After discovering his wife is cheating on him, The Sultan (John Leslie) requests a wild night with a concubine named Scheherezade (Annette Haven) to forget his troubles. The only problem is afterward the poor woman is set to be killed. So in an effort to spare her life, she tells the Sultan a series of erotic stories. In 1986, a sequel came along with another girl chasing Sultan, but this time it was more on the comic side.

Reviewing Porn films is a tough writing block to crack through. I’ve seen plenty of porn (thanks internet), But I hardly know much about the industry or it’s history with the exception of the porn chic era of the 1970s when couples were going in packs to see Deep Throat and Behind the Green Door. So trying to give this disc a fair chance was a strange experiment. Knowing Vinegar Syndrome’s reputation, I knew they wouldn’t release just any random adult film. So the review criteria: are the films A. sexy and B. well made compared to all the random scenes available on PornHub. 

The most surprising aspect of the first A Thousand and One Erotic Nights (1982) is just how cinematic and polished it is. You could tell Director Edwin Brown (here billed as Stephen Lucas) and company want to make a polished and well-acted film aided by a variety of erotic scenes. The opening of the film has a nice map painting that dissolves when a wave of water flushes over it. The camera moves around and glides through scenes. And best yet Brown knows where to set the camera during the actual sex scenes. There is ever a few bits of silly comedy that is charming in its own right. 

For the 1986 sequel, Brown returns but most of the polish is gone. The script and scenes go towards comedy too often and most of the jokes fall flat on their face. “Stand back you don’t know how big this thing gets”. The sets and locations also look cheaper.

The sex scenes are more aggressive and extreme with more focus on bondage and origies. Unlike the first, most of the story falls apart and most viewers will probably stop watching after they have “unwinded”. 

Vinegar Syndrome’s release has two handsome transfers. Both have fine looking 1080p HD picture, with more print damage on the second feature. The colors are simply stunning and bright. The performers also look amazing with some fine detail on all the right parts. If you’re looking for adult entertainment this sure beats looking at graining loops on pornhub. The sound is also above average with a few moments of audio drop off and hiss. Both trailers are included.

I made it through a Porn review without making too many silly jokes. A Thousand and One Erotic Nights is a surprisingly well-made movie that is entertaining throughout. The sequel is a little goofier and I happened to zone out at a couple of times. For fans of adult cinema history, this disc would make a lovely gift. Recommended.

Director- Edwin Brown (as Stephen Lucas & Edwin Durell)

Cast- Annette Haven, John Leslie, Jamie Gillis

Country of Origin- USA

Discs- 2

Distributor- Vinegar Syndrome

Reviewer- Tyler Miller