Though silly at times and not always well-acted (or scripted, for that matter), The China Cat is great, timeless erotica with a capital "E," managing to be utterly charming throughout despite (or maybe because of) its unintentional goofiness.  One of the "Johnny Wadd" pictures, Cat captures John Holmes at his most swank and charismatic.  Just observe how he shakes up a couple of martinis for himself and Eileen Welles, then oh-so-smoothly flings the moisture from his hands.

What really makes this a prize item, however -- for fans of Paul Thomas Anderson, at lest -- is that it's the very film from which Anderson borrowed for several of the "Brock Landers" movie clips in Boogie Nights.  Remember the scene where Julianne Moore walks up to a bar and orders a shot of tequila from Luis Guzman, and Mark Wahlberg (as Landers) tells her the place isn't good, "It's excellent"?  Marvel at how accurately Anderson recreated that scene as it plays out here... as well as how closely Moore resembles Eileen Welles.

It's easy to understand why Anderson pilfered from The China Cat -- it really is one of the most entertaining porn films you'll ever see. The mysterious music, the cheesy innuendo, the B-grade story that's a combined parody of The Maltese Falcon and Charlie's Angels... it's just a joy of a viewing experience through-and-through.  And the cinematography (by Lazlo Crovney) is actually fairly inspired compared to what you'll find in most porn productions, past or present.

There are nil for extras here, sad to say, and the picture isn't always outstanding, but this disc is very worth any porn connoisseur's while, and should be stocked wherever such folks spend their thusly-allotted income.