Jackpot (2005) Online

Among the more obscure vintage porno films currently available (on DVD), JACKPOT appears to be a re-editing of a "lost" classic THE VENUS TRAP with a brief framing story added. I would love to see the original movie, but this re-tooling is very suspenseful and worth watching.

VCX released the DVD in 2005, so the movie is listed as a 2005 video. Since the two added players Lisa Marks and Richard Stevens had only brief careers, I would date the re-edit as having been made approximately in 1976 give or take a year or two.

Without giving away the various plot twists, which are worthy of a Clouzot or Hitchcock mainstream film, story concerns a scam involving five people (the 2 additional characters are in the framing story only, with the principal film being relegated to lengthy flashbacks, a common structural device). It's about two married couples, wealthy Neil & Barbara Richmond (Tyler Horne and Sharon Thorpe) entertaining the attractive pair Lisa and Doug Hale (played by obscure actors Deborah Brast and "Theodore Dryer" -film buff riff on the Danish genius). Also present and crucial is another no-namer, Rochelle Belle as Gretchen the maid.

What transpires vaguely resembles but is far more interesting than the central premise of Adrian Lyne's hit INDECENT PROPOSAL, with Horne in the Redford role, Brast in the Demi Moore role and Dryer as Woody Harrelson. Sharon Thorpe's presence doesn't correspond to the Lyne movie, and makes the porno original much, much better.

Beginning with 3 Card Monty, then a competitive game of pinball (terrrifically shot and edited), the two men keep escalating their betting, moving soon to the poker table, and Lisa's sexual favors are ultimately priced at $500,000 (I guess equivalent to 10 million some 40 years later).

What makes this suspenseful is excellent acting by the principals, especially the underrated Thorpe (who I consider one of porn's greatest actresses) and extremely clever and often unpredictable cat & mouse plot reversals. The movie was riveting to watch and all under an hour in length. Original VELVET director Edwin Brown did a great job and the original score by jazz sax man/flautist Hadley Caliman is excellent.

Drawback is the present-day footage starring the overactive (and overacting) Lisa Marks which does feel tacked-on. She's a 21-year-old heiress and pretty much extraneous to the central scam. I would be interested in what was left out from VENUS TRAP to be replaced by this new structure - I suspect the earlier version would be even better though perhaps like THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS those missing reels are forever lost.

The technical quality of the original footage is impressive, especially amplified sound recording which enhances both dialog and the sex scenes' impact. In contrast, Stevens seems crudely dubbed in his brief framing scenes (humping Marks on a bed and listening to her tell her flashback tale), perhaps he was hired for sexual prowess rather than his diction (pun intended).

So I highly recommend this surviving artifact until the real thing (VELVET) comes along.