John Leslie 4 on 1 Review

Reviewed by T0MBOne  on  9/4/2016

John Leslie Dupre AKA John Leslie acted in many a classic xxx production from the '70s and '80s. By the late '80s, Mr. Leslie had worked with most of the great porn directors and decided to direct films of his own. He rounded up Jack Remy as director of photography, Bill Heid for jazzy or bluesy music then John directed, wrote or co-wrote, and edited a great many films for VCA from 1987 through 1994.

Four films from this period appear on JOHN LESLIE 4 ON 1 (2009, VCA Classics-LFP Video Group) including THE CATWOMAN from 1988, THE CHAMELEON from 1989, STRANGE CURVES from 1990 and ANGELS from 1992. At nearly 6 hours, this collection scores well with three really solid productions with ANGELS being the only misfire from the bunch. Standard frame.

THE CATWOMAN (1988)---!!!! outta !!!!!

John Leslie also appears in this early production as a mystery man who picks up a lovely photographer named Jennifer (big haired Kathleen Jentry) to initiate into his cat-like world. He fucks her on the couch then starts the process as Jennifer prowls around people fucking at a bar, stews while co-workers fuck during a break in a photo shoot then eventually dumps her own boyfriend left lying ravaged on top of the bar so that she and the mysterious cat man can skip along on their merry way Director Leslie does a great job of mostly keeping the focus on Jentry and her Jennifer character except for a fine bathroom encounter between Alexa Parks, Peter North and Buddy Love that mostly just pads the length of THE CATWOMAN. However, Jentry gets to shine in two book ending sex scenes---the fine opening couch encounter with Leslie and the closing carnal encounter with Joey Silvera atop the bar. She's great and the flick approaches purr-fection.

THE CHAMELEON (1989)---!!!! 1/2 outta !!!!!

At her shrink, a troubled Diana (ravishing Tori Welles in a heated performance) shares her chameleon-like encounters with a psychiatrist (Richard Pacheco) as a three way (April West and two guys) ensues in a crowd of silhouetted figures. Later, Tori turns into another lovely lady (Debbie Diamond) as a gift to her confused hubby (Tom Byron) who is having a hard time with his wife's ability or is he? The twist ending that concludes this flick is too strange and happens too quickly. However; Leslie does a terrific job directing Tori Welles as the title character and she has a number of encounters that really work within the framework of this simply drawn chameleon shape-shifting tale: Tori has a terrific three way on a couch with Victoria Paris and Peter North, a more standard encounter with Tom Byron and another hot encounter as she rides Buck Adams in a chair for the sex scene finale. Leslie keeping this tale simple scores big with one of the best sex flicks of that decade.

STRANGE CURVES (1990)---!!! 1/2 outta !!!!!

John Leslie attempts a homage to Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN with this porn noir that suffers from a dull murderer among the duo exchanging murders. As Jameson, porn actor Scott Irish can suck and fuck okay; however, a much, much more flamboyant acting performance is needed for this role and this guy does not have the ability. Joey Silvera is okay as the unhappy hubby, who does not want to finish the murder exchange. Jameson wants him to kill his sister but Silvera falls for the lovely sister, Lauren (April West) and their couch encounter is one of the best things about this flick along with a couple of Victoria Paris sex scenes. Then, co-writer Leslie gets a bit too cute with the finale as the ending strays in a different-yet not so satisfying-direction than the Hitchcock classic. The good news is that the rest of the sexual encounters are solid as Leslie also lands Sasha, Charli and a gal named Kelli Warner for some carnal trysts with typical male performers like Joey and Tom Byron.

ANGELS (1992)---!!! outta !!!!!

Director Leslie has too much on his plate as he juggles a film noir type of story line with doses of HERE COMES MR. JORDAN that he must incorporate sex scenes into. What a mess! Savannah and Peter North bookend the film with a few flashes of sex at the outset then a full blown bedroom encounter for the finale. It's a solid scene as is a bar encounter between Brigitte Aime and three dudes earlier in the flick. Later at the bar, Missy Warner gives a creepy, chatty TT Boy a hand job in a scene that echoes the type of porn noir sex scenes that Leslie would become so well known for later in his career with films like THE DOG WALKER, DROP SEX and some of those FRESH MEAT vignettes.

So, JOHN LESLIE 4 ON 1 (2009, VCA Classics-LFP Video Group) scores with a great flick in THE CHAMELEON---!!!! 1/2, two solid entries with THE CATWOMAN and STRANGE CURVES---!!!! and !!! 1/2 then ANGELS---!!! with its solid sexual encounters. Seeing these movies also shows how Leslie tended to have greater success with simpler feature story lines that were able to incorporate the sexual encounters in a better fashion---as in the case of THE CHAMELEON, a terrific fashion.

Therefore, let's give this set a !!!! outta !!!!! final rating.

And now for some QUICKIES---Director John Leslie Edition

Prior to Leslie's success with THE DOG WALKER (1994) and his more gonzo-like features under Stagliano's EVIL ANGEL banner, the director uncorked a number of other features for VCA worth mentioning here. The actress who gets the most screen time is John Leslie's porn muse Selena Steele but other actresses like Diedre Holland and Nina Hartley also land a few solid film roles to show of their stuff.

