In his repetitive "bonus" interview material for DVD reissue Carter Stevens dismisses IN SARAH'S EYES as a standard porn film (which it isn't), merely revealing his who cares? attitude toward his craft. He gives an apocryphal anecdote how he was "cured" of trying to make good or interesting films early on by a producer who reminded him that the audience wanted sleaze -they needed a reminder that they should feel guilty about what they were watching. Fortunately this prevailing and condescending attitude towards their customers (I've heard similar interview sentiments from '60s/'70s soft-core pornographers David Friedman and Harry Novak) is not universally held by Adult filmmakers.
There's an overall sloppiness to SARAH'S that makes it very hard to take seriously, but the lack of silliness and slapstick that ruins so many films by Stevens and his early/mid-'70s NYC auteurs is positively refreshing. No winking at the audience, no poking the viewer in the eye, no beyond juvenile humor or attempted hijinks. Just a strong, morbid storyline that I would call compelling had Stevens violated his prime directive and tried a lot harder.
Lorraine Alraune top-lines and is often riveting (those penetrating eyes...) in the title role, a troubled girl seeing a shrink (Marc Stevens, underplaying for a change) regarding her uncontrollable day-dreaming in the form of unexpurgated sexual fantasies. These dreams, which we see enacted on screen, are taking over her life, leading to the film's clumsy yet almost-works shock ending.
This is a solid spine on which to hang pornographic content, but Carter and his anonymous screenwriter take the easy route. Sarah's sex escapades (in her mind) prove to be routine, often quite erotic but headed nowhere. What might have led to a classic result (think if Gerard Damiano, whose earlier purple-prose brilliance in DEVIL IN MISS JONES and MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE were at the helm), ends up being an ultimately ho-hum diversion. Anything memorable can be laid at the feet of Ms. Alraune.
Her XXX fantasies consist of sucking shrink Marc's cock; lesbian action with her cute roommate Anna Livia Plurabella (underutilized Columbia coed turned porn actress); humping fiancée Eric Edwards; imagining Edwards getting rough with her in bed; sucking or f*cking the entire reception line of friends at her wedding to Eric; and sucking a really big Black dick of a telephone repairman (an anonymous performer) in the mixed-combo finale.
So what's missing? Carter as usual thinking with his dick rather than his brain and symptomatically turning in something with no heart.
