Little Darlin's Review

Distributor: Halo Park Pictures Edition Details: Standard DVD Movie Specs: Genres: Golden Age Classic, Feature Film, Comedy, Barely Legal Also known as: Little Darlings Run Time: 84 minutes Rated: X Release Year: 1981 Director: David Buckley (as Jim Clark) Written by: David Buckley (as Jim Clark) Cast: Lysa Thatcher, R. Bolla, Jake Teague, Juliet Jay, Suzzanna Ash, Lori Palmer (as Lorelei Palmer), Kathy Harcourt (as Kathi Harcourt), Jerry Butler, Jacklyn Johnson, Cynthia Davenport, Crissy Dalton, Mac Josephs, Bjorn Torvait Release Specs: Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Subtitles: none Video: Widescreen, 1.66:1 (anamorphic) Video Format: NTSC Format: DVD Regional Code (for DVD/Blu-ray): 0 (All) Number of discs: 1

David Buckley was never known for making groundbreaking or influential films in the adult industry despite helming one of the most well known adult films of all time Debbie Does Dallas. While he may have not done anything groundbreaking, Buckley is good at what he does do, making lighthearted barely legal features.

The story in Little Darlin's isn't overly complex nor the most developed. Buddy Boggins (Jake Teague) is taking a van full of girls to summer camp when it breaks down on the side of the highway. Boggins leads the girls to a nearby hotel for the night until the camp can send a bus to pick them up. While in the hotel the girls have a night of sexual high jinks.

While Little Darlin's may be light on story, it is a fun film reminiscent of the mainstream sex comedies of the 1970s to early 80s. Nicely done sex scenes are mixed with light humor throughout the film. Buckley has made some mistakes. For instance the original sound when the van is broken down on the side of the highway is hard to hear because of the traffic and there are some instances of sloppy editing. However when all is said and done Little Darlin's is a fun piece of barely legal fluff that will keep you entertained throughout.

Halo Park Pictures has done a poor job with the release of Little Darlin's. The film is presented in the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1, which is anamorphic. What is problematic is the less than stellar master used for the disc. The master was clearly video as there are glitches present throughout the presentation. The picture shows echos, which is ghosting, during periods of the film. The chroma appears to have been set to high resulting in over saturated colors at some points. Other points appear to have washed out color though. There is a lack of definition in the image, most likely due to the limitations of the video master that was used. The image also sports artifacts and print damage. The film is watchable but consumers deserve much better than this.

Little Darlin's is presented with an English Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural soundtrack, which has also seen far better days. The dialog is clear and can be heard throughout however the entire presentation sports snaps, crackles, and pops. Like the image, the audio is listenable, but consumers deserve much better.

Halo Park Pictures have only included one extra on the disc. A feature length commentary track with R. Bolla, Jerry Butler, and adult film historian James Fox. The commentary isn't always the greatest with the participants getting off topic, but it is still worth a listen.

Little Darlin's is a fun barely legal title to come from David Buckley. The story is lighthearted and the sex scenes are fun. The film mixes in some nice humor throughout. Halo Park Pictures has made a subpar release of the film unfortunately, which is watchable but disappointing.

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