Instead of simply lampooning the 1973 hit "Westworld," 1978's "Sex World" attempts to use the unforgettable premise to inspire a surprisingly sophisticated adult movie. Director Anthony Spinelli imagines a getaway where anything goes sexually, with guests using this rare non-judgmental opportunity to work out kinks, repair marriages, and delay loneliness. Fantasies reign at the compound, finding the helmer working overtime to create a stylish feature that respects the delicacy of confession, embracing an inviting sense of individual release to go with the hardcore routine.
With a few extra bucks allotted to the production, "Sex World" provides a semi-complete visual experience, offering colorful sets and unusual locations to match vivid bedroom antics. Spinelli also experiments with editing and abstraction, looking to slip into the psychological playground provided by these hesitant characters, assisting competent performances (from the likes of Kay Parker, John Leslie, and Annette Haven) with a cinematic reach, providing more bang for the buck while still allowing for plenty of bang. Fantasy sequences are intimate, some played for laughs (Leslie plays a racist confronted with an aggressive black lover), while others head into darker terrain to unleash pure desire that's been bottled up for far too long.