Orient Express

Luca Damiano created an effortless classic with "Orient eXpress", a lavishly staged porn comedy/adventure that destroys several myths. First, it demonstrates that in the proper hands shot-on-video can be as beautiful if not better than 35mm filming; and secondly it maintains the energy and arousal nature of sex scenes while creating interesting characters and storyline -you can have both. And a porn feature can be satisfying and enlightening without being pretentious or "artsy".

His idea is to have a centenary of the venerable rail line celebrated by passengers dressing up in fancy outfits. The Sidney Lumet Agatha Christie movie MURDER... is perhaps the template, but Luca's light-hearted, often quite amusing approach proves even more entertaining than that classic Paramount film.

The mixture of "shipboard" (but on a train) romances and encounters, plus a deft subplot of a pair of attractive jewel thieves (Frank Gun and Kaja/Christina) preying on fellow passengers is fun, and the entire romantic nature of the old train and vintage costumes is superior to many a mainstream movie. Shot in Hungary, what is most amazing is that the special effects are near-perfect, with the illusion that we're actually on a moving train for the duration convincing throughout.

A prologue is equally well-realized, as Valentino and lovely heroine Monika Kiss hook up on a boat ride, with their stand-up humping by the rail looking utterly real (guerrilla filmmaking?) against a stunning location backdrop.

Entire cast does a fine job in their acting and humping and it is the balance between the two that is worth studying by today's generation of both gonzo and crypto-storyline pornographers. Luca makes it look easy, but compare this with a hundred other Euro porn productions (including those from far more famous directors) and see the difference.

I remember this one very clearly as I was expected the scene with Nikita. In fact, she did only one very, very short and that's all. In addition, Anita doesn't bring anything exciting this time so honestly, this period parody is as boring as the 70s movie: all this ride is thus just repetitive sex scenes with plain actress in Small wagons, wood benches. Sure a lot of care is shown to this production but beautiful landscapes and an exquisite Nikita playing a cute princess is not enough… Sometimes mainstream movies are too porn oriented but this movie is the contrary: it's a porn movie with too much mainstream content!NB: this was the Canal + porn movie for January 1997 but i'm sure that i watched it later as at this date, i didn't start reading Penthouse and i believed i discovered Nikita when she was pet in July 1998!