Poison

Tuna's comments in white:

Poison (2000) is a direct to VID that IMDB has decided to call "Thy Neighbors Wife." I think the way this happens is that someone hears a working title for a film, and rushes to IMDB to enter the data for the thrill of being first. The film is later made with a real title, but IMDB never changes the listing once it is there. At any rate, it is a damned good soft core. Like many soft core films, it is a thriller, but it is actually not a bad thriller in this case.

As the film opens, Kari Wuhrer sleeps with a prospective client so her husband can sign a development deal. They both expect that he will make VP over the contract, but he is fired, and replaced by Barbara Crampton. Distraught, the husband commits suicide.

Revenge time.

First, she gets the owner and his family with the old turn on the gas and break a light bulb trick (when they turn on the light, the exposed filament ignites the gas), then she goes after Crampton, her husband, the 18 year old daughter (Melissa Stone) and the 20 year old son.

There is plenty of exposure and simulated sex, but not of the boring variety. The story holds together for the most part, and the acting is superb for this genre.

If you see it, be sure to read the single commentary at IMDB, it is a real hoot. I am very pleased to see this trend towards soft core with a good story.

NUDITY REPORT

We have breast and bun exposure from Wuhrer, Crampton, Stone and Peggy Trentini as a housekeeper.

DVD info from Amazon.

no widescreen
only minor features

Scoop's comments in yellow:

Agree. As erotic thrillers go, it isn't body heat, but it is Poison Ivy with more flesh.

It has a good final twist, but they messed up the ending. Kari disappears, kind of drives off into the sunset while the radio announces that the husband has been arrested, the screenwriter having forgotten that the son is still around to clarify the story!

It looks like a scene is missing where Kari's next stop would be the college to bump off the son ....

Anyway, Tuna got the summary right. Watchable story. Quite a bit of flesh. Surprisingly good.

The Critics Vote

nothing online

The People Vote ...

With their votes ... IMDB summary: not enough votes for a score

IMDb guideline: 7.5 usually indicates a level of excellence, about like three and a half stars from the critics. 6.0 usually indicates lukewarm watchability, about like two and a half stars from the critics. The fives are generally not worthwhile unless they are really your kind of material, about like two stars from the critics. Films under five are generally awful even if you like that kind of film, equivalent to about one and a half stars from the critics or less, depending on just how far below five the rating is.

My 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. C means it will only appeal to genre addicts, and has no crossover appeal. D means you'll hate it even if you like the genre. 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+.