Movie

Sensation (1994)

Many movies on my list are from the 1990s, the “golden age” for direct-to-video and a treasure trove for female villains. This was especially true for the erotic thriller genre. That term has become synonymous with softcore pornography, but believe it or not, these movies once had recognisable B-list talent and actual plots.

Sensation, starring Eric Roberts, Kari Wuhrer, and Ron Perlman, is a fine example. One nude scene has the main female character relaxing in a bathtub after canvas painting, surrounded by multicoloured floating blobs. Erotic imagery is present even when people are clothed, with surreal portraits of naked women and fertility statue antiques in the background. Modern viewers can watch the movie in wide-screen HD after its restoration from the original film footage.

The storyline is bizarre, but definitely original. Lila Reed (Wuhrer) is a graduate student hired by the mysterious Dr Ian Burton (Roberts) to study psychometry. That involves detecting imprints or “sensations” from objects and reliving the experiences of previous owners. Interesting study material, but Lila discovers some items belonged to a murdered student named Carrie Reiner, putting herself in danger.

Creepy men in Lila’s life include her pushy boyfriend, a stranger she meets in a bar, the eager Detective Pantella (Perlman), and Dr Burton himself. When Lila moves into Carrie’s old apartment, the landlord Mitch takes a voyeuristic interest in his new tenant and watches her shower through a skylight. No shortage of suspects, then.

Savvy viewers will write these off as red herrings, and as usual, it’s the one person who isn’t presented as sinister who turns out to be the killer.

Villainess

Paula Langford (Claire Stansfield)

The murderess’ motive is generic: a jilted lover and colleague. Why do scorned women always go crazy in these flicks? Paula’s infatuation with Burton is obvious from the moment she first enters his office. It’s later revealed she gave Dr Burton an alibi for Carrie’s murder, claiming they were together. A clever deception that also gives Paula an alibi. She’s playing you, doc.

Given that the killer strangles her victims with a leather cord, the 6’2’’ Claire Stansfield was a good casting choice with her towering physical presence. In most scenes, she dwarfs her male co-stars. The actress is also attractive and convincing as the femme fatale the story requires, including a topless sex scene with Eric Roberts.

Paula doesn’t appear much, however. Her only victims are poor Carrie (seen in the opening title sequence and psychic visions) and Lila’s best friend, Maryann, who dies because of a borrowed coat and mistaken identity. The late death in a fountain plaza occurs entirely off-screen, except for when the black-gloved murderess grabs her prey.

A tense finale has the ski-masked murderess break into Lila’s apartment, bludgeon Detective Pantella, and attempt to strangle the protagonist. This leads to a struggle and a dramatic reveal where Lila rips off the intruder’s mask. There’s a brilliant reaction shot of Paula after she’s exposed, one of the greatest female unmasking scenes in movie history. No hyperbole – it’s that good.

Some viewers have debated whether a male double played the killer in the climax. Personally, I’m inclined to believe it is actually Claire Stansfield under the mask, given her tall build. A shot of the killer’s feminine arms suggests the actress played the part, and the eyes match in close-ups. Seen from a side angle, the body shape is that of a woman. And pausing the improved HD version confirms this.

Stansfield is convincing as the not obviously female intruder, so it would have made sense to use her ski-masked guise more often. We’ll have to make do with the incredible buildup sequence where she stretches her leather cord… and the bland finale that follows her reveal. Dr Burton arrives, discovers the truth about his lover, and they struggle. After the murderess grabs a pair of scissors, Ian shakes her off, then Lila grabs the detective’s gun and blows the psycho away.

Honourable Mentions: Claire Stansfield / Masked Killers

Drop Zone (1994) – Kara (Claire Stansfield)

The versatile actress had another villainous role in 1994, as the sole female member of a criminal skydiving gang. This Wesley Snipes vehicle is fast-paced and entertaining, and the reliable Gary Busey plays the chief baddie (doesn’t he always?). His corrupt agent plans to steal valuable data from high-rise office buildings, and only a cop and hero skydiver, Jessie (Yancy Butler) can stop him.

Kara doesn’t speak much, but gets action aplenty. In her most notable scene, she parachutes onto a police station, impersonates an officer, and shoots a cop to access the evidence lockup. The tall henchwoman comes across as an intimidating and efficient killer, so it’s frustrating to sit through her non-action scenes.

With one woman on either side, it’s no surprise Jessie takes down Kara. Unfortunately, the heroine is a few inches shorter than her Amazonian opponent, so their physical duel is not very convincing. However, the villainess’ memorable and original demise – when Jessie smashes her head through a photocopier – makes up for any shortcomings.

Doorman (1985) – San Lu (Haru Aki)

Movies where the hero literally unmasks a villainess are rare, which earns this otherwise pedestrian thriller an honourable mention. A black-gloved killer prowls an apartment building, offing doormen so quickly that three are dead within twenty minutes. The murderer is a martial arts expert with a death touch technique, somehow able to snap a man’s neck with one hand. Kill scenes are laughably inept, bloodless even by TV movie standards.

Terry Reilly (Bradley Whitford) is a doorman (uh oh!) and budding mystery novelist who teams up with Linda (Sharon Schlarth) to solve the crime spree before he becomes the next victim. Unfortunately, Terry’s recited novels are much more riveting than the actual plot. The murderess has an unfathomable motive, something about stolen packages and a criminal double-cross. Many subplots turn out to be irrelevant, and the padded-out credits show clips of every character with dialogue. That includes the principal cast, minor roles, and extras who barely feature.

After Terry arranges a meeting with resident San Lu, the masked ninja-like killer attacks him in the parking garage. That rare moment of excitement is over in five seconds, and it’s a long wait until their next – and last – encounter. A brief kung fu scene, then Terry unmasks the callous San Lu, who gets a decent bad girl speech before a frustrating off-screen death.