After seeing Torch, I was left wondering if writer/director/cameo star Paul Thomas had recently seen Francois Truffaut’s Day For Night.  Thomas has created not just an excellent adult feature, but also, like that movie, provided a funny and insightful look at the film business itself.  There’s a bit of a wait between the first couple of sex scenes (the pacing might not be for all tastes), but this feature should not be overlooked.

Set during an adult video shoot, Torch follows the efforts of scriptwriter Randy Spears to meet and bed actress Heather Hunter.  Trouble brews when his pick-up lines keep working their way into his latest screenplay, much to the consternation of wife Rebecca Steele, and Spears’ overactive imagination leads to some delightful fantasy sequences involving the “video-within-a-video’s” various players.

Fine production values and top-notch cast carry the plot along. Hunter, certainly one of the top faces in the business, puts sizzle in her every move and even does some not-too-shabby singing in one scene.  Steele is good as the neglected spouse who tries to get Spears’ mind away from business, and Jon Dough, Randy Spears and Kim McKay lend their presence to fine supporting shots.

Torch, with its emphasis on characters and leisurely flow, has couples’ market written all over it.  But with the fiery Ms. Hunter on screen, this one is sure to keep those homefires burning for all audiences.