Animal Instincts (1992 Video) User Reviews

Why so many shots of tongues licking mouths?

[Groverdox · 6/10 · 17 January 2019]

"Animal Instincts" is one of those softcore b-movies that were in the "adult" section of the video shop back when video shops still existed. It's not a "Red Shoe Diary" type thing with the faux-arty cinematography, over-zealous acting and goofy soundtrack. The direction is actually quite pedestrian, which kind of shows up the actors, among whom are natural softcore queen Shannon Whirry, and performers who had fallen on hard times David Carradine, and perhaps the biggest Hollywood screw up who ever lived, Jan-Michael Vincent. There are times when the actors seem to be standing around, waiting for cues. You can see them ACTING. The guy who made this movie - surprisingly one of few adult filmmakers to transition to mainstream flicks - is no Zalman King or Tinto Brass or any of the other actually competent softcore directors.

The plot is about a neglected wife of a policeman who is investigating an underworld figure who owns strip clubs. The movie uses an ungainly device which shows the protagonist talking to a therapist to introduce different scenes. The movie is quite generous with nudity from multiple women aside from Whirry, so at least it delivers on that score.

The husband's lack of interest in his bodacious wife is kind of hard to believe, especially when she parades in front of him in the chicest of mid nineties lingerie.

For some reason the movie often focuses on the sight of tongues lapping at each other.

Inevitably, the Whirry character cheats, and is caught out - but the husband isn't angry, he's turned on. They agree that she will continue to find lovers, and will film her activities so that he can watch.

The first guy who responds to her personal ad just wants to talk, which seems unlikely given the nature of the ad. He also seems uncomfortable and nervous with Whirry coming onto him.

Shannon Whirry has amazing breasts. We're treated to a montage of her having sex with various people. She, and her partners, dress like it's Elizabethan England in one scene, with wigs and lace. In another scene, she dresses like a man, in a suit, kind of looking like a buxom Justin Bieber.

Whirry ends up getting around so much she even ends up having sex with her husband's partner.

Jan-Michael Vincent finally gets a scene almost an hour and ten minutes into the movie. He seems like some kind of politician. Even in the nineties, did high ranking politicians have pony tails?

Whirry's cop boyfriend sets up JMV to have sex with his wife so that they can film it for the sleazy nightclub owner, played by David Carradine, though how he does this is kind of left unexplained. It's like everybody who needs to have sex with Whirry for the needs of the plot, does, without much hassle. How small is the town in which the movie is set, that all these assignations can be made so easily?

Whirry's character inexplicably becomes a celebrity as a result of her having sex in front of the camera. Too bad that didn't happen to the real Shannon Whirry. John Saxon also makes an appearance at the zero hour.

Nude Shannon Whirry might be a sight to behold - though the movie doesn't feature enough full frontal nudity from her - and the movie's plot is enjoyably silly, but I didn't find it particularly erotic. I hope Whirry was in other movies that made better use of her physical form, if not her lack of real acting chops. This is the first one of her movies that I have seen.

I was aroused when I saw it underage teen, but I lost interest as soon as I became sophisticated

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 15 September 2023]

(1992) Animal Instincts EROTIC DRAMA

Straight-to-rental soft core porn movie which centers on young husband, David Cole (Maxwell Caulfield) who doesn't know how to become intimate with his just married wife, Joanna Cole (Shannon Whirry) without witnessing her screw with strangers he secretly sees hiding in a closet, and sometimes video taping them. Modest hit on rental with Shannon Whirry wearing breast implants at the time, but has taken them off for awhile now! It's cheap, full of bad acting (if their is any acting) and rather pointless, since this has been done many times before in a mature manner, and that it's purpose was nothing more than a backdrop to the unnecessary make out scenes! Oh, and theirs also a sequel which I haven't seen yet!

Quite a lot of Sax

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 13 February 2023]

No pun intended - I mean you know what I mean, right? There is a lot of music, especially saxophone during scenes of explicit material. Though not in a hardcore way - but more a softcore way. And with a star of the 90s that was quite natural - my puns, I hope you like them (as much as you might like the lead actress here).

Talking to someone (the camera) our main character reminisces what happened ... and how her (sex) life got spiced up. This may sound unbelievable to you .. considering how hot she is and why there would be an issue ... but suspend your disbelief and know that some people may have kinks (or maybe you have too and understand anyway).

