Der Blick durchs Schlüsselloch

The film starts off with country girl Allyson (Jennifer Leigh Hammon) saying her goodbyes to her boyfriend in the only way possible in a film like this, by having great sex in the back of a pick-up, halfway up a mountainside! Taking acting lessons, she moves LA and just happens to take a room adjoining that of Bridget, (Caroline Ambrose) a woman who makes it her business to pleasure men in any way they desire. Allyson is turned on by what she sees through the keyhole and she and Bridget are drawn together. An assault by a photographer friend and a disappearance give the film the look of a well written production, plus, of course some steamy sex scenes.

This brings me to the main gripe with this film and indeed other films of its type, the use of overly loud music. Is it just me who finds this music annoying? For me, the sounds of love-making are just as important as the visuals in the erotic experience but the film-makers do not seem to think so; or could it be that they have been doing it this way for so long that they do not consider any alternative. Thank goodness that this film has some positive aspects.

The two leading ladies are well chosen for their roles. Caroline Ambrose with her obviously enhanced body gives it all she has got as the good-time girl who tutors Allyson in all things carnal, not that she needs to be taught anything judging by her other sex scenes. Jennifer Leigh Hammon plays it well as the natural looking fresh-faced young innocent. It is a pity that these two ladies seem to have disappeared from the acting scene. The acting honours though, go to Jack Deleon as the creepy landlord, Mr Merry, who gets creepier with each appearance. Overall then, a production well worth a good look.

A soft core erotic thriller

Reasons for watching : Caroline Ambrose and Jennifer Hammon are both young and very fit and they both enjoy a long sequence of lesbian love making . Very erotic , and fairly graphic for a soft core film .

Reasons for not watching : The production values are very low , the sets are cheap and I don`t know if it`s the fault of the cinematographer but the picture quality is poor . And there is an fairly nasty thriller sub plot about a psycho killer .

Watch it if you want . Just make sure you don`t watch it in front of your relatives

I ask so little from my sex exploitation movies. A few attractive females. A decent plot. And at last a few scenes of eroticism. This movie falls flat on at least two of these fronts. The ladies in question both of them are okay but just don't push my buttons at least. Allyson looks like Rachel from friends while her call-girl neighbor resembles Xena the warrior princess. The scene where the get it together could easily pushed this film to a six or seven. The call girl kisses Allyson in an attempt to seduce her while Allyson explains it is her first time. The movie then has them both waking up to each other the next morning. What is this the USA network. Implied sex does not a decent explotation film make a generous 3 is my final score

In a perfect world, this would be an average soft-core porn flick. Cute lead, nice lesbian sex scene, actors apparently conversant with the basic principles of sexual intercourse. Since this is *not* a perfect world, you should go rent this right now just to prove to yourself that it is possible to get these things right. I've read that there's a lobotomised version floating around, so be careful you don't get that one.

Considering the usual level of Made-For-Playboy movies, "Allyson is Watching" represents a landmark exception. Jennifer Hammon has the smile and charm of Sandra Bullock and her straight-forward performing style elevates this low budget (simulated) sex film beyond the norm. Allyson is an aspiring young actress who learns about sexual matters by spying on her prostitute neighbor and fighting off the advances of a pushy acting partner, an acting coach of questionable integrity, and a landlord with evil on his mind. Hammon jumped from this film to a regular role on the ABC soap "Port Charles," so you are not likely to see her in this type of film again. Now that she's moved on to Prime Time guest appearances, she's an actress worth watching.