The Plot:
Consisting of two abbreviated clips from much longer Angel adult titles, we are treated to spoofs of Stuart Gordon's gonzo gore classic Re-Animator (here renamed Re-Penetrator) and William Friedkin's horror classic The Exorcist (The XXXorcist). In the first short film, our heroine is a dead body that a horny scientist brings back to life, and then screws. In the second effort, she is little Regan MacFeel, taking on Father Merkin. The priest uses an unknown religious ritual - the SEXoricism - to save the little whore's immortal soul. It involves fornication as well. Re-Penetrator is about eight minutes long. XXXorcist is 20. Both originally ran much, much longer. There are also three endings to the Devil possession piece, noted as "Happy" (everyone lives), "Sad" (like the original movie), and "F*cked Up" (something to do with pedophilia and the police).

The DVD:
It's hard to hate on Joanna Angel. When she's not dolled up like an Anti-Nowhere League pin-up, pushing the boundaries of allure and arousal, she's a fetching little thing (and we do mean little - she's barely 4' 11"). She has a killer rack, a pretty face, and hasn't completely destroyed her desirability with a clueless collection of body art. Yet when faced with this heavily edited collection of her pornographic product, one has to wonder what the appeal might be. Will anyone other that anxious adolescent males want to purchase a penetration free film, especially when the Internet provides access to much of what is missing? Ms. Angel is indeed an icon, but will that translate into sales of something that fails to completely show off her talents? Granted, the seedier aspect of buying pornography is eliminated by such heavily edited antics, but the end result really isn't much different from a late night Cinemax special. And when you add the fact that 80% of each segment is copulation without the POV angles, there's really nothing left to market.

Sackmann, who has managed to combine punk rock and horror comedy with his Warped Tour inspired Holocaust outings, is kind of out of his element here. The blood and gore is fun, and Angel has a couple of classic come-ons ("Eat my zombie pussy" being the best of the two). Yet there is no real attempt to spoof either film. Instead, Sackmann sets up a simple premise (doctor screws corpse, priest screws demon doll) and then plays like a professional porn producer. The acting is excellent all around, Angel and her costar Tommy Pistol giving good turns as actual characters before the balling begins. And Sackmann is no slouch with the camera. He sets up sequences for maximum amusement, like the moment when an oral sex session is interrupted by a torrent of green goo. Yet without the actual hardcore material, the direction seems choppy and antithetical to building mood, tension, or passion. This may sound odd, especially when discussing a XXX title, but you expect more from Sackmann and his star. Reviews of the actual full length material seem to suggest a more successful experience.

So where does that leave The Sick and Twisted Horror of Joanna Angel? Well, if all the DVD distributor wants is a little pseudo-smut bait and switch, they surely get that here. One imagines dozens of fans picking this up, hoping to satisfy a sexual itch, and feeling chaffed in the end. Similarly, without the added features, Angel's actual personality barely comes through. It's great to see her professionalism in between set-ups, but who is really buying this disc to watch how f*ck films are made, right? Sackmann's definitely done better, his touch apparent here and there, but never obvious or consistent. And then there's the whole issue of alt-porn. If you don't like the whole depressed babe dynamic, gals trying to emulate Betty Page without a lick of her style or sense, then you may have an issue with this release. Kylee Kross, co-star of the XXXorcist, has some of the nappiest tats this side of a scarred skate rat. It can definitely be a turnoff for viewers not used to such 'self expression'. In the end, what you think of this product will have a lot to do with how badly you need to see its star in her 'element'. If you don't mind the lack of onscreen loving, you might dig The Sick and Twisted Horror of Joanna Angel. Otherwise, stick with the actual adult version. You and your loins will be glad you did.

The Video:
Offered in a clean if rather soft 1.33:1 full screen image, the transfer of The Sick and Twisted Horror of Joanna Angel is no better or worse than your average adult DVD. Sackmann clearly had fun recreating some of the sets, and there's some good footage of the original Georgetown steps which were used to recreate XXXorcist's last scene. Overall, the colors are crisp and the look professional. These are not just some noted porn stars home movies.

The Audio:
Clearly calculated to offer the basics and nothing more, the Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 mix is middling at best. The dialogue can get drowned out by the sound effects, and the sex noises are very loud and up front. Sadly, the musical scores for both efforts offer very little impact.

The Extras:
One of the funniest aspects of this DVD is the fact that both Making-Of featurettes are longer - much, MUCH longer - than the movies they accompany. Each one is a by the book, point by point breakdown of the productions, with a lot of behind the scenes footage and enough detail to make even the most avid Sackmann/Angel fan happy. Aside from some trailers, that's all the bonus features offered.

Final Thoughts: Though it pushes the edges of critical credibility to say so, there is still something inherently intriguing about this DVD release. Perhaps it's seeing Angel perform in something other than the usual explicit fornication with a well endowed meat puppet. Maybe it's the opportunity to see Sackmann do something other than rock and roll slasher spoofs. It could be the iconic nature of the movies being mocked. They are so ingrained in horror fans' heads that even the slightest satire has them making up their own jokes. Whatever the reason, The Sick and Twisted Horror of Joanna Angel earns a Recommended rating. There are elements here that will definitely tweak the non-porn devotee's desires. On the other hand, Angel is best viewed in her XXX domain - and this disc is short on such f*ck and suck ideals.

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