BOOTBOX011 | Region-Free (DVD)

Title: Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel (1991)

Alternate Title: Любовь и смерть в мотеле Сансет

Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Synopsis:
Set in 1955, toy salesman Chester DeSoto and his wife, Bridey, check into the rundown Sunset Motel near Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Their troubled marriage leads Chester to hire a psychotic beatnik named Deadpan to spy on Bridey, who is having an affair with a fellow guest, Auggie. As deceit and betrayal unfold, murder plots intertwine, all under the watchful eye of the voyeuristic motel manager. The film explores themes of infidelity, espionage, and the dark underbelly of mid-century Americana.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Alien Castle
• Writer: Alien Castle
• Cast:
  • Sherilyn Fenn as Bridey DeSoto
  • Whip Hubley as Chester DeSoto
  • David Hewlett as Deadpan
  • David Johansen as Auggie
  • Paul Bartel as The Manager

IMDb Link:
Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel (1991)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Ziglet_mir – ★½
   “ANUS PENUS! –Bridey to Auggie –Actual quote from Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel”

2. single white femalien – ★★★☆☆
   “ok if i love a good neo-noir the inverse is directly proportional……… i hate a bad one!!!”

3. theburkenation – ★★★½
   “A completely insane, completely nonsensical, campy, watered-down ‘Lynch orbiter,’ Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel is so crazy it almost needs to be experienced once.”

Meta Description:
“Desire and Hell at Sunset Motel” (1991), directed by Alien Castle, is a neo-noir black comedy set in 1955. The film follows Chester and Bridey DeSoto’s tumultuous stay at a seedy Anaheim motel, unraveling a web of infidelity, espionage, and murder, all observed by a voyeuristic manager.

Title: A Spiral of Mist (1977)

Alternate Title: Una spirale di nebbia

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Plot Synopsis:
Maria Teresa, trapped in an unfulfilling marriage with her impotent lawyer husband, Marcello, finds her life contrasted sharply by the passionate relationship of her friend Valeria. During a hunting excursion, Valeria is mysteriously killed, and suspicion falls upon her husband, Fabrizio. Convinced of Fabrizio’s innocence, Maria Teresa becomes entangled in the ensuing investigation, leading her to confront the complexities of desire, fidelity, and societal expectations. The film delves into themes of marital discord, sexual repression, and the murky nature of truth.

Cast and Crew:

Director: Eriprando Visconti
Writers: Eriprando Visconti, Luciano Lucignani, Fabio Mauri, Roselyne Sesboue, Lisa Morpurgo
Cast:

• Claude Jade as Maria Teresa Sangermano Testa
• Marc Porel as Fabrizio Sangermano
• Carole Chauvet as Valeria Piaget Sangermano
• Duilio Del Prete as Marcello Testa
• Stefano Satta Flores as Renato Marinoni

IMDb Link:
A Spiral of Mist (1977)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. nikki – ★★★☆☆
   “Somewhere bordering on a giallo, A Spiral of Mist is more a slow, meandering mystery with little in the way of violence but much in the way of flesh…”

2. Karl – ★★★☆☆
   “It’s a rather dull affair but my odd fascination with Porel and the nice cinematography make it entirely watchable.”

Meta Description:
“A Spiral of Mist” (1977), directed by Eriprando Visconti, is an Italian-French drama-thriller exploring the life of Maria Teresa, who, amidst her own marital struggles, becomes involved in the investigation of her friend’s mysterious death during a hunting trip, unraveling themes of desire, fidelity, and societal norms.