After sitting on the shelf for nearly 3 years, Vivid released the poorly made Paul Thomas feature, and garnered numerous industry award noms, merely evidence of the fake nature of those marketing gimmick "accolades". There are so many things wrong with this stinker that the IMDb space limit won't permit covering all of them.
To concentrate on the most egregious boners, it's very difficult to identify with the characters of this condescending look at "the lower depths", namely small-time criminals and gangsters in L.A. and the strippers who are their companions. Lead role goes to Tommy Gunn as Alonzo, slicked-down hair, pipe-dream aspirations, and a hopeless life of petty crime. Femme lead is ambiguously presented, part of the project's sloppiness and dullness, as busty but petite Hillary Scott is the real leading lady named Heaven, but Vivid Girl marketing posits contract star Lanny Barby as Numero Uno in packaging and other paraphernalia. Shooting title is mentioned as "Heaven and 'Zo", so pretending Lanny is the big deal is completely phony.
Scott's role is virtually unplayable, but she manages to do a worse job than necessary, sleep-walking through most (and even crucial) scenes as if drugged, only coming to life when taking a big dick in her ass, frequently. PT spoils the balance between story and XXX content by having the film devolve into wall-to-wall sex format often. Even so the DVD Menu features two lengthy (totalling 35 minutes) deleted sex scenes which would have swollen the running time.(
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Editing is ridiculously complicated, with irrelevant flashbacks tossed in almost randomly late in the show, including a foursome featuring Lanny and equally busty Carly Parker staged in a boxing ring that should have been placed early on. Gunn's problems with a creepy loan shark and his various bosses (very hammy Herschel Savage with a terrible fake accent and PT himself in brief cameo as gangster running a boxing club (shot at Boxing Academy of L.A.) lead to him being enlisted by untrustworthy (and poorly acting) Tom Byron as an instant hit man in the most contrived section of the film. His off and on intent to kill Savage (who has abused Heaven) makes no sense and is, natch, poorly edited, leading to Gunn's being murdered by a mysterious hit man in a rowboat, but followed by tedious footage of his resurrection.
Finale is poorly staged and nonsensical in an impromptu stand-off between armed Barby and armed but dying of wounds Gunn, with Hillary and Byron caught in the crossfire. This scene is telegraphed at the beginning of the film and is a complete mess, making more sense in its rehearsal footage shown as part of the BTS bonus short subject.
Dull beyond belief, "Heaven" with or without Alonzo should have remained on the shelf permanently.
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