The opening close-ups of Raven and Rocco's gorgeously chiseled features set the sleek tone for this John Leslie-directed gem. Like true predators, they survey the dancers in a smokey, spacious club and spy partners T.T. Boy and Ashley Nicole hump/standing on the dance floor. Wordlessly, Raven approaches them and kisses Nicole on the mouth, only to be stopped by Jamie Gillis. The erotic encounters are numerous (nearing a dozen) and exquisite, melting one into the other. Both story and script are crafted by Leslie and highlight the beauty of Selena Steele.

As Raven's sister, Steele slowly discovers the secrets of the cat curse which plague her family. Steele enters the eerie house which is filled with swaddled furniture and lanky catlike humans and performs an unparalleled masturbation sequence. From that point on, libidos simmer like those of alley cats beneath your bedroom window as they meet in the smoldering summer night.

Abundant and artistically staged, the sex is electrifying. Most of the nastiness culminates in the mysterious club where the patrons rut with wild ferocity. Zara Whites is an alabaster vision, stripping and stroking to the delight of six men. The star of a circle-jerk, they christen her slinky frame with fluid. Steele finds true love with Marc Wallice, only to have him snatched away by Raven.

"Whatever you love is mine too," she explains to her bewildered sibling, who watches with great sadness as Raven seduces Wallice. Raven and Patricia Kennedy anxiously await for the "transformation" and vie for the title of "Cat Woman," the seductive feline/queen who will rule all. They decide to let "stray" Wallice join their pack, but first he must prove himself sexually at the club. Prowling for physical gratification with a hunger, the group seduces Randy Spears and wife Alexandria Quinn. Raven again tries to grab Wallice from Steele, but now it's Steele who establishes herself as the high princess of pussydom.

The visual excellence and creative orchestration of the sex scenes let this Cat Woman purr. The music easily melds with the on-screen action, making this one of Leslie's most impressive efforts to date. Sparse dialog, superb editing and makeup, the intermingling of sensuality with power and base animal desires make it an intriguing venture for the mind as well. Do we need to implore retailers to stock this instant classic?