Crimes of Passion (1984)

The crazy man of British film, Ken Russell (Women in Love, Whore), hit the apex of guilty-pleasure absurdity with Crimes of Passion, a dark if pointed (and ultimately poignant) walk on the wild side. Although this schizophrenic, neon-blurred traipse through the red-light district of Los Angeles, courtesy of hooker and guide China Blue (Kathleen Turner), never made much money at the box office, it still managed to eke out a cult following. Barry Sandler's script felt a lot like a play with its rather stilted (but furiously funny) dialogue between Turner and Anthony Perkins, who plays an obsessed and crazed stalker/reverend who believes he is China Blue's savior. Their story is contrasted against that of Bobby Grady (John Laughlin), who is married to the materialistic Amy (Annie Potts). After taking a second job as a private investigator for a dress manufacturer who thinks his lead designer, Joanna Crane (Turner again), is selling patterns to a rival, Bobby becomes mired in a netherworld he never imagined. But it's Bobby who becomes Joanna/China Blue's true savior; it seems Joanna's husband cheated on her and she created the alter ego, China Blue, in order to control her world by making men dependent on her sexuality. The facade cracks after Bobby hits the scene. Russell's film is bawdy and even daring, and the unrated version on DVD features a couple of scenes (one with China Blue, a cop, and his nightstick, as well as some flashes of pornography) that were not included in the film's original release. Also for die-hard fans, Sandler originally ended the script at a more ambiguous place in the climactic scene in Joanna's apartment. An "epitaph" with Bobby at an encounter group was added to appease the distributor, who wanted a more upbeat, "Hollywood" conclusion. Sandler's original idea gave the film a real wallop, but despite the change, Crimes of Passion remains an original camp classic. --Paula Nechak Amazon.com

Horrible

I bought this movie because I like Kathleen Turner. Wow, she's got to be embarrassed looking back on this clunker. Did some high school senior write and direct this thing? It's clumsy, has no real storyline, and it's not even erotic. The acting is mediocre, too, by today's standards. About a half hour into the movie I got the idea that it was not going to get any better, and I had to force myself to watch it to the end. At least the video was crisp, which brings me to another point. Somebody goes to the trouble to clean up this piece of crap, yet there are good movies out there (All of Me, Roxanne, Cabaret, Another Woman, to name a few off the top of my head) that deserve remastering, yet are not. I don't get it. July 2, 2008

Some movies don't age well

I recently watched the movie "Chinatown". The movie is truly a classic. As much of a pleasure to see now as it was when I originally saw it in the theater.

While not in the same class as Chinatown, I also recently saw "Bodyheat" with Kathleen Turner. Turner's beauty and the classic noir nature of this film make it ageless.

Unfortunately "Crimes of Passion" didn't age well for me. I found that the film felt dated and sexist in the way Turner's character is portrayed. Some people who have reviewed the film here found the film's "analysis" of relationships fascinating. I found it depressing and naive. The idea that a prostitute is going to fall in love with a client because of he has passionate sex with her is sophmoric.

I wanted to rent this film, but I couldn't find it at the local Blockbuster. After buying it, I've put in the box for the used bookstore (which also sells used DVDs). November 24, 2007

worth it for the dialoge between Turner and Hopkins

Offbeat as this movie is, there is a priceless exchange of dialogs between Turner's China Blue and Perkin's Shane, the street preacher. It is this dialog alone I feel is worth watching it for. It is irreverent, offbeat, and on occasion down right goofy. One can not help but feel that the preacher is only a figment of China Blue's imagination, a battle of her conscience, and the struggle between good and evil. It is a shame that the talents of Anthony Perkins was not fully realized. This part is tailor made for him in many ways. January 10, 2007

Strange Movie....

Very bizzare movie! Not for kids or anyone who is prudish!
Can be an erotic movie if you choose to see through the bizzare nature of it. January 3, 2007

A minor classic

1984's Crimes of Passion at first seems like some trashy, 80s 'hip' tale about a woman's double life as a stylish hooker, but what we really get is a disturbing, stylish 100 minute analysis of the nature of sex, desire and relationships featuring some utterly fascinating characters, who despite their over-the-top behavior are weirdly compelling and believable. Anthony Perkins is intense as the off-the-handle, violent street-corner 'reverend' who becomes infatuated with China Blue and his idea of 'purifying' her. When he sings 'Hallelujah, Come on Get Happy' to a tied up, horrified Kathleen Turner, and then proceeds to don Turner's China Blue outfit, we are in pure, demented Psycho territory. You can't take your eyes off of Kathleen Turner as Joanna Crane/China Blue, she is at her most beautiful here, despite a silly blonde fright wig that she wears when in her China Blue role. Director Ken Russell is at his flamboyant best here, intercutting wild erotic art ranging from Japanese prints to Aubrey Beardsley lithographs to undercut the intense scenes. A great synth-based Rick Wakeman score, of Strawbs fame, fills the movie with a weird tension. December 4, 2006

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