Sens interdits

My review was written in February 1992 after watching the film on New Horizons video cassette.

Sally Kirkland sizzles in the erotic thriller "In the Heat of Passion". With that genre currently popular in home video, pic is a natural for couch potatoes following its current theatrical run.

Filmmaker Rodman Flender has fashioned a clever if far-fetched plot line in which Nick Corri plays an itinerant actor who's cast as the Montclair Hills rapist on one ]of those reality TV shows, "Crimebusters".

Working by day as a mechanic, he strikes up a romance with married shrink Kirkland. When hubby (Michael Greene) comes home and catches them in the act, Corri accidentally kills him in a struggle for a gun.

Duo make the killing look like the work of the rapistand seem to be fooling the police when, in true film noir tradition, both plotters lack trust. Final plot twists elegantly tie up various story threads as well as introing a surprise revelation at fade-out.

Sex scenes are hot, repping the feature's main selling point. In addition to covering ground recently dominated by Tanya Roberts and Shannon Tweed vehicles, this casting also provides the older woman/younger man combo that has been a genre staple since "Private Lessons".

Fans lured by that come-on get a genuinely suspenseful picture to boot.

This film begins with a man by the name of "Charlie Bronson" (Jsu Garcia) being hired by a local television shown known as "Crime Busters" to reenact a recent event involving the rape of young woman by a suspect known only as the Montclair Hills Rapist. To that effect, although Charlie isn't paid much, the fact that he resembles a recently televised sketch of the suspect, causes him a few problems when a few of his neighbors mistake him for the actual rapist. However, it's only after he begins an affair with a wealthy, married woman named "Lee Adams" (Sally Kirkland) that his problems really begin as he soon becomes obsessed with her and starts to take risks that any normal person would never even consider--especially with the husband being relatively close by during their passionate encounter. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay sexploitation film which benefited to a certain degree by the acting of both Jsu Garcia and Sally Kirkland. Admittedly, some of the scenes could have used a bit more passion or suspense but, even so, it managed to pass the time fairly well and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

In the underworld of direct-to-video erotic thrillers, "In the Heat of Passion" really is an outlier. It is reasonably well written and well executed - I imagine the difficulties were financial and technical -, it has an engaging atmosphere, a great soundtrack, the cast is competent and the direction shows creativity.

The sensual scenes could have been better explored, they seemed rushed and standardized to me, something that should just be there. But since I am not a puritanical viewer, I like boldness in this department too.

Despite this, the film remains entertaining and rhythmic from beginning to end and escapes the commonplace. It really needs a second look and to be restored, it is not a VHS work to be forgotten and simply disappear.

IN THE HEAT OF PASSION is one rare erotic thriller that achieves what it sets out to do, with the help of a gracefully aged Sally Kirkland(imagine Shannon Tweed in five years). Kirkland plays a busty Kirkland plays your typical bored, rich housewife who has dangerous sex with many young men.

There are a few twists to the plot, so I won't give away much, except that there is plenty of sex and kinkiness to keep you entertained until the end. Some of the scenes are kind of limp, but the decent production values, and Kirkland's performance, elevate this direct-to-video sleaze to the top of the lot.

If you are a jaded erotic thriller fan, this is for you.