Watching '80s porn can seem a futile exercise, since such a high percentage of that decade's output was barely watchable video-shot throwaways. But STREET HEAT is a significant exception, shot on film and remarkably effective both in the story execution and erotic content.
While watching I began to realize that this was among the better examples of neo-noir, latter-day attempts to capture the magic of those '40s classics. I thought of the wonderful NO WAY OUT (remake of THE BIG CLOCK) released the same year, and upon consulting IMDb was surprised to see that one actor Bruce Dobos actually appears in both movies.
R. Bolla gets one of his best roles as private eye Sam Q. Nichols, providing the usual voice-over narration and handling his Bogey role with aplomb. Well-written script (though its author needlessly chose a stupid pseudonym "Oscar N. Likely") has him hired by Rita Hale (Amber Lynn) to find her missing younger sister Laura (significant character name for the film's structure, extremely well played by alluring Desiree Lane), with Laura's personal phone book giving him leads.
His series of interviews on her trail provide a solid hook for a succession of flashback sex scenes. Colorful characters include Sasha Gabor as "The Bandit", a Hollywood actor who not surprisingly instantly suggests Burt Reynolds in perhaps Gabor's most close to the bone impersonation of his mainstream lookalike, except for his thick European accent. Jamie Gillis is in a good mood as an AC/DC film director interviewed in a leather bar named The Golden Spike. Paul Thomas is less convincing as an Italianate gangster, while Colleen Brennan brings a bit of panache as a makeup lady who had a lesbian affair with Laura.
It's a lengthy film (it runs 99 minutes to make room for both sex scenes and solid acting/narrative sequences). Pleasant surprise is Lane's performance, with dark eye shadow convincing as a femme fatale, when one usually thinks of her as an interchangeable '80s jail bait cutie. Film literally climaxes at an orgy filled with familiar porn faces orchestrated by Dragon Lady (Mai Lin), However, the finale involving Bolla and Lane is a satisfying conclusion to the story.
Director Ned Morehead fulfills the maxim "he had one good film in him" with this winner. I have no idea why such a pearl sank without a trace in the '80s, but go hunt for it -currently available hidden away on a 3-fer from Alpha Blue Archives saluting Colleen Brennan.
