The Stud

Like most seventies softcore the film that put Joan Collins back on the map contains far more talk than rutting; and like anything thinking it's being really with-it it now looks far more dated than anything made in the fifties; compounded by the constant pounding disco music on the soundtrack.

As it meanders along it's garrulous way you also have plenty of time to marvel at the fact such a sorry collection of fashion disasters got so much more sex than any other generation before or since.

Far from it, ten times more people were into disco and this film is probably a better reflection of the late 70s than Jubilee, with its Britain is finished, let's celebrate all that's grotty and rotten about the country. After all, where would you rather be, in some smashed up slum in punk gear, or down some high class disco being seduced by Joan Collins, what we would nowadays call a classy MILF. I am sure millions who attended their local Roxy every Saturday imagined they were in Hobos and flocked to their local fleapit to see what proved to be Joan Collins comeback after such dross as Empire of the Ants. Also the soundtrack, about the best thing about The Stud, sold in huge numbers.

However, the film is complete schlock and little better than other soft porn of the period. It does have a sort of so bad it's good feel to it, but is a rather sleazy, dull film that has dated badly. I know as a seventies nostalgist I would watch it if it was on, if only for the music, but I would give The Stud one look and then put it back in its case as the acting is hammy and the plot is threadbare.

although the movie was not as explicit as the book, it had it's moments.

joan collins plays the part of the bitchy hedonistic adultering wife( a role she embodied in Dynasty as Alexis for almost 9 years!!) to the tee. she has all the moves, the look and the body language. she plays the part of the manipulative, dominating and captivating 40 yr old woman in her prime to such perfection,that it leaves oliver tobias, to play his role as the "stud" with all the enthusiam one could muster for such a role(not much to do but perform on call and bonk the remaining women in the cast).

walter gotell ( the head of the kgb in bond flicks) is wasted in what could have been a meaty role.

emma jacobs does her best as she transcends from an innocent girl who beds the "stud"(after she meets him the first time and finds out he is "doing" her step mom)to one who uses sex as revenge(when she rejects his amorous advances during his visit to her mother's house) and is then promptly not shown until the end of the movie. sad, because it could have been penned into a longer and more interesting role.

the rest of the movie is pretty slow as it follows the tacky night life of the 70's in london, especially the end where after a new year's party, tony blake is happy to be out of the night ife( i would have thought it would be from too much sex)

A part not to be missed is the "orgy scene" in the swimming pool...that was quite a scene!!!!

only worth a watch for joan collins fans who want to catch a glimpse of the early shades of Alexis Carrington Colby..

Artistically this film probably deserves its average 2-3 out of 10 rating on IMDb, but to watch it for artistic reasons is a mistake. This is a film that simply went out to make as much money as possible and in that respect it was a big (and rare UK) success. So while the much mocked health spa/ swimming pool orgy scene is unarguably pure hokum, its purpose was simply to get film goers talking about all the raunchy scenes, as was the sex in the lift scene. Other great word of mouth devices are using the hugely popular (among men of a certain age) Pans People/ Legs & Co in the dancing scenes and cashing in on the disco craze. Simply as a fan of cinema these devices are of great interest. To top it all there is a surprisingly good film poster for a film supposedly of no artistic merit. After watching it after all these years (too young at the time) I am impressed that the rather pathetic British film industry of this time was capable of making such a venal and direct money spinner.

The Stud (1978)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Incredibly silly but sleazy "drama" about Fontaine (Joan Collins), a woman married to a very rich man but whose having an affair with Tony (Oliver Tobias), the stud running their club. Poor Tony is good looking and has an unlimited number of great looking women wanting to sleep with him but before long the stud begins to feel sorry for himself.

THE STUD is a pretty awful movie that came out of nowhere and somehow became a very big hit. Who knows why something like this would have become a hit but I'm going to guess that part of the reason was the awful disco era that was going on at the time and the fact that someone like Collins was going full nudity and trashy with the material. Yes, the film is sleazy, campy and at times trashy but that still doesn't make for a lot of entertainment.

The biggest problem with the film is that none of the characters are all that entertaining. I've read some reviews that complained that none of them were likable but that I really don't care about. You don't have to have likable characters for a movie to work but you do need to have some that are interesting. All of the characters here were rather forgettable and boring. The same could be said for the performances but it seems the two leads are having fun with their roles and especially Collins and her bitch quality.

The film became somewhat notorious for the various bits of nudity and sex. The highlight of all of this is a bizarre pool orgy sequence, which is just campy enough to where you can have a good laugh at its expense. The film is certainly a very bad one but it remains mildly interesting just because of the weird stuff going on. Did I mention the awful title song, which was clearly ripping off the SHAFT theme?