Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel (1992)
Right after Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California, in 1955, a toy salesman in town for a convention brings his wife with him so they can both go to Disneyland. They stay at a rundown place called the Sunset Motel nearby. Soon the wife is having an affair with a man staying at the motel. The husband hires a psychotic criminal to spy on them, the wife and her lover plan to murder the husband, and the voyeuristic motel manager is spying on everybody.
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Sherilyn Fenn and husband Whip Hubley arrive at the Sunset Motel in Anaheim. He's there for a toy convention. She's there to see Disneyland, which has just opened. They fight constantly. He hires psychotic beatnik David Hewlitt to spy on her. She's sleeping with David Johansen. She starts having strange lapses in memory. He dies during one of those lapses. This rather lame noir homage with shades of David Lynch feels designed to be a cult film, and is generally as lame as those kinds of movies are. One of the few bright spots is Paul Bartel who plays the motel manager. This film has the most idiotic and poorly handled twist ending I have seen in many years.
I saw this film when it first came out. It has taken me years to track it down again (I recalled it being named Murder At The Sunset Hotel). I loved it back then and with some of the plot bending twists I wanted to see it again to get a better grasp of things. Yes, it does indeed leave you confused in a few scenes but it is engaging throughout. both visually and thru its dialogue and unique & intricate plot. The feel is gritty yet sleek. Ugly yet beautiful. It leaves you with a taste in your mouth that you wonder is it pleasant or not. Spoiler: Pay attention to the very first dialogue exchange between the main characters.
This is a wonderful film, rich in imagery and layered dialogue. The cinematography is beautiful, the script clever and full of twists and homages. The music is wonderful and haunting. The acting is superb, and includes the only film appearance of David Johannson (Buster Pointdexter), that I'm aware of.Great film, one of my favorites. See it!
Sherilyn Fenn shines (as she always does) in this off beat dark comedy about black mail, amnesia, and misguided love. It has sharp, quick-witted dialogue. Strange plot twists. Great cinematography. Great choice of cast and crew. It's one of the most watched movies in my video collection and will continue to be...