Post by StevePulaski on Dec 13, 2013 10:25:38 GMT -5
Debbie Does Dallas (1978)
Directed by: Jim Clark
Directed by: Jim Clark
Bambi Woods and Richard Balla.
Rating: ★★★
Debbie Does Dallas was a pornographic film that, along with its predecessor Deep Throat, helped jumpstart the pornographic industry and introduced us to the concept of "pornographic chic" and the "Golden Age of Pornography." Had it no been for this particular film, along with others, who knows what the porn industry would've stooped to. To paraphrase Ron Jeremy in his documentary Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy, the quality of pornographic films during the "Golden Age" matched the quality of the B-movies Hollywood was churning out at the time.
People constantly ask me, when I detour from traditional cinema into the erotic wonders of pornographic cinema, how exactly do I review a film of the genre? First off, it's incredibly difficult to tackle a contemporary pornographic film from a critic state of mind. Nowadays, the films play like the actors and actresses can't wait to take off their clothes. Contemporary pornography forgets the essential element of the project that is the tease. The film must have some dialog to captivate us, excite us, and arouse us. Not just five minutes of flaunting the body of the female before a fellatio begins. Reviewing a pornographic film from the "Golden Age" period isn't difficult at all; I consider the writing, the comedy of the story, the kinkiness of the scene, and finally, whether or not the sex is exciting or simply phoned-in on the actors' behalf.
The titular character of the film is played by the gorgeous Bambi Woods, a blonde, innocent young woman who has dreams of trying out for a cheerleader position of the Texas football team (actually the Dallas Cowboys, although they're never referred to by name because of rights issues). Debbie and her girlfriends are changing in the locker-room one day (with Clark's camera bluntly focusing on the obligatory parts of the female body) when they realize their cheer-squad has been accepted to tryout for the Texas cheerleaders. The girls must then try and raise the money to commute to Texas on short notice by doing oddjobs for people around town. Debbie, in particular, gets a job working at a sports store for Mr. Greenfield (Richard Balla), who is instantly captivated by the beautiful, young Debbie. One can only imagine what he wants to do such a young, blonde woman.
You're likely aware of cheap parodies of pornographic films from decades past that utilize lines such as "how could I ever repay you?" or "what are you gonna do to me?" Debbie Does Dallas was likely the direct inspiration for those parodies. The film includes all of the corniness, the lameness, and the transgressive squareness of pornography in terms of dialog and tone. This isn't a bad thing however, and adds to the comedic effect of the film, something, as stated, I feel is greatly missing in the modern porn industry.
On that note, Debbie Does Dallas is entertaining. Its level of eroticism is pretty basic, with the shower orgy and Debbie's sex scene being the notable highlights. I will say, however, that Clark knows how to appropriately choreograph a sex scene. The scenes are very intimate and run longer than many scenes from the era that I've seen. Scored in a germane fashion - corny and strangely relaxing - by the likes of Gerald Sampler and assisted by the wonderfully charming likes of Woods, it's easy to understand why Debbie Does Dallas is the iconic film it is. It defined an age and kickstarted the quirks of pornography that we've grown accustomed to. On that note alone it's worth watching.
Starring: Bambi Woods, Christie Ford, Robert Kerman, Robin Byrd, Herschel Savage, Eric Edwards, and Arcadia Lake. Directed by: Jim Clark.