NIGHT AT THE VENUS

NIGHT AT THE VENUS

I am not exactly well travelled but 2 places I am eternally grateful for visiting are New Orleans before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and New York City before the zero tolerance clean up of one time mayor Rudy Guilliani.

You see, the big apple accentuated a 14 year old lad’s wettest of wet dreams! There was porn, porn, more porn, peep shows, strippers, prostitutes and to round off your night a little porn! Twas a special place was 42nd street. Grant me the honour of taking you back to 1986. Maradona had just ‘handed’ Ing-ger-land an exit out of the world cup, while yours truly was gifted a vacation in the USA with my magnificently munificent aunts.

The 4 weeks in the States was a blast, but one thing that I will NEVER forget is experiencing the joys of 42nd street. It could have been the leather trench coat clan who, despite being in full view of the boys in blue on horseback, would open their coats whilst declaring "Smokes and coke... Smokes and coke..." (A subtle difference from the cry of "Apples and pears..." from Surrey Street, Croydon I can tell you!!) Or it perhaps it was that amazingly sexy sound of thigh high booted heels clicking along 42nd Street, weaving through a sea of crack heads, dust heads and general drug addled freaks of the night. Whatever it was, the place was a truly romantic assault on the senses of this scrawny little teen I can tell you.

A combination of my derisory age, lack of funds and of course shackles of my wiser relatives, I regrettably missed out on the genuine SIN-ema experience of a New York City porno theatre - until now that is.

Step up 42nd Street Pete with his sentimental delicious steaming hot serving of a big apple porno pie in the form of a DVD entitle A NIGHT AT THE VENUS!

The Venus was a triple X cinema back in the 70’s. Originally known as EROS 2 it was often confused with its predecessor EROS. Both were adult theatres but the initial EROS catered for the homosexual community. It was in everyones best interest therefore that the name be changed to THE VENUS to avoid any confusion!

Not that it really mattered if 42nd Street Pete’s recollections are anything to go by! You see it was after a particularly indulgent night that dear old Pete had indulged in one too many Babyshams or so that he ended up at THE VENUS. ( I quote Pete ".... I was too fucked up to get home..." Amongst the pimps, hookers and ‘the occasional bewildered tourist’ Pete sat and in this presentation he shows the exact triple bill that featured at The Venus on that fateful night.

I have always considered 1970’s pornography to be a monotonous and unexciting. But who could resist having a peak at a movie called LOTUS starring a young man by the name of John Holmes. Our sadly deceased, donkey shlong having hero plays a detective Jonny Wadd (!!!) who always gets his man... and his woman! It’s the usual awkward looking sex scenes accompanied by funky music and a whole lotta hair!!

Maybe it’s the grainy picture quality but my goodness those retro porno stars were wolf like in their nether regions! But it’s the second feature, the 1971 "TEENAGE FANTASIES" that really stoked my interest so to speak. Star of the movie, and cover girl of the DVD, is a young lady by the name of Rene Bond. She curiously bares more than a passing resemblance to a certain Traci Lords, but is possibly best described by the lyrics of song from the same year- young Rene could "Get it On" with moi any time!!

The movie itself is based around fact that fantasies are often more pleasurable then the actual act. Unfortunately it also takes quantum leap back in time by being gullible enough to preach that the birth control pill is the dawn of a new sexually liberating era... ! Either way, the "dirty, sweet" little thing is an enigma and I must confess she is my newfound guilty pleasure!!

I was sad to learn that Rene passed away in 1996 due to cirrhosis of the liver and, as a bit of trivia, she is alleged to have appeared on an American game show (Break the Bank) in 1985.

The final picture on the Venus’ menu is a typical piece of 70’s porno kitsch called THE HORNY LANDLADY. Featuring the "Latin from Manhatten" Vanessa Del Rio, it is another tawdry formulaic exercise in XXX cinema. All in all, 42nd Pete’s presentation of A NIGHT AT THE VENUS shows not only some great examples of vintage porn, but is also an essential history lesson for those of us who miss the seedy back streets of New York!!

GRAB A COPY NOW!

Review by Marc Lissenburg


 
Released by After Hours Cinema
Region 1 - NTSC
Not Rated
Extras :
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