High-end porn meets eschatology – the branch of theology concerned with the nature of heaven and hell. Such a match could only have been made in the mind of Michael Ninn.

Ninn is unique among XXX directors. His movies may leave you baffled, but they stick in your mind. He's a muddled storyteller but a masterful filmmaker.

Here he throws in the works. Ravishing images. Religious iconography. Lovely women in fanciful attire. Horned hellhounds. Trippy editing. Theological ruminations. And to top it off, a gruesomely realistic torture scene (not involving sex).

The story revolves around a double murder and suicide in a vaguely Victorian past. The two women involved are condemned in the afterlife as agents of Satan, eternally "taking" new victims from among the living. On the other side of the good vs. evil divide is a police detective, an ex-priest, haunted by the murder of his family.

Ninn discovery Heather Vuur is exquisitely beautiful in the leading role. She wraps her mouth capably around gummy chunks of dialogue and quivers erotically while being finger-fucked in an all-girl threeway. Nick Manning is superb as the despairing detective.

All the sex is strongly performed, especially the pivotal scene, extremely sensual, between Jassie and Jean Val Jean, and Manning's memory of his wedding day (with Brooke) as a rare glimpse of heaven on earth.

Loren Alexander's hypnotic score is given added punch by the powerful contributions of rock legend (and co-executive producer) Eddie Van Halen.

Pre-noms: Best Video. Best DVD. Best Director: Michael Ninn. Best Actress, Video: Heather Vuur. Best Actor, Video: Nick Manning. Best Supporting Actress, Video: Jassie. Best Non-Sex Performance: Ruby Strange. Best Couples Sex Scene, Video: Jassie, Jean Val Jean. Best Videography: Barry Wood. Best Music: Eddie Van Halen & Loren Alexander. Best Art Direction: John Sykes. Best Editing: Steven Katz & Bobby Blue. Best Special Effects: 1019. Best DVD Packaging. Best DVD Extras.

Retailing: A sumptuous package with serious crossover sales potential.