Heißkalte Nächte

I only have one thing to say about this movie, and that is that the guy sleeps on a water bed with a fluorescent light *inside* the mattress!

Say what you will about the rest of the film, that alone is one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. No wonder the guy has nightmares.

This was in the horror section of my local rental establishment, so since I`d already seen everything else in this limited section I fell into the trap and rented this bomb. The acting was the only thing about this movie that was horrible. One of the major problems is that this movie can`t decide what genre it belongs in, so it tries to be almost all of them at once (sci-fi, thriller, drama, etc). But, if you are looking for a good horror movie this is not it.

First off, the good: the aesthetics. And the women are beautiful (but not at all diverse beyond blonde or brunette, but that's par for the course.) Next, the bad: everything else. And it's yet another "erotic" "thriller" in which we're supposed to root for a main male character who threatens (or outright commits) violence against his love interest only for her to act like nothing happened. And this happens multiple times.

Movies like this are a reminder of how easy it is for some people. When you look these movies, you realize it only takes being white, blonde, with a slim waist and your career is pretty much guaranteed no matter how flat and unappealing your acting is. You very much get the feeling of them being hired for looks alone. And that's the MALE lead.

I think I keep watching these movies because, aside from nostalgia and the aesthetics, because I'm waiting to be pleasantly surprised. The movie has great clothes, great hair, stylish makeup, synth, and giant white houses, but the writing is weird and sucks, the sex scenes are bland, and the acting leaves so much to be desired. Also, the lead compliments a character for being a great "lay," but let me tell you, he himself is not. What a plank of wood, and not in a good way. Also, Shannon Tweed is a superfluous sex toy in this (even more so than usual).

I like lower-budget, non-mainstream films, but they still have to be good. This movie is not good. I fell asleep on it in the middle and woke up past the midpoint, so I missed some things, but what I saw was enough.

Or is it nightmare woman? No pun intended - and a typical 90s thriller. The acting really isn't up to the - well any standard for that matter. But it is what it is. And this is a movie that has some skin (nudity) to it. While trying to make us feel the thrill from start to finish. Might not work for everyone.

But this tries to concentrate on the story, so there is not that much erotic stuff, if that is what you are looking for. Do not waste your time is what I am saying. Visually this is also quite clearly a product of the 90s. There is not a high budget this is working with - this just meets ends - or however that saying goes.

This is a slick erotic thriller with an interesting plot, lengthy sex scenes that will appeal to both men and women, and a few amusing references to Brian De Palma and Hitchcock's "The Birds". Although it bogs down a little in the middle, and has some atrocious dialogue, it is still one of Mastorakis' best efforts (out of the handful I've seen). And it would perhaps be even better if the two main actresses had switched roles, with Shannon Tweed being the mysterious femme fatale instead, and Adrienne Sachs getting the thankless supporting part. (**1/2)