My review was written in August 1987 after watching the movie on New World video cassette.
"Talking Walls" is a feature that can't make up its mind whether to be sexploitation or serious-minded about human relationships; comedy or suspenser. Resulting mishmash was lensed nearly five years ago, alternately titled "Motel Vacancy", and, hopelessly dated, gone to home video in lieu of a theatrical release.
Filmmaker Stephen Verona delivers an opening reel emphasizing first-person camerawork that is pure sex tease: student Stephen Shellen setting up video equipment and 2-way mirrors at Don Davis' Total Media Motel in order to photograph couple for his master's thesis on intimacy and human relationships.
After this cute opening, featuring plenty of nudity, attempted jokes and spoofing of the outlandish motel decor (with its sheep room, shoe room, etc.), pic bogs down in endlessly boring soul searching about whether his project is ethical (his sociology prof Barry Primus doubts this) or productive. Extremely corny romantic interludes with his girl friend Marie Laurin (who's also carrying on with Primus, it turns out) pad the film as well. Ultimately, Shellen rejects technology and after a recap filler montage concludes that "the answer is love -live life, don't record it". On this pithy note, pic launches one of its vulgar theme songs: "Better in the Backseat".
Pic is so dated that it includes a joke about herpes. Of course, the constant bedhopping theme has been rendered archaic by the AIDS epidemic.
"Talking Walls" is a feature that can't make up its mind whether to be sexploitation or serious-minded about human relationships; comedy or suspenser. Resulting mishmash was lensed nearly five years ago, alternately titled "Motel Vacancy", and, hopelessly dated, gone to home video in lieu of a theatrical release.
Filmmaker Stephen Verona delivers an opening reel emphasizing first-person camerawork that is pure sex tease: student Stephen Shellen setting up video equipment and 2-way mirrors at Don Davis' Total Media Motel in order to photograph couple for his master's thesis on intimacy and human relationships.
After this cute opening, featuring plenty of nudity, attempted jokes and spoofing of the outlandish motel decor (with its sheep room, shoe room, etc.), pic bogs down in endlessly boring soul searching about whether his project is ethical (his sociology prof Barry Primus doubts this) or productive. Extremely corny romantic interludes with his girl friend Marie Laurin (who's also carrying on with Primus, it turns out) pad the film as well. Ultimately, Shellen rejects technology and after a recap filler montage concludes that "the answer is love -live life, don't record it". On this pithy note, pic launches one of its vulgar theme songs: "Better in the Backseat".
Pic is so dated that it includes a joke about herpes. Of course, the constant bedhopping theme has been rendered archaic by the AIDS epidemic.