Sogni di una ragazza di campagna

Lacking the bombast of most of his XXX films, PUBERTY is an entertaining "folk porn" outing by the prolific Joe D'Amato. It's a welcome diversion from his usual milking of "historical" subject matter.

IMDb dates it as a 1999 film, using an Italian release date as documentation, but the U.S. DVD lists 1995 as date of production in its "everybody's 18" disclaimer, and earlier year is probably more accurate, given the cast overlaps with Joe's films like HOMO ERECTUS from that time frame.

Alternate title DREAMS OF A COUNTRY GIRL is more accurate, as lovely Penelope stars (though receives poor billing, listed eighth in the credits) as rural lass Claudia on the eve of her 18th birthday. Her buxom, blonde aunt is conjuring up a love spell with white magic, using cow's urine and needing the ingredient of sperm from the intended boyfriend to win him as her mate.

This is pure porn, with a logic exclusive to the genre. Opening scene has Claudia masturbating in her sleep, dreaming of lesbian sex with her pretty maid Maria. Second scene has three guys arriving at an inn: all are D'Amato regulars, Roberto Malone, Gerry Pike and Franscesco Malcom. They balk at the bill for lunch and refuse to pay it (too expensive), balling the cute waitress (Roxanne Hall) instead. Scene makes no sense but is stimulating thanks to ever-reliable Hall.

They are hired by the tall-tall, bespectacled housekeeper at Claudia and her aunt's place, and said lady immediately has a four-way with her new employees, as part of their job. We later see them pretending to be doing odd jobs around the grounds, but PUBERTY is strictly about sex.

Hall delivers a bottle of aphrodisiac to the housekeeper, who stages an orgy. Maria succeeds in gathering Pike's ejaculation in her mouth, spitting it into a glass for use in the witch's ceremony. Result is a happy 18th birthday party for Penelope, engaged to Pike, cueing a second orgy as finale.

The women are all lovely and energetic porn performers. I've watched two DVD versions of the film, one in Italian and the other German-dubbed, and each features only seven cast members. The on-screen credits are wrong: Hakan Serbes, Tao and Silvio Evangelista are among the missing in action thesps along with two of the women. These erroneous credits are identical to those listed for "Sea, Sex, and Sun", also shot in 1995 with D'Amato as cinematographer and Luca Damiano directing, and the full cast does appear in that nudist-camp movie, including an uncredited Gerry Pike. It was listed in IMDb as "Scandalo al sole", and disproves the contention of a recent IMDb reviewer claiming this to be one of D'Amato's last films, as it was made in 1995 not 1999.

"Sogni di una Ragazza di Campagna," or "Dreams of a Country Girl," is a 1998 erotic drama that lives up to its name. This Italian film, directed by Joe D'Amato, takes us to a farm where the workers are more interested in earthly delights than earthly labor.

The plot follows Claudia, a country girl who, after witnessing her mother in a raunchy romp with farmhands, embarks on her own sexual journey. With the servants' assistance and a magical aphrodisiac, Claudia's fantasies become reality.

The film delivers on its promise of explicit adult content. One standout scene features the talented Roxanne Hall, who portrays a farmhand giving in to her desires. As the sun sets over the barn, she surrenders to her lust, moaning with abandon as her partner eagerly satisfies her, their bodies glistening with sweat under the golden light. The scene is a testament to the power of uninhibited passion, leaving viewers thirsty for more.

However, the thin plot and rushed production do detract from the overall experience. The acting is basic, and the film feels more like a series of sexual encounters strung together than a cohesive narrative. That said, D'Amato's beautiful lead actress and skilled camera work do shine through, providing a visual feast for viewers.

In conclusion, "Sogni di una Ragazza di Campagna" is a steamy, pleasurable ride that, despite its shortcomings, satisfies those seeking erotic entertainment. While it may not be a masterpiece, it delivers on its promise of explicit adult content.

Dreams of a Country Girl (1996)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Yet another Joe D'Amato "adult" film, this time, as the title says, a country girl has dreams about sex. The beautiful lead will have porn fans happy but there's not too much going on here. Most of the sex is rather bland and boring and one can't help but think that the director wasn't wishing he was somewhere else. What does work for the music is the beautiful lead and some nice camera work by the director.

Director Joe D'Amato will always be remembered for his horror films like BEYOND THE DARKNESS and ANTROPOPHAGUS as well as his long running Emanuelle series with Laura Gamser. After the Italian horror market dried up, D'Amato had a comeback with the softcore ELEVEN DAYS ELEVEN NIGHTS, which eventually led to the director doing porn titles. The director had previously mixed sex and horror in such titles as PORNO HOLOCAUST and EROTIC NIGHS OF THE LIVING DEAD but those films were a long way off from his later day porn.