One of the most
exciting aspects of delving into the VHS/Direct to DVD wasteland that comprises
the cinematic history of the erotic thriller is discovering new films to
experience. The pandemic has made binging and viewing marathons even more
commonplace than they were before and as a result this article is an amalgam of
hidden and revered genre experiences that range from obscure masterworks to
bargain bin sleaze, all of which are equally important
contributions to adult oriented exotica. Here are five films that
heralded the death of the 80's and ushered in the 90's aesthetic of post-
modern excess.
Blind Date (1984)
Director Niko
Mastaroki is one of the horniest film makers in history. His films always
involve strange happenings and an almost dreamlike approach to serious
situations. Beginning with a sci fi take (which would be repeated in In the
Cold of the Night) on the serial killer genre, the story focuses on a man
who is blinded while spying on a possible former flame and receives an experimental
treatment that turns his vision into a computer game, allowing him to navigate
the world and pursue a killer who is threatening the women in his life.
The protagonist being a loathsome stalker is vintage Mastaroki, but
what makes this particular film so memorable is in its kinky atmosphere.
Naked bodies are everywhere, even in the middle of a surprise birthday party,
which are the kind of outlandish choices that define the king of
sleaze's reputation.
Featuring a cameo by 2001's Keir Dullea and a wonderful supporting turn by Animal
House's James Daughton, this is a slick and absurd jaunt back to the
80's. One of the more intriguing aspects is in how the violence is
surprisingly lacking. The setup to each kill is top level Giallo homage,
and yet, the bloodshed is toned down, essentially making Blind Date the
perverted cousin of a De Palma film of the era. The final result is a
hilariously cheesy bedroom romp with darkness at every edge, a feat only
Mastaroki could pull off.
Availability: Scorpion Releasing Blu-Ray
Betty Blue (1986)
A candy-coated
exploration of hedonism that begins as a daydream, Jean-Jacques Beineix's Betty
Blue slowly descends into a nightmare of mental illness and selfish
disregard. The story focuses on a struggling writer who, while working as
a caretaker at a beach town, begins a dangerously passionate affair with a free-spirited
woman. The result is a vortex of steamy sexual sequences and
heartbreaking explosions of anger and guilt. The unexpected genius of
this tragic love story is in its three acts, which begins on a beach, then
moves to the outskirts of Paris before winding down in a small quiet town,
transitions that echo the stages of every great love story.
While it could be debated as to whether this film qualifies as an erotic
thriller, the way in which the main character's self-absorption leads to the
destruction of not only the central relationship but of his lover is both soul
crushing and absolutely terrifying when coupled with the notion that such
self-imposed ignorance is alive and well, even today.
Availability: The Criterion Collection
The Comfort of Strangers (1990)
Paul Shrader's woefully underrated masterwork is a toxic tapestry of dread and desire. Housed within an anti-Venice, the story concerns a vacationing couple who are drawn into the orbit of a sinister husband and wife duo. This is the definition of a mood piece as peril hangs over every scene. Christopher Walken is especially imposing as the husband to Helen Mirren's duplicitous wife. Still, despite the shadows in every corner, there is an undeniable allurement to proceedings. These are interesting people toying with less interesting people and while the end is almost a foregone conclusion, the ramifications are of import.
Strangers is about power dynamics filtered through the realizations of lives unfulfilled. Do the villains see signs of themselves in their prey or is there a darker, ulterior motive, such as the murdering of naivety? While the drama plays out on the sun washed streets of a poisonous Italian city, the protagonists are merely toys, as things have already been decided. Upon revisit, one might even see shades of Ari Aster's Hereditary lurking under its corrupted skin.
Availability: The
Criterion Collection
Pale Blood (1990)
If there is one film that encapsulates the end of the 80's with the birth of the 90's, it is V.V. Dachin Hsu and Michael Leighton's absolutely insane Pale Blood. One of the more unique takes on the vampire mythology, the story involves an obvious vampire who is hunting a serial killer that may or may not be...a vampire. Featuring Agent Orange's Fire in the Rain (at least 17 times), a hilariously unhinged Wings Hauser, and endless neon montages to the City of Angels, this is essential viewing for students of esoteric horror.
In addition to the vampire choosing to feed from the breasts of his victims, the undeniable atmosphere is another...interesting choice. Where the cocaine fueled revelry of the previous decade dominated the ambiance of low budget shockers, it is music, mystery, and abrupt violence that prevail here. The result is an unforgettable, if hokey affair with style to spare.
Availability: Vinegar
Syndrome
Red Blooded American Girl (1990)
One of the most
forgotten gems from the direct to video tidal wave that carried erotic
thrillers into the 21st century, David Blyth's Red Blooded American Girl
is a distant cousin to Pale Blood. Another, less unique spin on
the vampire legend, this one features not only the wonderful Christopher
Plummer and Kim Coates, it also features erotic thriller icon Andrew Stevens in
one of his more unusual starring roles. Stevens stars as a chemist who
tests designer drugs (on himself). He's approached by a shady doctor to
join his research project to help AIDS victims, which of course turns out
to obfuscating the fact that the company is trying to solve vampirism.
Featuring a handful of surprisingly well created sets, deep reds flooding the
optical nerve in virtually every scene, and Plummer giving a legitimately
hilarious turn as a villain, this one is simply too ludicrous to miss. The way
in which blood is taken (via the ankle) and some of Coates' kinky scenes are
what elevate this from forgettable late-night trash to meteoric sexy
camp.
Availability:
DVD
--Kyle Jonathan