Hell's Passion

Oscar Bonsetter (C. Thomas Howell) is a punk and during a robbery to a liquor store, he is arrested. He spends many years in prison, where he becomes friend of the old prisoner Mac (R.G. Armstrong). There is a legend in the prison that Mac has a great fortune, fruit of a robbery, hidden somewhere. Trying to get information about the location of this amount, Mac is badly treated by the guard Gully (Marshall Bell). Mac becomes very ill, and a few minutes before he dies, he tells Bonsetter where the money is hidden, under the promise that he would kill Gully first. However, Bonsetter depends on a drawing exposed in Mac's jail to get the precise spot, but Gully takes all Mac possessions with him. Gully starts pressing Bonsetter, believing Mac told him the place where the money is hidden, but suddenly he suffers a car accident, becomes blind and is not able to work in prison anymore. Three years later, Bonsetter finishes his sentence, gets his freedom and looks for Gully, who owns a small bar on a road. Bonsetter meets Gully's wife Rose (the delicious Joan Severance), is hired for working there and becomes his lover, while trying to recover the map from Gully. Many plot points twist this story, until a surprising end, full of betrayals.

I have bought this B film about six years ago and only yesterday I decided to watch it. I was surprised, since it is an excellent film noir, with touches of the 1981 version of 'The Postman Rings Twice'. C. Thomas Howell and Joan Severance have a great performance and one of the hottest sex scenes in the cinema history, comparable, for example, with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in the foregoing mentioned movie, or Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin in 'Sea of Love'. The story has many plot points and hooks the attention of the viewer until the last scene. Further, it is very well directed. This is the proof that a low budget movie can be a good film, when having a tight screenplay and a good director, actor and actress. Joan Severance is very gorgeous and sexy, besides the great performance. It is highly indicated for viewers who likes films noir and amoral. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Preço do Desejo" ("The Price of the Desire")

Note: On 23 Sep 2018 I saw this film again.

Oscar Bonsetta, a young punk is sent to prison for 13 years for arm robbery and befriends an old inmate Mac. Prison guard Tom "Gully" Gullerman unfavourably torments and tortures Mac, in hopping that eventually he'll give up the position of his hidden loot, but he dies before doing so. However Oscar promises Mac that he'll get revenge and in doing so before he passed away he tells Oscar of a paper in his cell that would show the location were its hidden. But when he gets there his cell is cleaned up and Gully is waiting for him. Believing now his knows were the money is hidden, but before he could push him anymore. He has an car accident that prevents being a prison guard. Three years later Oscar is released, and tracks down Gully at road side diner, which he owns with his wife Rose and finds out his blind. Oscar begins working for them, and soon revenge is clouded with sensual passion for Rose.

Anthony Hickok's erotically deadly and charged-up thriller 'Payback' manages to draw you in, and in with its sweepingly causal moving story of twisty intrigue and fabulous performances led by C. Thomas Howell, Marshall Bell and the highly irresistible Joan Severance. The glowing Severance simply smokes up the screen that it's hard to take your eyes off her! The story isn't anything original, but manages to be tempting due to its terse material of desire, retribution, deceit and redemption in a refreshingly above-average script that has appealing shades of film-noir. It's quite like watching a domino effect take place. Lay it out, buy some time and then watch it unexpectedly collapse, as we nervously wait for the right moment to set it all in action. There's a real emotional intensity lurking underneath the surface, and these are broken up with those hot, steamy sex sequences and flashes of violence. Stylish, but compact direction by Hickok is executed very well and he uses the picturesque locations to great effect. It's definitely Hickok's most complete work that I've seen of his. Anthony Marinelli's succulent, silky music score just oozes and sizzles with the on-screen action. A neat little b-thriller.

Saw this movie and thought it was a decent story line (it's been done before many times over). But, Joan Severance makes it a 10, boy is she sexy. That face, those eyes, those sexy long legs...

She is considered a B-Movie and scream queen actress, but you will become a fan after seeing her in this movie !

Movie was not anything great but joan severance was too sexy and i like erotic looks and her sexy scenes. she is too sexy i love her

Oscar Bonsetter (C. Thomas Howell) is a punk sent to prison for a shootout in a convenient store. He promises dying elderly prisoner Mac to avenge his death against the sadistic guard Gully (Marshall Bell). In return, he tells Oscar of a hidden stash of cash. Both Gully and Oscar are after the cash but neither has the complete picture. Gully tortures Oscar but he never submits. Oscar is released and finds Gully now blind. Oscar is also attracted to Gully's waitress wife Rose (Joan Severance).

This has the basics of a good Hitchcockian thriller. It's three characters with their own agenda and secrets in a seacliff diner. The style is too much exploitation B-movie. The writing is not necessarily well done but it's certainly better than most lower-rate erotic thrillers.