For the Love of Pleasure

FOR THE LOVE OF PLEASURE may have cheap production values, but the unusual storyline sees it stand out from the usual run of porn movies that were filling adult cinemas during the late 1970s. The tale is about a thief who's shot and sent to heaven, where he is forced by a mysterious goddess to sleep with a number of beautiful women. There's an (obvious) twist in the tale, of course, and the whole thing is lifted wholesale from an old TWILIGHT ZONE episode called A NICE PLACE TO VISIT.

The film features the seasoned porn performer Jamie Gillis giving a hard-working performance as the thief protagonist. Coming across as a likable Elliott Gould lookalike, Gillis has a surprising amount of charisma - and humour - which helps to make this a watchable film. The stand-out sequence is the opening set-piece, in which Gillis is forced to involve himself in the arresting charms of bored housewife Susan Nero before disappearing to the clouds above. There's a surprisingly good performance from Annette Haven before the whole thing descends into the usual plot less and routine sex, but at least the unusual setting sees this one stand out from the crowd.

Boy, you get a little older and you find yourself saying, "They just don't make 'em like they used to," even about adult movies. Back in the late '70's/early '80's the films did actually resemble what most people would call an honest-to-gosh movie. One even went to a theater to see them!

'For the Love of Pleasure' actually has a (gasp) plot, with serious themes, although it's pure entertainment. Jamie Gillis stars as a housebreaking burglar. One night he's plying his trade when the lady of the house, Suzanne Nero, gets the drop on him. She doesn't want to call the police or make him leave; instead, at gunpoint, she tells him to make love to her. Jamie decides that this is a pretty good option; the gun doesn't seem to be necessary. The scene that follows is memorable. I saw it almost 20 years ago and I can recall it well, as Gillis makes good use of some of Sue's natural assets. As they finish, hubby arrives home. Ms. Nero then cooly plugs Jamie with her pistol and he departs this mortal coil.

And finds himself...in heaven? To his surprise, that's where this unrepentant sinner appears to be. Ruled over by a goddess figure (Annette Haven), Gillis now lives in a garden of carnal delights the likes of which he'd never known on earth. But be careful what you wish for...

Haven was one of porn's first regal beauties, and there are lots of other good female stars of the time, including Lysa Thatcher as a young innocent, the role she seemed born to play. A morality tale with lots of good sex, what more can you ask for?