It can be freezing cold in the Big Apple at this time of year, but the city's famous Ziegfeld Theatre was sizzling last night with a special preview screening of Fifty Shades Of Grey.

And the initial reaction from some of the most-devoted fans of EL James' erotic novel is that Sam Taylor-Johnson's movie adaptation more than does it justice.

The New York Daily News had a correspondent at the event, who reported that the 100-strong audience - mostly made up of women - went bonkers when Jamie Dornan first appeared on screen.

"There was loud applause — and cheers — and the audience didn't restrain themselves from intermittent gasps, nervous giggles and even a stray 'Oh, yeah' throughout the screening."

Fernanda Capolina was impressed with the leading couple and said: "I heard that they didn't like each other in real life, but I thought they were fine. The chemistry was amazing."

While Julie O'Mahoney actually preferred the film to the printed version: "The movie was much better than the book.

"The book's very boring and step-by-step. There were cringe-worthy moments. It wasn't a very memorable book."

And Kathy Exposito was reported to have tears in her eyes after the screening, having found it all a bit emotional.

"I'm pretty comfortable with sex," she proclaimed.

"It's one thing reading the book by yourself in the house in the dark, and it's another seeing the movie with a hundred people. You feel exposed, like 'Oh my god, now everybody knows I like this kind of thing.'"

Stars Dornan and Dakota Johnson were joined at the event by author James and by the movie's director with her actor hubby Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The movie is released on Friday, 13 February.