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2/10
Pathetic Porno Undeserving of Cult Reputation
Nodriesrespect21 January 2006
The innocent teenage country girl learning about life and love the hard way in the big bad city must surely rank as one of the most overworked stock characters in all types of pornographic expression, finding her roots in the Marquis De Sade's unfortunate Justine of literary (and subsequent cinematic) fame some two centuries ago. Ever since, the education or corruption (depending on one's personal view) of a virgin has remained a popular theme in erotica. Fitting this particular format right down to the ground, DUSTY (the less than accurate "Little Orphan" business was dropped for theatrical distribution in several of the more conservative states) tries to rise above the expected clichés by adding generous doses of rape and fist insertion, though both occur only once in the same scene.

The film's two directors, Hispanic Jaacov Jaacovi and Asian American Bob Chinn (making this make the flick a truly international affair), were no strangers to some of the more exotic sexual variations even at this stage in their respective careers. Both had cut their teeth on some of the sicker soft X (or hard R) adult films of the early '70s before graduating to full color penetration. Chinn will always be best known for the popular JOHNNY WADD series running from 1973 to 1979 (BLONDE FIRE being the last official entry, with a few one-offs in the '80s) starring the legendary John C. Holmes as a very private detective. The admittedly rather less talented Jaacovi (who had something of a career renaissance when he resurfaced in the early '90s, shooting videos under the moniker "Jourdan Alexander") would very briefly hit his stride in 1979 as he delivered a two punch knockout consisting of his wildly popular TAXI GIRLS and HEAVENLY DESIRE, the latter "introducing" Seka, even though she had co-starred in Phil Marshak's LUST AT FIRST BITE aka Dracula SUCKS the year before.

Syrupy theme song out of the way, viewers are introduced to the titular waif (Rhonda Jo Petty) who is submitted almost within seconds to an elaborate and very graphic group rape by a biker gang led by stalwart stud Turk Lyon (Abigail Clayton's loop partner in Alan B. Colberg's underrated NAKED AFTERNOON) with motorcycle mama Ming Jade (who was among the butch lesbians ganging up on Desirée Cousteau in Alex deRenzy's classic PRETTY PEACHES) throwing in the first of the film's three fist insertions for good measure. This would've been one mighty disturbing spectacle, if Petty had been enough of a thespian to plausibly project fear and vulnerability. Sturdily built (this country girl has not been missing out on too many hot meals) with a lovely yet inexpressive face topped with golden curls in a windswept CHARLIE'S ANGELS do, she was frequently billed as "the Farrah Fawcett of porn" until representatives of the real deal got wind of this and forced these tactics to cease. Though she made movies for nearly a decade, she would learn dispiritingly little beyond growing self-assurance as an actress. Suggesting submissive ennui rather than any actual victimization, her Dusty becomes a downtrodden wimp who's somewhat difficult to root for. Post-rape, she's taken in by artist Frank (John Holmes) whom she falls in love with even though he has sex with models April Grant (from A DIRTY WESTERN, now a hard looking platinum blonde) and Valerie Parker (from ALL THE SENATOR'S GIRLS) right in front of her. This turns her on so much that she promptly begins to masturbate by shoving her entire fist in !

The swinger's party Frank casually throws pushes the girl over the edge however. She throws a tantrum and Frank orders her out of the car, with the bikers showing up almost immediately. Don't these guys have anything better to do than trail this girl all day long ? Though she makes it to the house, the gang's leader manages to get in with her and rape her at knife-point in an unpleasant, anti-erotic scene. Frank shows up, wrestling Lyon to the floor while delivering the best line the script (by Jaacovi and future filmmaker Svetlana, a real woman though you'd never guess based on this particular piece of evidence) has to offer : "You may have come in here a Gentile, but you'll be going out a Jew !" Think about it… The rest of the movie consists of Dusty and Frank trying hard to stay out of the gang's clutches, planning their wedding (huh ?), sealing the deal with another "foreign insertion" (as you do) and fending off yet another gang rape (of the two models cum bridal maids) with a lethal bullet for the deranged Lyon. As a stabbed Frank lies bleeding beneath a sobbing Dusty, he gets to utter the second best line as he urges her to "Do me a favor, get your knee out of my nuts and call me an ambulance !"

As run of the mill as they come, DUSTY does not represent the better work of anyone involved on either side of the camera, a restless and headache inducing camera it must be added. Jaacovi may have been a hack, but Chinn (perhaps embarrassed by the sordid predictability of the material) generally produced far superior results. Sadly, the film only sputters to life during its more extreme moments and even then more for their outrageousness than any credibility the acting (poor even by porno standards) or realism in plot development might've added. The oft-maligned Holmes actually delivers the best performance albeit by default. As other sources have noted, currently respected Hollywood character actor Spalding Gray (subject of Jonathan Demme's 1987 documentary SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA) turns up as an underwear-clad extra during the swing party sequence. Not much of a skeleton there, in my opinion, but some scandal mongers seem to thrive on such things
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8/10
A brutal sexploitation gem with hot Rhonda Jo
fertilecelluloid30 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I saw a still from "Little Orphan Dusty" in a '76 'Hustler'. Barely old enough to read, let alone buy the mag, the image of Rhonda Jo Petty being groped by Big John Holmes was tattooed into my young and impressionable mind forever. When I finally caught the flick (totally uncut) a decade or so later, I wasn't disappointed. You can't take your eyes off Petty. She's an engaging, delicious, lolita-like hottie with a sweet white trash attitude and a body built for business. Funny business. Bob Chin, who directed the late Mr. Holmes in a number of rough-and-ready porno flicks, demonstrates great storytelling ability in this pulp porno novel come to life. Little Miss Petty is kidnapped by a gang of filthy-minded bikers, banged bad, hand-balled to a brutal, leather-clad lezbo, lovingly fisted, then abandoned like an unwanted puppy. Enter stage left sensitive artist Frank (John Holmes) who offers Dusty a roof, lots of sex, his fist, and some sage advice. Eventually, the bikers return and bloody hell breaks loose. This great set-up is adequately exploited by Chin and his crew. The violence is intense, the rapes are frighteningly realistic, and the gory climax stays in step with exploitation expectations, and even surpasses them. Why this little gem has not earned a special edition DVD is a crime worthy of investigation. Holmes, who usually slummed his way through the more dramatic stanzas in most movies, is pretty engaging here. The flick's real sexy, too. A sizzler.
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9/10
For a porno, it has a good storyline
maricey046 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this movie was not bad for a pornographic movie. It actually had somewhat of a storyline to it, instead of the usual pornos out there that "a young, gorgeous man(or woman) is waiting to have sex and release some tension. When all of a sudden, out of the blue there comes the opposite sex that just wants to have sex right away and for as long as possible". I personally like pornos with story lines because it helps to relate a little more to the experience of the porno, unless the only reason pornos are out there for is to help people release tension and not to enjoy what they are watching. I also saw it some long time ago and I remember bits and pieces of it, but I have been trying to find it ever since then so that I can back up my claim when I talk to people about it. I mean it has the basic damsel in distress and a stranger that comes along and becomes her hero and then later on becomes her lover. Then the hero dies and she has to learn to defend for herself. I think it definitely worth viewing at least once before deciding to through it down the shooter.
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