Pandora's Mirror (Caballero) Review

Reviewed by T0MBOne  on  1/30/2017

From my local smut peddler, I recently picked up a used DVD of PANDORA'S MIRROR (1981) with the lovely Veronica Hart as Pandora, a woman who becomes obsessed with sexually charged trysts revealed in a mirror at an antique store. This top-notch 88 minute Warren Evans-Shaun Costello production expands on the bewitched mirror motif used in mainstream films like DEAD OF NIGHT (UK, 1945) to include tales of sexual obsession and perversion as told by this enchanted mirror.

Although the film has 4 vignettes revealed by the mirror, the film splits in two with the first two vignettes set in different time periods followed by a modern encounter between characters friendly with Pandora then the second half of the film reveals the second two vignettes plus a proper coda. Vernoica Hart's sexual performances bookend the action then her lovely gaze introduces every encounter shown in the mirror.

So, Pandora and her chatty friend Liz (Sandra Hillman) wander into the antique store run by a mysterious old shop keeper (Frederick Foster) whose unsure of showing Pandora the covered mirror among other antiques furniture pieces. Pandora insists and gets her first glance into the mirror that sets off a barrage of images that causes Pandora to briefly black out. At home, Pandora spies on body builder types (George Payne and Jerry Butler) weightlifting on a rooftop across the street then fantasizes about the duo while she masturbates in an upright solo scene in a bathroom environ.

These events set the stage for Pandora's frequent trips to the antique store to view what the mirror has to offer her.

Pandora's first gaze---The mirror takes Pandora back to the creation of the mirror by an older gentleman named Oliver Mc Kardel (Frederick Foster) who crafted the mirror of enchanted wood from a tree that had been struck by lightening. He offers the mirror to his lovely maiden Lidia (Tiffany Clark) who while alone masturbates in front of the mirror, which gets the attention of three passers-by from the Revolutionary War era. The trio have their way with the lovely Tiffany and this opening sex scene salvo with facials serves as a solid opening reveal from the enchanted mirror.

Pandora's second gaze---The mirror reveals a Roaring 20's outdoor environ with a Hollywood leading lady Veronica Barrettt (Marlene Willoughby) satisfying herself sexually with upright action between her and one of her studs. The scene shifts to a swimming pool where Sidney Fried (Frederick Foster) drops off the mirror and a make-up girl (Patty Boyd) for a girl/girl encounter plus other suck and fuck action with the star's studs including Bill Mc Kean, David Ruby and Jack Houston.

With Pandora's mirror gazing taking hold of her, she's not giving enough attention to her creepy boyfriend (Jamie Gillis) but Liz wants him for herself and even brags that she does things that Pandora won't do, which is to take a facial at the end of her roll in the couch with the creep. This darker encounter is a solid sex scene between Sandra Hillman and Jamie Gillis.

The second half of PANDORA'S MIRROR starts off with two fascinating gazes into the mirror.

Pandora's third gaze---Led by a Broadway showman named Eli Rasp (Frederick Foster), readings for parts in a play are cancelled for the day when a leading Broadway producer Barbara Mellon (Celeste Bon) and her lovely side kick (Kandi Barbour) drop in to paw and suck each other in the seats while a rising starlet (Hillary Summers) perform sex acts on stage with the mirror in the spotlight with her. Kandi's lovely exposed areolas are a highlight of the girl/girl action in the empty seats while Hillary's masturbation and suck and fuck encounter with Ron Hudd are also yummy visual treats.

Pandora's fourth gaze---Edgar Ralston (Frederick Foster) takes Alice Ralston (Merle Michaels) to the Hellfire Club to introduce her to an orgy event taking place inside the club. The Queen of the Club (Annie Sprinkle) is Alice's guide, which leads to a dizzying array of encounters inside with a number of club attendees watching the orgy take palce. Diana May joins a masked Ron Jeremy and George Payne for action then Diana and George hook up with Merle. Annie hooks up with Ron Hudd, Carter Stevens and RJ while Merle joins in the action with Ashley Moore contributing. Robin Sane joins in and the scene concludes with he joining Diana May for hook ups with Ron Hudd and Roy Stewart. Whew!

