"UnclothedUncensoredUnbelievable"This is the tag-line for the production, Erotic Survivor, produced by those leaders in erotic parody, Seduction Cinema. Erotic Survivor is just the latest in a long line of lesbian comedies helmed by John Bacchus / Michael Beckerman and starring Darian Caine, coming hot on the heels of Mistress Frankenstein, and paving the way for the ambitious Gladiator Eroticvs. Bacchus and the other folks at Seduction Cinema have carved a niche for themselves in the b-movie industry with their sexy comedies, becoming, in a sense, the kings of erotic parody. "You got naked chicks, you got guys doing stupid stuff," says Bacchus. "What more can you ask for?" What more indeed? To their credit, Seduction Cinema knows when to jump on a trend. Within a few months of the Blair Witch Project hoopla, Seduction Cinema had released The Erotic Witch Project, sending their stock-company of nymphomaniacs deep into the woods to videotape their sexual exploits. Now with Erotic Survivor, their track-record continues, as the hit t.v. show is still milking its phenomenal run-away success in re-runs, the contestants continuing to be talk-show staples and media darlings, and Survivor II just over the horizon. Survivor was the most successful show that was part of the so-called "reality television" boom. Even in re-runs, Survivor topped the ratings, and the final episode - in which the often-naked back-stabber Richard Hatch was declared the winner - was one of the highest-rated shows of the television season. But before Richard had the chance to don a pair of shorts and rejoin civilization, Erotic Survivor was already in production. The concept seemed a natural one for Seduction Cinema: the lesbian tribe verses the non-lesbian tribe; naked women in the woods, competing in actual games of skill. (No rats were eaten during the making of this production, although other things well, we'll leave that to your imagination.) Bacchus was quick to round up the usual suspects for this "reality erotica": the video stars Darian Caine, Jade Duboir, Misty Mundae and Esmerelda DellaRocco (all from Gladiator Eroticvs) comprising the "Pu-nanni Tribe"; and on the "Hey-hu-nanni Tribe," Bill Hellfire and Joey Smack, newcomer Justin Wingenfeld, and b-movie diva Debbie Rochon (Tromeo & Juliette, American Nightmare) playing junkies, bible-bangers and media censors, all just as quick to stab each other in the back as they are to defeat the opposing tribe. One of the things that sets a Seduction Cinema production apart from other low-budget soft-core fare is the sense of humor inherent in all the projects. The cast always seems to be enjoying themselves; the fun the characters are having is genuine. And, of course, Erotic Survivor is no exception. "I love working with these guys," says the perennial Darian Caine. "I get to hang out and have fun, and it never feels like work." And this sentiment is echoed by all the others. A John Bacchus production is famous for having a loose script, relying on the improvisational skills of the performers. In Erotic Survivor, another level was added: the games played were real, the competitions real. The feats of endurance, the mental agility, all were played for keeps. The Hey-hu-nanni Tribe was out for blood. (And the Pu-nanni Tribe had no idea; they thought they were ad-libbing the script.)
"They had no clue," says Rochon, who plays the repressive censor Mary Whitehead. "They shot all the lesbian stuff in a couple days, and we came in the next. All of a sudden the girls had to deal with these lunatics who were shouting at them, trying to trip them up during these games. I think they were really taken aback. (Laughs) But in a good way." It may have taken the ladies a while to catch on, but soon they were in the mix, as bloodthirsty as their opposition. And just like the television show, there was as much in-fighting as there was competition. Rochon groans. "Oh my god, Bill and Joey, who played the junkies, they got so into their characters. So sleazy, such back-stabbers. This whole thing was so much fun. We all got so into it. We were out to win. And I was just as bad. Just as bad. I was totally into the backstabbing." The production was not without its problems, of course. What production is? "Our original location fell through," says director Bacchus. "We were originally supposed to shoot on this beach-front property, and everything was set. Then the owner was like, 'Of course, there can't be any nudity, because children might be around,' so we had to head back to our usual location in the woods. We could be as naked as we wanted to back there."
- Mike Watt