Leslie's first feature NIGHTSHIFT NURSES (1987) loads up on the comedy shenanigans as an inspector finds his way into the hospital and makes it with the head nurse played by leggy Lois Ayers, who has a Seka vibe going on here. The duo are also on board for the cool opening with one watching the other while he watches a butt fucking taking place in one of the hospital rooms. A great cast with Joe Silvera as Idaho Joe who reprises that role in the sequel that's not directed by Leslie. John Leslie also plays one of the doctors and gets in on the ass fucking action---!!!!

GOIN' DOWN SLOW (1988) features Ona Zee as a lonely woman who likes writing to a men's magazine advice column. Turns out the writer of the advice column is the neighbor that she just so happens to be spying on with her tiny binoculars. Like STRANGE CURVES, the actors are just not up to the challenge but the usual suspects like Leslie, Silvera and that Bullock fellow get to suck and fuck their way to a possible murder rap when lovely like Shanna Mc Cullough is murdered at the halfway point of this porn noir---!!! 1/2

SLICK HONEY (1989) stars the obnoxious Mark Wallice as an all wet private eye in this lame comedy porn noir with much needed assistance from characters played by Sasha, Rachel Ashley and Mike Horner---!!!

OH WHAT A NIGHT (1990) stars cute blonde Cheri Taylor as Suzanne, a hostess that falls for a mysterious drifter played by Sean Michaels. These two have a solid IR encounter then this film becomes too concerned with escaped cons played by Silvera, Wallice and Nina Hartley. That second half of the film requires way too much acting from this group of non-thespians. Selena Steele plays a mute in this one! Dumb finale with too much happening off screen---!!!

Randy West plays frustrated writer Paul Kramer in THE TEASE (1990) with John Leslie once again scoring with a simple but effective fuck fable. Kramer must help write the sexy memoirs for the lovely Marie (ravishing Lauren Hall) in one month's time without sampling her or her lovely secretary, Danielle, played by a smoldering Selena Steele. Kramer narrates this yarn until the finale that's not nearly cynical enough. However, Leslie shoots a variety of voyeuristic-style sex scenes that greatly utilize the carnal talents of Lauren Hall and Selena Steele so check this one out; it's mostly terrific---!!!! 1/2

HATE TO SEE YOU GO (1991) plays out on similar environs as OH WHAT A NIGHT and it, too, gets bogged down in too much story line as hubby Randy Spears is out to poison wife Nina Hartley but not if ranch hand Joey Silvera can help it. Leslie's solid sex scenes are interwoven as Hartley can be seen passing out here and there---!!!

Selena Steele finally lands a solid starring role as stripper Lucky in ANYTHING THAT MOVES (1992) as Lucky tells this tale in flashback to a couple of cops. Turns out her stripper pal Ronny (lovely leggy Tracey Winn) has a murder rap and the cops are not so sure if she's the culprit. The opening is terrific as the gals service some bachelor party buds at a bar but Leslie's stripper story told in flashback uses a plot device that does not amount to anything all that memorable. Tracey and Selena play Thelma and Louise types dreaming of opening a beauty salon that never materializes. So, this female buddy flick is well-worth seeing more so for their carnal exploits---!!!!

CHAMELEONS-NOT THE SEQUEL (1992) is just about perfect thanks to the shape shifting exploits of Diedre Holland and her shape shifting side kick Rocco. A boisterous Ashlyn Gere wants to shape shift, too, so she searches out Holland at home. Once again, Leslie keeps things simple and incorporates wonderful sex scenes many featuring upright action. Diedre's longing voice and terrific body is perfect whether in bed or in conversation or both. Rocco's knowledge of the English language was pretty lacking at this juncture so his acting performance drags this John Leslie concoction down a notch. Dubbing Rocco's voice was the ticket here to a !!!!! flick that instead lands a !!!! 1/2

Finally, BAD HABITS (1994) deserves special mention here for another superb performance by Diedre Holland, who must deal with an evil shrink played by Randy Spears. The first hour of this flick is really terrific; Diedre's character heads downstairs to the "meat rack" where the shadowy woman in the tunnel (Dyanna Lauren) writhes around until a slew of silhouetted and shadowy dudes beat off and cum on her tight dress covering her ample butt, which leads to Diedre's at home hook up with Tom Byron. Her telling her shrink these sordid life details gets Spears all riled up so after Diedre's departure he ever-so seductively sucks and fucks his lovely secretary, Tiffany Minx, with anal sex featured at the end of the tryst. Leslie shifts gears here and dumps the developing tension between Holland and Spears' characters so that a scam artist character (Mark Davis) can worm his way into Diedre's life. A wonderful bathroom encounter eventually ensues between Diedre and Davis but at the expense of a more fitting finale, like some sort of sexual encounter at the shrink's office between Diedre and Spears. Still, Leslie uncorks some incredible sex scenes in this not so convoluted tale that lands a !!!!

Just a mention for CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN (1991) that is on my watch list and sounds like a worthy follow up to THE CATWOMAN (1988) reviewed above.