Lusting After Erika Lust’s “Cabaret Desire”

With all the hardcore content streaming out of the great state of California, we sometimes forget there's a whole other world of porn being created on the other side of the globe. But then Erika Lust releases a new feature, and we're swept under the spell of her delightful sensibility all over again.

Over the years, the Barcelona-based Lust has released beautifully shot erotic features that tweak our notions of how porn is supposed to look and feel—and her latest release, "Cabaret Desire," is no different. Framed by a party at the titular cabaret (which feels like a slightly more European take on the "Shortbus" salon), "Cabaret Desire" unveils four erotic vignettes, each a story told by one of the cabaret's performers. The tales range from a bisexual girl caught between two lovers to a cat burglar who seduces her literary hero—with plenty of sexiness along the way.

Unlike most American-made porn, "Cabaret Desire" does not hew to the standard format of 5 minutes of plot followed by a 20 minute sex scene. To the contrary, the sex and story lines are seamlessly intermingled, in a way that makes "Cabaret Desire" feel more reminiscent of a softcore sex flick than hardcore porn (though don't take that the wrong way: it is, in fact, hardcore—and pretty damn hot). Freed from the formulaic constraints of Porn Valley, Lust is free to build tension and explore eroticism in ways we don't often see in porn, creating a uniquely enjoyable experience—and one I highly recommend for anyone interested in a film that's not the same old porn you always see.

· Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)

Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)
Watch "Cabaret Desire" (lustcinema.com)