Cinderella's Hot Night (4 Stars)

After a series of erotic thrillers Dean McKendrick is trying his hand at something else: erotic fairytales. Maybe this shouldn't be seen as a new direction but as a return to form, because the film's end result is strikingly similar to the erotic comedies he's been making since 2013.

Cindy is a student doing an unpaid internship at a company called Universal Imports. Because of a lack of money she tells her boss that she can't afford to pay her rent and needs to leave to get a paid job. He considers her an asset to his company and offers to let her stay with his family. She accepts gladly, but his wife and two daughters don't like her being in the house. Soon after this the boss dies in a plane crash. Cindy remains in the house and is treated as a slave, having to cook and do the housework for the three women.

In the original fairy tale the stepsisters are ugly, but that's not the case in this film. Grace and Sylvia obviously get their good looks from their mother Mona, played by the delectable Beverly Lynne.

The two girls look so sweet that they could melt in your mouth, but don't let their looks deceive you. They're spoilt little rich girls, and they're mean to the core.

Enter Prince Steven from the small European kingdom of Kritonia. He's been doing deals with America with the help of Universal Imports, so he travels to Los Angeles to throw a New Year's Party for all the company employees. Mona is desperate for one of her daughters to marry the prince, since her husband died leaving the family in debt. They don't allow Cindy to go to the party because they think she's too plain and would show them up. What do you think?

Wow! Normally Cindy wears ripped jeans, but this is how she looks after she's given a makeover by her fairy godmother. She wears a mask so that nobody can recognise her. The prince falls in love and dances with her all night, but she has to leave before midnight, leaving her slipper behind.

I think you know the rest of the story.

Prince Steven searches everywhere to find Cindy aka Cinderella, but I would have looked for the fairy godmother instead. Isn't Christine Nguyen the most beautiful fairy you've ever seen?

I'm very happy that "Cinderella's Hot Night" reunites Christine Nguyen and Beverly Lynne. They're two of Retromedia's most beautiful actresses. Most of the other actors are new to Retromedia. Unfortunately Ryan Driller, best known for his role as Superman in Axel Braun's films, only has a brief appearance as the family lawyer.

The sex scenes are of the high quality that we expect from Dean McKendrick. I particularly enjoyed the shower scene with Karlie Montana as Cindy, in which she managed to express her sadness while showering. Sexuality and emotional depth don't have to be mutually exclusive.