Written by the prolific duo of April White and Edward Gorsuch and directed by Gionni Travis, this 2003 film from MRG Entertainment starts hardcore icon Steven St. Croix as Detective Jack Norton. Jack used to be Vice Cop but was reassigned and demoted 5 years earlier after he refused to give up his informant during an investigation that implicated some high-profile figures in the city, including the Mayor, in a sex scandal. But now he’s trying to rebuild his reputation and keep his career.

Jack is assigned to investigate the murder of Chad Thomas (Jack Ketchmark), who was stabbed to death while in the act of having sex with Sarah Henderson (Dee), the wife of Peter Henderson, a wealthy attorney (played by Joe Souza). Sarah has survived the attack but was drugged and is in a coma. Because of Peter’s visibility, this is a sensitive case and Jack’s boss warns him not to screw it up because Peter has the influence to ruin Jack’s career for good. Naturally, Jack considers Peter the prime suspect.

Jack discovers that Chad worked for a place called “the castle,” which is a…private sex club, run out of a mansion, where men and women go to have sex with escorts. Tamara Landry plays Lila, who was Jack’s informant in his previous case. She was a prostitute, but after Jack refused to give her up, she quit the business, and now works as the hostess at the castle, simply greeting guests and setting them up with the escorts, but doesn’t have sex with anyone herself. But now needing someone to get him information about the castle, Jack resumes his relationship with Lila, and convinces her to get information from him, even though it puts her at risk. As the investigation heats up, Jack becomes even more convinced that Peter is the killer, but things the only way he can get evidence against him, is to ask Lila to sleep with him, even though she gave up that lifestyle, and she’s outraged that he even asked. The film leads up to a dramatic and violent conclusion that everyone may not survive.

The film is a typical erotic thriller of the time period. It’s kind of slow in some places, but it’s entertaining enough. I have to give credit to Steven St. Croix, knowing him for years as a hardcore porn star, he shows himself to be an extremely capable actor. I think he had what it takes to make it mainstream roles if he’d chosen to go that route. Tamara Landry was also always a favorite of mine. Also in a supporting role is Amy Lindsay, who does a great job playing Alex, who also works in the police department with Jack.

There are eleven sex scenes in this film. Steven St. Croix and Tamara Landra are together in three. Croix also has one scene with Amy Lindsay, and Tamara has a scene with Joe Souza. Dee has three scenes, one with Jack Ketchmark, one with Souza, and a lesbian scene with Devon, who plays Mona, another escort at the castle. Devon also has two other sex scenes, one with Souza, and one with Trevor Zen, who plays the security guard at the castle.

The eleventh scene is between Isabella Gray and Nick Manning, but that scene wasn’t shot for this film, it’s taken from the movie PASSIONATE DECEPTIONS and was edited into this film.

All of the scenes are hot, shot in that classic MRG style. According to IMDB, this is the one and only film that Gionna Travis directed, with no other credits, which makes me suspect this is a pen-name for some more established director. But if not, and this is really their only film, I’m impressed with how well he shot it.

Chacebook rating: FOUR STARS

Jason Majercik is selling this UNRATED DVD for $19.99. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list