Falconeer "The Bitch" is one of countless exploitation films dealing with the sex lives of the "jet set" crowd, (today they are known as the '1 percenters.) This film offers a tawdry look into a very decadent lifestyle, led by people with no real morals or concern for anything other than their own pleasure. Days are filled with shopping sprees at Cartier and fashion shows, and nights are spent at tacky London discos, or bed hopping. The wealthy circle is rather small, so it seems like everyone has already slept with everyone else, and everybody knows everyone's secrets. Joan Collins is admittedly very good as Fontaine Khaled, the forty-something socialite who made her financial stake by marrying an Arab billionaire, who foolishly gave her everything she could want, before he discovered her extra marital affairs, and quickly divorced her. In this film, an inferior sequel to "The Stud," Fontaine must use her own "skills" to survive. And survive she does, quite well actually. This is super-trash on the highest level. We have violent mob bosses, nude swimming pool orgies, sex with the chauffeur, fixed horse races, jewel smuggling and endless discotheque scenes. And there is an endless display of thick mustaches, thick ties, and thick Euro accents. In fact "The Bitch" might just be the most stereotype "70's movie" ever made. Is it good? Not really; it is very uneven. Some scenes are just awful, like the lengthy dance sequences that are obviously just time filler. But just when you are about to turn it off, it gets interesting again for a while. Because although it might not be good cinema, it is strangely entertaining, and at times, fascinating. Of course it is all fantasy, but somehow we know that there are people who actually live like this, and this film provides a window into that World. Collins is a lot of fun here too. The first film, "The Stud" was somewhat of a commentary on how the working class are used and exploited by the upper class, and it condemns their decadent lifestyle. This sequel however, forgets all of that, and just embraces that lifestyle, and wallows in the decadence. The moral? There is none..other than "every man (or woman) for themselves, and the one who ends up with the most toys wins..

