mex_amcleaning2007

It's all about the chicanery, the subterfuge, and the sex (...and not necessarily in that order...) when everyone's favorite porno action hero, John Holmes (as Johnny Wadd), is put to the task of purchasing and bringing home safely an extraordinarily rare and expensive South African diamond. Of course, no one is to be trusted in this endeavor and just about everyone is--and turns out to be--a potential threat. Such is the case in I-Candy's "Blonde Fire", a very good, 1979 release from director Bob Chinn that features Holmes in yet another, acting-heavy, protagonist-type role that presents him again as the suave, cool-under-pressure, up-to-the-challenge hero.

Indeed, despite being beset by obstacles throughout, John and his massive tool manage to calmly sex their way through friend and foe alike--raping one, romancing others, and so on--until their job is done and done well. As his accompaniment in the film, the viewer is treated to the luscious likes of such Golden Age stars as Seka, Jesie St. James, Dorothy LeMay, and more...all of whom look great and play their roles well. Also adding value to the production is its plot, which--despite a couple of minor disconnects--is relatively strong and engaging.

The settings--which are quite realistic--further aid in driving home the authenticity of the work, as well. As such, for fans of features, the classics, Holmes, and/or any of the fine ladies on display here, this one's worthy of a watch.

Sadly, this marks the end of the Johnny Wadd series as far as Bob Chinn's involvement was concerned. The next two planned Johnny Wadd films Waikiki Wadd, some footage had already been shot for the film during the filming of Prisoner of Paradise, and Magnum Love were never made due to John Holmes' escalating drug use.

In 1986 Penguin Films released another entry in the Johnny Wadd series, The Return of Johnny Wadd, reportedly with Penguin Films and John Holmes obtaining Bob Chinn's permission to do so. Bob Chinn eventually ended up turning the script for Magnum Love into a film in 1999, altering the script to make it the start off for a private dick series around a new character named Peter Magnum.

One of those movies from the mid-period of what they call "The Golden Age" of porn, which bears all the trademarks of it's time. Strong story, good acting, high production values and slick camerawork adorn this steamy Summer drama which forever engraved director Anthony Spinelli's name on the XXX wall of fame!

The plot follows the adventures of Jack (John Leslie) and Lenny (Richard Pacheco), two close friends who couldn't be more different if they tried. Jack is a first-class ladies man, a smooth, silver-tongued hustler who can, and often does, charm his way into the pants of any woman he meets. Lenny is the polar opposite - awkward, nerdy and mentally very slow, he has neither Jack's physical charisma nor his sharp, quick-talking wit, thus often ends up feeling dejected and worthless while Jack swans off with his flavour of the week girlfriends. One day, they see blonde stunner Marlene (Jessie St James) walking along the beach and Lenny bets Jack that he can't go from meeting her to sleeping with her in under three days. Jack, confident in his own abilities, takes that bet and begins plotting ways of achieving his nefarious ends.

There are innumerable subplots going on throughout all this, a couple of which are slightly implausible and occasionally lend the film an unwelcome episodic feel, but it's strung together admirably by John Leslie's tour-de-force, utterly engaging performance as Jack and the seriously hot, legendary sex scenes that feature some of the most gorgeous and talented women of late 70's porn. Juliet Anderson plays a flirty estate agent who gets it on with Leslie in easily one of the most passionate, exciting scenes of the era. Both partners are loaded with energy and put across believably enthusisatic performances. Of course, the famous scene is the one between Leslie and Jessie St James in which she breathlessly utters those classic lines in the title and, naturally, it stands up to all you've heard about it.

The plot is extremely well done for porn-there's not too much and not too little. Thought and effort has been put into the character development, yet the sex doesn't feel shortchanged. The dirty talk is lightly risqué, not degrading.

The casting is also flawless. John Leslie is perfect as an oversexed scoundrel. Richard Pacheco is perfect as his sweet but slow-witted friend. Jesie St. James is perfect as a young and somewhat frustrated wife.

And so on. No one seems out of place, and the lead performers in particular put a lot of practice and polish into their lines. At one point, John does a hilarious impression of Jimmy Stewart that cracks me up.

Following INSATIABLE, Daniels took a daring gamble with this attempt to appeal to a wider audience than traditional raincoaters. It is a film that breaks new ground, and as such, may not succeed. But it is the absolute perfect film for most American women. Regard it as a landmark in adult cinema that paved the way for other crossover films. In the sense that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford made so-called "Women's Pictures" in Hollywood in the forties, CHARLI can be considered the first true woman's picture in the adult genre.

The plot deals with the six year marriage of Jack and Charli (Eric Edwards and Jesie St. James) that is starting to sour, even though they are both still in love. Unlike other films, it is not just run to the sack with the nearest partner. All that happens extramaritally is thinking and fantasizing. In another major move, it is the husband who realizes he is more in the wrong and makes the major concessions. Some people may not be able to take a man apologizing for his insensitivity and admitting that he is wrong.

The sex is erotic, tender and caring. The plot allows enough time for character development to show what actually motivates their actions, something lacking in most films. The subtle touches that Daniels is so good at are all intact, like Jack's Jeep and Charli's VW parked side by side in the driveway. The music is well above average but not quite up to the level of excellence usually found in a Godfrey Daniels film. The video store sequence is cute, and remember who made the film that Jesie purchases. The climaxing scene has no ejaculation shot and is shot very romantically with emphasis on the upper body.

CHARLI makes very positive statements about relationships, and despite a few minor flaws, must be credited with opening new doors in erotic films. All but the most super-tragically-macho men should enjoy it immensely. But those kind of dudes are the most insecure anyway and wouldn't or couldn't openly relate to sexuality without revealing deep secrets imprisoned in their souls.