My review was written in April 1990 after watching the movie on Prism video cassette.
Tanya Roberts approaches X-rated territory in Andrew Stevens' entertaining sex thriller "Night Eyes", a "Body Heat" clone bound to become an important rental title and conversation piece.
With theatrical ratings frequently in the news, this direct-to-video release comes in both R and longer, unrated editions, latter reviewed here. Steamy sex scenes of Roberts and Stevens should generate plenty of word-of-mouth.
Stevens, who co-wrote and served as supervising producer, toplines as a guard for Night Eyes Security Agency, working with his brother (Cooper Huckabee). The two are hired by British rocker Warwick Sims to install home surveillance cameras, supposedly as protection for his wife but, in reality, to gather incriminating info against her for a divorce case.
Roberts is the oversexed lady in question, abused by her husband and cheating on him. First lover to be taped by Stevens' cameras is guest Stephen Meadows and, before long, straight-arrow Stevens succumbs to her wiles.
Several stagings and Richard Gaser's musical score (with wailing sax solos) recall Lawrence Kasdan's "Body Heat". Roberts is extremely alluring in the Kathleen Turner role, telegraphing her bad intentions. Stevens makes for a believable dupe, though a final sex scene after he has figured out her guilt seems a bit much.
The romantic couplings deliver more than expected from name talent, beyond what qualifies for an R rating but never hardcore. Roberts has not gone as far as European actresses but is bound to raise eyebrows among her American peers.
Jag Mundhra's direction is convincing until a hurried windup, typical of video-driven projects.
Pic successfully demonstrates a solution to the theatrical ratings impasse between distributors and Motion Picture Association of America -even a major like Paramount can handle unrated films via home video, in this case distributing for indie Prism Entertainment.
