Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Tale of Tiffany Lust Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 12, 2023

There’s a world of sin and city streets to explore in 1981’s “The Tale of Tiffany Lust,” with director Gerard Kikoine (or Radley Metzger, depending on who you ask) overseeing a study of discontent. There’s a woman craving a new level of sexual freedom, and her strange journey makes for a loose plot, with the material going episodic as this odyssey takes the main character around New York City, interacting with predators and prey as she begins to understand the possibilities beyond her marriage. There’s no deep dive into psychology in “The Tale of Tiffany Lust,” with the production mostly out to titillate instead of explore the emotionality during this tour of couplings. And there’s walking. So much walking, with Kikoine refusing to pass on any opportunity to photograph actors in motion, making their way around the city, allowing those less interested in amorous activity to enjoy a tour of NYC the way it was in 1980.

Housewife (Dominique Saint Claire) is lonely, feeling distance from her Husband (George Payne), with the pair living a silent existence in New York City. While the Husband goes off to work as a stock broker, Housewife is left behind, and she’s ready to do something about her isolation, preparing to “feel free” for the first time in a long time, writing a charged note to her spouse. Making an appointment to see Betty (Veronica Hart) for a saucy encounter with another woman, Housewife’s life is opened up to the possibilities of casual sex with strangers, spending her day meeting different people and visiting various locations, experimenting with pleasure. Husband recognizes that something isn’t right, spending the afternoon trying to contact his wife, but she’s engaged with lovers and voyeurism, while the sounds of the city are filled with “The Florence Nightingale Show,” with the radio host (Vanessa Del Rio) presiding over an audience of undersexed people looking to find satisfaction with other listeners.

Housewife is blue in “The Tale of Tiffany Lust,” basically existing alone in a luxury apartment, with Husband off to work in the morning, leaving behind a spouse who doesn’t know how to express her discontent. Fed up with hiding her frustration, Housewife makes a plan, putting her thoughts into a strongly worded letter to Husband, leaving it for him to discover when he returns home. This letter and its potential to destroy the marriage is pretty much it for dramatic tension in “The Tale of Tiffany Lust,” with the confession planted into the opening act while the characters all go off on their daily routines/adventures. There’s also the world of “The Florence Nightingale Show,” a radio program that’s routinely returned to in the feature, with the host overseeing the gratification of her listeners, pairing them with partners, reading letters, and even getting into the action herself when a fan (Ron Jeremy) craves special attention. She’s most accommodating, and the program is heard everywhere in the city, giving the production a little more to work with than just the Housewife’s pedestrian parade.

“The Tale of Tiffany Lust” works its way around sex scenes, with Housewife beginning her mission with Betty, the only character in the movie verbally identified by name. Betty works to please others, including her husband, and this mystery man returns later in the film, making for a small world study of horny people in the big city. Again, there’s a lot of walking scenes in the picture, with Saint Claire mostly tasked with travel, participating in lengthy shots of Housewife on the move, which gets a little ridiculous as the feature unfolds. Stops include Sincerity Health Club, where Housewife watches a lesbian encounter, and she also participates in a shower tryst with high pressure pipes, complicating the intended sensuality of the moment. And there’s a stop at the Badlands Bar, where Housewife comes across a woman in a red dress willing to take on multiple partners in public, commencing the action on the bar itself. They always say that one should never eat barroom peanuts, but at the Badlands, I’d wipe down the seats too.

The Tale of Tiffany Lust Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The Tale of Tiffany Lust" comes to UHD, listed as "newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative." Adult cinema in 4K is an unusual experience, offering clarity that likely wasn't present during any theatrical engagements, and this title is no different. Detail is excellent through the viewing event, exploring the exposed bodies in full, picking up on all kinds of skin particulars and fine hair. Period clothing retains texture. Interiors preserve decoration as the movie tours living spaces and the radio show setting. Perhaps most interesting are exteriors, as the feature is quite fond of running around New York City. Dimension is wonderful, really going deep with street activity and signage, making for a neat time capsule. Colors are respectfully refreshed, doing well with bold primaries on outfits and cooler urban sites. More '70s style choices are also compelling, delving into hearty oranges and browns. Blue skies are rich. Skin tones are exact, and hair color is distinct, with The Housewife's blondness striking. Highlights are tasteful. Blacks are deep. Grain is heavy but film-like. Some mild wear and tear is detected at times.

The Tale of Tiffany Lust Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a straightforward listening experience, leading with dialogue exchanges. Intelligibility is good with somewhat amateur actors, with sibilance issues periodic. Scoring is clear, with decent instrumentation, with the repetitive use of the main theme remaining prominent to sell a strangely jubilant mood for the feature.

The Tale of Tiffany Lust Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (18:45, HD) is an audio-only conversation with French director Gerard Kikone, who discusses his early relationship with producer Radley Metzger, gaining entrance into the adult business and scoring early creative successes. Such development is examined, giving Kikone fresh opportunities to make movies in America, settling in New York City. The interviewee shares his technical challenges, learning how to make films on the job, preferring limited takes and a faster production pace. Anecdotes from the shoot are provided, including the use of a body double to help with one actor's "unenthusiastic" presence, and Vanessa Del Rio's ferocious sexual appetite is recalled. Differences between U.S. and French sets is also examined.

• "The Locations of 'Tiffany Lust'" (2:28, HD) returns viewers to New York City streets found in the original film.

• And Theatrical Trailer "Hard" (4:46, HD) and Theatrical Trailer "Soft" (3:02, HD) are included.

The Tale of Tiffany Lust Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Tale of Tiffany Lust" offers a lively theme, which is repeated extensively throughout the film, but a little musical hustle helps. There's also a varied sense of sexual antics, with the feature working through numerous couplings and strange situations, including a detour to an S&M fan taking care of business on her own, delighting radio listeners. "The Tale of Tiffany Lust" does make its way to something of an ending, though the feature's intent with the Housewife remains unclear, quickly backing away from a loose sense of the character's empowerment in the final moments. There's still fun to be had with the endeavor, as it remains active with hardcore offerings. If one can get past all the prolonged walking shots, there's a decent sense of playfulness to the picture.