Not up there with the classic Nicholas Steele movies for Adam & Eve when his team included Saint and Philip O'toole, this romantic feature is still strong escapism loaded with style. It even has a haunting use of choral work on the soundtrack from Lance Erickson, including chanting of the title.
Masks figure prominently in this tale of an ancient secret society, whose rituals and orgies prefigure the ongoing kink craze of swinger parties in contemporary society. Figuring throughout is a special medallion which serves sort of like the old key for entry into Playboy Club and its imitators back in the day, but the movie's shooting title was not "The Medallion" as I expected but rather "Masquerade".
Femme cast is mainly made up of unknowns (Avy Scott the exception in minor support) led by Melody, who has a very similar look and build to he wonderful current star April O'Neil. She's a reporter who has hired investigator Steven St. Croix to get the goods on the secret sect for an upcoming expose article.
Things don't go as she planned, but Melody ends up as the center of attention for the ultimate orgy at the castle-like hdqts. for the sect, making for a fancy erotic climax to the picture. Script credited to director Steele and Peter Wood is too predictable and without incident (a straight line heads to the "join the society" finale) to the lift the feature up a notch.
Sex scenes are more elegant and dreamy than is now the norm, harking back to Steele's work at the turn of this century for A&E/Ultimate Pictures that I maintain is the peak of artistry in Adult Cinema. But the attention to detail in each set piece maintains the auteur's high standards.