That all being said, the story is quite solid - for an erotic movie (is it more drama or thriller? I'd go with the latter, but you decide for yourself). There is a satisfying conclusion ... and the ending is nice too (come on - I had to, yes?)

eh

[noonward · 3 June 2014]

Let's call a spade a spade here. This is porn. Now, I'm not prudish or interested in deeming films porn just because they have sex in them. But this is porn. As a film it is insanely inept, a porn film that masquerades as a thriller. There is no art or subtlety to it, simply a display of crude acting and titillating sensationalism. As someone who is very much into sleazy trash and dedicates a good amount of hard drive space to it, this fails even in that regard. It's dull and devoid of anything of substance.

However, it hits the right points in certain instances. The opening theme is eerie and wonderful even if it is just stock music (the other music in the film is the type of Kenny G smooth jazz you see in parodies of porn). The lighting of certain scenes is wonderful, bright and seemingly natural and the general look of the film is delightful in that grainy video shot way. These are positive aspects that could apply to any generic porn VHS of the time though.

I'm giving this a 3 because I DID get kinda horny at the beautiful women, thus in a way it fulfils its purpose. But if you want to actually watch a film then this is the worst way to go.

Animal Instincts

[jboothmillard · 3/10 · 15 June 2005]

When I first saw the title I guessed it was something to do with actual creatures, but in my younger days I was much happier with what actually appeared, seeing it again however was a good idea to get a better opinion. Basically Joanna Cole (Shannon Whirry) feels the passion in her relationship with police officer husband David (Maxwell Caulfield) is going, it is like he is not interested in her anymore, and she is sexually frustrated. Needing some sexual attention and passion she does have sex with another man, which David sees and does nothing about, and the second time he catches her again, watching her a little bit, before getting rid of him. He makes it clear to Joanna that he is not angry at all, he has found a higher attraction for her through his love for voyeurism, and both agreeing they decide to have some more fun. So they get an article put in the newspaper advertising for men, women and couples to join Joanna for the evening for sexual passion, while David with the hidden camera watches on screen and gets turned on. Of course slowly they realise there are small consequences with what they are doing, including getting a gangster come in on them and force the husband to blackmail gangster like crook William Lamberti (Kill Bill's David Carradine). Also starring Jan-Michael Vincent as Fletcher Ross, Delia Sheppard as Ingrid, Mitchell Gaylord as Rod Tennison, John Saxon as Otto Van Horne, Josh Cruze as Hernandez, Tom Reilly as Ken, Erika Nann as Dianne, Kelly Royce as Jessica and Frank Swann as Officer Tom. Naturally being a teenager it was easy for me to be turned on to the sight of Whirry with another woman and exposing her breasts very often, as well as the occasional sights of other women in the film naked, but it is a rather ridiculous story that only soft porn can come up with, and not even sexual scenes can save it being dull, why did Carradine agree to be in it? A silly erotic thriller. Adequate!

Animal Instincts

[allmoviesfan · 5/10 · 21 January 2023]

Fun fact: Animal Instincts - the first in a trilogy - is the first ever Shannon Whirry move I ever watched. And I wasn't disappointed. She is very good looking and, as you would expect in a movie like this, she spends a lot of time naked. She plays Joanna, a housewife who is frustrated by the lack of intimacy in her marriage, but later discovers by accident that her police officer husband, David, is a voyeur and gets off on watching her...well, get off with other men. And women. And couples. And her husband's partner, it seems. To feed his desire, they videotape her encounters, which happen via a newspaper add - the 1992 movie really dates itself here - and involve some fairly important people like an assistant DA and others. Also, a sleazy gangster-type club owner. Things turn a little dark at the end with some blackmail thrown into the mix.

A decent softcore thriller...but did anyone notice the insane amount of mouths being licked? That's a new one.

I want watching this film.

[e-08459 · 3/10 · 28 August 2021]

Animal instincts is intresting,I want watching this film.

I have no idea that these 10 ratings watched, but it wasn't Animal Instincts

[phuckracistgop · 1/10 · 12 February 2024]

The plot had more holes than Swiss Cheese and the dialog could have been better written by a two year old. And the cheesy sex scenes were amateurish at best with the only redeeming factor being that Shannon Whirry is an attractive woman.

As for the acting prowess of these washed-up has-been's, I would place then at a minus 10 plus some. Zero chemistry and non-plausible situations. Such as having sex in a strip club on the pool table where the vice squad would surely cite the establishment. "They have private booths for such dalliance"

Plus where did they find these extras that were supposed to be strippers??? Because I have been in a few strip clubs and what these women had to offer would have caused the club to go bankrupt due to zero customers.

