Debbie Does Dallas
Uncovered (Documentary)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Film: B-
The lifetime peak of theatrical XXX hardcore sex films
shot on film is a relatively short one versus the videotape era and gluts that
followed. From 1972 into the early
1980s, X-rated hardcore sex films were flourishing and outside of comedies (see
Flesh Gordon elsewhere on this site) and serious films that happened to
get an X at the time (Midnight Cowboy, A Clockwork Orange) and a
few films have a major reputation despite many people having not seen them for
decades. They did not even have to be
any good, just popular and successful.
If we had to guess the top moneymaking Top 5 XXX “narrative’ hardcore
films from that era (write us with proof it we are wrong) using 1980 as the
endpoint (with any film release prior to 1980’s Insatiable qualifying
since VHS & Beta had kicked in enough to affect theaters at that point, as
Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 hit Boogie Nights showed) at a time when
bomb Can’t Stop The Music and hit Caligula (which we’ll exclude
for being too unlike such previous films) were the peaks of such 1970s
excesses) would include Deep Throat, The Devil In Miss Jones, Behind
The Green Door, Emmanuelle (leading to several sequels in what could
be thought of as the first hardcore franchise) and Debbie Does Dallas. The latter is the subject of this review.
Following in the footsteps of the recent documentary Inside
Deep Throat (also reviewed elsewhere on this site) is Francis Hanly’s Debbie
Does Dallas Uncovered (2005) that discusses the myths and facts about the
film, as well as the scandals and mysterious disappearances of much of the
cast. It is not known if lead actress
Bambi Woods (not her real name, as is usually the case) is living secretly in
private life or an overdose victim.
Yes, a mob gangster was involved and the simple film simply was promoted
to the hilt and it worked, hitting a jackpot so large that the true profits may
never be known.
Many people, especially younger AIDS-era generation
members, find it hard to believe that the films form this era of production
were as hardcore and graphic as product today, but they were and then some,
considering that AIDS and silly conservative backlashes had not hit yet. That is as far as we will go, but add that
at about an hour, there was more to say about the film, a simple story about
some nice high school cheerleaders who decide to raise money the old fashioned
way for a project by happily having sex with every man they meet. Though critics disagree about how good the
film was or still is, the title became as legendary as any title to feature
such activity to date. It is also a
great story about how ambitious promotion can make a hit out of a watchable
film, even one with activity for which the cast could have been arrested at the
time.
The letterboxed 1.66 X 1 image originates on videotape,
likely the late NTSC analog format, but has the usual varied quality of a
documentary, though the more graphic footage is blurred of the original film. The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple stereo at
best, while the original film release and its clips are optical mono. Extras include a TV special about as long
from Britain called Diary Of A Porn Virgin that is pretty good,
shot on video and also letterboxed at 1.66 X 1, plus text about the Docurama
label and four trailers for other Docurama titles.
- Nicholas Sheffo
