“Erotic Nights” was made during the same period as “Porno Holocaust” (review here) with much of the same cast and locales. In an interesting interview with writer/actor George “Grim Reaper” Eastman on the “Porno” DVD, he acknowledged that they were shooting several films concurrently with “Porno.” In theory this might sound rather confusing, but after watching “Erotic Nights,” which is basically a loose variation on “Porno,” it’s not difficult to comprehend. Both films are structurally very much alike and neither cares very much for coherency. Chances are whatever other films that were in production as well revolved around hardcore sex and banal island horror. In “Erotic Nights,” the prolific double-threat of Eastman and Director Joe D’Amato once again deliver a bizarre mix of sex and violence with the ratio more balanced this time around. The main difference here, aside from more gore, is that European trash queen Laura “Women’s Prison Massacre” Gemser is part of the action. She’s given top billing here but her role is nothing more than an extended cameo. Maybe she owed D’Amato a favor; he had directed her in several of the more lurid Black Emanuelle (with one “m”) films.

“Erotic Nights” features “Porno’s” Mark Shannon as John, a randy property developer, whose company intends to build a hotel on the deserted Cat Island; purportedly haunted. He visits a small village not far from the island and, having some time to kill, has explicit sex with a couple of hookers in his hotel room. When he tells them he’s there to scope out Cat Island, they flee in terror. He doesn’t think much of it however because he immediately hooks up with his neighbor, sexed-up socialite Fiona (Dirce Funari). The next day he hires Captain O’Hara (Eastman) to take him and the socialite to the island. O’Hara quickly spends his fee on a top-notch hooker who does a very fancy trick with a champagne bottle and a part of her anatomy. Once at Cat Island, the horny travelers are met by a shaman-esque old man and his sexy granddaughter Luna (Gemser). John’s party is warned to leave - as the island is haunted by the ghost zombies of dead natives. The words of warning are, of course, not heeded and John decides to stay and explore the area. And have more sex. Luna, who just might be a ghost herself, takes a shine to O’Hara and gives him a handy amulet to ward off the zombies. Then they have sex. Eastman doesn’t ever take off his pants when having sex. This being a hardcore porn film (as well as a classy thriller) it seems odd that during his many encounters in the film he remains, by comparison, rather chaste. He was also one of the few actors in “Porno” not to get a sex scene. Here his character is required to have several encounters and each one is curiously choreographed and edited. Since he was the writer and, evidently, not an exhibitionist it’s strange that he didn’t simply write himself out of all the sex action. (It’s not like co-star Shannon would have minded the extra work… he seems game for pretty much anything.) Gemser of course goes the full monty - but doesn’t get involved in any of the more hardcore business. Fans will surely be disappointed. Eventually, after more sex, some simulated, some relatively graphic, we get some zombie violence in the last half hour. In place of the lumbering atomic sex zombie from “Porno” there are several bloodthirsty denizens of the dead who actually eat flesh here. Sparingly, but they do in fact chow down on some flesh in one scene. There is also plenty of violence inflicted to the zombies themselves. Though more ambitious than the ketchup-on-the-face effects of “Porno,” the onscreen violence is pretty poorly orchestrated, much of it comically so.

Clearly the main calling card here is the sex and, like its counterpart, it’s anything but erotic. The sex scenes aren’t as prominent here as in “Porn,” but the execution is just as rote and impassive. In its favor “Erotic Nights” does feel more like an actual film. There is a somewhat intriguing beginning and it does have an efficient pace. D’Amato (who also shot the film under a pseudonym), creates a modicum of ambiance once the action moves to the island. Some of the solitary shots of Gemser by a cemetery are atmospheric and suitably creepy. For what it’s worth, the ghost zombies are also kind of unnerving in a Templar Knights kind of way. The same year (1980), Eastman and D’Amato collaborated again in the superior “Grim Reaper.” (Superior to the porn outings at any rate.) That infamous shocker also takes place on an island and might have even been shot during this ambitious porno/thriller shooting spree. Though not a particularly good film, “Reaper” was above average Italian sleaze and unmistakably horror.

This DVD release isn’t as spiffy as the Exploitation Digital release of “Porno Holocaust” a few months ago. But Media Blasters has done a fine job nonetheless. The widescreen presentation is sharp and vivid; it’s probably never looked better. The Dolby Digital sound was adequate though at times a bit muddy. It’s got a simple but memorable menu screen and extras are few but more than one would expect. The short “Erotic Sunny Afternoons of the Living Dead,” consists of alternate footage from the film. There’s a still gallery that contains production photos and art and Laura Gemser glamour shots and four horror film trailers including “Zombie 2” and D’Amato’s “Emanulle and the Last Cannibals.” It’s yet another superior DVD package of a mediocre film. Fans of “Porno” and Gemser might find something worthwhile here.