Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Hussy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2024

Matthew Chapman's "Hussy" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

There is so much that is wrong with this film that it makes perfect sense to mention the one thing it gets right first. It is the clientele of the nightclub -- sorry, this place does not pass for a cabaret in my book -- where Helen Mirren’s prostitute, Beaty Simons, makes ends meet. The guys that go there to buy ‘dates’ look like genuine losers who have to pay for sex, especially after they have a couple of drinks and drop their fake gentlemen masks. The abusive fat man that is prominently featured in the vintage X-rated trailer for the film is the biggest loser of the bunch. Right behind him is the alcoholic, who books a room with Beaty but then begins a fascinating conversation with the voices in his head, forcing the girl to tell him that it costs extra to waste her time.

The rest of the film is a giant sea of clichés that are practically guaranteed to give you a serious headache. It turns out that Beaty is a single mother who had to become a ‘hussy’ after her awful husband walked out of her life. Her boy isn’t with her, but she is saving and planning to open up a small business in the countryside where she can be his mother again. Then just like that, Emory (John Shea), who takes care of the lights and fixes everything else that is broken in the club, discovers the real Beaty, and they go out on a date. She tries to make him understand that she isn’t right for him, so he gets a second job and then books a pricey date with her to make her realize that he really, really likes her. Beaty is deeply moved by his sincerity, but later, when he tries to make love to her, she refuses to break her rule -- she does not kiss, everything else is fair game.

Eventually, Emory is forced to compete with Alex (Paul Angelis), a lowlife who years ago apparently helped Beaty kick her drug addiction and redirect her life. (Ha, the irony). He comes out of the blue, Beaty makes him breakfast, and he casually states his intention to make the girl a permanent feature of his life. Another lowlife, Max (Murray Salem), an American import who deals drugs but feels bored because the job is too easy, then offers Emory a chance to get rich quick and leave with Beaty and her son. Predictably, he agrees and hires Max, who has just threatened to rough him up, to be their bodyguard while they do the job.

Hussy was Matthew Chapman’s debut feature and every single sequence from it looks like the work of a very inexperienced first-time director. Frankly, it is just a big pile of rough material that simply cannot produce a believable story.

What makes the film seriously annoying and virtually impossible to tolerate, however, is something else. Indeed, one part of it basically goes all in on the ‘dirty’ realism and removes the filters a mainstream drama would have required while dealing with the same subject. However, there is another contrasting part that is overloaded with soapy sentimentality, which instantly makes the ‘dirty’ infinitely worse. So, instead of producing a legitimate image of the sleazy world in which Beaty has to make a living, the film delivers an awful caricature that permanently destroys the integrity of its story. It is awful, and it is what instantly gives away Chapman’s inexperience behind the camera.

If it’s any consolation, Sam Peffer did a wonderful job when he created the original theatrical poster for Hussy. It leaves the impression that the film must be a high-quality project that would tell a special story, which is exactly what a great poster ought to do.

Hussy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hussy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the same master that British label Indicator/Powerhouse Films worked with to produce this release in 2019. I do not know when this master was prepared, but I like it a lot. Earlier today, after revisiting Hussy, I even upscaled it to 4K and thought that it looked gorgeous. It produces very strong and attractive organic visuals that hold up very well, too. In a few areas, grain exposure can be more even, but I do not consider this to be a weakness. In fact, if upscaled to 4K, these inconsistencies are practically eliminated. Color reproduction is terrific. All primaries and supporting nuances look very healthy. They are balanced nicely, too. Image stability is excellent. All in all, I think that Hussy looks pretty impressive on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Hussy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

On the British release we reviewed a few years ago, there is one sequence with very light buzz/deterioration and unevenness in the upper register, which I thought could have been addressed with digital tools. It is the sequence where Patti Boulaye sings in the nightclub. On this release, everything sounds the same. The rest is fine. All exchanges are stable and very easy to follow.

Hussy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Hussy. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Kat Ellinger.

Hussy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hussy was Matthew Chapman's directorial debut, and unfortunately his inexperience behind the camera easily shows. The film tries its best to juggle two different identities -- one that is understandably loose and promotes crude language, and another that borrows plenty from conventional melodramas -- but quickly fails and in the process effectively destroys the integrity of its story. I can't say that I genuinely disliked it, or that viewing it was a complete waste of time, but I never cared for its characters. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very nice organic master.