User Reviews

Gerard Damiano's third fiction feature after DEEP THROAT and THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES is a dark and chilly fable, intended, he says, to carry on the story of the latter's heroine, Justine Jones, had she not committed suicide. In a secluded farmhouse in snow-bound Pennsylvania sometime in the 'thirties, an aging Miss Aggie (Deborah Ashira) describes to a companion Richard (Patrick L. Farrelly) a series of youthful sensual experiences, with her character played in each case by a different actress. Played by a young blond Kim Pope, she chooses to lose her virginity with Eric Edwards in a sequence notable for its extended,carefully observed foreplay. Edwards then visits a whore (Darby Lloyd Raines) who inflames him with a long episode of masturbation. And finally a girl (Mary Stuart), having excited herself by masturbating with a small doll, seduces a delivery man (Harry Reems). After each recollection, Richard questions Aggie's veracity. It's finally revealed that she is insane. The Richard to whom she speaks is the ghost of her first and only lover, whom she murdered when he threatened to leave her. Now, PSYCHO-like, his corpse shares the lonely house with her, a truly captive audience for her erotic ramblings. MEMORIES WITHIN MISS AGGIE decisively dispels Linda Lovelace's picture of Damiano as a talentless hack. The location shooting and staging are assured, the direction of actors both in the erotic scenes and the framing story skillful, the music unassertive and atmospheric. It ends, in what must surely be its only use in a porn film, on a few bars of the hymn AMAZING GRACE. MISS AGGIE was shown in the market at that year's Cannes Film Festival and became the most widely circulated of all Damiano's early films.

WARNING: SPOILERS

I want to say a few things about this film without the fear of triggering anyone. Nah, I don't mean that. This is about a movie out time. First off, this adult - yes, an X rated movie - was not only shown at the Cannes Film Festival, but was offered as a vehicle for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Director. Take a few seconds on that. The film is a biographical study of Aggie, who recounts parts of what she represents as her sexual history but later proves to be, well, other than that. It is a skillfully made film that today would be an "indie" judged by its budget but punches higher than that. Full disclosure, it was also the first X rated movie I reviewed, and I liked it. It will be difficult to find today; perhaps in another future when Gerard Damiano has a renaissance, someone will find and re-offer this film. But please note that it was made in a time and place when adult directors and actors fully believed that they and Hollywood would exist together or at least in parallel and that actors and actresses would as well be able to go from one to the other. Sounds naive now, but it was heartfelt then...

Troubled middle-aged spinster Aggie (a fine and affecting performance by Deborah Ashira) lives in isolation with her disabled wheelchair-bound companion Richard (a solid portrayal by Patrick L. Farrelly). While attempting to remember the exact circumstances pertaining to how she and Richard first met, Aggie slowly, but surely pieces together a true portrait of who and what she really is.

Director Gerard Damiano relates the absorbing sad story at a deliberate pace, ably crafts a haunting melancholy mood, and maintains a grim brooding tone throughout. Kim Pope, Mary Stuart, and Darby Lloyd Rains are all excellent as various wildly contrasting incarnations of Aggie. Eric Edwards and Harry Reems are likewise very good as younger versions of Richard. Ron Wertheim's dark and daring script gradually peels away the layers of Aggie's disturbed psyche before culminating in a startling surprise downbeat ending as well as says something poignant and significant about the basic human need for companionship. The handsome cinematography by Joao Fernandes and the moody score by Rupert Holmes both further enhance the overall sound quality of this odd, yet highly effective and admirable 70's Golden Age winner.

I had originally gotten it from a new Orleans adult sex store and theater on VHS.Later I got the first DVD version.I recently upgrade it to a restored version.Although the i.m.d.b stated it was shot on 35mm,Vinegar Syndrome stated it was take from a 16mm print. As much as the i.m.d.b stated it was shot One by thirty seven by one ratio Vinegar claims it was originally one by eighty five by one ratio.Well, the print was great .It looked perfect in none Anamorphic wide screen sharper than the old DVD version ,but, like the VHS version and early DVD it was still a bit grainy.This indicated that the original 35 mm version has been lost or damage or faded a long time possibly ,that the same 16mm print was used for this.Being that it's a clear picture it's better to understand a few actress played mainstream actress Deborah Ashira fantasy past of her character Aggie ,whom her unseen able parents in this film controlled her even as a young adult affecting sexuality and her mind She has been wondering how Richard came to be with her .You see the back of his ahead on a wheel chair .Now I had thought that Zebedy Colt played Richard ,the actor looked like him.It was another mainstream none sex actor,played by Patrick L.Farrelly.Like the other lead actor in Gerard Damiano Skins Flicks this one did no other movie after this. Mainstream and soft core adult actress Kim Pope played one of the Psychological delusions of Miss Aggie imagining she was blond .Imagining Richard was Eric Edward. It looked like it could have been shot in new York country or New England country,but it looked more like the country you saw in Paton place.As usual Gerard Damiano shows up in his films ,but in this feature he doesn't. Mary Stuarts take on Aggie playing with her little baby doll might be a Little disturbing to some ,but, this only shows how repressed Aggie ,especially since the older Aggie is imagining these things.Darby Loud Raines take acts more like Justine Jones as she get frustrated that the trick,played by an unknown also being Richard just want to be self erotic,then whether she has persuade the trick to do it with her or if she is imaging it,it's hard to tell. Harry Reems is the best of the Richards in character Near the end you discovered what has happen to the original Richard and it's a shocker Fans of sex for an aide to heat would not enjoy this cause it's for those movie fans who wan to see sex in a story .A very depressing story with depressing atmosphere style.It's almost like a horror film a little.The isolation in the country and an old spinster loosing her mind.On the menu of the DVD -Blu-Ray combo it includes articles and picture in-the gallery that showed how the film got busted in new York and Gerard had to fight for his Free speech rights of the movie and how he won the case.It figure what the excuse to attack the film was based on ,the violence and shocking ending ,probably.I remember back in 75 when Geraldo Rivera on ABC had a special on the adult biz and interviewed Damiano .Spelvin and showed a scene, the Kim Pope and Eric Edwards one,before they took their clothes off, in Memories with in Miss Aggie.I remember Geraldo stating that Adult has become mainstream .Today he might denied he ever did that special.Good remastering ,great adult classic of the Pussy cat theater golden age. 09/01/19