Sister Dearest

This is a lost classic of its type, from the Golden Age of Adult Cinema. It has a credible and enjoyable story and some decent acting, especially from Tracy Lords. You actually care about the characters and want to see how the story resolves itself.

Most people will never see it properly though as Tracy Lords was 16 when she made it. This is a major pity as she has gone on to prove on numerous occasions that she really can act.

If you can only dig out the heavily cut version (Back To Class) I would strongly suggest that you don't bother; without Tracy and hacked to pieces its not worth your time.

I saw "Sister Dearest" on video back in 1984 and it was among my favorite X- rated movies, especially in its treatment of the topic of incest. That film is gone thanks to censorship (I did a phone interview with Traci Lords a decade later on the topic), so here's an assessment of the revamped no-Traci version "Back to Class" that replaced it.

Structurally the new edition reeks of paste-up-job elements, sometimes making no sense and relying heavily on insipid narration to tie scenes together. The new story of lead Tom Byron's nostalgia about his college hijinks and life at a fraternity house does not jibe with many scenes that seem irrelevant, notably those of Ginger Lynn who is elevated to female lead in the rearranged edition.

True female lead is attractive Susan Hart, but the re-editing and re-jiggering confusingly have Tom alternating between her and Lynn as his dream girl, with zero consistency. Other gaffes include Marc Wallice having a mustache during his brief ensemble footage at a fraternity party introducing the film's heavy flashbacks, but appearing cleanshaven in his sex scene that appears to be taking place in the same remembered time frame.

Censors and bluenoses evidently only care about the letter of the law and not the spirit of the law, since Traci's footage is excised but typical cradle-robbing porn of artist Harry Reems humping his model/student Hart is retained, merely because Hart was not found to be underage. Even today when "characters depicted are all over 18 years old" is an added restriction, the trend toward jail- bait porn has accelerated rather than diminished in a creepy "barely legal" fashion.

In the new version much of the name talent is wasted, with Christy Canyon appearing only briefly and the team of Crystal Breeze and Lois Ayres mere eye candy with no roles to speak of. The proverbial all-star cast doesn't give Sahara much of an opportunity, other than checking off the mixed-combo department. Subplot of Peter North as the old hand showing frat pledge Byron the ropes is not developed well.

Other than earning Tom Byron two paychecks for making a single film, the new edition is a total loss.

I have seen the original.

It's a much better tale (having a plot, even) with the original cast. It just flows more smoothly and developments make sense as they occur. Lords and Byron really do click together in that final scene. The added spice of incest doesn't hurt.

I feel fully justified in raising my previous 5 rating to a hearty 9.

And, really...I would encourage IMDb to grant the film "Back to Class" its own spot separate from, though related to, this classic gem.

I feel not quite right giving a 5 rating to the movie "Sister Dearest", but that's what's available. Really, "Back To Class" should have its own entry in IMDb. Lack of continuity is what did the film in for me, but maybe that's what cutting Traci Lords' scenes did. There were some exciting scenes left, but the whole seemed haphazardly put together.

I feel somewhat deprived at never having seen the original, but there is a sequel ("Back To Class 2", 1988 I think). The production values are much higher so it's a better viewing experience...a 7 at least.

While there are loads of sex scenes in this film, including a primo scene for Ginger Lynn, it can be said this film, and the making of it, secured Traci Lords' eternal reputation as one of the most highly sexual girls ever in porn. Key word here is "girl". For when it was made no one (we think?) in the business of porn filmmaking knew this ultra sexy nubile was underage. Probably 16 at the time. Possessed of a very high sex drive, an incredibly fully developed body sporting 36D breasts, and natural skills at always finding the light with the camera, Traci was simply a sensation from the first moment she showed up on the porn scene.

It was this film where the director and producers cast a load of extras from either UCLA or USC which is where the porn legend of Traci grew to unimaginable heights. It seems that when a scene was being filmed not including Traci, or the extras, she took about a dozen of these guys out by the pool and proceeded to screw them all. In her memoir Traci claims it was a 3 way. But a 3 way wouldn't capture the incredible gossip volume that having sex by a pool with 12 film extras that were college students would get. And the porn industry was ripe with this story whereby it surprised even the most veteran porn people.

Traci has sex in the film with a co-ed played by Greg Rome, and a final scene with her off screen sometimes boyfriend and on screen here her brother, Tom Byron. Both scenes are incredibly hot. It can be noted that in two films Rome made with Traci where he has scenes with her he has visceral reactions when Traci strips for him. It is this movie and Sex Waves. And his reaction is about the same. Traci walks a few feet away and she pulls off her top exposing her magnificent full breasts. She uses them to tease him but when he sees her busty breasts each time he'll say "wow, you're incredible". At that each time she'll walk toward him pulling him in so she can begin foreplay with him. In Sister Dearest she rides Rome while demanding through her noted pursed lips that she wants him to f__k her. She also grabs his hands to pull toward her breasts and he obliges by grabbing them and pinching her omnipresent nipples. And she loves it.

The film was shot well. The scenes mesh well. And there is, for a porn film, a pretty fair plot. So this is one porn film I would say is a must see. BUT...a must see if only you see the original Traci Lords version.