Cast and Crew
Director: Rob Spera
Writers: Michael E. Jordan, Rob Spera
Producers: Alan B. Bursteen, Marc Greenberg, Marc Laurence, Moookie Rubin
Composer: Steven M. Stern
Cinematographer: Tito
Editor: Ivan Ladizinsky
Meilani Paul: Diandra Jensen (as Melanie Hall)
Jay Huguley: Arthur Benton
Vincent Dale: Roy James
Taylor Leigh: Margaret Castleman
Dani Thompson: Sarah Winston
Pia Reyes: Tracy
The Midnight Take
Call Girl (1995) has the mood and tone of an erotic thriller, but no one dies or is blackmailed. Rob Spera does a fine job directing, as this movie is filmed more polished than others in its genre. Of course, I’d expect nothing less from the director of Leprechaun 5: In the Hood. I say that without sarcasm. I fuckin’ love Leprechaun 5.
Call Girl, for those youngsters out there, is a term for prostitutes, but not the stand-on-the-corner in the ghetto kind. They are more hookers for the white collar business set. They are also a common occurrence in these films. Typically, though, the woman becomes a call girl not out of desperation, but out of boredom.
In this film, however, there is a slight hint of desperation. Diandra (a stunning Meilani Paul) is a starving artist. At the beginning of the film she holds an exhibition that tanks. She only sold one photograph. Fortunately for her, the buyer was the Arthur Benton (Jay Huguley long before the zombie apocalypse). Mr. Benton is a big deal in the art world. When Diandra asks him for his opinion he basically says, “It’s not dark enough, Diandra. You have to explore you innermost deviant desires.” That’s not a direct quote, but that’s very much the message delivered.
After returning to her apartment to sulk for a bit Diandra receives more bad news, she must fork up $1000 or be evicted. Well her friend and model, Tracy (Pia Reyes), just happens to work for a service where you make $1000. How convenient! Even better, it’s not prostitution because sex isn’t involved. Who knew? Rich men just pay pretty women for their company.
Well, it wouldn’t be a movie if Diandra’s first client wasn’t the Mr. Arthur Benton himself. After some I hate you but I won’t walk out the door moments, Mr. Benton guides Diandra to her internal darkness. After witnessing and experiencing some perversions Diandra finally learns what art truly is, chicks in gas masks.
This is a fun movie that takes itself more seriously than others in this genre. This is both a strength and a weakness. The scene in the sex club is legendary and one not easily forgotten. For decades I remembered that scene but I could never remember the name of the movie. It was with a great thrill when I most recently discovered this was the movie. My only wish is that Meilani Paul had acted in more films in this lane. If she had, she no doubt would have been among the best of the genre.
Watchability: 🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷 (8/10) • A beautiful Meilani Paul makes watching every scene with her easy. The acting isn’t horrible. The directing is decent. And even the music, composed by Steven M. Stern of Deadpool fame, is a standout for the genre.
Sex scenes: 🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷 (8/10) • Not a lot of scenes but the ones that do exist are quite memorable.
Sex and/or significant nudity breakdown:
- Photo session. Tracy and Cynthia. Boobs. And a pillow fight!
- Diandra and Roy in her apartment. Boobs. Kissing. Licking. Fake fuzzy munching. Butt.
- Diandra and Roy move to bed. Ride ’em cowgirl. Finger sucking. More boobs. And lotsa long schlong riding.
- 2 dudes and a blindfolded woman. They tie the woman to a post and undress her. One man pets and licks. Some boob. Kinky, but not a lot of nudity.
- Warehouse sex club. This may be the most memorable scene from films of this genre. Lots of boobs, leather whips, a woman to an X-cross, handcuffs, dude does wife in front of dudes. Just see it.
- Outside sex club. Arthur fingers Diandra. Nothing to see. Moaning and a lot of yacking.
- Photoshoot with Tracy and leather whip. Nothing to see.
- Photoshoot with two prostitutes. Post-punk music. Boobs, bush, weird outfits, and licking.
- Photoshoot #2 with the prostitutes. More of the same shit, just more peculiar. And with gas masks.
Trope Checklist:
- Starving artist
- “Normal” woman becomes call girl
- Sexual awakening
