Valentina

this is definitely a b-movie, but it's not bad. It's a bit erotic, a bit of a thriller, and there's also some black magic. The plot is all over the place and often makes no sense, but ms. Hampton's beauty and good acting make up for it. All in all, a recommended movie.

this movie had every thing in it. from romance to horror erotica. i like the music score also.this movie is out of a cosmopolitan,vouge magazines.it had a lot of fashion and style.the old billy holiday in the background during phil and valintina's conversation was great. the gypsies and the witches, the fine android from the sea. the movie is all over the place, but everyone is focused on VALINTINA.there should be a number two. \

I first saw this movie as a very curious teenager. It has stayed in my mind as a very erotic film. I agree that it is somewhat disjointed, and it is definitely a low budget movie, but it has a mysterious sexuality about it. As a woman I would rather watch this than a "porn" flick any day. It is mostly from the woman's point of view and does include some elements of "black" magic. If you are looking for a lot of plot and romance this isn't the film for you. If you are looking for something to pique your sexual interest and give you a little fantasy material this is something you should see. Demetra Hampton is beautiful in a very exotic way, and I will forever remember the scene of her green eyes shining as her wet body walks out of the ocean. The cinematography is quite nice.

If the movie seems disjointed, that's because it was three episodes from an Italian TV series that were glued together, then dubbed into English. The original TV series was itself based on the Italian erotic comic "Valentina", created in the 60s by artist and writer Guido Crepax. Valentina's look was deliberately patterned after silent film legend Louise Brook. The TV series lasted only one season, between 1988 and 1989.

The very first storyline in the movie, the one with the doll, came from a very popular story arc from the comic called "Baba Yaga". A proper movie version was created back in 1973 under the same name. A cult following has grown up around that movie since.

The first time the 1988 movie aired was on Showtime, back in 1990. I too was confused by the plot, not realizing that it was several episodes poorly edited together. When I started getting into European comics in the early 90s, I finally learned the background to the show. It came as a shock to me when I found out Demetra Hampton, the actress that played Valentina, was from the United States.