Destined to remain a footnote in the annals of adult, San Francisco's Jack Genero burst onto the West Coast scene in the flurry of over-compensatory excess which characterized sexploitation's last gasp. Reluctant to show penetration, the industry resorted to knives puncturing female flesh and replaced intimacy with kink in a symbolic stand against the inevitable. Genero made the exit memorable with the grimy kidnap caper SAN FRANCISCO BALL, sleazy Mondo movie DEVIATIONS ON GRATIFICATIONS and, best of breed, COMMUNE starring Jefferson Airplane's Bill Harvey as Charles Manson ! Along with his oddball CLIMAX, a veritable epic by early '70s skin flick standards featuring fence-straddling Maria Arnold heading an army of rape victims hellbent on retaliation, these movies hinted at their director's burning desire to make a "real movie" with sex rather than plain porn, although ambition was admittedly sometimes outstripped by actual ability.
Staging an action set piece with all the aplomb of any '70s TV cop show, Genero compiled a body of work that should have garnered him respect instead of the critical cold shoulder. Always his own cameraman, out of economic necessity as much as creative convenience, he finally won praise albeit under the (transparent) alias of "Jack Mathew" for his sterling achievement on elusive Stanley Kurlan's 1977 John Holmes/Lesllie Bovee blockbuster ERUPTION, bringing breathtaking visuals to this adult take on Billy Wilder's classic noir DOUBLE INDEMNITY, shot on location in Hawaii over a three week stretch. Persistent rumor had him handling much of the mysterious director's chores as well as the material certainly played to his proved strength. He was a strong supporter and one time Vice President of the Adult Film Association of America (AFAA) and its initial investment in improving the industry's stature in mainstream media.
Perhaps disenchanted with dirty movies, on which he had tried so hard with so little to show for, Genero arbitrarily embraced the new video medium right from the get-go and never looked back, churning out cheap features for the hardcore home viewing crowd. Arriving at the peak of porn's pinnacle period anyway, 1981's Flash was his last 35mm project to the best of my knowledge. Production values are probably at an all time high for Genero with his customary glowing cinematography a particular standout, artistically augmented by extensive aerial footage shot from a helicopter and convincingly generated suspense in a number of impeccably staged chase sequences. Unfortunately, Michael Stott's clumsy screenplay proves unnecessarily vague on various key plot points, creating confusion detracting from the porn's potency.
You certainly can't fault the film's casting, the bad guys really looking the part, helped rather than hindered by the fact that the legitimate action swallowed up most of Genero's budget so he had to dip into the porno pool of supporting players and also rans, their unfamiliarity adding to the credibility. Mike Eyke, a reliable loop performer furtively featured in Suze Randall's KISS AND TELL, has no trouble convincing as duplicitous Mark Fischman, chief editor of floundering Flash flesh rag with a sideline in abduction and extortion. The same goes for former sexploitation mainstay and subsequent TV walk-on veteran Marland Proctor as his grizzled henchman. As goes for most of the Golden Age adult actresses, star Hillary Summers had no trouble handling dialog but required guidance to keep from overacting. Since Genero's attentions were more focused on surface slickness, Summers careens spectacularly off the rails at regular intervals.
Prime photographer for the aforementioned tabloid, Jessica/Hillary's interest is piqued when she spots heavy Lance De White perusing their latest copy upside down while nervously guarding the entrance to a bank. Next thing you know, she watches and conspicuously snaps shots of him and an accomplice brusquely escorting an exiting customer to their car. While the girl looks familiar, it's not until she turns on the news she realizes it's Denise Rockland (angular Jane Lindsay), daughter of a governor making a bid for Senate. In what must be one of the most thoroughly planned blackmail schemes ever, Jessica's evil editor shot a porn film of the drug-addicted daughter and her boyfriend years ago with the intention of extortion in case dad ever hit the big time ! Sensing his roving reporter on his tail, Mark orders his henchmen to capture Jessica's visiting best friend Maxine (Raven Turner) while she's catching her breath at Antoine's beauty salon. Her humping hairdresser Tommy La Roc (an under the radar blond bulb) provides mostly visual interest as Genero highlights their milky complexion against an inky black background. A glass table partition ends the scene with mutual masturbation rather than actual penetration.
Hung but hardly a hunk, there's a distinct blue collar roughness around the edges to scrunchy-faced stud Don Hodges, playing his biggest part in a checkered career as Jessica's ever-ready chauffeur and somewhat surprisingly pushing Summers' buttons big time in the process. Their backseat and bathroom quickies rank as unlikely hot 'n heavy Hillary humdingers which is a good thing as her Sapphic soothing of Lindsay's a non-starter, spoilsport baddies bursting through the door, and an enforced airborne BJ looks suspiciously faked. All of this serves to transport Jessica to her employer's lair in the middle of nowhere, where Eyke's on the receiving end of an excellent hummer from single shot cutie Rose Emor before taking liberties with a convincingly cowering Turner. Summers saves the day, demonstrating physical prowess of a different kind by running and climbing all over the property and inadvertently assuring her dastardly boss gets his comeuppance in an ironic final twist, regrettably segueing once more into an extraordinarily annoying theme song by the usually reliable Chet and Jim Moore who did a superior job scoring Stu Segall's superlative SUMMER SCHOOL and CHARLI.
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