The Ultimate Pleasure (1977) User Reviews

Satisfying 70's porn item

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 25 September 2014]

Horny cab driver Jim Holt (a solid performance by Jeff Lyle) and his unhappy office worker wife Rose (nicely played by fetching brunette Kristine Heller) are stuck in a stale and passionless marriage. Rose seeks help from unorthodox psychiatrist Dr. Sharpe (foxy blonde Nina Fause). Meanwhile, Jim discovers a suitcase full of money and goes to Las Vegas to have an extramarital fling with prostitute Genie (the one and only Annette Haven at her most stunning and delectable).

Director Carlos Tobalina relates the engrossing story at a steady pace and grounds the premise in a believable everyday working class reality. The sex scenes are pretty hot and varied: Sizzling highlights include an opening orgy in front of a giant movie screen showing assorted flickering images, Jim enjoying a threesome with the always delicious Haven as well as the equally yummy Candida Royalle and the quite tasty Iris Medina, and a torrid girl/girl session between Rose and several hot babes. The legendary John Holmes and his monstrously massive mutant moose member are relegated to small roles. The competent cinematography by Fernando Fortes vividly captures Las Vegas in all its garish'n'glittery neon glory. The eclectic score alternates between pounding prog-rock and soothing lounge. Worth a watch for fans of Golden Age adult fare.

Poor acting and lousy story in clunker from Mr. "Benny"

[lor_ · 10 June 2015]

I gave Carlos Tobalina one rave review (for 3 RIPENING CHERRIES) some time ago, but lately he's been batting .000 for me, with the DVD revival recently of one amateurish stinker after another. THE ULTIMATE PLEASURE is even less polished than usual, starring untalented leads in a stupid tale.

Kristene Heller (a pretty but vapid actress this time out) and Jeff Lyle are the unhappy marrieds, introduced in fairly cryptic early scenes. Excuse for a story (never one of Tobalina's strong suits) has cabbie Jeff finding a suitcase full of money in the back seat and heading to Las Vegas to live it up with whore Annette Haven.

Most of the action makes no sense at all, such as Jeff fired from his cab company, a scene of sitting on the toilet with gag sound effects dubbing (apparently a moronic Tobalina fetish, used previously to ill effect in MARILYN AND THE SENATOR) and various pointless sex scenes.

Main narrative thread, also botched, concerns marital therapists Paul Thomas (perhaps the last guy I would see on such matters) and Nina Fause (Carlos's main squeeze miscast as usual), who spout a lot of nonsense. Typically Tobalina mounts his favorite soap box, with Paul Thomas reciting a ridiculous rant or two decrying the advertising industry and how it has corrupted our society (circa MAD MEN's era), replete with a montage of billboards advertising popular brands of cigarettes. I wonder whether Carlos made and exhibited porno movies to get rich, or merely as means to an end like George Soros and the Koch Bros. Today using their billions to fund pet-peeve propaganda.

Therapy sessions where the good docs hypnotize our hero and heroine are just a gimmick for Carlos to include his quota of orgy footage, staged as cheapo fantasies on the ugliest of sets and featuring name talent such as John Holmes, Candida Royalle, Jade Wong and Dashile Miguele in bit parts.