dcnilsen film is aptly named because once in a while you come across a film which provides an occasional hell to have to watch...actually this one would be highly recommended for viewing by an arborist- wooden plot, wooden script, wooden acting, etc, etc, etc....I like tom berenger, but this is the equivalent of painting by numbers on steroids...and not even the nude scenes can help this turkey, but I can highly recommend it if you want to have a nice nap mid-movie, then wake up not feeling as though you missed anything...berenger's imaginary visits by the female missing from the crime scene are particularly annoying and ridiculous and add absolutely nothing to the plot...all in all such drivel that I was compelled to stop watching a little over halfway through, which after reading the reviews, turned out to be a wise move...the people advocating this disaster as a triumph are in need of god knows what, but taste comes forefront to my mind

Lisa M BUT - I wanted to thank John Gartner of Portland for his hilarious (and sometimes educational) comments! I'm not sure which Berenger film I saw first, but he has warmed the cockles of my heart (to be genteel) from the first. In this flick, the shot where he reveals to his lover the dirty little secret underneath his shirt was worth the whole movie! - See, we gals can salivate over just a hint of the rest of what's there - or maybe it's just me, I'm an easy mark for a certain type of... ahem... torso, shall I say? But I'll never understand why guys are even attracted to that Daisy Mae-type critter - so obvious, so over-the-top; and here, she was really, really annoying, and just wouldn't go away! I, for one liked Berenger's deceptively easy-going southern man characterization. It doesn't have to be revolutionary if it works. As for his crying scene, I didn't think it was bad at all, as it was sudden and unexpected. To me, it was his lover's reaction that came across as forced and unconvincing.What I like about this actor is that he often plays roles as what I consider a real man - he's a man's man, yet fully capable (sooner or later, often gradually) of connecting with a woman in a palpably tender way. If you think about it, there aren't many actors who can achieve this. They're either too intense at being tough to switch gears believably, or they're too obsessed with being proper at all times...sorta like a lot of actual people...So, I guess I'll not heartily defend the script or the plot, etc., but I will vouch for Tom Berenger. In my book, he reliably adds quality to any film.

john_gartner This is the quintessential B-movie. Despite the presence of some recognizable "talents" in the cast, it is as obvious and amateur as films with budgets over $1 million get. It seems as though Tom Berenger, who also produced the film, decided he wanted to be in a movie where he would get to "work" with the always semi-nude Kari Wuhrer. Fortunately there is ample screen time for Wuhrer, who haunts Berenger ala Hamlet's ghost as a Daisy Duke-ish trollop. Berenger's buddy Stephen Lang (they worked together on Gettysburg) probably didn't need much convincing for a role featuring several sex scenes with the curvaceous Kari. Tom was probably chatting about making the movie with pal and regular co-star Charlie Sheen (Platoon and Major League), who suggested that Valeria Golino (whom Sheen got to know filming Hot Shots) would have the perfect nipple's for Berenger's sex scene. The film features shots of the actors at needlessly odd angles, and has several lines that are unintentionally laugh out loud funny. Poor Ellen Greene wastes a few minutes picking up her check, and Berenger's tearful admission is a hoot. 20 minutes into the film (SPOILER ALERT), you see Geoffrey Lewis (who has perfected the dim wit role) digging a grave-sized hole, but it's not until an hour later that voila, Berenger realizes that might be a good place to look for a dead body. If you have a six-pack and are in an MST3K kind of mood, rent this and ad-lib your night away.

alitosca From the first frame, this film glues you to the screen, with a gripping plot that is full of potential. As we learn more about the victim's wife and the university professor she employs in the role of reluctant detective, we are determined to delve further into the minds of this mysterious woman and the laconic southern gentleman, who is forced to confront his own past demons.Regrettably, this strong foundation is undermined by the failure of the film to shine any light on the personalities of the victim or his abducted companion - elements that are essential to understanding the fate which overtakes them. And sadly the denouement is glaringly obvious - a limp ending to what should have been a superb thriller.