This is an official "Donald P. Borchers Production", presented by my (now defunct) company, Planet Productions Corp.
After I made a deal for the screenplay, I thought it best to put it in the hands of these women:
Director, Donna Deitch; Cinematographer, Joey Forsyte; Production Designers, Shay Austin, Clare Scarpulla; Music by Wendy Blackstone.
"Angel of Desire" (1994) is an American neonoir mystery thriller movie directed by Donna Deitch, (DESERT HEARTS), written by Max Strom & John Allen Nelson (AMERICAN YAKUZA), produced by Veteran B-Movie producer Donald P. Borchers (CHILDREN OF THE CORN), with music by Wendy Blackstone, (FOR THE PEOPLE), starring Joan Severance (BLACK SCORPION), John Allen Nelson (SHEENA), Tony Denison (THE CLOSER), Henry Darrow (SANTA BARBARA), David Labiosa, (BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT), Rachel Ticotin (FORT APACHE THE BRAONX, TOTAL RECALL), Shannon Wilcox (Se7en), and Wolfgang Bodison (A FEW GOOD MEN). Joan Severance plays a homicide detective that falls for a man who could be killing women after sex. John Allen Nelson plays the suspect in a series of grisly murders, with a dark side, more than convincing. A quite neatly done mystery plot, with some pleasingly expert misdirection.
What does it take to trust? Detective Melanie Hudson (Joan Severance) a tough, take-no-sh*t cop is an L.A. police officer, a loner on the trail of a serial killer who slits the throats of beautiful women just after they have made love.
Their prime suspect is architect Connor Ashcroft III (John Allen Nelson), obviously irresistible to women, the playboy son of a powerful U.S. Senator. They investigate him. He's unconcerned and comes on to Melanie.
Melanie is a self-confessed oddball. She has definite trust issues, and admits that at heart she’s really a psycho killer even though she’s on the side of good and doesn’t kill people. At night she drives the streets. Independent and curious.
Her partner on the LAPD force, investigating the murder, is her ex-lover cop, Nathan (Tony Denison), who still loves her. She’s evidently had a relationship with her colleague, but broken it off because, in essence, she finds him to be an extraordinarily tedious knucklehead who bores her.
Nathan’s bud on the squad is the even more primordial Detective Mike Verutti (David Labiosa). Their boss, Captain Ramoz (Henry Darrow), is looking toward imminent retirement and obviously just wants the easy life. The only person on the squad who’s particularly simpatico with Melanie is semi-closeted Detective Jordan Monroe (Wolfgang Bodison).
There’s a serial killer at work, natch. This one has the m.o. of viciously lacerating his victims after sex. His latest victim is ballet dancer Isabella Sabatini (Shannon McLeod). The obvious suspect is Isabella’s most recent lover, Connor Ashcroft, who also happens to have been a lover of the previous victims.
The only problem facing the cops is that Connor’s dad (Lou Felder) is a big-time Southern Republican senator who’s prepared to use his political clout to shut down the entire investigation.
But, leaving that aside, is Connor really the killer? Could it be that his ex-girlfriend, sculptor Tracy Perry (Rachel Ticotin), clearly still obsessed over him, is knocking off each of her replacements? Or could the shrink hired years ago by Senator Ashcroft to get Connor through the PTSD of discovering his suicided mother, Joanne Pinder (Shannon Wilcox), have developed an unhealthy passion for him? Or, just possibly, could Melanie herself be the killer, motivated by jealousy? After all, she’s already told us she has the spirit of a psycho. And her supposed first encounter with Connor plays out suspiciously like a reunion.
Melanie and Nathan interview Connor's former girlfriends and a family shrink. Evidence suggests he's innocent, so Melanie takes Connor up on his invitation, and becomes involved with the primary suspect. For the cops, it clearly complicates matters.
Nathan is jealous and he's worried. Whom should Melanie trust?
Quotes:
Muscle Head: "Don't judge me 'til you've fucked me."
Melanie: "I think like a serial killer and I need somewhere to put that".
Melanie: “My friends call me crazy. I say I’m curious, curious to know what goes on in the dark in those places where most people would rather not go.”
After the producer delivered the completed movie to Trimark Pictures, the studio changed the name to "Criminal Passion" and released it on September 21, 1994 in the United States.
Joan Severance, and Tony Denison both guest starred in the TV show "WiseGuy" (1987). Tony Denison became the lead undercover agent in a few episodes after Ken Wahl injured his foot when a 850 pound dolly ran it over twice.
Rachel Ticotin accepted the role of Connor’s obsessive and uber-hot ex-girlfriend as a personal favor to the director, and declined screen credit.
Luana Anders and Sammy Shore offer great cameos in the movie’s opening as Martha and Stan Goldman, the elderly neighbors who discover the body.
