Dirty Love (1988)

A Joe D'Amato film starring Valentine Demy about a girl who leaves her small town to become a dancer in the big city. The title makes you think Dirty Dancing, but it's really more Fame and Flashdance.

Terry Jones (Valentine Demy) hitchhikes from her small town to make it in the big city.

After a difficult time hitchhiking, Terry finally arrives at her new apartment. A black guy named Jimmy (Reggie Crump) is dancing in the hallway and Terry joins him.

Terry's dream is to be a professional dancer. She arrives at dance class at the Richmond Dance Center.

The dance instructor Sandra Cooper (Jannet Lori) is a fat lesbian who has the hots for Terry, and takes out her frustration on her.

Terry takes a shower.

She calls her mother and leaves a message thanking her for the money.

Terry waits for a ride from dance class. She hears a gang of rapists approach and is attacked. A rich guy named Robert (Cully Holland) saves her. He mends her wounds back at his place.

Back at the Richmond Dance Center, Sandra continues to single her out and treat her like shit

Michael (Jeff Stryker) explains it's just because Sandra has the hots for her.

Michael introduces Terry to Susan (Lisa Lowenstein) who needs a roommate. Susan is spunky and full of pep. (We'll see later that the pep doesn't come natural.)

Terry goes bowling on a blind date and the dude is creepily touching her throughout the evening. Terry tells Susan she's not so fond of her date.

Terry spots Robert bowling in an adjacent lane. She ditches her blind date and goes with Robert.

The have sex in an elevator.

The next morning Susan shows Terry the flowers Robert sent.

Back to dance class where she's continually insulted by Sandra.

Terry goes to a male strip club and goes to bed with one of the dancers.

Terry's sad that she's just not making it in the dance class. So, she practices on her own all night long. [Insert "Maniac" by Michael Sembello]

Terry goes out to dinner with Robert. She excuses herself to go to the ladies room.

She removes her panties.

When she returns, she shows Robert her panties are off and invites him to reach under the table.

Terry has an appointment with a masseuse (Laura Gemser).

Terry gets undressed then gets on the bed.

Terry can't believe her eyes. She spots Susan turning tricks on the street corner. She's doing it to support her drug habit. Terry previously found amphetamines in her medicine cabinet. She confronts her about the drugs and the whoring, but Susan doesn't want to be lectured.

Terry goes to see Robert, carrying a present.

Robert immediately undresses her. He tells Terry he's found a way to help settle her debt. He's found her a job working for a bigwig in the modeling business.

Mr. Wilson (Louis Vivian) runs a modeling agency. But Terry isn't impressed and endures the evening just so she can finally have the money to pay her debts.

Back at the room, Wilson creepily insists she drink up.

Wilson has drugged Terry's drink. She passes out.

Terry is carried to the bedroom. Wilson removes her clothing while she's passed out and starts molesting her. It turns out that this was all a part of Robert's plan. They will use photographs stealthily taken of this incident and use them to blackmail Wilson (who is actually a politician). Terry gets a cut of the payoff.

Susan is in the hospital for overdosing. She is soon released and Terry convinces her to stay away from drugs and the bad crowd she's been hanging around.

Robert has plans for Terry to entrap another blackmail victim. But Terry doesn't want to be a pawn in his devious games any longer and leaves him.

Terry makes it to the dance audition in the nick of time. She's selected, and now her dreams of becoming a dancer have come true. THE END

VZ6 SCORECARD

You can tell D'Amato is actually trying to make a good movie and not some thrown together exploitation film.  While pretty contrived, it is well made and Demy is naked a good bit.  Perhaps the biggest downside is the music.  Some cool eighties synth would've been nice; instead we get some of the worst music ever put to celluloid. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆ 6/10