TINA RUSSELL: 1970S GIRL NEXT DOOR

Pennsylvania-born Linda Marie Mintzer moved to New York at the turn of the 1970s and, by her early 20s, had graduated from sexy photo shoots and short ‘stag’ loops to appearing in Golden Era porn films such as A TOUCH OF GENIE, THE WHISTLE BLOWERS and THE FILTHIEST SHOW IN TOWN.

Although her legacy is not as prolific as most of the other performers of her era, Russell was popular back then and has remained so to this day. One reason for this is her obvious enjoyment for the sex she’s partaking in onscreen. There are few female porn stars then or now who appear to have got as many kicks from their shagging as Tina did. Arguably the main reason though, was Tina’s natural good looks. Earthy features, a genuine "girl next door" ambience and a naturally gorgeous physique put prime Tina head and shoulders above all the plastic bimbos that pass as porn actresses in this day and age.

This 89-minutecollection of rare early loops from Tina’s pre-film days is probably the greatest tribute fans will ever find. God bless After Hours Cinema.

NURSE TINA opens proceedings. In it, Marc Stevens – sporting a shockingly bad fringe that looks as if his mother trimmed it for him – strips Ms Russell of her medical uniform and gives her a good seeing to. Her body is awesome in this one, especially while he’s scuttling her.

Next up, GIRLS NITE IN pairs our leading lady with the one and only Vanessa Del Rio. Dildo action, rough frigging and energetic cunnilingus make this a worthwhile prospect.

CUCUMBER follows. This is actually a clip from the film THE DEVIATES. In it, Tina returns from the local supermarket with a bag full of fresh groceries. She’s feeling horny, and so ... well, you can guess the rest.

SEX DOCTOR co-stars Dolly Sharp. Choppy editing and bad camerawork don’t hamper the fun too much, and there’s something genuinely erotic about the doctor’s physical examination that gradually develops into something more. In this case, that entails patient Russell getting it on with a bearded medic and cunt-licking Sharp.

Stevens returns with his ugly mug, uglier hair and huge schlong for TINA MAKES FRIENDS. He gets to have his wicked way with the main woman again, but not before we’ve enjoyed a tad more lesbianism.

TINA IN BONDAGE looks to be a rare find indeed. This reel is in particularly bad shape, but is still watchable enough. A Charles Manson-alike strips cap-wearing Russell and gets it on with her before tying her up and getting the leather toys out. Lots of hair here, and some freaky use of mirrors and ornamental mannequins by a director clearly aspiring for more.

SCULPTOR features more beards and hairy genitalia. Again, it looks rougher than most of what has preceded it. It’s also one of the less interesting offerings, despite a mildly kinky premise (Russell poses, open-flapped, for an artist intent on making a sculpture of her minge).

PORNO STAR couples Russell with living legend Harry Reems. His ridiculous moustache and hat don’t deter him from enjoying a threesome with Tina and another willing girlie.

Next, RAVAGED. Tina in pigtails and what looks like a school uniform, getting nailed by two men with stockings over their heads. It’s not as threatening as it sounds: the blokes both look like members of Sigue Sigue Sputnik with their torn stockings, and give Tina the mildest spanking conceivable before a jolly good rogering ensues.

STEWARDESS is another two-men-one-woman threesome, and offers another excuse to put Tina in a uniform of some description. Not that I’m complaining.

Finally, LATIN LADY gives us one more shot at lesbian loving – complete with hardcore love-toy action.

Each film is shown in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and has been remastered from original film elements. They still look like shit, but in a good way. Battered, worn prints that reek of authentic sweat, specks and damage – you can’t beat it for this type of cinema.

Audio is a moot point as there is none throughout, save for the whirring of the 8mm film running through the projector. Kudos to After Hours Cinema for resisting the urge to complement these naturally silent loops with stock music.

The main menu page is an animated affair. From there, a similarly animated scene-selection menu allows you to access any of the featured 11 loops at random. There’s also a "Play All" function, which plays out the shorts in the order detailed above.

The only extras on the disc are trailers for 8MM MADNESS, A TOUCH OF GENIE, DEEP THROAT COMEDY COLLECTION, GRINDHOUSE HONEYMOON COLLECTION, NEW YORK FANTASY CLUB, SEX ON CAPITOL HILL, RENE BOND’S SLEAZY 70S, SLUTTY STEWARDESSES, SUPERSTARS OF THE 70S STAGS and WEIRDOS AND ODDBALLS.

The NTSC disc has no regional coding.

All in all, this is a very sexy and always engaging look back at one of the most natural stars that porn cinema ever saw. Tina, incidentally, died of stomach cancer at the tragically young age of 32.

Review by Stuart Willis