A porn version of Othello? Why not? Damn near everything else has been grist for the porn mill. In this Shakespeare-lite vid, Lexington Steele is OT, a pimp in Venice, California, and his (Desde)Mona is the formidable Nina Hartley. The hotel where the action takes place has a neon sign in bad shape, first saying HOTEL then just showing the O (Shakespeare? This is an homage to Lanford Wilson) and there's a guy named "Willie" behind the night desk writing with a quill and brushing up his Shakespeare. Hipster wannabe/unsuccessful pimp Mike Horner takes the Iago part, jealous of OT's "main man" Cass(io) (Lee Stone) and keen to take OT down, perhaps with the help of drugged-out Rod(rigo) (Tyce Buné).

OT gives Mona a handkerchief as a token of his love, then he takes it back at the first sign of disloyalty, dropping it in a bar where Horner finds it. Then Horner tells OT that Mona is fucking Cass, and draws OT into catching Mona in flagrante with Diana DeVoe in the hotel bar. But unlike the Shakespearean original, OT survives and prevails, and Iago gets the comeuppance that has eluded him since 1603. And Steve Hatcher's character, after disposing of Horner and enjoying the company of India, says to OT, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," updating things to at least 1942...

Cleverly, reiterations of Shakespeare's lines often get a puzzled "What are you talking about?" as a response. The sex scenes pack the requisite heat, and the pictures are well-shot, although there is some image breakup in the DVD.