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PLEASURES OF A WOMAN
2002 Credits
1972 Credits Taken from the liner notes.
Directed by Nick Phillips
Written by Harold Aldrich
Edited by Sam Marks
Director of Photography - Jack SmithersAunt Martine - Uschi Digart
Gwen - Lynn Harris
The first name listed is pulled from the liner notes. The names in parentheses are the credits used during the end titles.
Produced by Michael Beck (Michael Beckerman)
Written and Directed by Ted W. Crestview
Edited by George Freeway (Terry West)
Director of Photography - Johnny Crash (Giorgyorgy Benaskovich)April - Darian Caine
Vivian - Julian WellsI'm not sure how I feel about Nick Phillip's 1972 erotica PLEASURES OF A WOMAN. I'm sure fans of 70's grindhouse cinema will love the wall to wall sex, other's will be turned on by the counter-culture aspects, but I'm not 100% sold on the idea of beatnik-sounding monologue conveying all the themes and ideas behind the work. On one level, the "show don't tell" aspect of filmmaking is undermined, which makes the notion of a plot feel like an after though tacked on for the arthouse crowd. On another level, the titillation is undermined by the distraction.
Like other Retro-Seduction Cinema releases, PLEASURES OF A WOMAN is a product of its time. It's a movie about sexual liberation, ancient history in today's world of gay marriages, but for its time I'm sure it was groundbreaking. Sex, drugs, free love. It spoke to the college crowd similarly to the writings of Jack Keruac or Hunter S. Thompson in that in that it was geared directly towards that specific generation of free thinkers and not their parents or grandparents. Anyone can do stag, that's just screwing, but who else besides Phillips was using women to speak directly to women about sex in 1972?
I'm sure I'll receive e-mails containing other soft-core auteurs of the day, but right now I can't think of a single name myself.
Ted Crestview's 2002 version is more a true remake of the source material than his previous take on Phillips' ROXANNE. The plots in both versions are identical, a young woman comes into an inheritance after her uncle is seduced to death by her aunt. Aunty believes she can seduce the money from the niece the same way she tried from the uncle.
Not so much about sexual liberation as Phillips' version was, Crestview focuses on the darker elements of sexual obsession. While both movies end on a down note, Crestview's version is a far darker trip.
In the liner notes, grindhouse historian 42nd Street Pete notes how Phillips aimed high with regard to his production values, spending money on attractive women and locations. It should be noted that Darian Caine and Julian Wells are far better actresses in their roles than their 1972 counter parts.
Production values aside, I'd still be inclined to site the 2002 as the superior of the two movies. Without the voice over narration of its counterpart, the newer version comes across less pretentious and more erotic. Besides, Julian Wells is by far the sexiest Seduction gal there is. If there's anyone who can get me hot under the collar, it's her.
The dvd contains a trailer vault and a short interview with Pete. Not much in the way of overall production, but seeing the two differnt versions of the movie it's interesting to note how the times have changed. Both movies are products of their generation, but I wonder what Phillips would do differently today...