Illicit Behavior

My review was written in November 1992 after watching the film on Prism video cassette.

Credibility problems aside, "Illicit Behavior" is an okay thriller in the burgeoning unrated video genre, with Joan Severance as a lure for fans.

She's cast as the nymphomaniacal wife of cop Jack Scalia, who's having plenty of problems due to his use of excessive force on the job. Robert Davi plays the internal affairs officer who's investigating Scalia and soon has an affair with Severance. With Severance's abusive brother (Michael Monks) thrown into the stew, film revolves around who's telling the truth and who's backstabbing whom. Plot holes are filled with bullets in a shoot-out finale.

Severance is ultra-sexy as usual, though the filmmakers have attempted to spice up the picture by using a body double (who doesn't match her shape) for additional sex and nude scenes. Technique is sloppy and should be avoided.

Davi, who has made several softcore films including "Wild Orchid II", "Legal Tender" with Tanya Roberts and the quintessential "Deceptions", is a convincing antihero while Scalia overdoes his befuddled role.

I've never been a joan severance fan even though i;ve seen all she has to offer close up and in the flesh ... this film was made to exploit her body ... but it wasn't her body ... jack scalia,, robert davi and james russo all contributed to this ton of crap ... sell it on dvd at the smut mart

This movie's marketed like a late-night sexploitation thriller, but it actually has a fairly serious script with a couple of gratuitous sex scenes thrown in for good measure.

Jack Scalia plays a hot-headed cop with a knack for using deadly force on the job. After shooting an apparent rapist-killer, Scalia draws the attention of internal affairs cop Robert Davi (who gets a rare opportunity to not play a heavy). Scalia becomes increasingly paranoid and unstable as Davi investigates him, and things get worse when Scalia's beautiful but troubled wife (played by Joan Severance) jumps in the mix.

Various twists and turns ensue as would be expected in a late-night thriller. However, if you're looking for a sex thriller (there seems to be a lot of them around so I don't think I'm talking to the wind...), it's pretty lame. There are a couple of scenes with Severance but it's an obvious body double. The script itself isn't too bad but overall the movie lacks the "sizzle" of a good sexploitation pic. Worthy of a look if you catch it on cable, though.

If you want to see Joan Severance in her physical prime this is the movie to watch. Near the beginning of the movie is a scene where she is dancing with abandon to a funky groove wearing short denim shorts that will blow your mind. It's worth the price of the movie in itself. Shortly after she gets taken from behind by her husband as she seductively bends over in those wild shorts to get something in the fridge. A hot table clearing session ensues. Later in the movie she dances again in a very sexy way, this time downing tequila and smoking a cigarette ... There is also a hot sex in a car scene. This is my favorite Joan Severance movie!

Illicit Behavior is an erotic thriller with more story than sex. The plot has Robert Davi as an internal affairs investigator assigned the shooting death of a suspect. The police detective in the shooting (Jack Scalia) seems clean enough, but he has a hot looking wife (Joan Severence) who catches the eye of the man from the IAD. The set-up is noir lite but most people (myself included) who watch this "unrated" film are doing so for prurient reasons. On that score the film falls short. There is a sexy bump and grind on the kitchen table number toward the beginning of the film and there are a couple of other naughty bits later on. One should not expect much more than that. However, the acting is better than usual for this type of picture. Robert Davi adds a gravity to the film that was unexpected. Of course, there isn't much of a surprise to the thriller's outcome but is anyone expecting one?