Instinto Animal

"Animal Instincts" is one of those softcore b-movies that were in the "adult" section of the video shop back when video shops still existed. It's not a "Red Shoe Diary" type thing with the faux-arty cinematography, over-zealous acting and goofy soundtrack. The direction is actually quite pedestrian, which kind of shows up the actors, among whom are natural softcore queen Shannon Whirry, and performers who had fallen on hard times David Carradine, and perhaps the biggest Hollywood screw up who ever lived, Jan-Michael Vincent. There are times when the actors seem to be standing around, waiting for cues. You can see them ACTING. The guy who made this movie - surprisingly one of few adult filmmakers to transition to mainstream flicks - is no Zalman King or Tinto Brass or any of the other actually competent softcore directors.

The plot is about a neglected wife of a policeman who is investigating an underworld figure who owns strip clubs. The movie uses an ungainly device which shows the protagonist talking to a therapist to introduce different scenes. The movie is quite generous with nudity from multiple women aside from Whirry, so at least it delivers on that score.

The husband's lack of interest in his bodacious wife is kind of hard to believe, especially when she parades in front of him in the chicest of mid nineties lingerie.

For some reason the movie often focuses on the sight of tongues lapping at each other.

Inevitably, the Whirry character cheats, and is caught out - but the husband isn't angry, he's turned on. They agree that she will continue to find lovers, and will film her activities so that he can watch.

The first guy who responds to her personal ad just wants to talk, which seems unlikely given the nature of the ad. He also seems uncomfortable and nervous with Whirry coming onto him.

Shannon Whirry has amazing breasts. We're treated to a montage of her having sex with various people. She, and her partners, dress like it's Elizabethan England in one scene, with wigs and lace. In another scene, she dresses like a man, in a suit, kind of looking like a buxom Justin Bieber.

Whirry ends up getting around so much she even ends up having sex with her husband's partner.

Jan-Michael Vincent finally gets a scene almost an hour and ten minutes into the movie. He seems like some kind of politician. Even in the nineties, did high ranking politicians have pony tails?

Whirry's cop boyfriend sets up JMV to have sex with his wife so that they can film it for the sleazy nightclub owner, played by David Carradine, though how he does this is kind of left unexplained. It's like everybody who needs to have sex with Whirry for the needs of the plot, does, without much hassle. How small is the town in which the movie is set, that all these assignations can be made so easily?

Whirry's character inexplicably becomes a celebrity as a result of her having sex in front of the camera. Too bad that didn't happen to the real Shannon Whirry. John Saxon also makes an appearance at the zero hour.

Nude Shannon Whirry might be a sight to behold - though the movie doesn't feature enough full frontal nudity from her - and the movie's plot is enjoyably silly, but I didn't find it particularly erotic. I hope Whirry was in other movies that made better use of her physical form, if not her lack of real acting chops. This is the first one of her movies that I have seen.

Let's call a spade a spade here. This is porn. Now, I'm not prudish or interested in deeming films porn just because they have sex in them. But this is porn. As a film it is insanely inept, a porn film that masquerades as a thriller. There is no art or subtlety to it, simply a display of crude acting and titillating sensationalism. As someone who is very much into sleazy trash and dedicates a good amount of hard drive space to it, this fails even in that regard. It's dull and devoid of anything of substance.

However, it hits the right points in certain instances. The opening theme is eerie and wonderful even if it is just stock music (the other music in the film is the type of Kenny G smooth jazz you see in parodies of porn). The lighting of certain scenes is wonderful, bright and seemingly natural and the general look of the film is delightful in that grainy video shot way. These are positive aspects that could apply to any generic porn VHS of the time though.

I'm giving this a 3 because I DID get kinda horny at the beautiful women, thus in a way it fulfils its purpose. But if you want to actually watch a film then this is the worst way to go.

i never get tired of seen of this movie, tat is by far the best erotic movie ever ,every performance is quit exciting since the beginning when she is sitting in the chair making up with that hot black outfit, who wears beautifully.. i like the way she talks and smile very sexy woman,i like how she tells the story and recalls almost moaning..oh delicious

my favorite scene is when she encounters with her husbands friend ,and offers have a threesome later after they first meet and she wears elegant clothes and a sexy rope...wow what a piece of woman!

i recommend it a lot if you don't see it yet, is very good b-movie

This is a classic. Truly, one of the hottest, sexiest, steamiest movies of all time. The plot is as sensual and hot as any other from this kind.

Shannon Whirry shines through all the movie and looks at her hottest. She's truly a great actress and a sexy woman in all the sense of the word.

The sex scenes are very well done but look too 90's in my opinion. I mean, with the typical background music and "sophisticated" camera angles. But it's still a sexy movie with an unbelievable hot lead actress.

Gregory Dark does it once again and brings to us one of the best soft core sex movies in history.

This is a must see for anyone who enjoys this noble genre and it is HEAVEN for Shannon Whirry fans.

Gernert/Garroni/Hippolye Productions/Axis Films made a name for themselves and an overnight star of actress and then newcomer Shannon Whirry with this steamy tale based loosely on a well known true story.

Whirry portrays the character Joanne Cole, a woman on the verge...of wild sex, of 'generous' lovers, and of wanton violence that could end it all. Her husband (Maxwell Caulfield) is an overworked cop close to the edge. When he continues to ignore his wife's intimate needs, Joanne turns to others to fulfill her desires. When she is caught by David in a compromising situation, she realizes the way to get his attention is to let him watch. What he sees awakens his 'Animal Instincts'.

This film features a collage of familiar actors: David Carradine, very effective in his role as the sinister under-world type William Lamberti; Jan-Michael Vincent, as the corrupt city councilman Fletcher Ross; and ex-gymnast Mitch Gaylord in a small but effective role as David's cop partner, just to name a few.

A sensual brew of violence and passion is mixed with some of the boldest couplings ever to be granted an R Rating (also available in an UNRATED version, the one that is the subject of my review).

This film also features a very effective original music score by studio artists LIXX Array, whose synthesizer renditions are some of the best compliments to the already excellent direction (Gregory Hippolyte) and provocative cinematography in recent memory.

If a 'racy' movie occasionally is your 'oyster', treat yourself to this gem that redefined the term 'Erotic Thriller' in 1992, and set the standard by which all others of that genre are now judged.

Excellent!