Longtime viewers of erotica might forget what Anthony Spinelli is capable of producing, given a large budget.  Due to the economic realities of the adult business, he has been forced to produce his specialty: sexual psycho-drama on low budgets - and has excelled in them.  But with Spinelli's The Party, we return to the golden days of porno, where sex is filmed in shadows and light, with tease and style and where plot and acting propel the sex to erotic heights.

Yes, here is a solid two hours of near perfect porn, which, if filmed on 35mm, would rank up there with Spinelli's greatest films.  Nothing To Hide, Sex World and Talk Dirty To Me.  It's a new style sexvid with old style eroticism, and for that reason, garners AVN's first-ever AAAAA rating for a video.

The marketing campaign for The Party has been phenomenal, with posters, coffee cups, memo pads, a gorgeous boxcover and lots of advertising.  But, too often, the product does not match the hype.  But if you're a retailer looking to entice customers, here's a production that will keep your customers interested in the genre.

Spinelli has always been a master of weaving sex scenes that mean something within a story.  For the viewer who watches sex videos for more than their "whack-off" value, he often gets an intriguing plot and perhaps a message or two.  The sex scenes here ring with passion and authenticity - not to mention, build-up, tease and payoff.  Joey Silvera plays the spoiled actor, flown to Hollywood by his agent (producer Jack Stephen) for a coming-out party.  Everyone wants a piece of Joey: everyone thinks he's a schmuck.  He uses his position in this world of cheating and double-dealing to become a sex pig, getting any woman he chooses.

Joey's key sex scene with the underrated and very sexy Alex Jordan (whose real tits are a refreshing sight) has the kind of foreplay that one might expect from a real-life encounter.  The camera slowly covers her body, and the clothes are removed slowly, with interesting lighting and smooth camera movement to augment the eroticism.  It's hot and meaningful.  Likewise Silvera's encounter with obsessed fan Melanie Moore - her performance should garner her a definite Best Supporting Actress nomination.  It becomes nasty hardcore, but only after the players - and the viewers - get teased out of their pants.

Truthfully, all seven sex scenes are wonderful examples of what sex on video should be, with the exact amount of build-up and tension which in each case creates a different erotic atmosphere.  Jon Dough gets ravaged by Carolyn Monroe and Tonisha Mills; Heather Lere (who from a distance looks like Goldie Hawn) and Matt Daniels rip up a hotel set; Joey Silvera and Tiffany Mynx do a nasty anal scene outside a limo after soaking the inside; Jonathan Morgan does huge-breasted Taylor Wane in a closet; and Ona Zee in one of her filthiest threesomes handles Tony Tedeschi and Joel lawrence inside a jail cell.  At once stylish and hot, each performer stays totally in character during each sex sequence and the results are astonishing and ribald.

Mitchell Spinelli and Jack Stephen have crafted a solid, funny script and the acting from Silvera, Moore, Ona Zee, Jon Dough, Morgan, Alex Jordan and E.Z. Ryder (in a non-sex role) is wonderful.  It couldn't be less than that from the master of adult actors, Anthony Spinelli.  The direction is exciting, with intriguing camerawork and perfect editing (not overdone).  By the way, don't overlook a series of humorous outtakes featuring Heather Lere at the end of the video.  They're uproarious.

The Party lives up to all its hype, and more. Without a doubt one of the best shot-on-video features of its kind and among Spinelli's personal best on video.