The Nurses:

The Nurses is far and away more entertaining than most of it’s early hardcore (pre-Deep Throat) contemporaries. The action centers in a hospital where sexual shenanigans occur all over the place. Each vignette is presented uninterrupted, no intercuts or reaction shots, and all the expected situations are presented – with some unexpected as well. Of course we have the sperm specimen, the gynecology exam, the enema, the nurse in training, etc. Surreal humor appears now and again, with several of the stories having twist endings. Besides the natural beauties (no one looks like a porn star here) and the hairy guys, the camera work is exceptional for a low budget porno. Very fluid, lots of camera angles, it is professional and maintains interest throughout.

There is quite a lot of dialog as each situation unfolds; strangers don’t just start having sex here. Unfortunately the sound was not recorded with the same care and skill as the photography and there is lots of background noise present. The film proper really ends at the one hour mark, though a semi-related scene is tacked on at the end. Completely different in style and presentation [i.e. typically shoddy] the only interesting aspect is the caller who comes wearing a paper mache dick head helmet mask.

Sue Prentiss, R.N.

Urban heroes encounter alligators in the sewers, and must undergo detox. These opening scenes present some humorous mugging from Bobby Astyr, then lucky for him, nurse Annie Sprinkle likes to throw herself into her work. Thus begins the standout sequence in the film, an extended sword swallowing sequence (Bobby’s not the biggest, but still). It’s all decidedly downhill from there, with endless macro close-ups of genitalia, haphazard edits and intercuts. There is lots of sex, though often you can’t tell who it is.

The DVD:

Both films are remastered fullscreen and both look exceptional for unrestored grindhouse prints. There is slight projection damage here and there. The Nurses was shot on location, so lighting was more problematic and grain more prominent. Sue Prentiss looks slicker and brighter by comparison.

The Nurses was filmed in an actual clinic with non-professional performers and has a crude charm that is contagious. Sue Prentiss is rather typical porn product but presents stars Bobby Astyr and Annie Sprinkle as prime physical specimens.