Vinegar Syndrome Review: Trashy Lady (1985, Steve Scott)

  (1985, dir: Steve Scott)

Dutch (Harry Reems, Deep Throat) has it all! He's the money, the looks, a happening nightclub called “The Paradise Club”, the reputation and of course; the girl. That is until his girl Jessie (Cara Lott, Taboo 2) has had enough of his attitude and lack of appreciation. Fortunately for Dutch However, a new dame isn't hard to find especially in your own club! On the same night of his split, Dutch sets his sights on the young Katharine (Ginger Lynn, New Wave Hookers), a new girl in town who sells cigarettes at the club. He soon finds out that Katherine (whom he decides to call Kitty) is a little too innocent, timid and ultimately a tad inexperienced. This leads him to reach out to the tough talking Rita (Amber Lynn, Love Bites) who he enlists to loosen up and teach Kitty a few things and hopefully turn her in to a trashy lady. She is more than happy to oblige and begins to school the impressionable Kitty, who of course is a quick learner and a natural. Unfortunately for all involved however, there's a potentially fatal problem; rival gangster Louie (Herschel Savage, Debbie Does Dallas) is Rita's man. He is soon to be released from prison and he may not be too pleased that his girl is playing for (or should that be with?) the other side. Maybe Dutch should have treated his girl a little better?

I remember seeing a trailer for Trashy Lady on one of the many trailer compilations a while back and being quite apprehensive about an adult film shot towards the end of the genre's golden age that was set around the 1920's. Boy was the younger (and slightly less corrupted.) version of me very wrong. Of course, when I found out that the film was not only shot on 35mm, but was also going to get the Vinegar Syndrome treatment, I became very excited. Thankfully, the film lives up to its award-winning and cult reputation. The story is simple, yet solidly told and has gags that genuinely work. Performances are great throughout with the foul-mouthed Rita being my personal favourite. She's trashy, independent and comes out with some fantastic lines. Of course, the bigger names likes Reems, Lynn and Savage once again prove that there was acting skill back in the day. They are backed up brilliantly with much smaller support roles with performances from the likes of Tom Byron (Lust in the Fast Lane) and Rick Savage (Hollywood Vice). To match the acting, the action is also very solid with of course, Amber and Ginger stealing the show.

The biggest thing people will notice is just how cinematic the film is. Ok, Once Upon a Time in America this is not, but for a film that was shot in two weeks, there is so much scope and attention to detail. This isn't one of these cheap looking period pieces. Right from the films opening credits sequence, you know you're in for a treat! Everything from the set design and costumes to the prop newspapers and vehicles look authentic. Even the selection of music throughout is clearly thought out. That being said, some of the interior scenes also give off that “new-romantic” vibe of the time which add another layer to this already stylish piece of sinema. Overall, Trashy Lady is one of the last true greats of the genre in almost every aspect. Not only that, but it does something that films like this often don't; it has plenty of replay value and you won't be fast-forwarding through boring set pieces. Naturally, a film of this calibre has received an equally impressive treatment from Vinegar Syndrome.

First of all there is the choice of reversible artwork which only has one problem; both covers are fantastic so good luck picking which one to use! On disc there is not one, but two commentary tracks; one with DP Tom Howard (A Portrait of Desire) and David McCabe (Creepozoids) with the other coming from Herschel Savage and Bill Margold (Dracula Sucks). Both are informative and entertaining in their own way. To top off this fantastic release there is also Steve Scott's 1971 debut feature; Coming West. Unfortunately, aside from the gorgeous Maria Arnold (Flesh Gordon), Sandy Carey (Deep Jaws) and Starlyn Simone (A Touch of Sweden), I found this tale of three women daydreaming whilst on a rod trip to be a tad dull. Oh well, at least there's a lot early hardcore nookie I suppose! Honestly, it's still great to see early hardcore efforts like this being preserved and becoming easily available to my fellow sleaze-hounds. It's still a wonderful addition and the icing on an already elegantly trashy cake (it's much better than my attempts at wit, that's for sure!) As you can probably tell, this is a must-own release for anyone with an interest in the genre and also a great release for those who still don't think there was artistry in pornography.

Trashy Lady is available as a DVD & Blu-Ray combo from Vinegar Syndrome.

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