The Stud
"The Stud" was so much better than this sequel. better writing, better story, better character development.. "The Bitch" doesn't even make sense towards the end!
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
Perhaps this will help me appreciate "The Stud," which I didn't like at all. Glad to have found this on VHS for 75 cents in the clearance bin with a really cool clamshell box with a picture of Joan on the phone.
shareWell the guy in the main role, Oliver Tobias is one of my favorite actors from that time. He appeared in the acclaimed series "Arthur of the Britons," and also the film "Tis Pity She's A Whore" with Charlotte Rampling, where they play incestuous brother and sister whos' affair destroys a royal family. He also starred in "Arabian Adventure," which was a kind of throwback to the Technicolor films of the 1940's. Tobias is really good in period films and costume dramas. "The Stud" is very much a film of it's time; you will never see anything more 70's than this. Let me know how you like it.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
Well, I've just watched "The Bitch" after a few delays with the malfunctioning videocassette (nothing that a Phillips screwdriver and some scotch tape couldn't fix), and maybe it was the mood I was in, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the plot (such as it was) enjoyable, and I enjoyed the gratuitous disco and nudity – generally in the same scene.
I found Joan Collins absolutely ravishing in this film, and Antonio Cantafora was a fitting lover/rival. It's been almost six years since I've seen "The Stud," and I forgot most details on that film when I rewound the tape, but this one should stick with me until Wednesday or so. I gave "The Stud" 3/10 and this 6/10, simply on entertainment level. I supposed the mood I was in when I watched both films influenced my vote.
What is this called "The Bitch" anyway? It seems a more appropriate title would have been "The Savvy Businesswoman." Of course, that might not have sold as many pulpy novels by sister Jackie, and it would be a challenge to find words that rhyme for the theme song.
I'm totally living in the '70s, and I still write "1976" on my checks – and I still write checks – so my judgement is perhaps skewered, but any film this much fun is worth a watch regardless of its objective quality.
Hahaha; like you I'm really loving the 70's stuff too. Considering you are still watching these titles on videocassette means you are taking it to another level! That's great. I have switched over to dvd format for some time now, enjoying re-discovering great old movies in super widescreen quality. But I still have my massive VHS collection in boxes in the attic. I don't have the heart to throw them away after all those years of collecting. Also some rare titles that I have were never even released on dvd, which makes them quite valuable.
As far as the films "The Bitch" & "The Stud" go, they are real gems, and time capsules of a great decade. The two titles were released together in a 2 disc dvd box set, and the picture quality is a nice improvement over the old VHS tapes. The images are brighter and sharper. As far as film quality goes, a lot of people consider "The Stud" to be more well-written and edited. Also i find the end to that film more powerful than the end of "The Bitch." The fact that "The Stud" had a smaller budget also gives it a more intimate feel as well. i just found it more emotionally involving, and the character Tony is more likable, and more 'human' than Joan Collin's character, Fontaine. "The Stud" was Britain's version of the USA's very successful "American Gigolo," and it is more of a 'man's movie' i think. A bit like the old gangster films of that era. Guys idolized his character like they idolized John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever." Of course if you are watching these films for the great Joan Collins, you will enjoy "The Bitch" more, as that film focuses on her character, and she has much more screen time. i always thought the box cover of "The Stud" should have had a photo of Oliver Tobias on it, as he is really the main character of that one. I found the ending when that young girl breaks his heart really sad and touching. And i wasn't expecting to be emotionally affected by a film like this. Anyway you were lucky to find these rare titles for such a great price. Let me know what you think when you watch it again.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
Unfortunately, I filed away "The Stud" several years ago in the black hole that is my storage room, which is where most of my VHS films wind up after I watched them. I'd say there's a couple thousand down there. So unfortunately, it would be hard to find "The Stud" again. I would be open to buying the two-disc DVD set if I found it for a reasonable price, especially if it's better quality and widescreen.
For whatever reason – probably based on the characters she played – for years I could not stand Joan Collins, seeing her as a low-rent Elizabeth Taylor. I never got into "Dynasty" and don't find nighttime soap operas about rich people appealing. But after seeing her in several B-movies from the '70s including these and "Empire of the Ants," she has grown on me in a big way. There's something endearingly genuine about the superficial characters she generally plays, and her look, attitude and timing are generally perfect for the roles she takes. She was never in the big leagues and never will, but she realizes this and has fun with it.