Now back to this pitiful excuse for soft porn entertainment, and as I stated earlier, the plot was weaker than 2% milk. And what really got me from the start of the flix. Was when Maxwell Caulfield was called to work as Shannon Whirry was trying to get busy. He was putting on a hidden holster as if he worked undercover, yet he was a regular patrol officer who wouldn't even where that piece of equipment. Another gapping hole would have been when his partner who lied about being a doctor didn't know where he lived or what his wife would have looked like.

Just too juvenile for words, and juveniles would have been a better target audience for this obnoxious drivel.

If you're in it for lousy sex scenes and a naked yet attractive Shannon Whirry, go for it, but don't expect anything other than that.

Animal Instincts

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 21 December 2009]

Animal Instincts has quite a cast of characters for such a trashy movie. The delectable Shannon Whirry(the camera worships every inch of her succulent, ravishing body)is the bored wife of an underpaid cop who is consumed with money and what it brings. David Carradine is a drug-dealing pimp who operates a strip club and is tired of councilman Jan Michael Vincent, on a crusade against titty bars so that he can be elected mayor. Maxwell Kaulfield is the cop husband of Whirry who catches her in bed with the cable repair man and finds that he is aroused seeing his wife having hot sex with other johns. Setting up camera equipment and recording Whirry's trysts with powerful men such as lawyer, doctors, and other prominent clientèle offers an opportunity for Kaulfield to make some easy cash, and attempts to blackmail, through Carradine, Vincent when they have him on tape screwing around with an unknown woman in a mask. Sleazy premise provides director Gregory Dark with a chance to film soft-core sex between Whirry and a host of men(..and Delia Sheppard who actually offers to take her to Paris!). We get to see her in lots of lingerie and plenty times naked. John Saxon stops by at the tail end of the movie, an attorney representing Whirry and Kaulfield, feeding the press a cock-n-bull story about a woman's case of nymphomania due to a reaction towards a prescribed drug and how her husband was actually attempting to help her with such a problem by addressing what it was that affected their sex life. Carradine seems right at home in this smut and Whirry is rather comfortable and uninhibited in front of the camera performing..for quite a jubilant audience, I presume(..unless you are bothered and/or disturbed by the naked body of a gorgeous woman). The material is quite raunchy, but photographed in such a seductive way, mainly because, in my opinion, Whirry commands your attention. And, she has this smooth voice and soft lips which can only heighten her hypnotic grasp over you if you are willing to let go, allowing her to work her magic spell. The film is told in flashback with Whirry interviewed by a journalist, as she returns us to her story's origins. Many of the sex scenes are cut rather short, not getting too explicit. Vincent and Saxon have roles that aren't that significant, with each maybe in the movie five minutes tops. Carradine, however, makes quite an impression, he's such a maleficent, poisonous creature, and has some memorably depraved dialogue, where his character speaks fondly of his profession, the kind of man he is, pride evident in how he talks about himself.

One of the best of it's kind. Extremely hot.

[insomniac_rod · 10/10 · 22 December 2006]

This is a classic. Truly, one of the hottest, sexiest, steamiest movies of all time. The plot is as sensual and hot as any other from this kind.

Shannon Whirry shines through all the movie and looks at her hottest. She's truly a great actress and a sexy woman in all the sense of the word.

The sex scenes are very well done but look too 90's in my opinion. I mean, with the typical background music and "sophisticated" camera angles. But it's still a sexy movie with an unbelievable hot lead actress.

Gregory Dark does it once again and brings to us one of the best soft core sex movies in history.

This is a must see for anyone who enjoys this noble genre and it is HEAVEN for Shannon Whirry fans.

Better than Emmanuelle, Queen of the Galaxy

[mligorio · 8/10 · 14 November 2008]

Among the first soft-porn I ever saw was the made for TV "Emmanuelle" series starring Krista Allen. It got my attention, but I had two main problems with it: 1) It looked too much like an endless series of orgies and not enough like the love story it was supposed to be; 2) I didn't see anywhere near enough gratuitous footage of Krista Allen as I would have liked in various states of undress. The second shortcoming was by far my biggest grievance.

