(293) DIRTY LOVE (1988) Valentine Demy | Joe D'Amato directs
4869DVD
also known as SEXY DANCING
director: Joe D'Amato (born Aristide Massaccesi)
starring: Valentine Demy · Cully Holland · Chuck Peyton · Rick Munroe
· Cleo Lori · Laura Gemser (Cameo)
Valentine
Demy plays Terry Jones [was this Joe D'Amato's salute to the Monty Python
member or just a coincidence?], a young woman who leaves her rural American
life behind - along with her boyfriend - to find success on Broadway.
This type of story is an attractive template for Joe D'Amato where his
characters aren't asked to grow emotionally, but rather to simply enjoy
an unfiltered natural progression to success. Their development is akin
to colorful fish in an aquarium swimming aimlessly and undirected yet
appearing to be strangely distinctive. That's Terry Jones. She soon finds
that her body brings her into contact with many facets of the show biz
lifeline. With little emotional effort [and lots of vapid physical exercising],
she can make it to the top.
Interestingly,
Terry Jones is not a very likable character. Sure, she's great to look
at. At this point in Valentine Demy's career, she was one of Europe's
most attractive starlets. But she had the tendency to play bitchy characters.
In this film, she is erratic, unreliable and even malicious. For example,
in the opening segment, when she says goodbye to her boyfriend at the
train station, Terry promises not to cheat on him. But that oath is quickly
forgotten even before she gets to NYC. As the film unspools, she lies
to her parents, turns on friends, and generally fucks over anybody who
can no longer help her. Yet, Terry survives - even thrives - for the conclusion.
Perhaps, that's ultimately D'Amato's message.
Cinematographer
Aristide Massaccesi changed his name to Joe D'Amato in 1973 (with LIVIA
VIRGIN FOR THE EMPIRE) and began a career which amassed almost
200 films. This one - conceptually a Grindhouse adaptation of Dirty
Dancing - is very similar to his other movies from this period
[WEB
OF DESIRE, 11
DAYS 11 NIGHTS, TOP
MODEL, WOMAN'S
SECRET and HOT
VOODOO AFTERNOON. Mr Massaccesi died from a heart attack in January
1999 at age 62.
Incidentally,
his muse Laura Gemser also appears here [uncredited] as the Massage Girl
who initiates the lesbian sequence with Ms Demy [see pic, top of page,
right].
An
Italian film
in English language, 88 min,
fullscreen, encoded for ALL REGION, playable on any American DVD machine.
Extras include selection of Joe D'Amato theatrical trailers.
Nudity/Strong Sexual Situations/Violence
Intended for Adult Audiences
