Opfer der Lust

The video box looks like just another one of those "erotic" movies but this one actually has a plot, moderately interesting characters, and some humor. It's the story of a guy who gets involved with a woman at work who likes "games." Of course he thinks he's going to be in control, but she's a smart one who gets the best of him time after time. It does get a little too dramatic near the end but on the whole manages to be sexy, fairly entertaining, and not demeaning to women. Worth a second look. What "9 and 1/2 Weeks" should have been.

I managed to snag a copy of this video recently. It's a bit of a collector's item because it's out of print and has gotten a lot of praise. So did it live up to the hype?

In one way, yes. This is probably the definitive Lisa Boyle video. It's one of her earlier efforts before she became too much of a "star" for more than one sex scene per video (if that). I've only seen a couple of her other videos and she definitely shows and does much more in this. She is frequently fully nude and does full sex scenes, complete with "orgasms".

However, that's about it's only standout feature. I'm guessing that in 1994 this thing was some of the most explicit softcore available. Today, Surrender and Playboy have released plenty of stuff that goes further, has more sex scenes, and with women who are every bit as attractive/siliconed as Lisa but less inhibited. And all of this stuff is readily available at reasonable prices. Now don't get me wrong, I.L.T.P.G. has held up pretty well after nine years and can still be considered decent softcore. Unlike, say, any movie made in the 1970's with the word "cheerleaders" in the title.

So overall I'm glad I ended up getting it, but mostly for its rarity. If this was remade shot for shot today using different actors I don't think anyone would be too impressed with it.

Suzanne Braunhill (Lisa Boyle) is a successful executive at an ad

firm who has just been transferred from New York to Los Angeles.

Even though her reputation as a witch (possible spelling error)

precedes her, Michael Morgan (Ken Steadman) who works at the

same firm in LA thinks he can play her games with her. He has

just split with his girlfriend Melody (Pamela Dickerson) who just

wasn't exciting enough for him. The game is on!

Suzanne's games put Michael in awkward situations that threaten

his career, but he persists in playing the games against the best

advice of his friend Nick Kelso (James DiZazzo), who seems to

have played before. How the last game is won may surprise the

viewers.

The movie, though negative and somewhat depressing at times,

is generally well done for one of its genre. Monique Noel

(Playboy's POM, May, 1989) plays a small part as a member of the

office team. She has some cute body language responses to

Michael's frenetic orders as he tries to meet deadlines.

I'm not sure why some reviewers felt that this was not erotic, unless they were looking for something more hardcore. They don't show actual penetration here.

Lisa Boyle is Suzanne, a new co-worker who plays various role-playing games with Michael, the main character. For example, she pretends to be a naive schoolgirl having her first sexual experience as she removes her clothes. Many instances of Suzanne teasing Michael in public, but in such a way that only Michael realizes what's going on (eg. what happens under the table during a meeting).

As a bonus there is a bit of plot if you like psychological thrillers (ie. when is Suzanne playing a role and when is she really herself?), but the main attraction is Lisa Boyle herself. The movie as a whole is a real turn-on.

I Like To Play Games has a claim to fame in that it was one of the handful of the (supposedly) superior titles that brought the straight to video erotic thriller to a wider audience during the 1990s - the other contenders being the trite 'Elkie' aka 'Friend of The Family' (also starring Lisa Boyle), and the absurd 'Playtime' (with Jennifer Burton, who memorably crops up in this one).

I'll leave it to others to debate whether any of this is justified, but the so-called erotic thriller usually generates some fairly jaded comments - as one look at IMDB comments will tell you - but I Like To Play Games does have one or two merits (and as many flaws). Set against these low standards, what does I Like To Play Games have in its favour?

Well, as actors Ken Steadman (who died a year after release) and Lisa Boyle (one of the decade's poster girls) might not be brilliant, but both are definitely attractive, and have a tangible chemistry between them; and if the cinematography will not win any prizes, it is at least competently and efficiently done...for the most part.

This is advantageous (but far from unique) within the narrow millenu of the erotic thriller, but the real story, perhaps, is the unexplored motivations behind the main characters (other than gratification or narcassism) within their increasingly toxic, mutually obsessive, relationship.

None of this puts I Like To Games in the same league as genuine psychological thrillers; as it is, (for those who care) this is an above average T & A flick with some good moments and a few interesting ideas it has neither the ambition or ability to explore.