By now, Pandora's is so obsessed with the mirror's powers that she persuades the shop keeper to let her take the mirror home while he's away. Before he allows her to take the mirror, he warns her to keep the mirror covered when she' s not using it. So, something wonderfully awful happens when she allows the uncovered mirror to standby while Pandora beds the muscle men who have come from the rooftop across the street to ravage her. It's this brief but solid three way with George Payne and Jerry Butler that leads to the creepy closing moments of PANDORA'S MIRROR.

Let's give credit to Shaun Costello for mounting this unique production that proves he had learned a thing or two from making all of those "roughies" throughout much of the '70s. Veronica Hart is perfect as Pandora while Frederick Foster wonderfully plays different catalysts for all of the carnal action set in multiple environs even over different time periods. Kudos to Costello's script that keeps it simple and leaves the viewer to decipher the mirror's real powers instead of saddling us with useless informative jibber-jabber about what the mirror can or cannot do.

Well done---!!!!! outta !!!!! for this diamond in the rough xxx film.

And now for some QUICKIES---A special Veronica Hart edition.

Veronica made other top notch xxx flicks during her brief performing career that began in 1980 and concluded in 1982.

She's cast as Seka's sidekick in a number of Leon Gucci productions from 1980. THE SEDUCTION OF CINDY (1980) stands out as editor Seka finally lets loose with an assist from gal pal Veronica and a who's who of porn performers from the period. However, Veronica steals the show with a number of hot encounters including an anal bit on a living room floor among other terrific sex scenes---!!!!

Veronica graces a number of other productions with a sex scene and a small role in films like:

8 TO 4 (1981)----A West Coast production spoofing the mainstream 9 TO 5 flick with an incredible cast in this solid comedy---!!!!

NEON NIGHTS (1981)---A weird Cecil Howard flick that follows Lysa Thatcher on a strange sexual odyssey with Veronica hooking up with Eric Edwards for a bedroom romp that includes anal---!!!!

WOMAN IN LOVE (1980) finds the lovely Laurien Dominique navigating the New York sexual landscape with Veronica contributing an anal encounter with Ron Jeremy playing Laurien's artist boyfriend---!!!!

OUTLAW LADIES (1981)---Another solid Henri Pachard pastiche with a number of vignettes including at the heart of this film a stand-out anal encounter in an office environ with Veronica and John Leslie---!!!!

TALE OF TIFFANY LUST (1981)---Veronica's encounters with Dominique St. Clair bookend her sexual odyssey that leads the lovely French philly on a number of New York City sexual encounters before heading home for a hot encounter with her hubby. Highly recommended---!!!! 1/2

Veronica stars or co-stars in quite a few classics that belong at or near the top of most xxx must-see lists:

AMANDA BY NIGHT (1981)---Veronica plays a call girl in cahoots with detective R Bolla, who is busy solving a murder. This terrific Robert Mc Callum production suffers from a predictable mainstream TV-type action finale plus the usual romantic sex scene to sign off---!!!!

ROOMMATES (1981)---Veronica co-stars with Samantha Fox and Kelly Nichols as new roomies that maneuver the big city sexual landscape in Chuck Vincent's terrific film---!!!!!

PANDORA'S MIRROR (1981)---See main review

AMERICAN DESIRE (1981)---This Lasse Braun production from the East Cast really kicks into gear when Veronica's terrific carnal encounters take over midway through this incredible film---!!!!!

GOLDEN GIRL (1982)---Roberta Findlay's production follows the sexually liberated Laura (Veronica Hart) loving and leaving a variety of creative types including a rock and roller, a painter as well as finding time to deflower a young man all while being married to an affluent book publisher. Her "Pygmalion complex" continues when she discovers a writer (R. Bolla) who inexplicably woos her out of her ways in this terrific showcase of Veronica's acting and carnal talents---!!!!

LITTLE GIRLS LOST (1982)---Veronica's last film that has her very last sex scene, with Eric Edwards, who just so happened to have been her first sex scene partner. This film takes the ROOMMATES concept and sticks with a trio of female roomies trying to make it as actors. Veronica's character has a rough go as does the other roomie when creepy males in the business take advantage of them, which leaves the strong-willed Tigr to somehow reach the top in this terrific tale that's highly recommended---!!!!!