paul_johnr 'The Bitch' was made during a soft-core craze in late 1970s Britain, when various types of pornography had theatrical releases. Soft-core titles were meant to be watched and forgotten in due time, having sated their viewers. Unfortunately for Joan Collins, 'The Bitch' and its 1978 predecessor 'The Stud' endured in the public conscience and have found their way onto the DVD market. Still embarrassed for playing the role of Fontaine Khaled, these trashy disco flicks helped to sink the reputation of Collins before renewing herself as Alexis Colby in the TV series 'Dynasty.'Collins has spoken little about her visits to the adult film market, which date as far back as 1969 with 'Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?' She has good reason, since 'The Bitch' marked the low point of her career and exemplifies a good actress slumming it up. Certainly, 'The Bitch' is all-out sleaze, a movie that few would admit in public to watching. While this film steered Collins towards her role as Alexis Colby, it also put the 40-something actress out of commission until the next decade.In 'The Stud,' nightclub owner Fontaine Khaled separates from her husband Ben after a series of extramarital trysts, including one with the 'Stud,' Tony Blake. Fontaine has since become a free-wheeling divorcée, at liberty to bed any man she pleases. This leads to a hook-up with Nico Cantafora (Antonio Cantafora, under the name 'Michael Coby'), an Italian gambler who owes large debts to the Mafia. Fontaine is used to smuggle a diamond ring into England that would raise Nico some cash, until she finds out and takes up a bitchy posture with him…The 'plot' is less complicated then it sounds, a cardboard storyline with interludes of sex that feature as little emotional connection as possible. This was the era, don't forget, when gazing at someone from across a roulette table could land you an immediate date in the sack (or at least movies had you think). 'The Bitch' has all of the usual traits for soft-core pornography: minimal plotting, minimal character development, cheap production values, shoddy technical work, and horrendous acting. It has all of this and plenty of gratuitous skin, making 'The Bitch' so putrid that it's even low in camp value. While offering a small glimpse into the disco world of late 1970s England, there are few over-the-top or outrageous moments to keep us interested. Most of it is smug and lifeless, with enough flashing lights and pounding disco music to have you screaming for Novocain. If 'The Bitch' had a decent plot and some class, it would be fairly watchable. But as a 28-year-old who is removed from the disco era, I don't find excitement in bedding every person that moves, pool orgies, and watching two people shag to 'Claire de Lune,' as happens here. The sex scenes are not erotic in the least; they are actually depressing because of the complete lack of feeling in them. Joan Collins handles herself well under the circumstances, but most of the lead cast that includes Antonio Cantafora, Kenneth Haigh, and Ian Hendry is terrible. Considering how empty the plot and dialogue are, you can't really blame them. The fault lies in poor scriptwriting and direction by Gerry O'Hara ('Fanny Hill'), besides the novel by Jackie Collins upon which this film is based.One of few strong points in 'The Bitch' is a disco soundtrack that captures the 1970s musical landscape, but it is overdone by sound technicians David Crozier and Michael Hopkins, who were perhaps trying to fill some of the void. In the nightclub scenes, much of the dialogue is swallowed up by pulsating music, which was typical for a disco but counterproductive in a film - not that you'll miss very much, because nothing of importance is said and people don't watch movies like this for the vast soliloquies. Original music is supplied by Biddu and Don Black, including the cheap main title. The visual quality by cinematographer Dennis Lewiston is actually not too bad, recording the flamboyant colors of 1970s dance and dress. Lewiston, however, uses superficial zooms and camera angles in a grope at artistry. Soft visuals give 'The Bitch' an added seediness that is clearly in line with adult films.The only reason why 'The Bitch' and 'The Stud' exist today is Joan Collins's presence. They are nothing more than average 1970s skin flicks, a long line of which has faded into oblivion. Fans of Collins who don't know about these two movies will be unpleasantly surprised if they decide to check them out. 'The Bitch' has been released on DVD in the United States by Trinity Home Entertainment with the minimal treatment it deserves. This epic 89-minute film (*wink-wink*) is presented in full frame with no widescreen option. Sound is in Dolby Digital 2.0, which is often muddled and does nothing to correct the imbalance between music and dialogue. The visual quality on a TV set is acceptable, with Lewiston's soft tone and pastel colors steady throughout. A computer monitor reveals severe grain and artifacts, proof that Trinity could not be bothered with restoration. As always, widescreen is preferable and it would be interesting to see how this rubbish was promoted in the theatrical trailer. I'm also not sure why cast member Pamela Salem is displayed on the main menu screen instead of Collins, but little about this film makes any sense.½ * out of 4

MARIO GAUCI The sequel to THE STUD (1978), also based on a Jackie Collins novel, is more of the same - if more elaborately plotted, taking in a diamond heist, fixed horse-races and the mob! The stud this time around is the Italianite but ultra-resistible Micheal Coby and the girl with whom he shares a brief moment of bedroom bliss turns out to be working for the mob - headed by a campy turn from Ian Hendry (who seems to have just strayed in from GET CARTER [1971]).The mix is as before: tawdry shenanigans in lush settings to (a literally dying) disco-beat. Collins again does a dry-run for what eventually became her signature role, that of Alexis Colby in the long-running TV soap opera "Dynasty". As I said, these films are bad but a fun one-time viewing nonetheless.

MartinHafer This is not Joan Collins' worst film, nor is it even the second-worst film. No, it's probably tied for 3rd with THE STUD (both are part of the great soft-core porn duo of films she made in the late 70s). While I really don't watch skin flicks, this one really didn't show that much and I felt I had to see it simply because I love seeing her awful films of that era. They are so bad and embarrassing to watch, they are mesmerizing! The movie is based on a base book by her almost equally famous sister, Jackie (as was THE STUD). I heard some time back that they now hate each other and don't even talk--I think these movies are the reason why!. It's trashy with a little bit of skin thrown in (though not much of Joan's). Combined with horrible acting, terrible writing and uninspired direction is perhaps the most annoying and stupid theme song ever. So bad, you might want to give it a look just to say you saw Joan at the absolute lowest point in her career.By the way, I noticed some comments said that THE STUD is a better film. Perhaps, but it's like comparing Rectal Cancer to Leprosy--neither one is appealing or something you'd want!!