This video, starring Mike Horner as a private detective named Bill Harlow -- an obvious reference to Raymond Chandler's classic gumshoe -- was a clear, self-conscious attempt to create a pornographic film noir. While it doesn't succeed in a visual sense, its plot does manage to capture the despair and pointless cruelty that noir films depicted.
We open with Harlow explaining, in narration over the credits, that he's had a real shortage of clients lately, which might explain why he's taken on a case from a dead man. Specifically, from Jonathan Woods (Woody Long) who stumbles into his office, dying of an untraceable poison. (Hence the title.) He suspects that he's been done-in by his recent wife, Veronica, played by Celeste -- a major star of adult videos in the early and mid-90s, famous for her vague resemblance to supermodel Cindy Crawford. (Frankly, I always thought that claim was overdone, though -- as with Teagan Presley's later alleged resemblance to Britney Spears -- makeup and costuming certainly accentuated the similarities on occasion.)
So Harlow descends onto those mean streets, etc. In the end, he'll find out the truth of the poisoning -- which is exactly what you expect -- and get away with his life. Yet the ultimate scene, as I've said, manages to capture the bleak hopelessness of a true noir, and that's why this video is better than it had any right to be.
We open with Harlow explaining, in narration over the credits, that he's had a real shortage of clients lately, which might explain why he's taken on a case from a dead man. Specifically, from Jonathan Woods (Woody Long) who stumbles into his office, dying of an untraceable poison. (Hence the title.) He suspects that he's been done-in by his recent wife, Veronica, played by Celeste -- a major star of adult videos in the early and mid-90s, famous for her vague resemblance to supermodel Cindy Crawford. (Frankly, I always thought that claim was overdone, though -- as with Teagan Presley's later alleged resemblance to Britney Spears -- makeup and costuming certainly accentuated the similarities on occasion.)
So Harlow descends onto those mean streets, etc. In the end, he'll find out the truth of the poisoning -- which is exactly what you expect -- and get away with his life. Yet the ultimate scene, as I've said, manages to capture the bleak hopelessness of a true noir, and that's why this video is better than it had any right to be.