Debbie Does Dallas & Devil In Miss Jones: Box Set Review

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Distributor: VCX Edition Details: Standard DVD Release Specs: Also known as: Ultimate Classic Collection Video Format: NTSC Format: DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 2

VCX has taken their two most popular classic films Debbie Does Dallas and Devil in Miss Jones and combined them for their Ultimate Classic Collection. Despite being very different films, Debbie Does Dallas being a light-hearted barely legal film about some cheerleaders and Devil and Miss Jones is a dark drama about a woman who commits suicide and finds herself trapped between heaven and hell.

Both of the films are true golden age adult film classics and a welcome addition to any fan of the classics library. The Ultimate Classics Collection takes the VCX remastered DVDs for Debbie Does Dallas and Devil in Miss Jones and puts them in a slipcase. Each of the discs are the same ones you would get by ordering the single disc VCX releases.

While both films are well worth owning, these are not the best versions of Debbie Does Dallas or Devil in Miss Jones available. The now discontinued Media Blasters Definitive Collector's Edition of each film provides far better quality. According to VCX's president David Sutton, the 30th Anniversary Edition and 40th Anniversary Edition of the two films respectively are better than the discontinued Media Blasters releases and are different releases than the Media Blasters releases and these remastered VCX releases. This reviewer hasn't seen them so can't offer comment on their quality.

You can jump to the review of Debbie Does Dallas or Devil in Miss Jones or just keep reading to read all of them.

If one were to poll the average person to find out what the most well-known adult film titles were, likely you would get a list of two. Gerard Damiano's 1972 adult film Deep Throat and David Buckley's 1978 adult film Debbie Does Dallas. In the history of adult films, Debbie Does Dallas is not the best shot, the best written, nor does it contain the best cast. However, Debbie Does Dallas managed to combine just the right themes with just the right amount of innocence — and the right amount of lack of innocence — to become the seminal classic that it has become.

Debbie Does Dallas tells the story of the titular cheerleader Debbie Benson (Bambi Woods) who has been accepted as a Texas Cowgirl Cheerleader. However, she has to raise the money to get there. Her. cheer squad decides that they will all get jobs to raise the money so that all of them can go to Texas. They quickly find out that sex pays more than the jobs they have secured.

The sex scenes in the film are great fun. The cast as a whole does a great job with their roles and as it plays out Debbie Does Dallas feels like one of the softcore T&A films of the time that actually goes all the way. The sex scenes work hand in hand with the story, so the film feels like a complete film as it is shown, not like the hardcore scenes are shoehorned in to get in the sex. The story is cheesy but fun and certainly keeps the viewer entertained. One aspect that Buckley did with Debbie Does Dallas that isn't often seen at the time was that the titular Debbie doesn't have any sex scenes until the finale. So the viewer is kept waiting for the big score in the film.

One of the aspects of Buckley's film that makes it the enjoyable film that it is are the locations utilized in the film. The film offers locations that look better than one often sees within adult films, which itself caused the film controversy. The library, gym and sauna scenes were all shot, with permission, at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. The matter of contention being the Pratt Institute had given permission under the understanding that an educational film was being shot not a hardcore adult film. Of course, the ensuing controversy could only help Debbie Does Dallas since it kept putting the film in the newspapers.

The Pratt Institute wasn't the only controversy that hit the production of Debbie Does Dallas. Schoolday Productions Inc. (the film production company) and Pussycat Cinema (the theater that premiered the film) found the showings held by judicial order due to a copyright infringement lawsuit against both lodged by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 1979. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders alleged that a uniform used in the film — and advertising material — looked strikingly similar to their uniforms. Schoolday Productions Inc. and Pussycat Cinema ultimately lost the suit and had to remove one and a half minutes of footage of the film to remove the hold on showings. While this likely cost more than Buckley would have liked, again the newspaper coverage was probably better advertising than he ever could have bought.

What is it about Debbie Does Dallas that keeps the film alive from generation to generation? Is it that the film was crafted just right to keep a hold on new audiences? Is it the notoriety the film gained when it first came out that keeps the name familiar? Or more likely, is it a combination of the two? No matter which one it is, Debbie Does Dallas is truly a fun adult film to watch and will entertain fans of the genre.

This review is on the remastered DVD release of Debbie Does Dallas from VCX. The original release will obviously have different specifications and quality than this release.

