3rd Degree Burn

This made for HBO cable drama is little more than a paltry rip-off of the far superior 1981 film Body Heat. Treat Williams stars as Scott Weston, a private eye with no distinguishing features whatsoever. Virginia Madsen (who is the closest thing to a studio actress going today; having made Long Gone, Gotham, and now this turkey for HBO) is Ann, the young wife of an older millionaire. After being hired to follow Ann, Scott is quickly seduced by her, and shortly thereafter the millionaire hubby is found floating belly-up outside their Seattle waterfront home with Scott's gun planted on the scene. It doesn't take a Holmesian intelligence to deduce who was behind the set-up. Williams works his way through the lame role without much effort; and Madsen who is supposed to be erotic here, is about as smoldering as the Beaver's mother (though not as talented). Ultimately, the only real mystery in the film is how the leads managed to get good parking spots so close to the Seattle ferry. Not recommended. (R. Pitman)