Payback

Saw this movie and thought it was a decent story line (it's been done before many times over). But, Joan Severance makes it a 10, boy is she sexy. That face, those eyes, those sexy long legs...

She is considered a B-Movie and scream queen actress, but you will become a fan after seeing her in this movie !

Take this one home on your next visit to the Video Store. If you are offended by "hot sex", you may reconsider, but the drama is excellent, and unlike a lot of films, the ending does not drag on. It is exciting, and appropriately concise.

After seeing this, I'm looking out for more Joan Severance flicks!

Oscar Bonsetta, a young punk is sent to prison for 13 years for arm robbery and befriends an old inmate Mac. Prison guard Tom "Gully" Gullerman unfavourably torments and tortures Mac, in hopping that eventually he'll give up the position of his hidden loot, but he dies before doing so. However Oscar promises Mac that he'll get revenge and in doing so before he passed away he tells Oscar of a paper in his cell that would show the location were its hidden. But when he gets there his cell is cleaned up and Gully is waiting for him. Believing now his knows were the money is hidden, but before he could push him anymore. He has an car accident that prevents being a prison guard. Three years later Oscar is released, and tracks down Gully at road side diner, which he owns with his wife Rose and finds out his blind. Oscar begins working for them, and soon revenge is clouded with sensual passion for Rose.

Anthony Hickok's erotically deadly and charged-up thriller 'Payback' manages to draw you in, and in with its sweepingly causal moving story of twisty intrigue and fabulous performances led by C. Thomas Howell, Marshall Bell and the highly irresistible Joan Severance. The glowing Severance simply smokes up the screen that it's hard to take your eyes off her! The story isn't anything original, but manages to be tempting due to its terse material of desire, retribution, deceit and redemption in a refreshingly above-average script that has appealing shades of film-noir. It's quite like watching a domino effect take place. Lay it out, buy some time and then watch it unexpectedly collapse, as we nervously wait for the right moment to set it all in action. There's a real emotional intensity lurking underneath the surface, and these are broken up with those hot, steamy sex sequences and flashes of violence. Stylish, but compact direction by Hickok is executed very well and he uses the picturesque locations to great effect. It's definitely Hickok's most complete work that I've seen of his. Anthony Marinelli's succulent, silky music score just oozes and sizzles with the on-screen action. A neat little b-thriller.

Oscar Bonsetter (C. Thomas Howell) is a punk and during a robbery to a liquor store, he is arrested. He spends many years in prison, where he becomes friend of the old prisoner Mac (R.G. Armstrong). There is a legend in the prison that Mac has a great fortune, fruit of a robbery, hidden somewhere. Trying to get information about the location of this amount, Mac is badly treated by the guard Gully (Marshall Bell). Mac becomes very ill, and a few minutes before he dies, he tells Bonsetter where the money is hidden, under the promise that he would kill Gully first. However, Bonsetter depends on a drawing exposed in Mac's jail to get the precise spot, but Gully takes all Mac possessions with him. Gully starts pressing Bonsetter, believing Mac told him the place where the money is hidden, but suddenly he suffers a car accident, becomes blind and is not able to work in prison anymore. Three years later, Bonsetter finishes his sentence, gets his freedom and looks for Gully, who owns a small bar on a road. Bonsetter meets Gully's wife Rose (the delicious Joan Severance), is hired for working there and becomes his lover, while trying to recover the map from Gully. Many plot points twist this story, until a surprising end, full of betrayals.

I have bought this B film about six years ago and only yesterday I decided to watch it. I was surprised, since it is an excellent film noir, with touches of the 1981 version of 'The Postman Rings Twice'. C. Thomas Howell and Joan Severance have a great performance and one of the hottest sex scenes in the cinema history, comparable, for example, with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange in the foregoing mentioned movie, or Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin in 'Sea of Love'. The story has many plot points and hooks the attention of the viewer until the last scene. Further, it is very well directed. This is the proof that a low budget movie can be a good film, when having a tight screenplay and a good director, actor and actress. Joan Severance is very gorgeous and sexy, besides the great performance. It is highly indicated for viewers who likes films noir and amoral. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Preço do Desejo" ("The Price of the Desire")

Note: On 23 Sep 2018 I saw this film again.

A good movie with some really good performance of all main lead characters.

movie has simple story , but it gets more exciting later in the end because of really surprising twist and turns. But i really dont like the ending. as its not very satisfying.

Joan performance is brilliant in this one, even her role is Alluring wife even she is wearing boring waitresses dress all the time but still she has some really sexy and seductive attraction. and damn that sex scene on top of the car's bonnet is soo amazing. i really wished there would be more scenes like that.