You see it in Hollywood all the time: remakes of classic films that reduce iconic moments to regurgitated mush. Whether it’s money, a lack of originality, the cyclical nature of pop culture or the public appetite for nostalgia that drives movie houses to revisit these films doesn’t matter. The end result is, more times than not, unspectacular if not ignominious, an exercise in imitation that smacks of mockery, not flattery. So when former porn actor-turned-porn director, Paul Thomas, decided the time was right to remake Debbie Does Dallas the natural question that rushes to the lips is: why?
By any standard, the original Debbie Does Dallas is perhaps the most endearing classic porn film of all time. Whether you measure its success by box office receipts; the subject matter; the lasting imagery the film implanted in impressionable young minds; the seemingly universal familiarity of its title in public circles; or its near-mythological status on the basis of star Bambi Woods’ mysterious (and as yet unsolved) disappearance, the film resonates like no other in adult film history. Why risk public rebuke and your directorial reputation trying to recapture the zeitgeist of a film that simply cannot be duplicated?
The answer is: you don’t.
Paul Thomas has been around the XXX block a few times. To that end he is smart enough not to try to redo a classic. What he has done with Debbie Does Dallas … Again is to pay homage to one of the all-timers, to capture the spirit of the original (albeit more updated and more cynical) without treading too far into sacred porn ground. While he should be commended for his decision, the trade-off is pretty substantial. In fact, the only obvious similarities between his film and the original are a protagonist by the name of Debbie and some cheerleading outfits.
But while the plot is noticibly different, so too is the sex. Porn has come a long way since the 70s (pardon the pun) and Thomas’ feature places requisite upgrades in the fucking department, which should appeal to fans of the genre. Interestingly enough, however, the tame-by-comparison trysts in the original probably had a far greater impact on viewers considering the world had just emerged from the Sexploitation and soft-core eras and hardcore pornography had not quite the acceptance it has today. And though it’s tough to shake the image of Christy Ford (a.k.a. Misty Winters) penetrating her vag with a candle or Bambi Woods doing her boss, Mr. Greenfield, in a sporting goods store, Thomas offers up some memorable moments of his own. There’s Derrick Pierce and Monique Alexander fucking in a casket. There’s Penny Flame as a guardian angel getting it on with Stefani Morgan (Debbie) and Evan Stone as a second angel in a Cadillac convertible. And there’s Savanna Samson in a “hell”-acious orgy with Monique, Stefani, Evan, Christian XXX and Jay Huntington, among others.
DDDA was an AVN award winner for 2007 and features the full roster of Vivid Girls in various leading and supporting roles. The film also fueled a publicity storm when cable network Showtime developed a reality show about its creation. While it can never supplant the original, it is not meant to. And if you go into this film thinking it a full-on tribute to one of the most enduring adult films of all-time as opposed to a half-cocked retread, you will find yourself truly entertained.
Stars: Savanna Samson Monique Alexander Lacie Heart Sunny Leone Stefani Morgan Erika Jordan Jennifer Lee Angie Savage Evan Stone Marty Romano Penny Flame Christian XXX Jay Huntington Derrick Pierce Kayla Paige Cassidey Staci Thorn Samantha Ryan Hillary Scott Lisa Daniels Courtney Simpson Kina Kai
Categories: Feature Cheerleader Schoolgirls High Definition
Running Time: 122 minutes
Released: 07/2007
Studio Name: Vivid Entertainment
Series: Debbie Does Dallas – Vivid
Director: Paul Thomas
Despite what the title might make you think, this movie has nothing to do with game shows, but it will make you feel like you’ve won something: orgasm after orgasm.