After seeing numerous other soft-porn flicks, I gave up trying to find one that would give me what I wanted. I actually got Animal Instincts thinking it was a drama, and I almost deleted it after seeing a few scenes of ugly prostitutes in a sleazy night club. Fortunately, Shannon Whirry (Joanna) satisfied the most important criterion for the lead actress in this kind of film; i.e., she had good overall proportions and looked good in revealing attire. I especially liked her firm, well rounded derriere, although her breasts were too over-sized for my taste. That being said, she is not a bad actress either.

If you stick with this film, you may find that the plot proves to be intriguing. Far from being the laughable joke that many soft-porn flicks are, Animal Instincts exhibits dramatic irony, conflict, suspense, and even clever wit, but it still has some logical flaws. The most critical of them, beyond and doubt, is that we are supposed to imagine a young couple in love, but the relationship between Joanna and her husband (David) wasn't developed enough to even come close to achieving this end. They should have shared more intimate secrets with each other, and the emotional and psychological links between the two should have been accentuated, even when they were not together in the same room. If you want a good example, read the following spoiler.

{Begin spoiler} One day David comes home and finds Joanna in bed with another man, who he chases away. Then to our surprise, after what seemed like months of neglect, without a word Dave finally has sex with Joanna. Apparently, he was turned on by seeing her have sex with a perfect stranger. That might be true, but we are supposed to see that the relationship he shares with her is special and goes beyond a casual lay. It would have seemed more intimate if he had at first became enraged with jealousy. Then, after a passionate argument and a teary eyed moment where the two lovers kiss and make-up, finally we would enjoy a prolonged and intimate love scene. Certainly the sex between David and Joanna should have been the best in the film {End spoiler}.

To sum it all up, in the context of a fairly intriguing drama, I found a soft-porn film that does a fair job of revealing the more appealing assets of the lead female role; not a trivial point, given that this is the raison d'etre of the film. Unfortunately, I have yet to find one good skin-flick that draws a clear distinction between true love and wanton sex.

The best of why you're watching it

[flanagad · 10/10 · 30 June 2003]

There's really only one reason why you'd be watching a film like this. This film accomplishes everything one could hope for in this genre and not much else. If you don't know why you're watching it, stop, but if you do, you'll agree it's as close to perfect as possible.

Erotic Tale

[TheRealSylar · 10/10 · 10 March 2009]

I rarely enjoy erotic films, but really loved this one. Its plot is quite basic the tale of a cop that works too hard and a wife that is neglected. Shannon Whirry as the wife is stunning and captures your attention. Its adult nature is full nudity and soft focus, with plenty of interesting outfits and people doing what is now seen as swinging. It hasn't really dated too badly, the hair is big, the g-strings high legged and the suits a bit 80s. Other than that they had kept it free of really obvious fashion or image disasters of the era.

The second film is also quite good and in the third Shannon wasn't included.

If you want intelligent eroticism then get Wild Things with Denise Richards, otherwise this will make a fun watch.

Love her or hate it

[xsfreetime · 9/10 · 9 August 2009]

I usually have no interest in this kind of film, and if I compared it to mainstream cinema I'd give it about 2 stars. But this film is all about presenting what is truly one of the Wonders of the Modern World, Shannon Whirry.

We all have our preferences, of course, and I wouldn't expect mine to match anyone else's (although the film sold well enough to justify sequels), but for those of you with tastes like mine this is a Don't Miss It Under Any Circumstances opportunity.

I understand Ms. Whirry is doing "legit" theater now. I hope she's finding success and earning appreciation for her other talents as well. Thank you, Ms. Whirry, for being unforgettable.

One of the Very Best Films in the Erotic Thriller Genre!

[JUBriscoe · 10/10 · 2 June 2016]

Gernert/Garroni/Hippolye Productions/Axis Films made a name for themselves and an overnight star of actress and then newcomer Shannon Whirry with this steamy tale based loosely on a well known true story.

Whirry portrays the character Joanne Cole, a woman on the verge...of wild sex, of 'generous' lovers, and of wanton violence that could end it all. Her husband (Maxwell Caulfield) is an overworked cop close to the edge. When he continues to ignore his wife's intimate needs, Joanne turns to others to fulfill her desires. When she is caught by David in a compromising situation, she realizes the way to get his attention is to let him watch. What he sees awakens his 'Animal Instincts'.

This film features a collage of familiar actors: David Carradine, very effective in his role as the sinister under-world type William Lamberti; Jan-Michael Vincent, as the corrupt city councilman Fletcher Ross; and ex-gymnast Mitch Gaylord in a small but effective role as David's cop partner, just to name a few.

