A psychologically dense, sexually rousing masterpiece, this long, detailed and intricate two-part movie has everything you could want in an adult film. Justine's Daughter/Club Purgatory tells a complex story, doesn't forget that a sex film needs to stimulate the viewer and actually contains acting and production value worthy of a mainstream movie. This double feature, actually shot as a long movie, comes in a nicely appointed double-wrap box with a pretty picture of star Gwen Summers on the cover. Cut into two distinct parts, subtitled Nothing to Hide 3&4, it's supposed to be a sequel to Cal Vista's award-winning Justine. AVN's Best Film of 1993. It's as much a sequel to Justine as that film was a sequel to Nothing to Hide. But for marketing reasons, the company decided to exploit the title. Viewers needn't be confused, since it stands on its own. Summers plays Ariel, Justine's daughter, suffering partial amnesia after a car accident. She is confused and very horny. After a metaphorical obtuse opening sex scene set in medieval times (Wendy Knight, Brandon Iron, Pat Myne and Michael J. Cox in a nominatable group sex scene with a dandy double penetration). Summer's journey begins. Is Melissa Hill her mother or just the madam at the whorehouse where she may or may not be working? Is Hershel Savage her father or her lover? Who are all these strange people and why are they in her life? Though the story is laced with sex, the plot gets more intriguing as the minutes tick off. Director James Avalon juxtaposes time and story line elements and it might be two and a half hours into the movie before the observer can figure out where all the ironic twists lead. In the sex department, two other sequences deserve nominations for Best Group Scene. A fantasy segment with Summers, her doctor (Mark Davis) and nurse Marylin Star creates tremendous heat as does the bizarre, colorful closing orgy. Gwen Summers, a cute, thin, natural brunette, should be in the running for next year's Best Actress Award. Her sexual prowess matches her acting chops, as evidenced in two scenes with Herschel Savage (one of which deserves a pre-nomination) and a lovely sequence with Julian, which is partly filmed underwater and is a strong contender for Best Couples Scene. And so we don't forget the superior skills of Melissa Hill, who should be nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Her fencing match with Julian turns into a rousing fuck scene, leading to a key plot point. Justine's Daughter works on every level, with superior cinematography, editing, art direction and music. Herschel Savage turns in the finest acting performance of his storied career and even the minor players turn in some fine acting and sumptuous sex. Not a false note in one of the best films in a long, long time.
