Inner Sanctum (1991) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)
I don't know if Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski have the worst directing records in history, but they run about neck-and-neck when it comes to prolific output of grade-Z films.

 

Fred Olen Ray

Jim Wynorski
  1. (4.33) - Fugitive Mind (1999) (V)
  2. (4.28) - Friend of the Family II (1996)
  3. (4.27) - The Prophet (1999/I)
  4. (4.19) - Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
  5. (4.16) - The Shooter (1997)
  6. (4.13) - The Phantom Empire (1986)
  7. (4.09) - Invisible Mom II (1999) (V)
  8. (3.92) - Armed Response (1986)
  9. (3.92) - The Kid with X-ray Eyes (1999)
  10. (3.90) - Kept (2001)
  11. (3.85) - Sideshow (2000)
  12. (3.84) - Deep Space (1987)
  13. (3.84) - Scandal: On the Other Side (1999)
  14. (3.79) - Mob Boss (1990) (V)
  15. (3.71) - Critical Mass (2000)
  16. (3.69) - Bikini Hoe-Down (1997) (V)
  17. (3.67) - Bad Girls from Mars (1991)
  18. (3.67) - Haunting Fear (1991)
  19. (3.66) - Mom, Can I Keep Her? (1998)
  20. (3.66) - Venomous (2002)
  21. (3.64) - Possessed by the Night (1994)
  22. (3.64) - Beverly Hills Vamp (1988)
  23. (3.60) - Scream Queen Hot Tub Party (1991) (V)
  24. (3.55) - Little Miss Magic (1997)
  25. (3.50) - Dinosaur Island (1994)
  26. (3.50) - Mach 2 (2001)
  27. (3.50) - Evil Toons (1992)
  28. (3.50) - Active Stealth (1999)

----------------------------------------- Mid-point

  1. (3.45) - Prison Ship (1988)
  2. (3.42) - Counter Measures (1999)
  3. (3.39) - Invisible Dad (1997) (V)
  4. (3.37) - Droid Gunner (1995)
  5. (3.36) - Inner Sanctum (1991)
  6. (3.35) - Biohazard (1985)
  7. (3.34) - Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds (1995)
  8. (3.33) - Hybrid (1997)
  9. (3.33) - Inferno (1998)
  10. (3.32) - Invisible Mom (1997) (V)
  11. (3.31) - Scalps (1983)
  12. (3.31) - The Tomb (1986)
  13. (3.28) - Cyclone (1987)
  14. (3.27) - Submerged (2000)
  15. (3.26) - Final Examination (2003) (V)
  16. (3.15) - Stranded (2001)
  17. (3.06) - Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991)
  18. (3.04) - Air Rage (2001) (V)
  19. (2.99) - Fugitive Rage (1996) (V)
  20. (2.94) - Masseuse (1996)
  21. (2.93) - Tomb of the Werewolf (2004) (V)
  22. (2.92) - Haunting Desires (2004) (TV)
  23. (2.89) - Alienator (1989)
  24. (2.87) - Honey Britches (1971)
  25. (2.83) - Glass Trap (2005)
  26. (2.82) - Alien Dead (1980)
  27. (2.79) - Star Hunter (1995) (V)
  28. (2.43) - Bikini Drive-In (1995)
  1. (4.36) - Deathstalker II (1987) (V)
  2. (4.28) - Not of This Earth (1988)
  3. (4.28) - Busty Cops (2003) (V)
  4. (4.25) - Chopping Mall (1986)
  5. (4.20) - The Lost Empire (1985)
  6. (4.14) - Little Miss Millions (1993)
  7. (4.14) - Transylvania Twist (1990)
  8. (4.09) - More Mercy (2003) (V)
  9. (4.05) - Gale Force (2002) (V)
  10. (4.01) - Against the Law (1997)
  11. (4.00) - Desert Thunder (1998)
  12. (3.95) - Thy Neighbor's Wife (2001)
  13. (3.92) - Big Bad Mama II (1987)
  14. (3.89) - Gargoyle (2004) (V)
  15. (3.88) - Lost Treasure (2003)
  16. (3.77) - Sorority House Massacre II (1990)
  17. (3.75) - Militia (2000)
  18. (3.73) - Sins of Desire (1993)
  19. (3.67) - The Haunting of Morella (1990)
  20. (3.66) - Victim of Desire (1995)
  21. (3.66) - Hard Bounty (1995)
  22. (3.64) - Scream Queen Hot Tub Party (1991) (V)
  23. (3.60) - The Bare Wench Project (2000)
  24. (3.60) - The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)
  25. (3.59) - Hard to Die (1990)
  26. (3.59) - Body Chemistry 4: Full Exposure (1995) (V)

----------------------------------------- Mid-point

  1. (3.59) - Sorceress (1995)
  2. (3.59) - Demolition High (1996)
  3. (3.53) - The Bare Wench Project 2: Scared Topless (2001) (V)
  4. (3.52) - Ablaze (2001)
  5. (3.51) - Dinosaur Island (1994)
  6. (3.48) - The Assault (1996)
  7. (3.46) - Point of Seduction: Body Chemistry III (1994) (V)
  8. (3.45) - Munchie (1992)
  9. (3.43) - Final Voyage (1999)
  10. (3.42) - Stealth Fighter (1999)
  11. (3.41) - A.I. Assault (2005) (TV)
  12. (3.27) - Project Viper (2002)
  13. (3.23) - Virtual Desire (1995)
  14. (3.20) - The Pandora Project (1998)
  15. (3.16) - The Wasp Woman (1995) (TV)
  16. (3.16) - Crash Point Zero (2000)
  17. (3.12) - 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1991)
  18. (3.11) - The Curse of the Komodo (2004)
  19. (3.08) - Munchie Strikes Back (1994)
  20. (3.08) - Vampirella (1996) (V)
  21. (3.08) - Rangers (2000) (V)
  22. (2.99) - Agent Red (2000)
  23. (2.93) - Cheerleader Massacre (2003) (V)
  24. (2.79) - Storm Trooper (1998)
  25. (2.43) - The Thing Below (2004) (V)
  26. (2.32) - Raptor (2001) (V)
  27. (2.07) - Ghoulies IV (1994)

 

Of the 50-something films they have each directed, I have enjoyed exactly one from each of them: Wynorski's Deathstalker II and Ray's Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers.

