Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Mark Turner I remember when this film was originally released. At the time I was becoming interested in director Ken Russell and his works. But seeing this one the first time I felt like it wasn't comparable to the films he'd made I enjoyed. Watching it this time around I appreciated and enjoyed it far more than that first viewing.Kathleen Turner, fresh from her success with ROMANCING THE STONE, stars as China Blue aka Joanna Crane. Crane is a well-established fashion designer by day but when night rolls around she takes to the seedier part of town and becomes China Blue, a prostitute with a kinky clientele and a peeping tom neighbor named Peter (Anthony Hopkins), a self-proclaimed preacher who finds himself drawn to her while condemning her at the same time.Into both worlds is thrown Bobby Grady (John Laughlin). The owner of the design studio Crane works at thinks she might be selling designs to a competitor and he brings Bobby in to investigate and prove if she is doing so or not. Bobby follows her and discovers her duel identity, watching as she handles her clients. Involved in a marriage with a frigid wife, Bobby finds himself aroused by Crane's night time persona.Eventually Bobby confronts her and the two fall in love. Or is it lust? They sleep together with the question of who is selling the designs still out there. Obsessed with her, Bobby puts his career and his marriage on the line as he frequents the room of China Blue more often. At the same time the preacher is also becoming more obsessed as well, with the intent of doing something drastic to cleanse the soul of this woman he sees as the ultimate sinner. The odds of both story lines clashing are pretty good.There were several things that made this move stand out at the time of its release. First and foremost was the sexuality on display here with a then high profile actress like Turner in the lead role performing somewhat explicit sexual acts (for that time) on screen. In today's world they wouldn't seem so but in 1984 they were controversial. But Russell was used to that and sometimes it seems he courted that controversy in his films on purpose.The second was that Russell used Perkins to play the role of the preacher. Having spent most of his career trying to peel himself away from his association with killer Norman Bates, Perkins is once more playing a killer, although a different sort. Along with Turner his performance here is intense and frightening. In his case due to his maniacal feelings leading to a release of rage. In her case it is a role of a woman longing for love and settling for lust instead yet still hopeful.The film has a seedy feel to it but that is on purpose. The story draws you in once the initial shock wears off (the film opens with Turner receiving oral sex while pretending to be a beauty queen making her acceptance speech). You begin to feel for all of the characters involved. It's an odd combination of repulsion and compassion that mix together to make it an interesting tale.I'm sure if you read what I write you're tiring of hearing my praises for Arrow Video. Sorry but they are becoming the best at what they do, presenting pristine copies of the movies they handle with some of the most interesting extras. The film is presented in a crisp 2k restoration from original film materials. Extras include an audio commentary with director Ken Russell and producer/screenwriter Barry Sandler, seven deleted scenes with commentary, a new interview with Sandler made for this release, home movie footage of Russell visiting in Florida for a retrospective screening of the film, the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve with new commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil and an illustrated booklet.If you are a fan of director Ken Russell you'll want to have this in your collection. The same goes for fans of Kathleen Turner. It is worth seeing at least once but come prepared. This is not for the faint of heart nor the easily offended.

Michael_Elliott Crimes of Passion (1984) ** 1/2 (out of 4) China Blue (Kathleen Turner) is a prostitute who works the streets at night turning tricks for $50. Bobby Grady (John Laughlin) is a married father of two who finds his wife (Annie Potts) losing interest in him. Reverend Shayne (Anthony Perkins) is a cocaine snorting "man of God" who spends most of his time at a nudie booth. Pretty soon the three of them are going to be introduced to one another as their stories play out.Ken Russell's CRIMES OF PASSION is a rather interesting failure. When the film was originally released it was savaged by critics and pretty much ignored at the box office. We then learned that the studio pretty much had to cut the picture down and other scenes were re-arranged. Then an uncut version was released and the film's reputation grew somewhat but this here is still seen as middle-tier Russell.It's really too bad that the film didn't come together better because there are some excellent things hiding throughout the picture. We can start off with the terrific cinematography, which perfectly captures the mood and atmosphere of the city. I really loved the blue and red tints and especially during the first sex scene between China Blue and Bobby. The entire sequence was beautiful to look at and the colors just leaped off the screen. The images and music score perfectly blend together and it really makes for a memorable visual experience.Another great thing are the performances by the three leads. Turner pretty much plays two roles here and I thought she was extremely good in each. There's no question that the China Blue character is the more memorable one and I really thought Turner brought some flare to the part and especially with the various sex scenes that she had to perform. Laughlin was the weakest of the leads but I thought his low-key performance perfectly suited the character he was playing. Then there's Perkins who has played a number a nuts in his career. He's actually very effective and creepy here and the screenplay offers him some great moments to really shine.With that said, CRIMES OF PASSION held my interest for the first hour. We're never quite sure where the movie is going or what it's trying to do. The look of the film and the performances are so great that you stick with the movie but before long everything pretty much crashes down. You lose interest in what you're watching and you really don't care what the film is trying to say or how it's going to end. Russell's direction is just fine but I think the screenplay just lets everyone down because you've got this weird sexual drama going on but I never really found it overly erotic and it certainly wasn't all that thrilling.

