The story of the Marquis De Sade has proven irresistible to generations of exploitation filmmakers. After all, the story of the legendary writer and sexual adventurer contains all the elements of lowbrow entertainment: repression, violence, passion, adventure, a rebel striking out against the constraints of a restrictive and hypocritical society, and, above all, lots of fucking. Lots and lots of fucking. In Dark Prince, the latest version of the tale, Nick Mancuso stars as the title character, who is sentenced to death for suspected rape, murder, and kidnapping. While awaiting execution, he is visited by Janet Gunn, who visits him hoping to discover the whereabouts of her missing sister. Thus, his tale unfolds in flashback, as he discusses the events of his life, leading up to his imprisonment. It's silly, violent, and relentlessly sleazy, of course, but Dark Prince is also at times ridiculously entertaining, due largely to Mancuso's hilariously swishy portrayal of the legendary sadist. Flouncing about maniacally and licking his lips lasciviously, Mancuso plays De Sade as if he were the lost child of Hannibal Lecter and Paul Lynde. None of the actors can quite match Mancuso's hilarious performance, but the film does benefit from a lighthearted tone that prevents it from becoming a leaden bore, like the recent, similarly themed, godawful Tobe Hooper's Night Terrors. Director Gwyneth Gibby also deserves credit for sustaining narrative interest beyond the copious nudity, creating a diverting if modest film on what appears to be a very small budget.