ERIKA’S HOT SUMMER

1970 – color – directed by Gary Graver – R
with Erica Gavin, Walt Phillips, Merci Montello, Julie Stone

The Erika in this GARY GRAVER directed soft soaper is the one, the only ERICA GAVIN, star of Russ Meyer mega-hits Vixen and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. One of those girls the camera truly worshipped, Erica lit up the screen in Jonathan Demme’s prison pic, Caged Heat (apparently the lastfilm credit of her short-lived acting career) as well as such obscurities as Captain Milkshake, The Rebel Jesus, and the berserk Sexy Shocker, Godmonster of Indian Flats.

Despite the title, E|ilra”s Hot Summer is something of a cool, languid entry in the sex film sweepstakes, an effect abetted by the wistful, melancholic music of ROBERT HIRTH and his ever present theme song, “Erika” (which is pretty good, actually). all of it reminiscent of the bluesy, coffee house style of Kenny Rankin. Compared to today’s porn-erotic cinema (or is it videma?) in which gals are directed to suck jiz from the freshly sodomized asspipes of other girls, a virtually plotless picture like Erika’s Hot Summer looks like Titanic Photographer Steve (WALT PHlLLlPS),a blond cabana boy bimbo-type, gets it right, left, and center from his beautiful, fawning models. Hey,just because he has a mirrored ceiling and has a home studio doesn’t mean he’s trying to snag them.

Things happen.

One look at Erika on the beach and Steve‘s pounding heart is nailed dead center by Mr. Oipid, as it may have been for Mr. Meyer (in a professional way, of course).Therefore, you will see many leisurely minutes of a smitten Steve cavorting romantically with his beloved Erika amidst California splendor just like a ’70s Breck shampoo TV commercial.

When they’ re not wading through the majestic surf, Steve is still slipping the pork sausage into other babes, notably jealous Sherri (MERCI MONTELLO),a for who increasingly spends most of her screen time brooding obsessively, stream of consciousness style. How she enacts her climactic revenge on Steve and his straying ways is swift…

And be happily advised: this is the only film in which all of Miss Gavin’s breathtaking charms are revealed for her eager-to-stare fans. From HARRY NOVAK and the 35mm Gavin-garnished negative.

— Elliot James, Score magazine

color, mono, fullscreen, 66 minutes _ extra. DVD-R comes packaged as shown in color DVD case wrapped in plastic!