The Limits of Thermal Travelling

By DEREK ELLEY

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A Bluestorm Intl. production. (International sales: James Samelson, Toluca Lake, Calif.) Produced by James Samelson, Mark Bender. Executive producer, Johnny George. Directed by Mark Bender. Screenplay, James Samelson, Bender.
 
Josh MacKintosh ... David Jacob Ryder
Dennis Hayes ... Cullen Douglas
Angela Hayes ... Robin Krasny
Karen MacKintosh ... Leonor Anthony
"Viper"/Fantasy Pool Girl/
Dominatrix ... Alexandra Adams
Thomas ... Ray Sands
 

Like its unexplained title, "The Limits of Thermal Travelling" is so out there it's either off the scale of meaning or tapping into some deeper truth about human infidelity that's beyond the ken of ordinary mortals. Chances are it's the former -- which relegates this fitfully amusing but over-embellished slice of tomfoolery to cast-and-crew screenings only.

Setting is Melbourne, Fla., just down the road from Cape Canaveral, whither small-time photog Josh (David Jacob Ryder) drifts after beating up his wife, Karen (Leonor Anthony), and leaving her to fry in a fire. He meets nympho blonde Angela (Robin Krasny), who's fled her loony husband, Dennis (Cullen Douglas), and soon the pair are setting new land, sea and air records in fast-motion copulation.

In between fantasizing about uncomplicated sex (repped by Alexandra Adams), Josh and Dennis finally meet, with the latter promising terminal payback. Meanwhile, Karen turns up with her biker lesbian lover (Adams again) to settle her marriage scores.

Somewhere amidst the wreckage of the script are hints that sophomore helmer Mark Bender ("Deadly Run") is capable of better.

The manipulated soundtrack (from revoicings to manufactured effects) gives the pic an irreal quality that chimes well with the various refs to pulpy genres. But strip away the slick, busy surface and one's still left with a seriously pointless movie whose potential audience is difficult to place.

The soundtrack by Sheilagh Hynd and Jon McLoughlin, all twanging guitars and rhythmic ostinatos, is great.

Camera (color), Ben Grieve; editor, David Byrne; music, Sheilagh Hynd, Jon McLoughlin; sound (Ultra-Stereo), Simon Miller, William Wang; assistant director, Rod Stein. Reviewed at Edinburgh Film Festival, Aug. 23, 1995. Running time: 90 MIN.