Encrucijada de pasiones

4 Stars is too low for this surprisingly strong film. Yes, it's a Zalman King movie, but it was among his first and unlike probably everything else he did since, was a very good movie. It has a good, tight story and some very strong performances from its leads, especially Richard Tyson (who really should have become a big star but just never quite did for some reason).

I still believe that it is among the sexiest movies ever made, and that is not possible if you do not care about the characters or are drawn into their passion. Most movies of this type fail to engage the viewer in the story and so the passion and sexuality suffer, but that is not the case here. One doesn't need to watch this movie as an excuse for some cheap titillation, it also delivers as an enjoyable film as well.

Zalman King's Two Moon Junction, probably isn't as good as his 9 1/2 Weeks, but the film does have quite a few love scenes that we wouldn't see in today's films. Sherilyn Fenn stars as April who doesn't seem to like her new fiance Chad (Martin Hewett). In an attempt to find what see wants, she goes to a local carnival and falls for muscle bound carnival worker Perry (Richard Tyson) and have the usual affair. The all star cast includes Academy Award winners, Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and Burl Ives (The Big Country), other well known cast members include Herve Villichaize (TV's Fantasy Island), Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element), Millie Perkins (Diary of Anne Frank), Juanita Moore (Academy Award nominee for Imitation of Life) and Kristy McNicole (TV's Empty Nest). Not bad, but could have been a little better for a sex film.

Zalman King is expert at producing soft porn rubbish that is about as erotic as ground grit, but Two Moon Junction is the exception, saved almost single handedly by Sherilynn Fenn, who is excellent in the role of little rich girl April, who falls for a hunky carnie on the eve of her wedding.

A great acting performance...not to mention a great body, which she shows off to an appreciative audience (in my house, anyway). two moon junction actually appeals to women as much as men.

If you are forced to watch a Zalman King movie, make it this one.

Okay, let's take this movie for what it is -- a bodice ripper romance novel put on the screen for you to enjoy. It's hardly anything more than that, but does it have to be? The film is set in the "deep south", but the faulty accents and in-and-around LA locations sometimes give it away. It's a highly stylized exercise in melodramatic erotica. There's no mystery here -- even the ending can be seen coming a mile away! Basically the plot is a Southern Belle sows her wild oats before her wedding, and finds herself torn between sensuality and stability. She meets a carny who offers her one last hot fling before she marries her boring college sweetheart. Which one will she chose?

What's to like? Sherilyn Fenn is radiant as April, and overcomes most all of the bad dialogue. She's a great actress! Kristy McNichol steals the few scenes she is in with a flair for comedy and easy earthy sensuality! Why is she not doing more? Richard Tyson plays a rough and tumble drifter carny who gets to pout and preen as a male "himbo" who is justly portrayed as good at one thing. The plot is silly, and you even get an over-the-top Louise Fletcher appearing as the matriarch who knows all too well that "lust fades, but financial security is worth everything!"

I love this movie though. It is charming in its own way, and sensual without being too graphic. Nothing is subtle, but it pays off as one of the most enjoyable Zalman King outings ever! Notice the almost "ALL WHITE" costumes! These people spend a fortune on bleach. Notice the hottest scene seems to be when Sherilyn Fenn and Kristy McNichol dance together on a deserted jukejoint floor. Notice the great soundtrack! Let yourself go, and enjoy an old-fashioned pot boiler romance filmed and acted better than it ever had a right to be.

Though no one won any awards for their acting in this movie, it is worth a look. If you go beyond the overt storyline you can start to see nuances that point to the more complex psychological makeup of the characters and takes this movie to a different level. This is why I like this movie, it isn't just raw sexuality but the complexity of human relationships further complicated by societal standards and expectations and how one choses to integrate them. This film not only features veteran actors such as Burl Ives and Louise Fletcher, but features Richard Tyson whom you may remember from the tv series Hardball, and Sherilyn Fenn. And check out Samantha who is played by Milla (as in Milla Jovovich who played in The Fifth Element).

You would probably like this movie if you liked 9 and a Half Weeks or Wild Orchid.