tomgillespie2002 Opening with Kathleen Turner's 'China Blue' facing the camera spreadeagled while a man performs cunnilingus on her, Ken Russell's barking mad Crimes of Passion starts as provocatively as it means to go on. A nightmare for the censors (as Russell's films generally were), Crimes of Passion had to undergo heavy cuts even to pass for an R rating upon its original release, when it was met with generally unfavourable reviews. Years later, it's still a somewhat baffling oddity with some terrible dialogue, but its certainly an interesting, one-off experience.Fashion designer Joanna Crane (Turner) is a successful, emotionally cold businesswoman by day, but by night, she is China Blue, the most sought-after and beautiful prostitute to walk the streets. We see her pleasure a variety of men in a variety of ways, and she seems to enjoy her work. Her biggest fan is fanatical street preacher Rev. Peter Shayne (Anthony Perkins), a lunatic who watches her through a hole in the wall and wants to 'save her soul', carrying with him at all times a massive, blade-sharp dildo. Middle-class electrician Bobby Grady (John Laughlin) is married to his childhood sweetheart (Annie Potts) and is bored with her frigid ways. When he is assigned to spy on Joanna by her boss who falsely believes her to be stealing, he discovers her alter-ego and falls for her.Although it explores themes of emotional detachment and sexual discovery, it's difficult to unravel just what Crimes of Passion is truly about. One moment the film will deliver a moment of tenderness between Joanna and Bobby, and suddenly shift the tone and focus onto Perkins' sweaty, nitrate-sniffing deviant. But if anyone can add an artistic bend to such a sleazy subject matter, it is Ken Russell, who manages to find neon-lit beauty in even the grimiest of locations. Turner and Perkins are terrific, while Laughlin fails to find any dimensions within his one-note character but, in his defence, is lumped with some wobbly dialogue. Laughably over-the-top and overlong at 110 minutes, it's a frustrating and sometimes silly experience, but one that I would recommend anybody to watch at least once.

Johnboy1221 Simply put, I love this movie! The dialog is natural, and at times downright hilarious.All the characters are screwed up to some degree, but probably a lot like most Americans are, truth be known.Bobby is trying desperately to make everyone believe that his life is a bowl of cherries and it's not.His wife has been hiding a secret of her own, and is probably manic depressive.The preacher is fighting his own war and he's losing it minute by minute.Bobby's best friend wants everyone to think that he's happy and secure in his new single life. He's not.His ex-wife is pretending that her life is rosy, but she's unhappy with it just the same.And finally, there's Joanna. She's had a rough life ("we were married for better or for worse...I got the worse part"), and is struggling to get back on track, but her answer to her problems is to be a hooker. She can pretend to love without all the trappings of a longterm relationship, which terrifies her.The performances are simply incredible, from the smallest to the lead, and every single actor is cast to perfection. Ken Russell....well, lets just say that I find this his best film, by far. Barry Sandler should have won an Oscar for this film, or at least a nomination. His dialog is classic drama (and comedy) from start to finish.Crimes Of Passion is not for everyone. The squeamish need not apply. However, the film is the best movie I have ever seen about the real America. Every character in the film is playing games, and that's exactly what men and women all over this country do everyday. Like American Beauty, what we see may not be what's real.I loved China Blue and Bobby. They're tough, but they have a heart. They're sexy, but vulnerable.Bobby's final words in Crimes Of Passion are among the best I've ever heard spoken in a movie, and it was a perfect way to end the film.I truly don't understand why John Laughlin didn't become a huge star after this movie, but he should have. Perhaps he had a bad agent, or something, for he is a terrific actor here.