Private Gold 78: Sex City

Only a decade ago the ancient porn label Private Media (over 50 years old and still running) sponsored lengthy, relatively expensive XXX projects like this one, released in 3 separate DVDs. "Sex City", carefully imitating the graphic novel into film "Sin City", runs a full nine hours, a rather preposterous length but made tolerable for us binge viewers due to casting an amazing roster of beautiful models from Russia, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Hungary.

Counting small roles, the extensive cast list in the end credits (covering all 3 films) numbers over 120 names, perhaps going after a Guinness record for porn. None of them are famous stars, though James Brossman, Pascal St. James and George Uhl (George is oddly omitted from the end credits by mistake) are immediately recognizable prolific Euro porn studs.

Central hero role is oddly cast in the person of Reda Semlahen, who approximates the craggy Josh Brolin character of Miller's sequel, which of course was made AFTER this Euro ripoff. I had seen Reda do a fine character part in Dorcel's amusing sex comedy "The Q Spot" but he's about as obscure a leading man choice imaginable.

The nine hours consist of him charging around like a bull in a China shop, often blue-screened on his motorbike, and absorbing punishment right and left, while also dishing it out. He beds an uncountable number of Eastern European beauties, and one odd touch by veteran French director Pierre Woodman (a name that fits him better than the nickname afforded Woody Allen by one Bill Murray many SNL episodes ago) is that the various villains all have bigger dicks than our muscular hero.

Much of the plot's action steals from Miller, with in Part 1 Reda as "Bleck" hooking up with a lovely old flame Sandy (Xenia Lova), a go-go dancer wearing rodeo chaps atop the bar at a Cabaret (reminiscent of Coyote Ugly) in New York City, as well as trying to clear his name after being framed for the death of the twin sister of another lady from his past, Carla (Sonia Carter). Principal villains are brothers played by French actors Philippe Soine and Pascal St. James, respectively a billionaire businessman and a U.S. Senator. Other main hero is a cop named Logan (Vince Willis, about as Hollywoodized a name for a Euro actor as one could imagine), whose travails get pretty violent at times. Principal actress is Diana Gold, who appears in all 3 features ad Brenda, a horny barmaid at the Cabaret where Sandy dances. Loveliest babe in Part 1 has to be Aphrodite Night as Carmen, with a perfect figure and beautiful face to match.

There's okay action scenes, some rather crude special effects, and a lot more story in the two sequels, which feature the 10-girl gang led by Chanelle (Olivia Weston) fighting against a violent band of mercenaries led by Brown Snake (Joachim Kessef, who provides IR content in Part 3). The imitation of Miller and his co-director Robert Rodriguez's black & white backgrounds (and often full b&w in frame) is well-done and gives the triptych some lingering interest beyond its obviously arousing XXX content. Also, auteur Woodman delivers super-duper big-breast casting in Parts 2 and 3, making them worth watching even after one tires of the slog through 3 full hours of Part 1.