By Adrian Smith 

Released on region 2 DVD by Arrow Video

I have to admit I was not familiar with Lust in the Dust, but as soon as I saw the names Paul Bartel and Divine on the box, I knew I was in safe hands.

The film begins with Rosie Velez (Divine) struggling through the desert on the world's smallest donkey. About to die from thirst and exhaustion, she is saved by the timely appearance of a waterhole. The audience is then treated to a glimpse of his/ her naked behind whilst she bathes, which appears to have a very unusual birthmark. Also taking in this unsavoury view is Tab Hunter as Abel Wood, a cowboy of very few words. He is headed for Chili Verde and reluctantly agrees for Rosie to tag along. When he arrives at this tiny, clichéd western town he discovers that they don't take too kindly to strangers. Rosie gets manages to get a job in the bar, which is also a brothel, and Abel learns that there is a legend regarding hidden gold somewhere in the town. Being the strong silent type he soon attracts the affections of Marguerita (Lainie Kazan), bar owner and chief whore, and soon a jealous rivalry erupts between her and Rosie. Throw into the mix Cesar Romero as the local priest and Geoffrey Lewis and Henry Silva as bad guys and you have all the makings of a fast-paced, mischievous comedy western. The plot is nothing new, but it is the juxtaposition of Divine's constant chatter against Hunter's quiet, thoughtful delivery that makes this so enjoyable. This is not the first film to use the "secret clues tattooed on women's behinds" gag, but who cares when it is this funny? Many of the jokes are borderline offensive, and certainly tasteless. One would expect nothing less from the director of Eating Raoul (1982), a dark comedy about cannibalism, and let's not forget that in Pink Flamingoes (1972), Divine eats real dog faeces on camera.

Tab Hunter had plenty of previous experience in westerns, and had also starred with Divine before in Polyester (1981) and was able to use his influence in Hollywood to get Lust in the Dust made, acting as one of the film's producers. His character is part Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name and part Franco Nero's Django and as such he has terrific screen presence. All of the cast are excellent and Paul Bartel manages to hold together what could have been a mess in the wrong hands.

The new DVD release is on Arrow's Arrowdrome label, which presents cult film titles at low prices but with a minimum of extras. It does feature the original trailer, a reversible DVD sleeve and a booklet with more information on the film. Lust in the Dust is hugely entertaining and deserves to become a new favourite film for anyone who likes their entertainment a little subversive.

You can order the DVD by clicking here