Wild Things (1998)

During the very limited theatrical run that Wild Things recieved here (I think it was gone in about three weeks), a lot of the reviews and publicity created the impression that this was a soap opera sex thriller. I guess that's an easy approach to take when summing this film up, since its two female leads featured in Party Of Five and episodes of Doogie Howser (man what an awful show that was), not to mention that one of the male leads would be doing well to act his way out of a wet paper bag. The problem with that is that it is just too easy, and easy answer is exactly the sort of thing that this film goes out of its way to avoid. It is not trying to be a modern Hitchcock, it is not trying to be another Basic Instinct, it is just trying to tell a story.

The story, such as it is, seems to revolve around Blue Bay High School, the town it is located in, and its snobby, high-income elite, at least in the first reel. We are introduced to all four of the characters who will figure prominently in the story to come during a lecture to the students in their senior year. There's Sam the guidance counsellor, Ray the corrupt policeman, Kelly the daughter of the wealthiest real estate mogul in town, and Suzie the girl from the caravan park across town. All four of these characters have secrets they'd rather not share with any other inhabitant of the town, but that all comes apart when Kelly accuses Sam of raping her. Suzie corroborates her story at first, but then we get our first inkling that things are not all they seem, through the efforts of Bill Murray in one of his best cameos ever. The whole thing is seemingly a conspiracy between Sam, Suzie, and Kelly, but we are never shown whose idea it is until the very end.

This next passage will ruin a key surprise the film has in store, so don't read it if you haven't seen it. Unless things have radically changed in this regard during the last ten years, psychologists and other such professionals do not tell test subjects exactly what their IQ is. Even if Suzie or her mother did know exactly, this whole point is delivered with such sledgehammer force that it almost utterly ruins the subtle, slow buildup that the rest of the film exhibited. Were they just running out of money when it came time to film this spot and just decided to go with the quickest, simplest thing they could do? It would have been much more effective and satisfying if the ugly cop (I forget the name) had just spent five or ten minutes going through whatever Suzie had left behind on her run to the Carribean. Summing up this plot point in fifteen seconds was an exceptionally bad move.

Overall, however, you can't really go wrong with this film for an evening's entertainment. It doesn't feel the need to talk down at its audience, it doesn't resort to excess simplicity to make itself understood (except for the aforementioned ending), it just tells a story and tells it reasonably well. It is also another great example of DVD's utter superiority, especially during the threesome scene. When this part of the film is shown in its proper aspect ratio, you can make out every character and certain little details I'm sure that Denise Richards would appreciate not having available to horny teenage boys in a freezable and zoomable format. When was the last time you zoomed in on an actress' boobs with a VHS cassette, assuming they were left in frame after some jerk with an editing console chopped it down to fit those garbage 4:3 screens?

Fmovies: Wild Things absolutely wowed me the first time I watched it. I had no knowledge of what it was about, actually, and so I had no knowledge of what to expect. When I saw it for the first time I just had to watch it a second time right after that, to be honest, because I was astounded at how much I enjoyed it. Although I did not own the movie, you know that I went back to rent it a couple of more times because it was just so wonderful, and finally when I got the chance to buy it, I did, and now I have watched it numerous times on numerous occasions because it truly is an excellent movie that I can enjoy with every watch.

Each actor and actress had a amazing role and they performed it with excellent expertise; I loved all the performances and they were all so fun and precise with the character they were given that in the long run they make the characters that would normally have been dull and uninteresting awesome and unable to look away from. The way every single line and move was so suspenseful and or clever and it just clicked all into place made my heart sink deeper into the story and never look away; I really was entertained to the point where I could not take my eyes off the screen for how amazing it was.

As a Neve Campbell and Denise Richards fanatic, I enjoyed them and their luminous roles, as well as Matt Dillon who was awesome. I thought the way each and every twist and turn in the plot was just so great that my eyes lingered on for more after it was over, which is why of course I watched it a second time, and the only problem I had with this movie is that it was not long enough, though if it had have been longer I do not think it would have worked out for the better or anything, if you understand what I am trying to say. This movie is simply great, so wonderful; I would watch it over and over again if I had to simply because it is so fantastic and I really got into the way there was a major turning point at the ending that blows your mind, as well as the twist halfway through the film. It is magnificent, with unforgettable performances and a great story line. I would recommend you see it immediately if you can stand the subject matter.

Magnificent storyline. While the basic storyline of what was happening was so simple it was so original as well. All the twists and turns kept you interested throughout the movie which is what people really want to see from a movie, not something that drags on and on about nothing and then finishes with the same kind of ending that every other movie does. Neve Campbell played a different type of role to what she's used to but did it very well. Matt Dillon (playing Sam Lambardo) was excellent although the role could have been cast slightly better maybe with George Clooney. Kevin Bacon gave another stellar performance and kept you interested in his role throughout the movie. But without a doubt the the best performance was Denise Richards who was absolutely perfect for the role. She couldn't have been cast better from anyone in the world. Her beauty made this movie what it was. I think a lot of people would consider Matt Dillon the luckiest man in the world.

Wild Things fmovies. If you ever thought a crime thriller could be filmed in Aaron Spelling manner, you've got your movie. Everybody is so good looking and the plot twists more than Chubby Checker. However, in the end almost everything falls into place. You get your suspense, excitement, intrigue and lots of close-ups on some gorgeous hunks. Not so bad at all.

In Blue Bay's elite beach communities and into the murky waters of the Everglades, you would expect nothing beyond this venture until a guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) is accused of raping two high school students (Neve Campbell and Denise Richards). While they are two detectives on the cast (Kevin Bacon and Daphne Rubin-Vega), they find out there's more than meets the eye in the mystery of deceit, sex and greed.

Directed by John Mc Naughton (Herny:Portrait of a Serial Killer, Lansky, Normal Life) made an entertaining trashy noir that has an unique blend of sex, suspense, comedy and a twisted story. An terrific cast makes things enjoyable, which included:Theresa Russell, Robert Wagner and Bill Murray. This film wasn't much of a hit, when it was first released in the spring of 1998. But it turned into a cult hit on video.

The Unrated DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The Unrated DVD adds seven minutes of additional footage, which it has some good moments...especially during the end credits and the characters are more fleshed-out in the Unrated DVD. "Wild Things" has an good moody music score by George S. Clinton (Austin Powers Trilogy) and striking camera work by Jeffery L. Kimball (Jacob's Ladder, Stigmata, True Romance) are one of the highlights of this guilty pleasure film. Bacon is also the film's executive producer. Murray is a hoot in his minor role as Dillon's lawyer. Written by Stephen Peters. Panavision. (****/*****).

Much has been said about the sexual content of this movie for which I can only say it was nice to get such mice views, clothed and unclothed of Denise Richards. But overall the sexuality of this film is moderate at best.

Why i really liked it is because all of the twists in the plots actually come together. At the end of the film, integrated with the end credits, are previously unseen events that kept the full tale slightly hidden from the viewer. By inserting them at the end, the full story was told without inhibiting the ride. If you missed the hints and clues along the way, u can see what you failed to figure out.

Certainly this is not a tale that fails to stretch credibility, but its is a film for amusement. But unlike so many, the mystery is solvable and does not rely on contrivances created at the end to make you feel stupid. If you miss them you are not stupid, but if foresee any of the conclusion, and the can be foreseen, hats off to you.