Carnal Crimes (1991 Video) User Reviews

Plot the best part; acting the worst.

[smatysia · 5/10 · 11 March 2002]

Most of the acting in this film was pretty bad, with the exception of Linda Carol. Martin Hewitt was adequate at best, and Rich Crater was terrible. I will have to say there was a plot twist near the end that I didn't see coming, although in retrospect, I should have. I think I saw an edited version (shown on cable TV) of this film, so maybe Miss Carol's sex scenes that I didn't see much of made the film better. Grade: D-

Carnal Crimes

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 21 January 2022]

Elise (Linda Carol, Reform School Girls) might look like a gorgeous woman to any other man - and many women - but not to her husband, so is it any wonder that she falls for Renny (Martin Hewitt), a photographer who encourages her to live her fantasies while also having some fantasy sex of his own with Julie Strain in a sushi bar? If he's really a murderer, are we surprised?

This was Gregory Dark's first erotic thriller - he'd make New Wave Hookers 2 the same year, so he was still working in the adult world - and it's still amazing to me that of all the directors in X, he was the one that crossed over into the mainstream. There was no one in any type of film making the surreal insanity that he was at the time, movies where the sex wasn't even remotely arousing and it was all about pushing boundaries and capturing something shocking.

In other words, you know, art.

Bonus points for not only getting Danny Trejo in this, but Doug Jones out of any form of makeup.

Heavenly

[woodybrown20 · 10/10 · 20 July 2001]

What can I possibly say that will conjure up the magic of "Carnal Crimes"? Carnal Crimes follows the life of Elize, her strange perverted husband, and Renny the mysterious artist, played beautifully by Martin Hewitt, who, in my opinion, is more talented than most 'A' list actors. The music, photography and settings of this film have a unique dream-like quality to them, and the story is so profound and intense that it should leave you dazed. Hewitt is dark and dangerous, and his performance is utterly compelling. The atmosphere in this movie is its most powerful feature, and watching it is like having an amazing dream-like experience. You won't know if you've really seen it, or were just dreaming by the end. One of my very favourite films.

An above-average "erotic thriller".

[magnuspy · 6/10 · 10 December 2000]

B-movies have a pretty bad reputation on the whole, usually well-deserved. However, they are the only sort of movies where you can hope to see expressed any idea that is not sanitized through extensive focus-group research. Some B-movies are actually quite good.

Carnal Crimes is one of the better B-movies of the erotic thriller variety. It stars the very beautiful Linda Carol as an ex-model and housewife whose husband is no longer interested in her sexually. She seeks adventure elsewhere and ends up in some rather sticky situations.

The story is passable, the acting unobjectionable, the people beautiful. The simulated-sex scenes are not very realistic, but they do not turn you off either. Worth checking out, but make sure to get the unrated version.

Magnus.