VCX has done a decent job with their remastered DVD release of Debbie Does Dallas. Debbie Does Dallas was shot on film and it is unclear if VCX utilized a high-quality video master or a print for this release. Debbie Does Dallas is presented in the academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1 in 480i. The release contains a decent image quality with a soft picture with minimal print damage, artifacts, and grain. The image jumps at times and the colors are decent. Overall, the image quality isn't bad.

Debbie Does Dallas is presented with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural audio track. The audio track sounds good with no noticeable issues whatsoever. The dialog in the film is clear and can be understood at all times. There is also a dubbed Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural audio track that is included for the film.

VCX has only included on extra on the release. There is the theatrical trailer for Debbie Does Dallas on the disc.

Gerard Damiano followed up his groundbreaking 1972 hit adult film Deep Throat with his vastly superior oeuvre Devil in Miss Jones. Devil in Miss Jones is the complete opposite of Deep Throat. Deep Throat was a relatively stupid comedy that while being fun if it hadn't reached the level of porno chic that it did, would have been mostly forgotten by today. Devil in Miss Jones, on the other hand, is a drama that tells a more serious and dark story.

Justine Jones (Georgina Spelvin) commits suicide by cutting her wrists and ends up in limbo, between heaven and hell. She finds she is unable to enter heaven because she committed suicide. Her liaison Mr. Abaca (John Clemens) allows her to pick one sin and after she selects lust Mr. Abaca sets her up with a teacher (Harry Reems) to teach her in the way of carnal pleasure prior to her entrance to hell.

First and foremost, Devil in Miss Jones is an actual film, not just a pornographic film. Damiano has constructed a real film that utilizes sex as part of the construct. Unfortunately, that severely limits the audience that will choose to watch the film, however, Damiano has made the film the only way that it could be made. Had he gone softcore with Devil in Miss Jones, the film would have lost much of the impact that it has. While some viewers may not like dark hardcore, Damiano has truly created a masterpiece with Devil in Miss Jones.

Damiano's story and screenplay aren't the only aspects of Devil in Miss Jones that makes the film work so well. Georgina Spelvin's performance in the film is amazing. Spelvin, a former Broadway chorus girl, brought a true acting ability to the role and plays off Harry Reems well. The whole cast brings the film alive proving that adult performers can certainly act when given material to work with.

Devil in Miss Jones looks beautiful to boot. The cinematography by João Fernandes (using the pseudonym Harry Flecks) is outstanding and a huge step up from his work in Deep Throat. The beautiful look of Devil in Miss Jones shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone who was aware of Fernandes long distinguished mainstream cinematography career. His capturing of Devil in Miss Jones on celluloid is impeccable helping to create an all around wonderful adult film.

Devil in Miss Jones is one of those rare hardcore films that is an actual film that is set within the hardcore sex environment where the sex and story work in tandem because that is the only way the story can be told. Devil in Miss Jones is a true classic that every fan of the genre should see.

VCX has remastered Devil in Miss Jones since the original release and this review is based on the remastered release, which looks far superior to the original VCX DVD release.

VCX has done a decent job with their DVD release for Devil in Miss Jones was shot on film and it is unclear if VCX utilized a high-quality video master or a print for this release. Devil in Miss Jones is presented in the academy aspect ratio of 1.33:1 in 480i. The image quality for the film is good with grain, artifacts, and print damage present. The image is a little on the soft side. The colors in the film look beautiful.

Devil in Miss Jones is presented with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural audio track. The audio track sounds nice with no noticeable issues at all. The dialog in the film is clear and easy to hear at all times. There is also a dubbed Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural audio track included on the disc.

VCX has only included two extras on the release. There are a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer.

VCX's Ultimate Classic Collection combines two of VCX's most popular classic adult films Debbie Does Dallas and Devil in Miss Jones. Debbie Does Dallas continues to be an extremely popular adult film even to this day and is likely one of the best known of all adult films. The story of Debbie, a cheerleader, is one that transcends time and remains as fresh then as it does today. Debbie Does Dallas isn't the greatest adult film ever made but it certainly is fun to watch. If you haven't seen it yet and you are a fan of the genre, it is time to correct that. Devil in Miss Jones is a dark drama that is a must-see adult classic. The story of Justine Jones, who commits suicide and finds herself trapped in between heaven and hell, holds up well and the sex scenes and acting make this a true classic. Again, this is an adult film that if you haven't seen it yet, it is time to correct that. VCX has done a decent job with their Ultimate Classic Collection that combines the two remastered single disc releases of the two films into one slipcase. However, there are far better versions of the two films out on the market.

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