Babyface

Alex de Renzy's "Babyface" is a notorious entry in the annals of adult entertainment. With a bizarre blend of upbeat fun and skin-crawling moments, this hardcore classic is a rollercoaster of explicit thrills and unsettling twists.

The film follows two intertwining narratives. In one, we meet the titular character, a teenager (played by Lyn "Cuddles" Malone) who, despite appearing to be in her mid-twenties, encounters an older construction worker, Dan (Dan Roberts), and experiences a deflowering that is as comical as it is explicit. The other thread focuses on Dan's attempt to evade the consequences of his actions by seeking refuge in "The Champ's" (Kathryn Reed) all-male bordello, leading to a series of raunchy and often humorous encounters.

"Babyface" is a peculiar beast. On the one hand, it embraces female pleasure and desires, with a surprising amount of wholesomeness amidst the graphic content. The film leans into its comedic elements, finding humor in the campy dialogue and the over-the-top situations that unfold. However, the film also ventures into darker territory, with themes that some may find disturbing. The "jailbait" setup, a mother's unsettling obsession with her daughter's teenage love interests, and a relentless, cum-soaked gang bang scene showcase the film's ability to venture into the realm of the uncomfortably explicit.

The performances are committed, and the film delivers some genuinely shocking moments. The knife-wielding mother's showdown is a standout, as is the cling film-clad hilarity of Dan Roberts. Yet, with a runtime of almost two hours, "Babyface" feels overly indulgent, testing the patience of even the most dedicated viewer.

In conclusion, "Babyface" is a hard-to-define piece of pornography. It's not for the faint of heart, but within the genre, it offers a unique blend of humor, shock value, and a nod to female pleasure that sets it apart. A curious artifact of adult cinema that, despite its flaws, remains a must-see for those who can appreciate its particular brand of provocative entertainment.

This really is one of the all time classics. Forget the cheap, rushed video films of today and indulge yourself with this treat. Focusing on one man hiding from the law in a male brothel, it includes some memorable scenes. There's a terrific orgy scene as one girl takes on the whole stable of studs and a bizarre scene involving clingfilm. What I particularly liked about this film is that it featured ordinary women enjoying themselves. There's none of the silicone enhanced stars of today-it's all natural. Also, some of the women were older than you would find today, which is no bad thing. All in all, a good movie for lovers of the adult genre and suitable for couples I would say.

Babyface (1977)

*** (out of 4)

Dan (Dan Roberts) is one day working on the docks when 15-year-old Priscilla (Lyn Malone) approaches him. Before long the two are having sex but her mother Molly (Molly Seagrim) shows up and now the daughter cries rape. Dan is shot by a cop and falls into a body of water where he's eventually dragged out by a couple ladies. After being cleaned up Dan joins a male prostitution group but soon he runs into Molly again.

Director Alex de Renzy ended up having a very successful run starting in 1977 with this film and the notorious LONG JEANNE SILVER before following these up the next year with the classic PRETTY PEACHES. For my money PRETTY PEACHES is the best of these three films but there's no question that all of them have a special place in the history of adult cinema. In fact, the more I watch of de Renzy the more I'm starting to enjoy and respect his work as it certainly has its own vibe and laughs.

Obviously the subject matter here will probably put some off even those who enjoy watching dirty movies. What's so hilarious about the film is that its naughty subject matter really leads to some very funny scenes including the meeting between Dan and Priscilla. The dialogue is certainly campy and I'd argue that the entire sequence is somewhat campy in a good way. Obviously if the subject was taken seriously there wouldn't be a need for laughs but de Renzy brought his typical comic style and it works.

For the most part Roberts makes for a good lead and he manages to make you believe the scenario that this poor guy is going through. Malone would apparently only appear in this one film but she too is quite memorable in the role of the teenager who is a lot naughtier than her mom thinks. You've also got Desiree West who is always fun to watch and Amber Hunt.

BABYFACE runs a bit too long at 105-minutes but fans of the genre and the director will certainly enjoy it.

A great movie!!! I saw this at age 14 after finding a pirate copy in my dads room. Stand out scene has to be the Paul Thomas/Patricia Lee scene with Amber Hunt joining in half way through. Porno Perfection, I have never, ever seen another scene which matches this for its eroticism and intensity. I cannot believe that no one else has mentioned it. Also the Dan Roberts/Linda Wong and Amber Hunt scene on the house boat is not bad, I would not have minded being bathed by those two!! I could really take or leave the rest of the 'scenes' but at least this move has a plot and is shot well. Please, please, please, does anybody know where we can find the DVD for this? A crime it has not been released.

Alex De Renzy (FEMMES DE SADE, PRETTY PEACHES) was one of the greatest directors of adult films ever, his career starting in the late 60s and proceeding well into the 90s. So saying that BABY FACE stands as his crowning achievement is no small praise. This ranks as one skin flick that truly has it all : a complete story line, fine production, a couple of decent acting performances (Paul Thomas, Joey Silvera, Sandi Pinney as race car driver Tasha) and some of the hottest sex scenes ever assembled in a single movie.

Big, lumbering Dan Roberts stars as the hapless construction worker who has to go into hiding following his seduction of underage but willing Priscilla (Lyn 'Cuddles' Malone, looking very young but according to all reports over 20 at the time of shooting) which incurs the wrath of her religious fanatic of a mum (the amazing Molly Seagrim, real life wife of cult carnal creator Zachary Strong, taking over from THUNDERCRACK!'s Marion Eaton who got cold feet at the last minute). After a near-fatal accident leaves him unconsciously drifting in the bay, he is saved by fan favorites Amber Hunt (star of Shaun Costello's Fiona ON FIRE) and Linda Wong (unforgettable in Howard Ziehm's SWEET CAKES) who clean him up and then some. Hunt comes up with the brilliant idea of taking him to the Training Camp, a brothel catering exclusively for rich women and run by her aunt, affectionately referred to as the Champ.

Naturally, this fancy cat house (or should that be a 'doghouse', considering the role reversal ?) provides the perfect backdrop for the movie's myriad sexual situations, nearly all of them handled with great style and enthusiasm by cast and filmmaker alike, shot through with a wickedly subversive humor that may not sit too well with the PC crowd, though they would probably never admit to watching this kind of film in the first place. Standout scenes include gentle giant Roberts tender initiation of the eager Malone, their contrast in size providing an instant thrill all by itself, and the late great Kristine Heller (whose life story was turned into another adult film, THE AWAKENING, by one time paramour Paul Thomas) taking on pretty much all the guys present in what has to stand as the single greatest gang bang sequence ever committed to film or video.