduction line so plenty there for the low attention span late night stoners). Mention must also be made of the 12 page booklet that comes packaged with the set as even this surpasses the fold over pamphlet that 99% of DVD companies give us, this one has an excellent interview with Misty Mundae that should have most of her fan base re-evaluating their attitudes to the target of their late night wet dreams (what there's a real person in there?!)

Whilst 'Lustful Addiction' may not be Phillip's strongest feature it is still a very worthy addition to his library (and will be of great interest to any stoned readers out there), Misty Mundae has delivered the goods with her impressive remake but it is the package as a whole that will be the clincher for fans of this genre (the soundtrack CD alone is a winner in my book). If you're new to the Retro Seduction line then check out some reviews on titles like 'Inga', 'Roxanna' and this one then if you like what you hear then come on in. I've fell in love with these cult obscurities and have nothing but pure admiration of 'ei independent cinema' for the respect and care they have given these releases - check them out!

Review by Alan Simpson

'Lustful Addiction' can be ordered direct from Alternative Cinema by clicking here.