JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonBody Heat (1981) -Footage Included
July 17th 2007 00:00
The Postman Always Rings for Double Indemnity
DVD Cover - Deluxe edition now available
Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen turner, Mickey Rourke, Ted Danson, Richard Crenna
“You seemed like a woman with all the vices” – Ned Racine
Something to keep you warm this winter, Body Heat is a classically fashioned twisting noir of the near perfect crime. A yarn of greed fuelled murder, steamy sex and fatal betrayal set in contemporary Miami during a heatwave.
“I asked you not to talk about this heat” – Ned Racine
Nonchalant, quick witted lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) has lost faith in the system. No longer striving to improve his station, flippant towards life he spends his nights drinking and womanizing.
“Mr. Racine, the next time you come into my courtroom I hope you've got either a better defense, or a better class of client.” – Judge
Out wandering the Jazz drenched streets one night Ned begins stalking his latest prey in the shape of a curved, Cat on a Hot Tin roof vixen named Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner).
“Well, some men, once they get a whiff of it, they trail you like a hound.” – Matty Walker
Unconcerned she is married to a wealthy corporate criminal, soon sweat drenched flesh slides and penetrates as the lovers erupt in a torrid affair. A raw passion conspires into greed, motivated by an animal lust, the kind that annihilates all those close to its epicentre.
“I got a serious question for you: What the fuck are you doing? This is not shit for you to be messin' with. Are you ready to hear something? I want you to see if this sounds familiar: any time you try a decent crime, you got fifty ways you're gonna fuck up. If you think of twenty-five of them, then you're a genius... and you ain't no genius. You remember who told me that?” - Teddy
You want to pretend Im jessica rabbit? Thats sick!
John Doe says:
Genuinely erotic, a dense fog of seedy atmosphere permeates to advance the taut screenplay splattered with noir smarts. You can feel the temperature rise as the fibres of celluloid capture characters drenched in sexuality, sweating like they were in a Tennessee Williams play.
The cinematography sizzles with love for the genre, heightening the exuberant homage to yesteryear legends like Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Tay Garnett’s The Postman Always Rings Twice.
Back in the early 80’s, first time Director Lawrence Kasdan (Grand Canyon, Wyatt Earp, Mumford, The Accidental Tourist) had co-written Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Empire Strikes Back but was struggling to launch his own filmmaking career with Body Heat. It was thanks to George Lucas and his friendship with producer Alan Ladd Jnr that it was finally given the funds to begin shooting.
Turning heads in the town where illusion can be real, the film was a hit and Kasdan went on to Direct the equally knowing Western titled Silverado and became forever recognized as Director of the baby boomers 30 something, The Big Chill.
Controlling every frame and treating atmosphere with paramount importance, each scene blends old school style with modern language and mores. Smoldering, the dialogue is rich in innuendo and blatant character crudeness. The plot is a familiar one but the flavour is fresh with the bite of unprocessed jalepeno.
The difference between a good film and a great one can sometimes be in the casting and here the enthusiastic public reception was due to the bare bodied screen debut of Kathleen Turner (Virgin Suicides, Romancing the Stone, War of the Roses, Prizzi's Honor).
Dripping in that chemical combination that drives men to do evil things, the smooth physical temptations breed with an independent intelligence of character to create one of the most memorable femme fatales in cinema history.
William Hurt (Syriana, Dark City, Smoke, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Altered States, The Big Chill) sporting a variation on the Magnum PI moustache, spares easily with his co stars charisma, his one degree from slimy performance dominates with some great lines early on.
This is also the film that made a lot of people, (including JD) sit up and take notice of a young and pretty Mickey Rourke (Angel Heart, Diner, Sin City, Year of the Dragon, Barfly, Pope of Greenwich Village, Buffalo 66). Before his face was mangled by getting in the way of one too many gloved fists and a reconstructive surgeon’s scalpel Mickey had clean cut good looks to match the infinite well of brooding thespian talent. Here his part is brief but he easily steals both scenes he appears in with a combustible energy.
Ted Danson surprises with his alternate persona and Richard Crenna appears briefly but in a pivotal part.
John Doe underestimated this film when he first saw it advertised. To a teenaged Johnny it sounded like an excuse to wear a trench coat into the theatre and attempt to turn his Falcon Maltese. Sure Kathleen Turner locked and loaded his snub nosed 38 but beyond that Body Heat is a dexterous thriller told with economical precision.
For a young and easily influenced JD there was one other factor that made this an instant classic, street smart Rourke who hit him as an idol to rival Paul Newman or Steve McQueen. (Watch the scene below to catch a glimpse of this early role)
DVD: New Deluxe Edition available in Australia.
Transfer: Widescreen/5.1 Dolby Digital
Extras: "Body Heat: The Plan" (script and the cast), "The Production" (making of the film), "The Post-production" (editing, the music and the theatrical release), Deleted scenes, 1981 interview footage with the leads.
One of the scenes from Body Heat with Mickey Rourke.
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Why did Mickey turn to boxing??
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Ya know - this one somehow slipped through the viewing cracks - sounds like a little sexploitation going on.
I''ve put it on the list.
Cheers
MNG
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by DuskDevi
Rucks and Rolls
Rugby World Cup 2007
...hahahahahahahahahahahahaha haha!!!
I haven't seen this film in ages...all I can remember is the chair through the glass door...yes?...it is this film right?
...man...
Jessica RabbitKathleen Turner was quite something...that voice...Didn't Mickey Rourke start off as a boxer?
I remember reading about that during that court case...he shot his then(?) wife Carre Otis ('Wild Orchid'...she's now doing extremely well as a US based plus sized model...which means she's now a 'normal' size woman...)...anyway he went back to boxing to "find his roots"...
Thanks for the jog down memory lane JD. Excellent (and funny) review as always...
Dusk
Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
To echo Dusk --
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I assumed you liked the film, it is noir after all.
Mickey always loved boxing and did it when he was younger...once he lost faith in the world of cinema he returned to it because he was able to go pro......gotta love the guy for doin' it the hard way!
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
There is some juicy flesh for fantasy with a good story and atmospheric filmmaking too.
would love to read what you think of Body Heat, once you've seen it.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I think it was a combination of fists destroying and reconstructive surgery gone Marv.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
You have it right, the chair going through the glass to bringing lovers together is in this film.
You were also right that Rourke started out as a boxer, he had his first fight when he was in his early teens I think.
Thank you so much for the laughter, nice to know some of my words hit their mark.
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
The casting certainly sold this film, ironically I'm not a big fan of Kathleen Turner normally.
Thanks for stopping by with such the kind words.
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
Body Heat is a great movie, has just about something for everyone, and Hurt does it so well!
LOL
Great review!
Take care,
Nick
Comment by Stanley
i guess that gun in my pocket should have been stored in a better place!