A sensual brew of violence and passion is mixed with some of the boldest couplings ever to be granted an R Rating (also available in an UNRATED version, the one that is the subject of my review).

This film also features a very effective original music score by studio artists LIXX Array, whose synthesizer renditions are some of the best compliments to the already excellent direction (Gregory Hippolyte) and provocative cinematography in recent memory.

If a 'racy' movie occasionally is your 'oyster', treat yourself to this gem that redefined the term 'Erotic Thriller' in 1992, and set the standard by which all others of that genre are now judged.

Excellent!

Hot!

[superkick-30523 · 10/10 · 26 November 2019]

Very erotic story, nice and naughty. She's incredibly hot.

Excellent movie covering the Cuckolding topic

[southernmist · 8/10 · 8 January 2013]

My wife and I watched this move and she finally understood how a woman could have sex and not confuse it with love. She got to see how the husband got excited while watching her have sex with different men. Shannon is outstanding and the camera shows all of her lovely attributes, for the ladies you don't see the guys junk, but if your looking for some clothing to spice up the evenings in bedroom then you will get some good ideas from this movie.

I thought it was well done and the sex scenes were about what you can expect for soft-core. All in all a good movie that answers a lot of questions that you and your SO may have.

very best of animals...

[rsosaanchondo · 8 April 2014]

i never get tired of seen of this movie, tat is by far the best erotic movie ever ,every performance is quit exciting since the beginning when she is sitting in the chair making up with that hot black outfit, who wears beautifully.. i like the way she talks and smile very sexy woman,i like how she tells the story and recalls almost moaning..oh delicious

my favorite scene is when she encounters with her husbands friend ,and offers have a threesome later after they first meet and she wears elegant clothes and a sexy rope...wow what a piece of woman!

i recommend it a lot if you don't see it yet, is very good b-movie

An absolute masterpiece of erotica cinematography (and some actual observations)

[jmrecillas-83435 · 10/10 · 25 March 2018]

This is my first review on IMDB, which show you the particular way I see movies and think about it.

Some things have change in the way we look at movies, specially in the light of recent scandals on Hollywood concernig the way women, but not only they, has been treated by studios or high executives and producers. We have to acknowledge that erotic cinema contains and portrait that what feminists call Sexual objectification. Yes, erotic cinema is made by men for men, voyeurist men, and portraits women as an object, an object of male desire (that what Tennessee Williams call in his 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire). So, we can't, or we shouldn't forget that women portrayed in this kind of films are that kind of object. This doesn't mean that you cannot enjoy a movie or doesn't watch properly if you forget this. I want to point out that in order to acknowledge our debt with women. It's also important underline that erotic cinema is a variety of male voyeurism, since there isn't erotic cinema for women.

Considering all this, it is possible to say that this movie represents one of the highest, if not THE HIGHEST example of this kind of cinema. What it makes an erotic movie a visual and endure experiencie? Is not the plot, usually very shallow and silly, underlying the submisive aspect of the female character, which always is involved in some of silly activity which leads her to a sexual activity, and the display of what men can call 'the beauty of the female body' for voyeuristic purposes: men should see and enjoy the way the female character is conducted into intercourse, wether she has been established as a weak personality that has to be rescued, or a strong and bad character that uses her sexuality to achieve her goals.

In this case, Shannon Whirry embodies the first kind of character, with all the cliches that voyeuristic erotic cinema requires for an adequate developement. This means that we are not befora a novelty on which means the plot of the story. What it makes this flick a memorable experience is all de cinematic photography, no matter how cliché this results. Shannon Whirry is captured in that voyeuristic spirit that is mesmerizing watch her doing what in real life she usually doesn't do it: enjoy hersefl as she was watching another woman (or man) as she put her underwears since the very beginning of the film.There is no way that a real woman behave herself as she on screen. But that is the magic of voyeurism for men: to look a woman enjoying so much herself as the voyeurist do it. In that sense, there is no other film, before or after this, that captures what 'spirit of watching' is supposed to be.

Shannon Whirry looks absolutely masterfully, beautifully captured on film as never other woman has been or will be. She looks astonishingly breathtaking, no matter how silly and cliché is the plot of this movie. Yes, she embodies the highest point ever achieven on Sexual objectification, but we have to admit that never a woman look so impressive in underwear as she looks on here, and the cinematic rhythm is just awesome, astonishing, mesmerizing. An absolute memorable cinematic experiencie for men, and probably for some women too.