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Devil in the Flesh [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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SEE THE CRUSH INSTEAD
Review date: 2007-11-06 Rating: 6 out of 10

A young woman, Debbie Strand, (Rose McGowan) survives a fire that kills her entire family. Emotionally disturbed, her Child Care Worker Anna Nakashi, (Julia Nickson) decides to send McGowan to her religious grandmother, Fiona, (Peg Shirley) and her annoying dog. Stripped of the individuality normal teenager girls have nowadays by being forced to wear her mothers clothes from the fifties and sixties, Debbie starts to go insane. At school, she meets a popular teacher, Peter Rinaldi, (Alex McArthur). Smitten, she signs up for his Creative Writing class and immediately buts heads with Meegan Wright, (Krissy Carlson) a popular student who is also smitten with Rinaldi. She finds acceptance with a loner, Marilyn, (Sherrie Rose). Meanwhile, two detectives, Dect. Rosales, (Phil Morris) and Det Archer, (Robert Silver) are close to cracking the case that might prove that Strand murdered her family, but no one will cooperate. Discovering that Rinaldi has a girlfriend, Janie Magray, (J.C. Brandy), McGowan schemes to get rid of her permanently and anyone else who comes in the way of her crush.

The Good News: Overall, I'm surprised that the actors did a reasonable job with their parts. McGowan, McArthur and Shirley all give at least decent performances, especially Shirley who comes across as an extreme religious fanatic who believes in saving McGowan's soul. The two police detectives are all right, and a giving a humorous and logical character trait in that they pop quiz each other with the names of various mental diseases and how to spell it during several scenes. The gore is low and is tolerable, that which is shown, and only comes in the last half hour, making the first hour seem cruelly long and almost to the point where you want to turn it. Thankfully, director Cohen realized this as well and gave two sex scenes and McGowan walking around looking like a real high school girl today with low-cut halter-tops and other revealing clothes.

The Bad News: The first hour of this movie is almost unwatchable from boredom, if you take out the two sex scenes. Low rate murders, no gore, and mindless reinforcing of character quirks drag this film out. That said, the film is almost a carbon copy of 'The Crush,' and even still, the parts that was changed to make this 'original' weren't original. Carlson comes across as a brain dead California blonde. The other Rose, Sherrie, is a quiet outsider who makes the ultimate sacrifice so McGowan can have her man, never impressed me. Neither one could act, or were too integral to the story. My biggest complaint is that McGowan NEVER APPEARED NAKED IN THE MOVIE, despite at least two obvious scenes when she should have. (Changing her top in front of Bittle and when she takes a shower in McArthur's house) Both scenes were prime targets for McGowan to show her assets, yet they never capitalized. It surely would've made the film much more interesting. Is it just me, or should Rinaldi have been played by a more attractive man? I'm not saying I'm gay, but McArthur doesn't seem like he would be the type teenage girls pine for. It seems his personality traits given to him made him more attractive, but no one ever mentions that his personality was why they were after him.

The Final Verdict: If you strip away the knowledge this is made as an earlier and much better movie, 'Devil in the Flesh' is tolerable, if only for the fact that McGowan gives a sexy performance and you can chuckle at Shirley for the way she torments McGowan with dress and chores.


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Reviews


Rose McGowan's best movie.
Review date: 2005-08-19 Rating: 10 out of 10

Rose McGowan is a beautiful, talented person - let's get that said right off! Now, some people might prefer the deeper, more shocking "Doom Generation" to "Devil In The Flesh", but seriously give this movie some consideration.
For anyone who thinks this is a porno film, you're way off. There's, I think, one sex scene in the whole film but it's an interesting one. And it's not a "men's movie", since I'm a girl and I love it.
The plot is slightly formulaic (young, pretty psychopath in love with older, unavailable teacher) but Rose McGowan really makes it work, AND gives her character, Debbie Strand, a personality. In the end, I really felt for Debbie, despite the fact she's utterly insane and can be unpleasant. It's an interesting little movie, by no means a masterpiece, but it definately deserves a viewing. Rose McGowan makes this average story shine. WATCH IT!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
J.C. Brandy
Phil Morris
Alex McArthur
Peg Shirley
Rose McGowan

Creators:
Rose McGowan (Primary Contributor)
Alex McArthur (Primary Contributor)
Steve Cohen (Writer)
Alicia Reilly Larson (Producer)
Kelly Carlin-McCall (Writer)
Kurt Anderson (Writer)
Michael Michaud (Writer)
Richard Brandes (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Ardustry Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Ardustry Home Entertainment
EAN: 0783722708422
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC,
Release date: 2003-08-05
Universal product code (UPC): 783722708422
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1997
Language: English (Original Language)

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