The list of films below their mid-points is like an inventory of the flotsam and jetsam of a horrible cinema shipwreck.

Note that Inner Sanctum is below the average for Ray's films. A bad sign, that. The film certainly has its share of problems. The scripting and editing are confusing enough that I wasn't completely clear who had been plotting what, even after the film ended. The acting ranges from barely OK (Valerie Wildman) to very weak (Tanya Roberts and Joseph Bottoms) to laugh-out-loud bad (Margaux Hemingway). Poor Margaux was in the process of making her post-rehab comeback, and I suppose nobody was offering her a job except Fred Olen Ray. It's not difficult to see why work was hard to come by. She was out of shape. She looked older than her 35 years. Her face was no longer sufficiently attractive to make her right for the part as the "other woman." She still had that cartoon voice as well, but her acting would have been hilarious even if she had been able to switch voices with Lauren Bacall. To make matters even worse, she used a body double for some of her nude close-ups, and the editing made it seem as if her saggy A-cups were suddenly and obviously transformed into full, firm breasts - as if they had been inflated with a pump! Meanwhile, Tanya Roberts couldn't have sunk to Margaux's acting level even if she had tried, but she opted for one of those corny 30s-style "ditzy dame" New Yawk accents, complete with gum-snapping, as if she were trying to impersonate Judy Holliday. I have to give Tanya some credit for effort, however, because she at least tried to infuse some personality into her character, while the rest of the actors remained bland and indistinguishable.

Having said all of those mean things, I would add that I am pleased with the acquisition of this DVD for a few reasons:

(1) Tanya Roberts looked very good in this film, and did some career-best nudity.

(2) Margaux Hemingway did some rare post-rehab nudity. Some of her close-ups were performed by body double Michelle Bauer, but some of the scenes were done by Margaux as well.

(3) The DVD is adequate by the standards of grade-B films. The colors are reasonably vivid, the focus is not excessively mushy, and there is no motion blur, so Tanya's nudity is fairly clear and crisp.
Inner Sanctum DVD Margeaux Hemmingway Tanya Roberts (1991)

DVD INFO

  • No features
  • No widescreen
  • Not playable in Region 1
  • This is a Region 2 PAL disc, but it is available from an American importer. (Note: Sandahl Bergman is not in this, nor is Michael Nouri. The people who produced the DVD box have this film confused with Inner Sanctum II. Of course, that doesn't explain why "Hemingway" is spelled with two "m's")

NUDITY REPORT

  • Margaux Hemingway - left breast

  • Tanya Roberts - the full monty

  • Valerie Wildman - right breast

  • Michelle Bauer - breast and butt close-ups, while body doubling for Margaux Hemingway

  • Joseph Bottoms - bottom.

The Critics Vote ...

  • No major reviews online

The People Vote ...

The meaning of the IMDb score: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence equivalent to about three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, comparable to approximately two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, equivalent to about a two star rating from the critics, or a C- from our system. Films rated below five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film - this score is roughly equivalent to one and a half stars from the critics or a D on our scale. (Possibly even less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

Our own guideline:

  • A means the movie is so good it will appeal to you even if you hate the genre.
  • B means the movie is not good enough to win you over if you hate the genre, but is good enough to do so if you have an open mind about this type of film. Any film rated B- or better is recommended for just about anyone. In order to rate at least a B-, a film should be both a critical and commercial success. Exceptions: (1) We will occasionally rate a film B- with good popular acceptance and bad reviews, if we believe the critics have severely underrated a film. (2) We may also assign a B- or better to a well-reviewed film which did not do well at the box office if we feel that the fault lay in the marketing of the film, and that the film might have been a hit if people had known about it. (Like, for example, The Waterdance.)
  • C+ means it has no crossover appeal, but will be considered excellent by people who enjoy this kind of movie. If this is your kind of movie, a C+ and an A are indistinguishable to you.
  • C means it is competent, but uninspired genre fare. People who like this kind of movie will think it satisfactory. Others probably will not.
  • C- indicates that it we found it to be a poor movie, but genre addicts find it watchable. Any film rated C- or better is recommended for fans of that type of film, but films with this rating should be approached with caution by mainstream audiences, who may find them incompetent or repulsive or both. If this is NOT your kind of movie, a C- and an E are indistinguishable to you.
  • D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. We don't score films below C- that often, because we like movies and we think that most of them have at least a solid niche audience. Now that you know that, you should have serious reservations about any movie below C-. Films rated below C- generally have both bad reviews and poor popular acceptance.
  • E means that you'll hate it even if you love the genre.
  • F means that the film is not only unappealing across-the-board, but technically inept as well.

 

Based on this description, this film is a C- as an erotic thriller. It is not especially good as a thriller or as erotica, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt thanks to some rarely-seen nudity from some fairly big names. It's worth owning if you're a Tanya Roberts fan.

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